Brevard College and Rise and Shine Neighbors in Ministry Students Attend Play in Asheville

A group of Brevard College teaching licensure candidates and scholars from Rise and Shine Neighbors in Ministry pose in front of a mural immortalizing baseball great Jackie Robinson at Hall Fletcher Elementary School in Asheville.

A group of Brevard College teaching licensure candidates and scholars from Rise and Shine Neighbors in Ministry recently traveled to Hall Fletcher Elementary School in Asheville to watch a performance of the play, Jackie’s Nine.

The play, authored and performed by third graders at Hall Fletcher, is based loosely on Jackie’s Nine: Jackie Robinson’s Values To Live By (by Sharon Robinson).  As a baseball player in the 40s, Robinson broke the “color barrier” by joining the Brooklyn Dodgers.  He also lived by a set of values that included justice, integrity, excellence, teamwork, persistence, determination, commitment, citizenship and courage.

The group was invited to attend the play by Brevard College alumnus Brian Randall, an Elementary Teacher Licensure and Wilderness Leadership Experiential Educator graduate who now teaches third grade at Hall Fletcher.

The play was the culminating experience spiraling from a literature-based social studies project launched initially from a 2011 grant from Asheville City Schools to fund artist Ian Wilkerson’s work with students to create a mural to immortalize Robinson in Hall Fletcher’s cafeteria.

In preparation for the field trip, Brevard College teacher candidates examined copies of the Jackie’s Nine project-based learning unit that Randall and his third grade team created, learning how the theory of experiential education, best-instructional practices, and the Common Core standards can align.

Posted 03.05.2013

Brevard College Announces Wind Ensemble Composition Competition Winner

Brevard College has announced the winner of its first BC Wind Ensemble Composition Competition that is set to become an annual event.

Dr. Joseph Eidson received first place for his work, “Hour of the Wolf.”  This new work for symphonic wind ensemble, which features rhythmic drive and lyrical melodies, was inspired by the "hour of the wolf" or "witching hour," which occurs just before sunrise.

Active as a composer and educator, Dr. Eidson is a member of the music faculty of the Sunderman Conservatory at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Penn., with previous teaching appointments at Bucknell University, the University of Kansas, and the University of Texas. He holds degrees in music theory and composition from the University of Kansas and the University of Texas, studying with Dan Welcher, JamesBarnes, Donald Grantham and Forrest Pierce.

Dr. Eidson, who enjoys writing for wind band as well as vocal works, describes his new piece as being “filled with an intensity and energy that does not dissipate.”
 
 “A subdued middle section featuring the low winds is the only respite from the constant beating and pulsing throughout the piece, which ends with a final, frantic bang,” he adds.

As the winner of the BC Wind Ensemble Composition Competition, Dr. Eidson receives a $1,000 prize as well as a three day residency at Brevard College and a recording of the winning composition.

He will premiere “Hour of the Wolf” during a concert at Brevard College held at 7:30 p.m. on April 9 in the Porter Center for Performing Arts.  The concert is free and open to the public.

The inaugural competition received more than 80 entries from composers from throughout the United States. The mission of the BC Wind Ensemble Composition Competition is to create new and unique works for wind ensembles.

“We were thrilled to see such an interest in writing music for young wind ensembles,” said Brevard College Assistant Professor of Music Dr. Miller Asbill.  “Our goal for the competition was to encourage artistic writing for younger students and offer an opportunity for the winning composer to share their artistic vision with our student here at Brevard College.”

Competition entries were judged by a panel of Brevard College Music faculty along with an area high school band director and composer from South Carolina.

Posted 03.05.2013

Endowed Scholarship Established in Memory of Brevard College Professor Emeritus

An endowed scholarship in memory of Professor Emeritus Carl Carlson was recently established at Brevard College.  The beloved professor, who passed away in 2011, taught mathematics at Brevard College from 1991 to 1999. Mrs. Marilyn Carlson stands beside Brevard College junior Amanda Huggins Chapman of Lake Toxaway.  Chapman, who is a Teacher Licensure in Mathematics major, is the first recipient of the new Carl Carlson Endowed Memorial Scholarship in Mathematics at Brevard College.

An endowed scholarship in memory of Professor Emeritus Carl Carlson was recently established at Brevard College.

The Carl Carlson Endowed Memorial Scholarship in Mathematics was established by Mrs. Marilyn Carlson in honor of her late husband.  The beloved professor, who passed away in 2011, taught mathematics at Brevard College from 1991 to 1999.

The endowed scholarship in Carlson's name will support deserving and talented students majoring in mathematics at Brevard College.

"I am pleased to endow this Mathematics Endowed Scholarship in honor of my husband, Carl Carlson,” said Mrs. Carlson.  “Carl was passionate about education and enjoyed teaching Mathematics at Brevard College for eight years.  It is my hope that this scholarship will continue Carl's legacy and assist promising students with the means to achieve their academic and career aspirations."

In 1990, Carlson retired from a career with AT&T in New Jersey and moved to Brevard, where he was able to fulfill one of his lifelong dreams – to teach at a small college.

“Carl was one of our most respected faculty members,” shared Clarke Wellborn, Brevard College's Edwin L. Schmidt Distinguished Professor of Physics and Mathematics.  “As a teacher, he was outstanding: not only did his students enjoy his classes, but they demonstrated that they knew more, understood more, and had greater skill than those of a number of other instructors of the same course.

“As a faculty member beyond the classroom, he exhibited a cheerful competence and maturity that stabilized our department, division, and even the college as a whole.  It was a privilege to have worked with him.”

Described as a passionate student of life, Carlson had many interests and achieved a breadth and depth of talent across many subjects.   He was a student of math, science and technology.  An engineer at his core, Carlson loved to understand how things worked.   He enjoyed regularly practicing piano, taking award-winning photographs and writing devotions as well as golfing and fly fishing.

Brevard College junior Amanda Huggins Chapman of Lake Toxaway, who is a Teacher Licensure in Mathematics major, is the first recipient of the new scholarship.

“This scholarship means the world to me,” said Chapman.  “I am so honored to have been chosen to help carry on the dreams and passion of Mr. Carlson.”

Chapman plans to teach high school math once she graduates from Brevard College.  She also hopes to pursue her studies so that one day she too may become a college professor.

“We are incredibly appreciative to Marilyn for endowing this scholarship at Brevard College, in Carl’s spirit, to support young students who aspire to have mathematics careers but may otherwise not be able to afford to pursue them,” said Susan Cothern, vice president for advancement at Brevard College.   Anyone wishing to donate to the scholarship may do so. Gifts may be made to: Brevard College;

The Carl Carlson Endowed Memorial Scholarship in Mathematics, One Brevard College Dr., Brevard, NC 28712.  A gift acknowledgement will be mailed to Mrs. Carlson.

For more information about gift opportunities, please contact the Brevard College Office of Institutional Advancement at 828.884.8218 or e-mail GivesToBC@brevard.edu.

Poste 02.13.2013

Brevard College Offers FAFSA Form Assistance Feb. 23

Brevard College financial aid officers will be available Saturday, Feb. 23 to help high school seniors and families complete and submit their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms online.
 
The FAFSA assistance will be offered from 9 a.m. to noon in room 102 of Brevard College’s McLarty-Goodson Academic Building.  Anyone who would like to attend must pre-register at CFNC.org/FAFSAday or by calling 866-866-CFNC toll-free.
 
Completing the FAFSA form is a requirement to be considered for all federal and most state financial aid for college, including scholarships and grants.  This year’s statewide FAFSA Day is sponsored by College Foundation of North Carolina, the North Carolina Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators and State Employees’ Credit Union.
 
To be fully prepared to complete the FAFSA on Feb. 23,  participants should either file their 2012 federal taxes in advance or bring the following items: both the student’s and parents’ federal 1040 tax forms for 2012 (or W-2 forms and other income and asset documents if completed tax forms are not available); the student’s and one parent’s Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) obtained in advance from the U.S. Department of Education website at www.pin.ed.gov; and a FAFSA on the Web Worksheet with as much information entered as possible.  The online worksheet is available at www.fafsa.gov.
 
“It’s important to complete the FAFSA early to take advantage of all of the financial aid opportunities available for North Carolinians,” said Robbie Schultz of the N.C. State Education Assistance Authority and CFNC coordinator of the FAFSA Day program.
 
“Students and parents don’t need to worry if they aren’t sure how to answer all of the questions on the form.  That’s why we have arranged to have experienced financial aid specialists to help at each FAFSA Day site,” he said.
 
“Filing 2012 federal taxes early really simplifies the FAFSA completion,” Schultz said.  “Those who file well in advance of FAFSA Day can use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool on the FAFSA form to transfer their tax information directly onto their FAFSA.”
 
If a student or parent hasn’t yet filed taxes by Feb. 23, they can estimate income information on the FAFSA, and then use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to submit FAFSA corrections at a later date. Another option for students and parents with a few questions on completing the FAFSA is the FAFSA Phone-In offered every Tuesday night in February.  Financial aid specialists and experts will be available to answer specific FAFSA questions on the toll-free number, 866-866-CFNC (2362), between 5 and 8 p.m.
 
Additional free college planning information is available at the College Foundation of North Carolina website, CFNC.org.  Families can find financial aid videos, college cost estimators, listings of scholarship, grant and loan opportunities, information about North Carolina’s 529 college savings plan, career information, virtual tours of more than 100 of the state’s college campuses and online college admission and financial aid applications.
 
About CFNC
College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC) is a free service of the State of North Carolina that helps students plan, apply and pay for college. CFNC is a partnership of Pathways, the N.C. State Education Assistance Authority, and College Foundation Inc.

Posted 02.07.2013

Brevard College Hosts Closing Reception for Photography Exhibition

The Brevard College Art Department will host a closing reception for “The Mestizo Spirit,” a photography exhibition featuring the work of guest artist Henry Stindt.
 
The closing reception, which is free and open to the public, will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 22 in Spiers Gallery in the Sims Art Center.
 
The exhibition of photographs reflects Stindt’s voyage to Oaxaca, Mexico where he explored the spiritual nature of the area’s native people through their passionate festivals and ceremonies.
 
Stindt, an adjunct professor of photography at East Carolina University and freelance photographer, has operated studios in Atlanta and New York City.  His work as a photographer and researcher has taken him to many remote regions of the world, but Central America and Mexico have been his main focus for the last decade.
 
Stindt earned his bachelor’s degree in design from Penn State University and his master’s degree in painting from Pratt Institute.  He also studied photography at New York City's School of Visual Arts and the International Center for Photography.  Stindt currently lives and works in Greenville, N.C.
 
Spiers Gallery is a contemporary 1,500 square foot gallery located within the Sims Art Center on the Brevard College campus. Exhibitions in Spiers Gallery are ongoing throughout the year and include shows by Brevard College students and faculty members as well as visiting artists from Western North Carolina and around the country.
 
For more information about the reception, contact Diane Pomphrey at 828-884-8188.

Posted 02.07.2013

Brevard College Presents Evening of Gershwin with Opus Two

Brevard College will present "Gershwin Remembered: 75th Anniversary Tribute to George Gershwin" by Opus Two on Monday, Feb. 4 at the Porter Center for Performing Arts.

The 7:30 p.m. concert by the piano and violin duo is free and open to the public, and will feature selections from "Porgy and Bess," "An American in Paris" and "Girl Crazy!"

Opus Two has been internationally recognized for its “divine phrases, impelling rhythm, elastic ensemble and stunning sounds,” as well as its commitment to expanding the violin–piano duo repertoire.

Comprised of award-winning musicians violinist William Terwilliger and pianist Andrew Cooperstock, the duo is hailed for its "unanimity of style and spirit, exemplary balance and close rapport." Together, they have performed on six continents and recorded a critically acclaimed series of American music CDs, including music by Aaron Copland, Paul Schoenfield, and Lowell Liebermann, among others.

Their recording for Naxos, Leonard Bernstein: Violin Sonata; Piano Trio; New Transcriptions, praised by Gramophone as “bungee-jumping” and “effortless” showcases collaborations with veteran Broadway conductor/arranger Eric Stern and Tony-nominated actress-singer Marin Mazzie, as well as a reworking by William Terwilliger of Bernstein’s well-known clarinet sonata. The duo’s recording of tonight’s music by Gershwin, which will also featuring Broadway star Ashley Brown, with will be released on the Azica label early next season.

edicated teachers as well as performers, William Terwilliger is Professor of Violin at the University of South Carolina, and Andrew Cooperstock is a Steinway artist and a faculty member at the University of Colorado and the Vianden International Festival and School in Luxembourg. Each summer Opus Two is in residence at Rocky Ridge Music Center in Allenspark, Colorado.

Posted 01.18.2013

Brevard College Hosts Slide Presentation and Opening Reception for Photography Exhibition

The Brevard College Art Department will host an artist’s slide presentation and opening reception for “The Mestizo Spirit,” a photography exhibition featuring the work of guest artist Henry Stindt.

The artist's slide presentation will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 24 in room SA102 in Brevard College’s Sims Art Building. The opening reception will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 25 in Spiers Gallery in the Sims Art Center.

The presentation, reception as well as exhibit visitations are free to the public.

The exhibition of photographs reflects Stindt’s voyage to Oaxaca, Mexico where he explored the spiritual nature of the area’s native people through their passionate festivals and ceremonies.

Stindt, an adjunct professor of photography at East Carolina University and freelance photographer, has operated studios in Atlanta and New York City. His work as a photographer and researcher has taken him to many remote regions of the world, but Central America and Mexico have been his main focus for the last decade.

Stindt earned his bachelor’s degree in design from Penn State University and his master’s degree in painting from Pratt Institute. He also studied photography at New York City's School of Visual Arts and the International Center for Photography. Stindt currently lives and works in Greenville, N.C.

Gallery hours for the show are 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. weekdays when the College is in session. The exhibit will be on display until Feb. 22.

Spiers Gallery is a contemporary 1,500 square foot gallery located within the Sims Art Center on the Brevard College campus. Exhibitions in Spiers Gallery are ongoing throughout the year and include shows by Brevard College students and faculty members as well as visiting artists from Western North Carolina and around the country.

For more information about this exhibition, contact Diane Pomphrey at 828-884-8188.

Posted 01.17.2013

Brevard College Student Selected to Participate in National Small College Intercollegiate Band

Brevard College junior Olivia Willie was recently selected to participate in the 2013 College Band Directors National Association’s (CBDNA) Small College Intercollegiate Band.

Willie, a music education major who plays the clarinet, was one of only 86 of the country’s most talented collegiate music students selected to receive the honor.

"I am really excited to have the opportunity to play some new and interesting literature with such a wonderful group of musicians," said Willie, who is from Ridgecrest, N.C. “It is definitely a huge honor knowing I will be able to represent Brevard College.”

Willie will travel to CBDNA’s national conference in Greensboro, N.C. in March to study under the direction of Craig Kirchoff, professor of Conducting and Director of University Bands at the University of Minnesota. After several days of rehearsals, the band will perform at the national conference on Sunday, March 23.

“This will be an incredible educational and artistic experience for Olivia,” said BC Assistant Professor of Music Miller Asbill. “Performing with other students from across the country is exactly the kind of experiential learning that we find so important for our students. This will be an event that will shape her for many years to come.”

The Small College Intercollegiate Band provides students from band programs at smaller colleges, community colleges, and historically Black colleges and universities the opportunity to perform high quality literature at the CBDNA national conference under a renowned conductor.

Posted 1.15.2013

Brevard College and the Community Set to Honor Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Together

Brevard College and the community will join together to honor and celebrate the legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Jan. 19-21

This is the 23rd year that Transylvania County has celebrated the life of Dr. King. This year's events include:

• A free interfaith prayer brunch at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 19, at Bethel “A” Baptist Church located at 290 Oakdale St.
• A Brevard College student-led initiative called the MLK Challenge on Saturday, Jan. 19. During the Challenge, more than 100 Brevard College and Rise and Shine Freedom School students will venture out and give back to the community of Brevard. The students will work with nonprofits in the area, including: Bread of Life, SAFE, The Sharing House, Transylvania Historic Center, and many more. Part of the Challenge includes having the students either purchase or find donations for the resources/supplies needed to complete their community projects.
• A joint worship service at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 20, at Bethel “A” Baptist Church at 290 Oakdale St.
• The "Walk to Change" from Bethel Baptist Church at 20 Mills Ave to Brevard College’s Porter Center, which begins at 6 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 21. During the walk, participants are asked to bring signs, if they wish, and to reflect on the civil rights movement and walk together as a united community to celebrate Dr. King’s life. Additional parking for walk participants will be available at Open Bible Church of God in Christ on Mills Avenue.
• A community-wide MLK Celebration, including the Brevard Middle School Chorus, at Brevard College’s Porter Center at 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 21. Van transportation back to Bethel Baptist Church for anyone who walked to the Celebration will be available at the conclusion of the evening’s performances.

This year’s Celebration Partners include: Bethel Baptist Church, Bethel “A” Baptist Church, Brevard College, Brevard/Transylvania County Human Relations Council, and Neighbors in Ministry/Rise & Shine CDF Freedom School.

For more information, please contact Sue Null at 828-877-2550. 

Posted 01.14.2013

Brevard College Class Celebrates Culmination of Local Student Mentoring Program

BC_ 01 Audrey Hamilton, a Brevard College Elementary Licensure and Wilderness Leadership and Experiential Education major, helps her mentee with a holiday gift for his family.

Brevard College students in Dr. Megan Keiser's Facilitation of Instruction class celebrated the culmination of their semester-long mentoring program by inviting Brevard Elementary students to the College campus recently.

During the visit, the elementary students played energizing games, sang holiday songs and rotated through different holiday-themed craft stations. Audrey Hamilton, an Elementary Licensure and Wilderness Leadership and Experiential Education major, worked with her mentee to glue a pattern of beans around a wooden frame for a holiday gift to give his family. Sarah Mundhenke, an Elementary Licensure candidate, spent time with her mentee as well as his father touring them around the campus and eating lunch in the cafeteria.

BC_ 02 Sarah Mundhenke, an Elementary Licensure candidate at Brevard College, helps students from Brevard Elementary with a holiday project.

The participating Brevard Elementary students, selected by classroom teachers and Brevard Elementary's school counselor, Ami Fish, met weekly during the fall semester with their college mentors. The weekly visits were often during math or reading blocks, which allowed the BC students to help with academic coaching and also share a positive attitude to model perseverance for the students. The College class also mentored students from Davidson River and Schenck Job Corps.

“Opportunities for teacher licensure candidates to partner with local schools and spend time with real students is critical and allows BC students to experience the challenges and joys of building mentoring relationships,” said Keiser, who is an associate professor of Elementary at the College.

Posted 01.10.2013

Praise Ye the Lord!:  Festival at Brevard College to Feature Hymns Inspired by the King James Bible

A festival celebrating the many hymns inspired by the 400^th birthday of the King James Bible will be held at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 6 at Brevard College’s Porter Center for Performing Arts.

“Praise Ye The Lord: A Festival of Hymns Inspired by the King James Bible” is free and open to the public.

The festival will include a wide selection of texts written between the late 1600s and the early 2000s, in an array of styles including traditional chorales, African American spirituals, black gospel, white gospel, and folk. 

Narration between the hymns will offer background on the lyrics being sung (explaining how we are indebted to the King James translators for being able to sing about a "balm" rather than a "treacle" in Gilead!).  The narration was researched and written by Brevard College Humanities Division Chair Mary Louise Bringle, who is the former president of the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada.

Music will be provided primarily by the congregation, with support from a choir composed of members of area church choirs and the Transylvania Choral Society, conducted by Brevard College Director of Choral Activities David Gresham.  Blake Ellege, a junior music major at the College, will serve as vocal soloist.  Gary Greene and Brandilyn Davidson will accompany selected pieces on guitar as will Patricia Black, on piano.  Mike Barker, Dean of the Western NC Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, will be on the bench of the Kirkpatrick-Coleman Pipe Organ.  A brass quartet will play on selected hymns as well as provide a postlude (the dramatic “Praise the Lord!” by Sigfrid Karg-Elert). 

The festival will be the closing event offered in conjunction with a traveling panel exhibit, Manifold Greatness: The Creation and Afterlife of the King James Bible, on display from now until January 11 in the Transylvania County library. 

Brevard is one of only 40 sites in the country to have received a grant to display this exhibit, which was organized by the Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, D.C., and the American Library Association Public Programs Office. It is based on an exhibition of the same name developed by the Folger Shakespeare Library and the Bodleian Library, University of Oxford with assistance from the Harry Ransom Center of the University of Texas. The traveling exhibition was made possible by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Additional local support is provided by the Friends of the Library of Transylvania County, Brevard College, and the western NC chapter of the American Guild of Organists. 

Posted 01.03.2013