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Jan. 30 Basketball Games Rescheduled
Both the men's and women's basketball games scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, January 30, against Mars Hill have been rescheduled for Monday, February 1 due to inclimate weather.  The women's game is scheduled 6 p.m.  The men's game with follow the conclusion of the women's game.

Posted 1/29/10

Porter Center Welcomes Award-winning Violinist Jessica Lee: Feb. 12
Violinist Jessica Lee, winner of first prize at the esteemed Concert Artists Guild International Competition in 2005, will perform at Brevard College's Porter Center for Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 12.

The concert program will feature works by J.S. Bach, Béla Bartók, Ludwig van Beethoven, Niccoló Paganini and Camille Saint-Saëns.

Lee first captured national attention with a feature article in LIFE magazine at the age of 3. Since then, the Korean-American artist has been heard on four continents, including such venues as Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Hall and Avery Fisher Hall.

A native of Virginia, Lee began playing the violin at age three and later studied with Weigang Li of the Shanghai Quartet. At age 14, she was accepted to the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia under the tutelage of Robert Mann and Ida Kavafian and graduated with a bachelor's degree four years later. In 2003, she completed her studies with Robert Mann for a master's degree in music at the Juilliard School, and currently resides in New York.

An active chamber musician, Jessica Lee became a member of the Johannes String Quartet in 2006, which is currently touring with the Guarneri String Quartet. This season, she joined the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s CMS 2 program. She has toured frequently with ‘Musicians from Marlboro,’ including appearances at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Boston’s Gardner Museum, and is a member of the conductor-less string ensemble East Coast Chamber Orchestra, with which she has performed at Town Hall and the Kennedy Center. Summer festival appearances include the Bravo! Vail Valley Festival, Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival and Santa Fe Music Festival. Among her special projects are a number of featured performances with dance companies, including Lar Lubovitch, Mikhail Baryshnikov and the Richmond Ballet.

Tickets to the performance are $25 for adults and $10 for students. They may be purchased from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Porter Center Box Office. The Box Office will be open one hour before the performance. For more information on tickets, please contact the Porter Center Box Office at 828.884.8330. Additional information is available online at www.theportercenter.org.

Posted 01/29/10

Brevard College Presents Eurydice: A Refreshing New Perspective On A Studied Classic
The Department of Theatre Studies at Brevard College will produce celebrated contemporary playwright Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice, a play exploring love and loss in ways both bizarre and refreshing.

In Eurydice, Ruhl, a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2005 and a recent winner of the MacArthur "genius" grant, tells the classic Orpheus myth from Eurydice’s point of view. The play follows the young lovers (played by Caitlyn Kennedy and Adrian Wagner) through the dreamy circumstances of their wedding into a surreal and quirky Underworld, where Eurydice reconnects with her dead father and Orpheus heroically strives to bring her home.

The production, which will run February 25-27, will be directed by Kelly Carolyn Gordon, Brevard College’s Coordinator of Theatre Studies. The design team includes Assistant Professor of Theatre Studies, Kasendra Bell (set), Guest Artist Katie Fuller (costumes and makeup), and students Ryan Riordan (lights) and Craig Brinker (sound). Water effects will be designed by Frank Fisher of Stone Crazy Garden Company.

Expect unusual visual treats stemming from a postmodern set design, and haunting performances that will leave one pondering the meanings of love and death. Purchase tickets early for the play that The New Yorker calls, "lush and limpid as a dream where both author and audience swim in the magical, sometimes menacing, and always thrilling flow of the unconscious."

Eurydice will be presented at the Morrison Playhouse in the Porter Center for Performing Arts on the Brevard College campus. Single play tickets are $10 for adults and $2 for students (with a student ID). Tickets can be purchased at the Box Office, open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., or over the phone (with a credit card). The Box Office phone number is 828-884-8330. Curtain time for all performances is at 8 p.m.

Posted 01/25/10

BC Groups Volunteer, Perform Random Acts of Kindness to Honor MLK
More than 50 Brevard College students, faculty and staff honored the legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Monday by volunteering at local nonprofits and performing random acts of kindness around Brevard.

During the first ever MLK Challenge, the student-led groups painted offices at the Center for Dialogue; organized clothes at the Sharing House; primed SAFE’s new warehouse and cleaned up fallen limbs at the nonprofit’s shelter; prepared food at Bread of Life; worked on the 50^th Habitat house in Transylvania County; painted Brevard College’s new Center for Service; made soup for local Hospice families; and performed a variety of tasks at El Centro.

The groups also brightened the day by performing random acts of kindness around town. Their good deeds included helping people carry groceries, carrying bookcases, returning carts at local stores and buying flowers to give to people. The groups also collected donations – including hygiene items, cooking equipment, diapers and gift cards worth more than $150 – from local stores to be used at the Sharing House.

Brevard merchants that supported the MLK Challenge included: Bi-Lo; Food Lion; Go Grocery; K-Mart; Lowes; Sherwin-Williams; and Wal-Mart.

Posted 01/21/10

Brevard College Students Return from Egypt
A group of seven Brevard College students, three faculty members, one alumna and nine others recently returned from a 10-day trip to Egypt.

The students received credit for a course titled, "Geology and Archaeology of the Nile River Basin," offered by Professors Jim Reynolds, Anne Chapin and Robert Bauslaugh. Brevard College students participating on the trip were: junior Brian Burgess of Shelby, senior Hunter Boyd of Hickory, junior Clinton Dewitt of Swannanoa, senior Curtis Lorenz of Brevard, sophomore Mark Migliore of Jacksonville, Fla., senior Dean Mobley of Brevard and senior Chelsea Shew of Hendersonville.

"The trip provided not only fascinating views into the ancient world and the connecting the people had to their natural surroundings but it also gave insight to the world of Islam, and a Middle Eastern culture, in general, an experience few in the group had had before," said Reynolds, who is an associate professor of Geology at Brevard College. "I think nearly everyone in the group was sorry to leave and looks forward to a return trip someday."

After spending a night in Cairo, the group flew south to Luxor where they visited the temples of Karnak and Luxor, the Valley of the Kings and the Temple of Hatshepsut, among other sites. They embarked on a four-night Nile River cruise, heading upriver and visiting the Temple of Horus at Edfu, the Temple of Kom Ombo, the Aswan High Dam, the quarry of the unfinished granite obelisk and a Nubian village. They also explored the banks of the Nile in a felucca, a Nile sailboat, and a motorized craft. Several members of the group took a half-day side trip to the temples at Abu Simbel, near the Sudanese border, on the shore of Lake Nasser behind the High Dam. The temples were dismantled and reconstructed on higher ground in the 1960s to protect them from the rising water of Lake Nasser after the dam was completed.

The group then returned to Cairo where, over the next two days, they visited the Egyptian Museum, viewing the gold and artifacts recovered from the tomb of King Tutankhamen and other well-known archaeological treasures housed there. They also visited the pyramids of Giza, entering the Khafre Pyramid, taking a ride on a camel and visiting the Sphinx. The group toured the ancient capital at Memphis; the Sakkara pyramid, which is the world’s oldest stone structure; and the Citadel and Mosque of Mohammed Ali, an ornate Ottoman mosque on a hill overlooking the city. Visits were also made to artisan shops making alabaster stoneware, cotton goods, papyrus, fragrances and carpets.

Posted 01/20/10

Brevard College Hosts Opening Reception for "INNERSCAPES" Photography Exhibition
The Brevard College Art Department will host an opening reception for a photography exhibition by East Carolina University Associate Art Professors Jacquelyn and Gilbert Leebrick on Friday, Jan. 22.

The opening reception for the exhibit, "INNERSCAPES," will be held from 5:30 p.m. until 7 p.m. at Brevard College's Spiers Gallery in the Sims Art Center. The reception and exhibit visitations are free to the public.

Jacquelyn Leebrick’s photographic process involves electronic manipulation and results in computer digitized "collages". Her photographs are a minimum of three images combined and colored on the computer.

Gilbert Leebrick has been photographing and teaching photography for more than 30 years. He is also the director of the Wellington B. Gray Gallery in the Department of Art at East Carolina. Leebrick’s photographs have been exhibited in more than 100 exhibits and reside in numerous public and private collections.

Gallery hours are 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. weekdays when the College is in session. The exhibit will be on display until Feb. 19.

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

Posted 01/15/10

Looking Back; Looking Forward: Brevard College and Community Set to Honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Together
Brevard College and the community will join together to honor and celebrate the legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Jan. 16-18.

This is the 20th year that Brevard has celebrated the life of Dr. King. This year's events include:

· A free interfaith prayer brunch at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 16 at Bethel "A" Baptist Church.

· A joint worship service with Robert McLaughlin at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 17 at Bethel "A" Baptist Church.

· A moving performance of "Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory" with T. Leon Williams at the Brevard College’s Porter Center for Performing Arts at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 17. During the performance, Williams, who is director of the Multicultural Center at Elon University, assumes the persona of Dr. King and performs a dramatic interpretation of what Dr. King might have to say today. The event is free.

· A Brevard College student-led initiative called the MLK Challenge from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 18. During the Challenge, more than 100 Brevard College students will paint offices at the Center for Dialogue, make soup for Hospice families, build a house with Habitat for Humanity and prepare meals at Bread of Life. Part of the Challenge includes having the students either purchase or find donations for the resources/supplies needed to complete their community projects.

· The "Walk to Change" from Bethel Baptist Church to Brevard College’s Porter Center at 6 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 18. 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.

· A community-wide MLK Celebration at Brevard College’s Porter Center at 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 18. Van transportation back to Bethel Baptist Church will be available at the conclusion of the evening’s performances.

Sponsors for this year’s Celebration are 3.14 Productions, The UPS Store of Brevard and the Co-ed Cinema. This year’s Celebration Partners include Bethel Baptist Church, Bethel "A" Baptist Church, Brevard College, Brevard/Transylvania County Human Relations Council, First Baptist Church, Glade Creek Baptist Church, Neighbors in Ministry/Rise & Shine CDF Freedom School, Open Bible Church of God in Christ and Unitarian Universalists of Transylvania County.

The MLK Celebration Weekend Partners, which plan and coordinate the MLK Celebration events, are still seeking volunteers for several of this year’s events. Choir members are being sought for the MLK Community Choir as well as more than 30 actors (non-speaking parts) for historical re-enactments. Rehearsal for the MLK Community Choir will be at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 14 at Bethel "A" Baptist Church.

To volunteer or for more information, please contact Michelle Harvey, Assistant Dean for Community Development at Brevard College, at 884-8107 or harveyml@brevard.edu .

Posted 01/11/10

Asheville Native Mark Jones to Perform Organ Concert at BC’s Porter Center for Performing Arts Jan. 24
Brevard College's Porter Center for Performing Arts will present an organ concert by Asheville native Mark Jones at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 24.

Jones will perform on the College’s majestic Kirkpatrick-Coleman Organ, the visual centerpiece of the Porter Center’s Scott Concert Hall. The organ was designed and crafted by master American organ builder Daniel J. Jaeckel, thanks to a $1.1 million gift from Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. Coleman Jr. of Brevard. Installed in the summer of 2003, the tracker (mechanical key) organ features three manual divisions, 69 ranks and 3,539 pipes.

Jones studied organ with Dr. Marilyn Keiser and with Donna Robertson at nearby Mars Hill College. He currently oversees a comprehensive music department for a large church and school as director of music and organist at the First Presbyterian Church of Pompano Beach, Fla. Jones has appeared with the Florida Philharmonic, the Boca Pops, the New World Symphony, the Lynn University Conservatory Orchestra, the Young Artists Chamber Orchestra, the Palm Beach Atlantic Symphony and the Miami Bach Society.

His organ preludes have been performed widely across the United States and in Europe and have been broadcast on National Public Radio’s "Pipedreams." In 2006, Jones was appointed principal accompanist for the von Trapp Children, the gifted great-grandchildren of the singing family made famous by the Rodgers and Hammerstein movie "The Sound of Music."

Tickets to the performance are $25 for adults and $10 for students. They may be purchased from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Porter Center Box Office. The Box Office will be open one hour before the performance. For more information on tickets, please contact the Porter Center Box Office at 828.884.8330. Additional information is available online at www.theportercenter.org.

Posted 01/11/10

Brevard College Student Receives Statewide Community Impact Student Award  
Brevard College student Katie Kelleher of Ocean Springs, Miss. was recently awarded the fourth annual North Carolina Campus Compact Community Impact Student Award during the Compact’s Student Conference held at Western Carolina University. 

Posted 01/05/10

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Brevard College’s Teacher Licensure Program Receives Full Accreditation
Brevard College’s Teacher Licensure Program has recently received full accreditation from both state and national accreditation boards.

The North Carolina State Board of Education (NCSBE) and the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC) site visitation teams recommended accreditation for the College after an in-depth evaluation process that included submission of documentation and on site-reviews.

"We are pleased that these external organizations have recognized the quality and distinctiveness of our teacher licensure program at Brevard College," said Dr. John S. Hardt, Dean of the Faculty and Vice President for Academic Affairs. "Our licensure program has attracted and trained dedicated, creative teachers to meet the needs in our region and beyond. I am grateful to the many faculty members across our campus, especially Dr. Patricia Clow, our Teacher Education Program Director, who have developed the licensure program which has now received full accreditation. I also wish to thank administrators and faculty of the Transylvania County School System who have been our valuable and valued partners in the development and implementation of our licensure programs."

Brevard College’s Teacher Licensure Program was granted provisional approval in 2004 from the North Carolina State Board of Education. The program’s coursework provides modeling of best practices and features a strong experiential base that includes classroom observation and experiences attached to numerous courses. The College currently offers licensure in English, math, social studies and science in grades 9-12; art, music, physical education and theatre in grades K-12; and elementary in grades K-6. Since its inception, Brevard College’s Teacher Licensure Program has graduated more than 28 teachers, who have assumed positions in schools throughout the country.

During the accreditation process, the College was evaluated by the Teacher Education Accreditation Council on a number of key measures including: overall leadership and climate for educator preparation at the institution as well as standards pertaining to quality features that are common to all programs: subject matter knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and caring teaching skills.

Brevard College’s teacher licensure program was recommended for full approval by the North Carolina State Board of Education in six categories, including:

• Knowledge of content and pedagogy for teaching;
• Assessment system to measure student-teacher performance;
• Field experience and clinical practice;
• Diversity, preparing teachers to succeed in diverse environments;
• Faculty qualifications, performance and development; and
• Unit governance and resources.

The site examiners were particularly impressed with education students whose work in schools and the community embodied Brevard College’s commitment to service. TEAC and NCSBE evaluators spoke with faculty, public school teachers, and Brevard College graduates in evaluating the program. They were additionally impressed by the commitment to the program and its mission by the administration and faculty of the college, which provided the accreditation body with a firm conceptual framework on which to evaluate performance.

For more information about the Brevard College Teacher Licensure Program, visit www.brevard.edu/teacherlicensure or call 800-527-9090.

Posted 01/05/10

February 2010

Brevard College and Community to Package 10,000 Meals for Haiti Monday Evening

Brevard College students, faculty, staff and members of the Brevard community will gather from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday, March 1 to package 10,000 meals for Haitian earthquake victims.

The campus and community-wide packaging effort will take place at Brevard College’s Porter Center for Performing Arts.

A number of Brevard College clubs and organizations have coordinated awareness activities over the last month to help raise funds for the meals.

The College is partnering with Stop Hunger Now!, which will provide the necessary supplies to package the meals.

Posted 02.26.10

Work of Two BC Art Professors on Exhibit  

The artwork of two Brevard College Art Department professors is currently on display in the largest exhibition ever held in a commercial gallery in North Carolina.

Professors Bill Byers and Jo Pumphrey are among more than 100 former students honoring the memory of Paul Hartley, a longtime professor of studio art at East Carolina University School of Art and Design. Both Byers and Pumphrey earned their Master of Fine Arts degrees from East Carolina University.

The Paul Hartley Legacy Show is on exhibit at both the Lee Hansley Gallery and Lee Hansley Gallery, Too in Raleigh until the end of February. In March, the exhibit will travel to the Greenville Museum of Art in Greenville, N.C.

Posted 2/24/10

Brevard College Banff Mountain Film Festival Tickets On Sale Now; Special Banff Film Festival Weekend Events Planned

Friday night’s fan favorite Kranked – Revolve follows a high-adrenaline mountain bike journey from the French Alps to the lush coast of British Columbia, incorporating dirt jump, trail, freeride, slopestyle and downhill riding.

Experience the adventure of adrenaline-packed action sports, mountain expeditions, remote cultures, and the world’s last great wild places – all brought to life on the big screen – when the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour returns to Brevard College’s Porter Center for Performing Arts Friday, March 19 and Saturday, March 20.

The annual SNCURCS showcases multidisciplinary undergraduate research scholarships from all 53 state and private colleges and universities and 58 community colleges of North Carolina.

The BC senior's project entitled, "A Lifetime of Dedication: Exploring an Idea, Finding an Ideal" is a creative nonfiction narrative based on a collection of interviews with past Cedar Mountain Community Center President Joe Pace. Pace was integral in the development of the center and continues to assist the center thrive 50 years later. Built in the 1950s, the community center is one remaining element of the Cedar Mountain Community that retains the essence of the close-knit structure of days gone by.

In addition to interviewing Pace, Mathews also used other pertinent information and artifacts, such as annual scrapbooks, newspaper articles and personal photographs to detail the close-knit community.

Last fall, Mathews also participated in the Appalachian College Association's 12th annual Summit, "Reaching the 21st Century Learner," in Abingdon, Va.

Posted 02/17/2010

Brevard College Professor Receives Distinguished Ragan Fine Arts Award

Brevard College Humanities Division Chair Mary Louise (Mel) Bringle was recently recognized for her efforts in music with a Sam Ragan Fine Arts Award at St. Andrews Presbyterian College in Laurinburg, N.C.

Bringle, one of three honorees, received the award for outstanding talent in the area of music.

The Sam Ragan Fine Arts Award was founded in 1981 by St. Andrews to honor distinguished North Carolinians "who have, over a long period, been outstanding practitioners of their art, and who have selflessly shared their talent with other creators, working in their primary genre and beyond."

Serving as chair of the Humanities Division, Bringle has taught philosophy and religious studies at Brevard College since 2000. As current president of the Hymn Society in the U.S. and Canada (HSUSC), Bringle was previously recognized in 2002 as an "emerging hymn text writer of the U.S. and Canada." She has won numerous international competitions for hymn texts, and is the author of two single-author collections: Joy and Wonder, Love and Longing (GIA 2002) and In Wind and Wonder (GIA 2007). Her hymns are included in hymnals and supplements of numerous denominations (Mennonite, Episcopalian, Roman Catholic, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, United Church of Canada, and the Church of Scotland), and her translations from the Spanish figure in a bilingual hymnal under production by GIA.

In addition to serving as president of HSUSC, Bringle chairs the committee to create a new denominational hymnal for the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Posted 02/12/10

Brevard College holds Open Campus Day Feb. 15

Brevard College will hold an Open Campus Day for prospective students on Monday, Feb. 15.

The event will begin with check-in at 8:45 a.m. at Brevard College’s Porter Center for Performing Arts and will conclude with an optional campus tour at 1:30 p.m. Lunch is included for all in attendance.

Designed to introduce potential students to college life at Brevard College, the Open Campus Day schedule features a guided campus tour; expert advice about financial aid and scholarships; information about the college’s academic programs; as well as opportunities for prospective students to meet current Brevard College students; participate in campus-life events and activities; and take part in a class observation. A complete Open Campus Schedule is available at www.brevard.edu/visit.

Prospective students who would like to attend the Open Campus Day should contact the Office of Admissions at 828.884-8325 or toll free at 800.527.9090. To reserve a spot online, simply register at www.brevard.edu/visit .

Posted 02/09/10

Donald Lee Green Endowed Scholarship Established at Brevard College;  Scholarship to Help Brevard High School Students Attend College

(left to right) Brevard College President Drew  Van Horn; Lloyd Fisher (nephew and Brevard  College trustee); Myrna Fisher Mulkey (niece  and Brevard College graduate); Brevard  College Director of Alumni Affairs Lisa Fort;  and Transylvania County Schools  superintendent Jeff McDaris pose before  signing the formal agreement establishing the Donald Lee Green Endowed Scholarship at Brevard College.

The family of Transylvania County native Donald Lee Green recently established an endowed scholarship fund at Brevard College.

The Donald Lee Green Endowed Scholarship will provide financial support to a deserving student who has attended Brevard High School their entire high school experience and who wishes to attend Brevard College.

Family members established the scholarship in Green’s name to honor his affinity for both Brevard College and Brevard High School, and his wish to help students follow in his footsteps.

"Our hope is that this scholarship will encourage local students to attend Brevard College," said Green’s family members.

"The need for scholarships has never been greater," said Susan Cothern Stromberg, Brevard College’s Vice President of Institutional Advancement. "We are grateful for the investment that Mr. Green’s family has made in Brevard College. The Donald Lee Green Endowed Scholarship will benefit and inspire countless local students in the years to come."

Green, who was the son of Clarence Vernon Green and Ella Galloway Green, was born in Brevard on April 21, 1933. He died on July 6, 2009 in Atlanta, Ga. Green attended both Brevard High School and Brevard College. After graduating from Brevard College in 1957, he moved to Marietta, Ga. where he worked for Nabisco for 16 years. Green later worked for Southern Polytechnic (a former division of GA Tech) as the personnel director for 20 years.

In addition to Green, four of his family members also attended Brevard College. They include his nephew, Gary Fisher; his niece, Myrna Fisher Mulkey; as well as her son, Greg Mulkey; and her daughter, Kara Mulkey Ries.

For more information about establishing an annual or endowed scholarship at Brevard College, please contact the Brevard College Office of Institutional Advancement at 828.884.8218 or e-mail GivesToBC@brevard.edu .

Posted 02/08/10

Brevard College Jazz Ensembles Perform March 30
Brevard College’s Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Combos will perform in concert at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 30 in the College’s Porter Center for Performing Arts.

Admission to the performance is free.

This concert will also feature performances by the McDowell High School Jazz Ensemble directed by Brevard College graduate Patrick Young, and by guest artist Jonathan Wacker from East Carolina University on drum set.

Arrangements will include "Bye, Bye Blackbird," "Street of Dreams," "Eager Beaver" and original compositions by Brevard College students and faculty.

For more information, contact Brevard College’s Division of Fine Arts at (828) 884-8211.

Posted 3.25.10

BC Hosts Western North Carolina District Concert Band Festival: March 24-26
Brevard College will host the Western North Carolina District Concert Band Festival at the Porter Center for Performing Arts March 24-26.

This is the 12th year Brevard College has hosted the high school festival, which will bring 43 bands and approximately 1,400 students to campus. Performance times are Wednesday, March 24 from 10 a.m. to 6:45 p.m.; Thursday, March 25 from 9 a.m. to 6:25 p.m.; and Friday, March 26 from 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Each band will have a warm-up period, followed by a performance in which they play a march and two concert pieces. After the concert performance, they sight-read a piece that neither they nor the band director have seen. The concert performance is adjudicated by three judges and the sight-reading portion is adjudicated by a single judge. The festival performance is something that each band has been working toward since the beginning of January and it represents a great deal of time, effort and dedication on the part of every band and every band director who participates in the festival.

The chair for this event is William Talley, Director of Bands at Asheville High School. The host for the event is Brevard College Associate Professor of Music Laura Franklin, who has hosted the event annually since 1999. Franklin coordinates all on-site aspects of the festival, including providing all equipment needed (instruments, chairs, stands, etc.), all on-site registration, facilities management during the festival, and coordinating and overseeing all festival volunteers. She works closely with the Brevard Community Band, who provides volunteer workers to staff the festival. Student volunteers are used as well, and together, these students and community members donate more than 300 hours of service to the Band Festival.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Franklin at 828-884-8112.

Posted 3.19.10

Brevard College Announces Summer Trip to Iceland; Community Members Invited to Participate
Brevard College Associate Professor of Geology Jim Reynolds will lead a group of students and other interested parties on a tour of the volcanic and glacial history of the Iceland this summer.

Leaving from Boston on July 5, the group will spend 19 days and nights traveling, hiking and camping around Iceland. The sparsely populated volcanic island sits astride the mid-Atlantic Ridge, just south of the Arctic Circle. It is the only place where the ridge can be seen at the surface. Several enormous icecaps cover the large highland regions. Evidence of volcanism and past glaciation abounds at every turn. Most of the classic geological sites will be visited.

Although Iceland's geology is the focus of this trip, the trip is open to anyone interested. Transfer credit is available for students from other institutions.

Temperatures in July are generally in the 45º to 65º F range. With the sun up 20 to 22 hours each day in July, it is never very dark. Since Iceland is a large geothermal area, almost all campgrounds provide hot showers. Some of the campgrounds are located at or near excellent hot springs. Hikes are easy to moderate with strenuous options available. The bus is comfortable and comes with an expert Icelandic driver. Although Icelandic is the native language, most Icelanders speak some English – some speak very well. In the past, most participants have enjoyed learning how to pronounce the names of the sites visited.

This year's 19-day trip will cost about the same as the College’s 2007 two-week trip. For more information about the trip, including the cost and itinerary, visit http://www2.brevard.edu/reynoljh/fieldtrips.htm .

Posted 3.19.10

Matt Belsante Brings Big Band Sound to Porter Center March 27
Matt Belsante will bring his Bublé/Sinatra golden crooner’s voice and Big Band to Brevard College’s Porter Center for Performing Arts on Saturday, March 27.

The evening of nostalgia and fun will take place at 7:30 p.m.

At twenty-three, Belsante -- who grew up on a steady diet of Coltrane, Ellington, Basie and Fitzgerald -- performs like a seasoned entertainer well beyond his years.

Just out of grade school, Belsante picked up the tenor sax at the age of 12 and became a standard fixture in his middle school and high school jazz bands. But the sax wasn’t his only instrument: he soon found he had a talent for using his voice. By his senior year of High School, Belsante had won the prestigious Louis Armstrong Jazz Award in both the vocal and instrumental categories. That affirmation was a turning point for Belsante, as he realized that his true passion was for using his voice to interpret a song. While attending Vanderbilt University, Belsante sang for the University’s Blair School of Music Blair Big Band and lead the Dodecaphonics, an all-male a cappella campus group.

The rising star eventually came to the attention of Nashville’s well-heeled music industry following a performance of the Nashville Jazz Orchestra (NJO). That night, the NJO was performing a Sinatra tribute, and Belsante sang many as if he was channeling Sinatra himself. That performance landed him a televised appearance and a chance to record an album of Christmas standards that quickly became one of the label’s best-selling holiday releases that season.

Most recently, Belsante finished recording a series of covers of classic Jazz and Big Band standards, along with one of his original compositions.

Tickets to the Porter Center performance are $30 for adults and $10 for students. They may be purchased from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Porter Center Box Office. The Box Office will be open one hour before the performance. For more information on tickets, please contact the Porter Center Box Office at 828.884.8330. Additional information is available online at www.theportercenter.org

Posted 3.15.10 

College Hosts Community Outdoor Gear Swap; Paddling and Cycling Clinics Planned
Brevard College will host a community outdoor gear swap on Saturday, March 20 as part of the Banff Film Festival Weekend.

Brevard College will hold an Open Campus Day for prospective students on Monday, March 22.

Tornados set for NCAA Southeast Regional Quarterfinal against Augusta State
The Brevard College Tornados men’s basketball team continues postseason play on Saturday, March 13th, at Christenberry Fieldhouse in Augusta, Ga. after winning the 2010 Food Lion SAC tournament to earn the conference’s automatic qualifying bid.

The Tornados (21-9) achieved the bid by defeating Wingate on March 3rd, then surviving a pair of close games at Catawba Valley Community College on March 7th and March 8th against Carson-Newman and Catawba to reach the NCAA tournament for the first time in Brevard College history.

The Tornados received the No. 8 seed in the Southeast Region and draw top-seed and regional host Augusta State University (26-3) in the first round.

This will be the first matchup between both teams.

The Tornados enter the game having won four of their past five contests, led by SAC Tournament MVP Jonathan Whitson. Whitson, a 6-7 forward from Clyde, N.C., is second on the team at 17.8 points per game and leads the way averaging 8.2 rebounds per contest on his way to holding the Brevard career highs in both scoring and rebounding, breaking the 2,000 point mark on Sunday against Catawba in his 20 point, 12 rebound effort. For his career, Whitson has 2,013 points and 933 rebounds.

Joining Whitson on the All-Tournament team was junior guard Josh Roper who averaged 25.7 points per game in the tournament and is Brevard’s leading scorer on the year, having set school records in scoring, assists, field goals made and field goals attempted in his first season as a Tornado.

Seniors Sam Carlisle, Nathan Whitmire and Darin Dellinger have also played key roles in the Tornados postseason run with Whitmire scoring 20 points in the win over Carson-Newman, while Dellinger added 18 points and Carlisle had 16 in the win over Catawba in the championship.

Augusta State reached the NCAA Tournament as an at-large bid despite falling to Montevallo in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament semifinals, but the Jaguars, who possessed the No. 1 spot in the last regular season National Association Basketball Coaches poll, have proven to be a tough nut to crack at home, possessing a perfect 15-0 record in Christenberry Fieldhouse this season.

Led by a trio of First Team All-Peach Belt performers, including the 2009-2010 Peach Belt Player of the Year in Ben Madgen, the Jaguars reach their fourth straight NCAA tournament appearance and their sixth trip to the Big Dance in the past 10 seasons.

All tickets for the 2010 NCAA Southeast Regional are $10 and are available for purchase online at the official website of ASU Athletics -- www.aug.edu/athletics -- and will be available for purchase at the Christenberry Fieldhouse box office beginning Saturday morning at 11:00 a.m.

There will be no advanced ticket sales.

For more information on the 2010 NCAA Southeast Regional, call the ASU Athletics Office at 706-737-1626 or visit webpage of the 2010 NCAA Southeast Regional at www.aug.edu/athletics/sports/mbasketball/10SER/.

Game Schedule
Saturday, March 13
Quarterfinals
12:00 p.m. - No. 3 Georgia College & State vs. No. 6 USC Aiken
2:30 p.m. - No. 2 Mount Olive vs. No. 7 Montevallo
6:00 p.m. - No. 1 Augusta State vs. No. 8 Brevard
8:30 p.m. - No. 4 Catawba vs. No. 5 Anderson, 8:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 14
Semifinals
5:00 p.m. - No. 3 Georgia College & State-No. 6 USC Aiken winner vs. No. 2 Mount Olive-No. 7 Montevallo winner
7:30 p.m. - No. 1 Augusta State-No. 8 Brevard winner vs. No. 4 Catawba-No. 5 Anderson winner

Tuesday, March 16
Championship
7:00 p.m. - No. 3 Georgia College & State-No. 6 USC Aiken-No. 2 Mount Olive-No. 7 Montevallo winner vs. No. 1 Augusta State-No. 8 Brevard-No. 4 Catawba-No. 5 Anderson

To print off a bracket of the Southeast Region:
2010 Southeast Regional Bracket

To see the entire NCAA Division II Tournament Bracket:
NCAA Bracket

Media Information:
LiveStats (provided by the Augusta State Sport Information Department)
Live Webcast
Regional Website
ASU Notes

Maps of the Augusta State Campus:
ASU Campus Maps
ASU Campus Maps

Posted 3.9.10

Activist Filmmaker to Speak on “Documenting Women” at Brevard College
Activist filmmaker Melissa Thompson will speak on “Documenting Women” at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 15 at Dunham Auditorium on the Brevard College campus.

A guest of Brevard College’s Institute for Women in Leadership (IWIL), Thompson will describe her career as a documentary filmmaker using excerpts from her films.  The presentation is free and open to the public.

Currently working with Greenpeace in Washington, D.C., Thompson has created a film called “The Real McCoys” about mountaintop removal coal mining and an Eastern KY couple who are fighting it.  "I went to Inez to meet the McCoys and make what I thought would be a five minute video about coal's connection to Global Warming,” said Thompson.  “But I fell in love with Nina and Mickey and knew that a longer story had to be told. The video is about their fight against mountaintop removal coal mining, but is also about the McCoys' journey into activism."

Previously, Thompson has directed several films about special issues facing women.  An early film, "In the Weeds: Waiting for a Living," tackles the issue of gender discrimination in restaurant work.  She also produced and directed a series of videos about women's rights in Ireland, including "The Road of Women: Voices of Irish Political Prisoners," which examines the struggles of women in prison in Northern Ireland and the award-winning “Like a Ship in the Night,” which tells the story of Irish women who take enormous risks to travel to England for abortions.  Thompson was also commissioned by the Irish government's Gender Equality Unit to create a multi-video series about issues facing Irish women, from single motherhood to domestic violence.

Thompson has worked on many films directed by other women filmmakers as well, including “By Invitation Only” about Mardi Gras Queens and “Desire,” which follows nine teenage girls in New Orleans through their teenage years.  Most recently, she produced a short web video for the National Women's Law Center to highlight their "Listening to Latinas" report.

Thompson earned her bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College and her master’s degree from Temple University, where she also taught courses in film.

IWIL is a residential learning community at Brevard College that encourages leadership through mentoring and experiential leadership projects. IWIL hosts several community events like this one during the academic year and invites community members to participate.

Posted 3.5.10

Tickets Still Available for Brevard College’s Banff Mountain Film Festiva

Tickets are still available for the adrenaline-packed Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour coming to Brevard College’s Porter Center for Performing Arts on Friday, March 19 and Saturday, March 20.

Jones named 2009-2010 SAC Coach of the Year
Whitson and Roper named to postseason All-SAC team

Brevard College Men’s Basketball Head Coach Michael Jones was named the 2009-2010 South Atlantic Coach of the Year, the league announced today. Jones, who guided the Tornados from ninth place in 2008-2009 to a tie for second place will be honored between semifinal games on Saturday afternoon at Catawba Valley Community College.

Jonathan Whitson was named an All-SAC First Team selection after a senior campaign that saw the Clyde, N.C. native finish fifth in the SAC in scoring and second in rebounding, while also sitting among the leaders in several other categories.

Josh Roper joins Whitson on the postseason team as an All-SAC Second Team selection after finishing the season fourth in scoring, second in steals and assists and setting several Brevard single season records including points scored in a season and assists in a season.

Tusculum College senior guard Kyle Moore, who led the conference in scoring at 24.9 points per game was named the 2009-10 South Atlantic Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Year.

Moore wins the award for the second year in a row. He helped lead the Pioneers to a tie for second place in the league standings at 10-6 and a 16-12 overall record. He led the conference for the second year in a row with 112 made 3-pointers, breaking the conference record he had previously set last year. He finishes as the SAC’s all-time leader in made 3-pointers with 306. His scoring average of 24.9 points per game ranks second nationally and ranks second in SAC history.

Wingate University’s Odell Turner, who averaged 11.9 points and was fifth in the league in rebounding with seven rebounds per game, was named the Men’s Freshman of the Year.

The men’s All-Conference First Team are: Jonathan Whitson, Brevard; Antonio Houston, Catawba College; D.J. Blackmon, Lenoir-Rhyne; D’Mario Curry, Lincoln Memorial University; and Danny Sanders, Mars Hill College.

The men’s All-Conference Second Team consists of: Josh Roper, Brevard; Jordan Dixon, Carson-Newman College; Rob Fields, Catawba; Donald Rutherford, Catawba; Stoney Polite, Mars Hill; and Jamie Vaughn, Wingate.

Joining Turner on the men’s All-Freshman Team are: Stephen Coles, Catawba; Ryan Barnes, Newberry; Paidrick Matilus, Wingate; and Quan Alexander, Wingate.
Mars Hill’s Jarred Pickering was named SAC Scholar-Athlete for men’s basketball.

The 2010 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference men’s and women’s basketball semifinals are Saturday at Catawba Valley Community College in Hickory, N.C. The men’s award winners will be recognized after the first contest between Catawba and Lincoln Memorial on Saturday, while the women’s award winners will be recognized after 5:30 p.m. game between Lenoir-Rhyne and Tusculum.

The championship games are set for Sunday. The men’s and women’s tournament winner receives an automatic bid into the NCAA Division II National Championship Tournament.

2010 ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS AND AWARD RECIPIENTS MEN'S TEAMS ALL-SAC FIRST TEAM Jonathan Whitson, Brevard Antonio Houston, Catawba D.J. Blackmon , Lenoir-Rhyne D’Mario Curry, Lincoln Memorial Danny Sanders, Mars Hill Kyle Moore, Tusculum ALL-SAC SECOND TEAM Josh Roper, Brevard Jordan Dixon, Carson-Newman Rob Fields, Catawba Donald Rutherford, Catawba Stoney Polite, Mars Hill Jamie Vaughn, Wingate ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM Stephen Coles, Catawba Ryan Barnes, Newberry Quan Alexander, Wingate Paidrick Matilus, Wingate Odell Turner, Wingate COACH OF THE YEAR: Michael Jones, Brevard PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Kyle Moore, Tusculum FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Odell Turner, Wingate SAC SCHOLAR-ATHLETE: Jarred Pickering, Mars Hill

 

Posted 3.6.10

Brevard College Named to Presidential Community Service Honor Roll

Brevard College has been named to the 2009 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement.

Launched in 2006, the Community Service Honor Roll is the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for its commitment to service-learning and civic engagement. Honorees are chosen based on a series of selection factors including the scope and innovation of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service and the extent to which the school offers academic service learning courses.

"Brevard College's mission focuses on inspiring students to learn, lead and serve in a diverse and changing world," said Brevard College President Drew Van Horn. "This recognition is evidence that Brevard College's students, staff and faculty are deeply committed to community service and to the learning that comes from it."

Brevard College's commitment to community service extends throughout all of its activities. During the 2008-2009 school year, 531 Brevard College students performed more than 3,150 hours of community service inside and outside of Transylvania County. One whole day during First-Year Student Orientation is committed to community service. Additionally, hundreds of Brevard College students provide service -- ranging from food and clothing drives to student mentoring -- each semester. These activities are coordinated and supported by the College's Office of Service Initiatives, which is coordinated by Service Initiatives Director Jessica Blanford and Assistant Dean of Students Michelle Harvey, and overseen by Dean of Students Chris Holland.

"Congratulations to Brevard College and its students for their dedication to service and commitment to improving their local communities," said Patrick Corvington, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, which administers the annual Honor Roll award. "Our nation's students are a critical part of the equation and vital to our efforts to tackle the most persistent challenges we face. They have achieved impactful results and demonstrated the value of putting knowledge into practice to help renew America through service."

College students make a significant contribution to the volunteer sector; in 2009, 3.16 million students performed more than 300 million hours of service, according to the Volunteering in America study released by the Corporation. Each year, the Corporation invests more than $150 million in fostering a culture of service on college campuses through grants awarded by its programs; the education awards that AmeriCorps members receive at the conclusion of their term of service to pay for college; and through support of training, research, recognition, and other initiatives to spur college service.

The Corporation oversees the Honor Roll in collaboration with the Department of Education, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Campus Compact and the American Council on Education.

The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that engages more five million Americans in service through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs, and leads President Obama's national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For more information, visit www.nationalservice.gov

Posted 3.3.10

Brevard College and Community Package More Than 10,000 Meals for Haiti

More than 100 Brevard College students, faculty, staff and members of the Brevard community packaged 10,080 meals for Haitian earthquake victims Monday evening.

The campus and community-wide packaging effort took place at Brevard College’s Porter Center for Performing Arts.

A number of Brevard College clubs and organizations coordinated awareness activities over the last month to help raise more than $2,800 to pay for the meals. Each meal, which costs 25 cents, feeds six people. Volunteers helped make, weigh and pack the meals, which are made up of rice, dried vegetables and soy as well as protein, 21 vitamins and minerals.

Brevard College's Service Initiatives Director Jessica Blanford and College Chaplain Shelly Webb, along with TMOVE student service club coordinated the event. Contributing community members included Koinonia Ecumenical Fellowship, First United Methodist Church, and St. Timothy United Methodist Church.

The College partnered with Stop Hunger Now!, which provided the necessary supplies to package the meals.
Click here to view photos!

Posted 3.3.10

March is Women’s History Month at Brevard College Library

In March, Brevard College’s J.A. Jones Library is celebrating the 30th anniversary of National Women’s History Month.

This year’s theme, "Writing Women Back into History," celebrates the achievements of the National Women’s History Project’s efforts to support and promote women’s contributions to society over the ages. It also offers the opportunity to extend an ovation to the many women who have been featured by the project over the last three decades.

Materials on display at Jones Library range from juvenile picture books and personal papers to encyclopedias and engaging essays. Featured resources include the database North American Women’s Letters and Diaries; Let it Shine: stories of black women freedom fighters; Women’s Work: the first 20,000 years; the Writings of Elizabeth Cady Stanton (DVD); A to Z of Women in Science and Math; and Well Behaved Women Seldom Make History.

Most items are available for check-out to faculty, staff, students and members of the public during regular library hours. The library is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.

For more information, please contact Brevard College Library Director Mike McCabe at 884-8248 or library@brevard.edu .

Posted 3.1.10

BC Cyclist Races With USA Cycling National Team

Brevard College’s Tristan Cowie represented the USA Cycling National Development Program squad team in the Solothurn Swiss Racer Bikes Cup mountain bike race in Switzerland on May 8, then turned around and competed in Wittnau, Germany in a local mountain bike race as a part of the Taler Cup Series.

In Switzerland, Cowie placed 34th overall, while in Germany, the Tornados former mountain bike national champion finished 16th overall.

Posted 4.30.10

Brevard College Bestows 2010 Honors and Awards

Brevard College recently held its annual Honors and Awards Ceremony to honor student, faculty and staff achievement in academics and leadership.

In addition to the campus-wide honors and awards ceremony, students were also recognized during special events hosted by each of the College’s academic divisions.

Click here for a list of this year’s awards recipients.

Posted 4.30.10

BC’s Commencement Activities: May 14-15

Brevard College’s 2010 Commencement activities will be held May 14-15. Special events for families and friends will begin at 3 p.m. on Friday, May 14 with a creek side reception beside the Porter Center for Performing Arts. The College’s Baccalaureate and Hooding Ceremony will begin at 4:30 p.m. inside the Porter Center’s Concert Hall. A special picnic for graduates and their families will follow the service at 6 p.m. along the creek and lawn outside of the Porter Center.

Commencement day activities will begin Saturday morning with a class photo of graduates on the steps of the J.A. Jones Library at 8:30 a.m. The 2010 Commencement Exercises will begin at 10 a.m. in the College’s Betty Neale Academic Quadrangle. A reception will follow on the lawn of Taylor and Green halls.

Details on commencement activities are available here (PDF) or by calling the Office of Academic Affairs at 828-884-8312.

Posted 4.29.10 

BC Professor to Perform at Billy Taylor Jazz Festival

Brevard College Assistant Professor of Music Stephen Wilson will perform at the Billy Taylor Jazz Festival at East Carolina University on April 22 and teach a master class on trombone April 23.  During the festival, he will be performing standard jazz repertoire and some of his own compositions.  Wilson has been a professional trombonist for more than 30 years performing across a wide spectrum of musical genres from jazz combos to symphony orchestras.  He recently performed in recital at the North Carolina Trombone Festival at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro and taught a master class in jazz on April 10.

Posted 4.22.10

Brevard College Chamber Chorale Presents Spring Concert May 1

The Brevard College Chamber Chorale will present its final concert of the year at 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 1 in the Porter Center for Performing Arts.

The concert is free and open to the public.

The performance will feature many favorite chamber choir selections, including works by Vaughan Williams, Schütz and Fine as well as numerous folk songs from around the globe.

Posted 4.21.1

Brevard College Music Department Presents Student Composition Concert

The Brevard College Department of Music will present a concert of student compositions at 4 p.m. on Friday, April 30 at the Porter Center for Performing Arts.

The concert is free and open to the public.

The program will feature four new pieces by Brian Hammill, a senior music major with an emphasis in composition.

Original works by student composers Craig Brinker, Jason DeCristofaro and Andrew Johnson will also be included in the program. The pieces are for piano, woodwinds, soprano voice, guitars and vibraphone in various combinations.

Posted 4.20.10

Brevard College Music Department Presents Honors Recital April 21

The Brevard College Music Department will present its Honors Recital at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 21 in the Porter Center for Performing Arts.

The performance is free and open to the publicThe annual recital, held on the College’s Honors and Awards Day, showcases some of the department’s finest talent.

This year’s student performers include Kati Adams, Jessica Ames, Jennifer Baxter, Craig Brinker, Jason DeCristofaro, Carter Stevens and Jessica Villm. Students who perform in the recital must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher and pass an audition.

Posted 4.17.10

BC Hosts Earth Day Activities April 19-24

Brevard College will celebrate Earth Day, April 19-24, with a week of earth-friendly events, including a film showing, faculty lectures, a drum circle and the College’s annual EarthFest.

All events are open to the public and free of charge.

Brevard College’s Earth Day activities will kick off at 7 p.m. Monday, April 19 with a showing of "The Age of Stupid" in the College’s Dunham Auditorium. The highly acclaimed film stars Oscar-nominated Pete Postlethwaite as a man living alone in a world devastated by climate change.

A presentation on "Living Off the Grid" will be given by Associate Professor of Ecology and Environmental Studies and Executive Director of the Appalachian Center for Environmental Education Jennifer Frick-Ruppert at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, April 20 in Room 125 of the McLarty-Goodson Building.

Brevard College Associate Professor of Geology Jim Reynolds will speak on "The Ice Age" at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 21 in Room 125 of the McLarty-Goodson Building.

A drum circle will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 22 in the Residential Quad.

The College’s annual EarthFest celebration will be held from noon until 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 24 at the amphitheatre next to the Porter Center for Performing Arts. The schedule of fun family-friendly events includes local music; arts and crafts activities for all ages; a handmade art sale featuring more than 15 local artists; a swap meet (similar to a yard sale but participants may bring and take items for free); locally prepared cuisine; and more.

Information booths from groups – including the Sierra Club, Earthshine (with live animals), Our Farm at Richland Creek, Muddy Sneakers, the Brevard College Peer Health Advocacy Team and BC Greens Club – will be on display. Lions Club Vision and Diabetes screenings will be available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m

Raffles for free rain barrels will also be offered.

Local bands Adrian Wagner and friends and The Jeremy Aggers Band will perform throughout the day. A Contra Dance will cap off the day’s activities from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

EarthFest is sponsored by the Brevard College Greens Club, EarthFest Planning Committee and Student Government Association.

For more information, contact Jessica Blanford, Brevard College’s Director of Service Initiatives, 884-8117 or blanfojl@brevard.edu.

Posted 4.17.10

Brevard College Receives Connestee Falls Scholarship Funds

Bill Watson, chair of the Connestee Falls Scholarship Program and member of the Brevard College Board of Visitors, recently presented Brevard College president Dr. Drew Van Horn with a check for $8,700 on behalf of the Connestee Falls Scholarship Program.

The generous gift will be used to help support local Transylvania County students attending Brevard College.

“We remain appreciative of the extremely generous support given to Brevard College and our students by Connestee Falls over the years,” said President Van Horn.

“Having had 65 students as Connestee Falls scholarship recipients, it’s easy to grasp the wide-reaching impact that this group has had on many talented and deserving young Transylvania County students.”

Begun in 1987, the Connestee Falls Scholarship Program has benefited many talented and deserving students from Transylvania County.  Brevard College alone has been the recipient of more than $100,000 since the inception of this program.  These scholarships have provided academic support to 65 students during the past 20 years. 

Posted 4.15.10

Brevard College Receives Cannon Foundation Grant

Brevard College recently received a $150,000 grant from The Cannon Foundation Inc. to improve the College's steam heating system.

The College will use the grant to help fund the replacement of its antiquated centralized system with new high-efficiency decentralized steam generation systems.  The grant will also help fund the College’s recent upgrade to new high-efficiency electrical heat cooking and dish washing systems in its A.G. Myers Dining Hall.  The system improvements are expected to cost the College just over $1 million.

"The Cannon Foundation’s generous grant will help us dramatically reduce Brevard College’s maintenance and repair costs while making the campus a more comfortable educational environment,” said Brevard College President Drew Van Horn.  “We estimate that within five years, the College will see a savings of more than $100,000 each year from these improvements.”

The Cannon Foundation of Concord began in 1943 as a corporate foundation, with giving focused on the communities where Cannon Mills plants were located. Following the 1971 death of its founder, Charles A. Cannon, and the subsequent sale of the Cannon Mills Company, the Foundation evolved into an independent organization. Most of The Cannon Foundation's giving is in North Carolina and reaches from Manteo to Murphy.

Posted 4.14.10

"Piety Has its Hypocrites" and Other Life Lessons: Molière’s Tartuffe Comes to Brevard College

Brevard College’s Department of Theatre Studies will present Molière’s Tartuffe April 29 through May 1 at the Morrison Playhouse in the Porter Center for Performing Arts.

First performed in May of 1664 in Versailles, Tartuffe, by Molière, was quickly banned by King Louis XIV, by influence of the Archbishop of Paris, who threatened to excommunicate anyone who watched, performed in or read the play.

Moliere’s classic satire, about a con man who uses religion to capture his prey, will be brought to life at Brevard College, with modernistic and hyperbolic influences on the production design.

Tartuffe (played by sophomore Alex Tompkins), a con artist whose latest con has him posing as a holy man, effortlessly dupes the patriarch of a prominent French household into giving him all that he owns in the name of God. There is just one problem: everyone in the family, with the exception of the head of the household, Orgon (played by sophomore Adrian Wagner), and his mother, Mme. Pernelle (played by junior Bethany Tebo), know of Tartuffe’s evil schemes, and it is up to them to stop him before the family’s future is left in ruins.

This version of Moliere’s play, translated from French by Ranjit Bolt, whose other adaptations include Lysistrata by Aristophanes, Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand and Le Misanthrope, another Molière play, is "irreverent and blessed with a filthy wit," says Charles Spencer of The Daily Telegraph.

In a present world that seems rife with schemes and tricks around every corner, Tartuffe expresses that, no matter the time period and no matter the situation, anyone can con and be conned. "Moliere's style of comedy is one that transcends time and place, easily bringing the audience into his fantastic and chaotic world," says Tebo.

"Brevard should be ready to be tantalized by Tartuffe!" says junior Caitlin Kennedy, cast in the role of the family’s maid, Dorine.

Doors for the Tartuffe will open at 7:30 p.m. Curtain time for all performances is 8 p.m. Single tickets are $10 for adults and $2 for students (with a student ID). They may be purchased from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Porter Center Box Office. For more information on tickets, please contact the Porter Center Box Office at 828.884.8330.

Posted 4.13.10

Brevard College Religion Professor Explores New Religions and Science in New Book

Brevard College Assistant Professor of Religious Studies Benjamin Zeller has authored a book exploring new religious movements and science in late twentieth-century America.

Prophets and Protons, recently published by NYU Press, examines the role of science in new religion as well as how religious groups—new, old, alternative, or mainstream—could respond to the tremendous growth of power and prestige of science in late twentieth-century America.

Zeller, who has taught at Brevard College since 2007, holds degrees from the University of North Carolina, Harvard University and the University of Rochester.

The 256-page book, which is part of the publishing company’s New and Alternative Religions series, is available from online booksellers, in bookstores and directly from NYU Press at www.nyupress.org.

Zeller will be signing copies of his new book at Highland Books in Brevard at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, April 14.

Posted 4.9.10

BC IWIL Spends Spring Break Performing Community Service Projects

Brevard College freshmen Taylor Spivey of Shelby, N.C. and Abby Schutte of Spring Lake, Mich. paint faces for children during a carnival at Steele Creek YMCA in Charlotte.  The women are a part of the College's Institute of Women in Leadership (IWIL) and spent their spring break with the group performing community service in the Charlotte area.

Brevard College’s Institute of Women in Leadership (IWIL) spent its spring break learning valuable life lessons and the importance of giving back while performing community service in the Charlotte area. 

During the trip, the group created a carnival – organizing activities that ranged from face painting to relay races – for the children of Steele Creek’s YMCA. The students also volunteered at Adult Care and Share, an adult day care and day health center, and Parrot University, a Parrot conservation group. Downtime was spent visiting Reeves Gold Mine and the Charlotte Natural History Museum. 

"We volunteered in three different areas – children, the mentally disabled and parrots – but all three service activities came together to help us understand some diverse aspects of life," said freshman Leighia Eggett of Mt. Sterling, Ky. "We learned to accept everyone for simply being themselves, which in the end strengthened our group dynamics significantly." 

"It's not a matter of how much time we spend, but how we spend our time," added freshman Taylor Spivey of Shelby, N.C. 

IWIL will hold a presentation on its spring break service trip at 7 p.m. on Monday, April 12 in Brevard College’s Dunham Auditorium. 

Brevard College’s IWIL is a special residential and co-curricular learning program that helps young women gain confidence in accepting leadership opportunities. 

For more information, contact Michelle Harvey, Brevard College Assistant Dean of Students, at 828.884.8107.

Posted 4.8.10

BC Easter Break: April 5

BC students, faculty and staff will observe Easter Break on Monday, April 5. Classes will resume on Tuesday, April 6.

Posted 4.1.10

Brevard College Honors and Awards Day April 21

Brevard College will hold its annual Honors and Awards Ceremony to honor student, faculty and staff achievement in academics and leadership at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 21 in the Porter Center for Performing Arts. In addition to the campus-wide honors and awards ceremony, students will also be recognized during special events hosted by each of the College’s academic divisions. Click here for the schedule.

Posted 4.12.10

Brevard College Presents Reading by Poet Ron Egatz April 22

Brevard College’s English Department will present a reading by poet Ron Egatz at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 22 in the Francis Pavilion of the College’s Porter Center for Performing Arts.

Egatz, who is widely featured in literary reviews and anthologies, will be reading from his new collection of poetry, Beneath Stars Long Extinct. His new collection, which is his first full-length book, will be published by Red Hen Press this spring.

Egatz is the winner of the Glimmer Train Poetry Award and the Greenburgh Poetry Award and runs Camber Press, Inc., which hosts the annual Camber Press Fiction Chapbook Award and the annual Camber Press Poetry Chapbook Award. He lives in New York.

"I’m really taken with Beneath Stars Long Extinct.," writes Dick Allen, author of Present Vanishings and a volume of New and Selected Poems. "I’ve never read poems quite like these: poems at once sardonic and sad and celebratory as they detail a late 20th Century-early 21st Century unmarried male searching for and finding, yes, true love. But along with this passionate search come Ron Egatz’s beautifully rendered stories of others: a hitch-hiking father who meets George Raft, women who die young, lonely near-failure rockers. Egatz’s vibrant and extremely tactile poems conduct us into the urban world of choices and relationships in such an expert way that his fascinations become ours."

For more information, contact Brevard College Assistant Professor of English Jubal Tiner at 828.884.8349 or tinerjj@brevard.edu .

Posted 4.12.10

East Coast Chamber Orchestra Brings Spirited Performance to BC’s Porter Center April 23

The East Coast Chamber Orchestra (ECCO) brings a youthful and exhilarating performance to Brevard College’s Porter Center for Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 23.

The spirited performance will include a wide variety of classical music with works by Corelli, Warlock, Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky.

Formed in 2001, ECCO brings together many of the newest generation’s most-talented string players in a conductor-less ensemble whose focus is purely on music-making.

Its members are soloists and principal musicians in several major American orchestras, such as the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony and the Boston Symphony. Other ECCO musicians may be seen performing with various chamber ensembles throughout the country, including the Los Angeles Piano Quartet, the Silk Road Ensemble, the Jupiter String Quartet and the Enso String Quartet.

ECCO combines the strength and power of a great orchestral ensemble with the personal involvement and sensitivity of superb chamber music. Their Town Hall (NYC) and Kennedy Center debuts confirmed ECCO’s position as one of today’s most exceptional ensembles whose fresh interpretations of new and old works, coupled with passionate playing, earn them standing ovations and immediate re-engagements wherever they play.

Tickets to the Porter Center performance are $35 for adults and $10 for students. They may be purchased from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Porter Center Box Office. The Box Office will be open one hour before the performance. For more information on tickets, please contact the Porter Center Box Office at 828.884.8330. Additional information is available online at www.theportercenter.org .

Posted 4.9.10

Anonymous 4 Returns to Brevard College’s Porter Center April 10

Anonymous 4, the internationally known four-woman ensemble that has long been at the forefront of modern interpretation of medieval chant and polyphonic music, will return to Brevard College’s Porter Center for Performing Arts on Saturday, April 10.

The a cappella quartet will perform a program called Secret Voices: The Sisters of Las Huelgas. Coming on the heels of Anonymous 4’s Four Centuries of Chant recording, the Secret Voices program is a return to the heart of the ensemble’s favorite century. The varied repertoire of 13^th and early 14th century polyphony and monophonic Latin song was collected for a Cistercian convent of noble and aristocratic women in north-central Spain. The "Secret Voices" program is structured like a day of music devoted to the Virgin Mary, including a few songs with texts dealing with the daily lives of the nuns themselves.

Renowned for their unearthly vocal blend and virtuosic ensemble singing, the four women of Anonymous 4 combine musical, literary and historical scholarship with contemporary performance intuition as they create ingeniously designed programs, interweaving music with poetry and narrative. In addition to their unmatched medieval repertoire, Anonymous 4 has often reached out into the realm of contemporary music, and has premiered works by Peter Maxwell Davies, John Tavener, Steve Reich and Richard Einhorn. The group has most recently expanded their repertoire to include traditional music of the British Isles and America.

Anonymous 4 has performed in major venues and festivals throughout North America, Europe and the Far East. The ensemble, which performed at Brevard College’s Porter Center in 2006, has also appeared on numerous radio and television programs, including Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion," "CBS Sunday Morning," A&E's "Breakfast With the Arts" and NPR’s "Weekend Edition." Anonymous 4's award-winning recordings have attained unprecedented popularity, rising to the top of Billboard's classical chart, and selling almost 1.5 million copies worldwide.

Tickets to the 7:30 performance are $35 for adults and $10 for students. They may be purchased from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Porter Center Box Office. The Box Office will be open one hour before the performance. For more information on tickets, please contact the Porter Center Box Office at 828.884.8330. Additional information is available online at www.theportercenter.org.

Posted 3.30.10

Brevard College Senior Art Exhibition Opens April 9

The Brevard College Art Department will present its senior art exhibition from April 9 to May 5 at Spiers Gallery.

An opening reception will be held Friday, April 9 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the gallery, which is located in Sims Art Center.

The exhibit will feature the works of nine Brevard College senior art majors. They include: Donna Hooper, graphic design; Shaton Pratt and Maranda Ashe, painting; Laura Barr, Andrew Davis and Brooke Seaman, sculpture; and Jennifer Gift, Marc Newton and Rachel Montgomery, photography. Each student will give a brief gallery talk about their work at 6 p.m. during the opening reception.

The reception and exhibit visitations are free to the public. Gallery hours are 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. weekdays when the College is in session. The exhibit will be on display until May 5.

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 3.26.10 

Brevard College Division of Fine Arts Presents Series of Free Spring Performances

Students and faculty from Brevard College’s Division of Fine Arts will present a series of musical performances through the spring semester.

The concerts, which are free and open to the public, will be held at the Porter Center for Performing Arts on the campus of Brevard College.

They will include:

Jazz Ensembles: 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 30 
Symphonic Winds: 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 8 
Concert Choir: 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 17  
Guitar Concert: 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 20 
Music Department Honors Recital: 7:30 p.m. on Wed., April 21  
Percussion Ensemble: 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 27
Chamber Chorale: 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 1

For more information about any of these performances, visit www.brevard.edu/music  or contact 884.8211.

Posted 3.25.10

Brevard College Announces Summer Trip to Iceland; Community Members Invited to Participate

Brevard College Associate Professor of Geology Jim Reynolds will lead a group of students and other interested parties on a tour of the volcanic and glacial history of the Iceland this summer.

Leaving from Boston on July 5, the group will spend 19 days and nights traveling, hiking and camping around Iceland. The sparsely populated volcanic island sits astride the mid-Atlantic Ridge, just south of the Arctic Circle. It is the only place where the ridge can be seen at the surface. Several enormous icecaps cover the large highland regions. Evidence of volcanism and past glaciation abounds at every turn. Most of the classic geological sites will be visited.

Although Iceland's geology is the focus of this trip, the trip is open to anyone interested. Transfer credit is available for students from other institutions.

Temperatures in July are generally in the 45º to 65º F range. With the sun up 20 to 22 hours each day in July, it is never very dark. Since Iceland is a large geothermal area, almost all campgrounds provide hot showers. Some of the campgrounds are located at or near excellent hot springs. Hikes are easy to moderate with strenuous options available. The bus is comfortable and comes with an expert Icelandic driver. Although Icelandic is the native language, most Icelanders speak some English – some speak very well. In the past, most participants have enjoyed learning how to pronounce the names of the sites visited.

This year's 19-day trip will cost about the same as the College’s 2007 two-week trip. For more information about the trip, including the cost and itinerary, visit http://www2.brevard.edu/reynoljh/fieldtrips.htm .

Posted 3.19.10

Faculty Promotion and Tenure Approved by Brevard College Board of Trustees

Four Brevard College faculty members were recently granted promotions by the College’s Board of Trustees.

Dr. Resa Chandler, Dr. Kristina Holland and Dr. John Padgett were promoted to associate professor with tenure. Dr. Amie Scheidegger, who already holds the rank of associate professor, was also granted tenure.

Dr. Resa Chandler
Chandler, who has been on faculty at Brevard College since 2007, specializes in exercise and medical physiology; cell and molecular biology; carbohydrate metabolism and diabetes; ergogenic aids and sports nutrition; and weight training. She is a member of Brevard College’s Division of Science and Mathematics and coordinates the Exercise Science major. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Chandler also earned a master’s degree and her Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology from the University of Texas at Austin.

Dr. Kristina Holland
An alumna of Brevard College, Holland joined the faculty in 1990. She teaches British, world, environmental and women’s literature in addition to freshman composition, linguistics and film courses. Holland serves as the chair of the College’s Academic Support Committee and directs the writing services offered through the College’s Academic Enrichment Center. She has participated in the Appalachian College Association’s Teaching and Learning Institute, and has received several fellowships and grants, including a grant that enabled Holland and two Brevard College students to travel to London and Paris. Holland received her bachelor’s degree in Speech Communications from Wake Forest University and master’s degree in English from Western Carolina University. She earned her Ph.D. in English/Rhetoric and Linguistics from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. John Padgett
Padgett, who has been on faculty at Brevard College since 2004, teaches American and British literature, particularly courses focusing on the American South, Gothic literature and the environment. He also teaches courses in journalism and mass communication and serves as the faculty advisor for the student newspaper, The Clarion. Padgett received his bachelor's and master’s degrees in English from Clemson University. He earned his Ph.D. in English from the University of Mississippi.

Dr. Amie Scheidegger
Scheidegger joined Brevard College in 2006 to develop and implement the College’s Criminal Justice Program. She teaches a variety of courses in both criminology and criminal justice. Scheidegger is an active member of several professional organizations, including the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences and the Southern Criminal Justice Association. Her research has been presented at both regional and national conferences and her publications appear in a variety of sources. Scheidegger received her bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Illinois State University and her master’s degree in Criminology from Florida State University. She earned her Ph.D. in Criminology from Florida State University.

Posted 3.19.10

Brevard College Professor Recognized as Unsung Heroine 

Brevard College Humanities Division Chair Mary Louise (Mel) Bringle was recently recognized as a 2010 Unsung Heroine by Emory University’s Center for Women in Atlanta, Ga. 

Presented annually, the Unsung Heroine Awards honor a handful of women who have demonstrated extraordinary dedication to issues that affect women at Emory University or in the larger community but have not received accolades or formal recognition.

Bringle, who earned her Ph.D. from Emory University, was nominated as an alumna honoree by James Abbington, Associate Professor of Church Music and Worship at Emory’s Candler School for Theology. Abbington noted that Bringle stands out as a Christian feminist whose work has been to "reclaim the lost voices of women" in the church. Bringle challenges "students to think about their religious traditions in different ways, . . . [and] invigorates church history for students, making the tradition relevant to their lives in ways they never imagined," he added.

Bringle has taught philosophy and religious studies at Brevard College since 2000. As current president of the Hymn Society in the U.S. and Canada (HSUSC), Bringle was previously recognized in 2002 as an "emerging hymn text writer of the U.S. and Canada." She has won numerous international competitions for hymn texts, and is the author of two single-author collections: Joy and Wonder, Love and Longing (GIA 2002) and In Wind and Wonder (GIA 2007). Her hymns are included in hymnals and supplements of numerous denominations (Mennonite, Episcopalian, Roman Catholic, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, United Church of Canada, and the Church of Scotland), and her translations from the Spanish figure in a bilingual hymnal under production by GIA.

In addition to serving as president of HSUSC, Bringle chairs the committee to create a new denominational hymnal for the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Posted 3.15.10

Brevard College Professor Authors Book on Natural History of the Southern Appalachians

Brevard College Associate Professor of Ecology and Environmental Studies and Executive Director of the Appalachian Center for Environmental Education Jennifer Frick-Ruppert has authored a book examining the diverse ecology of the Southern Appalachians.

Mountain Nature: A Seasonal Natural History of the Southern Appalachians, which was recently published by The University of North Carolina Press, is based on her popular Transylvania-Times column, Appalachian Almanac.

The 224-page book is a lively and engaging account of the ecology of the area’s vibrant mountain region and explores the animals and plants of the southern Appalachians as well as the webs of interdependence that connect them. Stories of the animals and plants of the southern Appalachians are intertwined with descriptions of the seasons, giving readers a glimpse into the interlinked rhythms of nature, from daily and yearly cycles to long-term geological changes.

"Biologically speaking, the Southern Appalachians are as significant as the Great Barrier Reef of Australia, but they are right here, surrounded by dozens of cities and millions of people," said Frick-Ruppert. "Too often, we ignore the world right outside our door in favor of something more ‘exotic.’ I think that people should know their neighbors, and not just the human ones. What native plants grow in your yard? What lives in the stream or river closest to you? If you live in or even visit the Southern Appalachians, this book should help you answer those questions."

Frick-Ruppert joined Brevard College’s faculty in 1997. In addition to teaching, she leads the College’s Appalachian Center for Environmental Education (ACEE). The ACEE has an environmental education focus and includes undergraduate research opportunities, environmental research involving high school students and their teachers working together with college students and faculty, a variety of summer environmental programs, other similar activities and the Pisgah Forest Institute (PFI). She earned her Ph.D. in Zoology from Clemson University and frequently gives lectures and presentations in the area that focus on natural history.

Mountain Nature: A Seasonal Natural History of the Southern Appalachians is available from online booksellers, in bookstores and directly from The University of North Carolina Press at, www.uncpress.unc.edu.  Frick-Ruppert will be signing books at several book stores in the area, including Highland Books in Brevard at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, March 24 and Malaprops Book Store in Asheville at 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 1.

Posted 03.15.10 

A list of Brevard College’s graduates as well as the speeches of both student speakers, the president’s charge and a photo gallery of the weekend’s festivities can be found online at www.brevard.edu/commencement

Brevard College Holds Commencement Exercises for Class of 2010

Proud parents, family and friends watched as 142 Brevard College students received diplomas today during the institution’s 157th Commencement Exercise.

As is a tradition at Brevard College, the ceremony featured two speakers from the graduating class, Ian Eric Townson of Cowpens, S.C. and Jami Amanda Perry of Greer, S.C. 

Townson, who received a bachelor’s degree in Business and Organizational Leadership, was president of the College’s Business Club and a member of Sigma Beta Delta, Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities & Colleges and the Student Government Association.  He was most recently recognized for Outstanding Academic Excellence in Business.  Townson also served as captain of the Men’s Soccer Team for three of the four years he played.  He plans to further his education by studying Sustainable Enterprise at the Atkinson Graduate School of Management at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon.

“Throughout our time at Brevard College, we as a class have been instilled with core values taught to us by the BC family,” said Townson.  “Through our lessons in commitment to integrity and ethical actions, we will avoid the consequences of poor choices.  Through our lessons of environmental stewardship, we will avoid the consequences of planned obsolescence. Through our lessons of service, we will avoid the tendency of apathetic complacency.  These lessons will help us to realize our leadership potential.“

Townson closed his remarks by reminding his peers that “the world at large is in dire need and begs help from educated and dedicated minds, eager to work for the betterment of others—for the betterment of all.” 
“We must answer this call,” he said.  “And in doing so, the congratulations we hear today will not be a shallow statement of this moment only, but will extend throughout our lifetimes as we become the leaders of the generation that makes the world a better place.”

Jami Amanda Perry, who received a bachelor’s degree in Integrated Studies, was president of Alpha Chi and the Student Athletic Advisory Committee and a member of Omicron Delta Kappa.  She served as captain of the Women’s Volleyball Team for two of the four years she played and was a member of the College’s Cycling Team.  Perry was recently recognized as an Outstanding Elementary Graduate.  She plans to teach third grade and pursue a master’s degree in speech therapy.

“It is here that we have grown into adults, found out who we really are, and have become the hope and future of our country,” Perry told her classmates.  “This is the time our generation must rally together, take a stand, and become the leaders of tomorrow.  We must take the tools our professors have equipped us with and the experiences that have transformed us and run, not walk into our futures.  We must take the world by storm and influence a society that demands innovative, intelligent, creative, motivated people to re-inspire our nation.

“Remember, life is not a destination, but a journey.  Continue to live by the motto that has resonated in our heart over the past four years, “Learn in order to Serve.”  Our desire to learn and our willingness to serve does not end today as we receive our diplomas, but instead is a lifelong pursuit.”

President Drew L. Van Horn’s charge to the graduates is also a tradition at Brevard College.  In his final words to the 157-year-old college’s newest class of alumni, Van Horn encouraged the graduates to consider their commitment to relationships, to their faith and to the giving of themselves in service to others and their environment.

“I, on behalf of the Board of Trustees, and the Faculty, send you into a world which desperately needs Brevard College graduates – people with hearts and minds as big as the mountains, people who have learned in order to serve,” said Van Horn.  “Ralph Waldo Emerson said, ‘what lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.’  We know what lies within you and we are proud to call you graduates.”

Posted 5.15.10

Brevard College Honors Faculty and Staff at Annual Awards Banquet

BC Registrar Alyse W. Hollingsworth was recently recognized for 25 years of dedicated service to Brevard College. Hollingsworth (center) is seen here with Brevard College Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty John Hardt, (left) and Brevard College President Drew L. Van Horn (right).

Brevard College recently held its annual Faculty and Staff Awards Banquet at the Porter Center for Performing.

A total of 17 faculty and staff members were recognized for their years of dedicated service to Brevard College.

Honorees included:

30 Years
J. Belton Hammond, Associate Professor of English and Coordinator of the English Major

25 Years
Alyse W. Hollingsworth, Registrar

20 Years
Clyde W. Carter, Associate Professor of Recreation, Wilderness Leadership and Experiential Education
M. Jo Pumphrey, Professor of Art
Caron O. Surrett, Assistant Director of Financial Aid

15 Years
Dee Dasburg, Coordinator for Counseling Services

10 Years
Todd Anderson, Former Baseball Coach
Cameron Austin, Assistant Professor of Information Technology and Business and Organizational Leadership
Robert W. Dye, Assistant Professor of Wilderness Leadership and Experiential Education
James H. Reynolds, Associate Professor of Geology

5 Years
Myra M. Cooper, Director of Payroll and Benefits
Ryan Donovan, Wilderness Leadership and Experiential Education Operations Manager
Mary Hess, Administrative Assistant to the Division of Fine Arts
Marvin Metcalf, Campus Security Officer
John Padgett, Associate Professor of English
Michael Porter, Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities
John J. Trussell, Information Technology Helpdesk Administrator and ResNet Manager

Posted 5.21.10

McCay accepts position as Head Baseball Coach at Brevard College

Former Tar Heel standout and Assistant Coach takes over reins of Tornados Baseball program

Brevard, N.C. - Brevard College Athletic Director Kim Pate is pleased to announce Matt McCay, a former University of North Carolina letter-winner and a six-year standout in professional baseball, has accepted the position of Head Coach of the Brevard College Tornados Baseball Program.

"I am delighted to announce the hiring of Matt McCay as our next head baseball coach. Coach McCay brings an incredible depth of experience having played and coached at all levels. Coming out of the top level collegiate baseball program of UNC Chapel Hill, he understands what it takes to establish a successful winning program," said Athletic Director Pate.

An assistant coach for the Tarheels for three years, McCay assisted in all areas of the UNC program, but worked specifically with the hitters and catchers.

"I am very excited to be the Head Coach at Brevard College. This is such a great opportunity to be a part of a truly great baseball tradition," Coach McCay had to say. "Brevard College is in one of the most beautiful places in North Carolina and my family and I are extremely happy to be joining the Brevard family. My wife and I love the community and the college, and we are very thankful that Brevard College has given me this opportunity to lead the Tornado Baseball Program. I know, that through hard work, this program will be a place that alumni, the town of Brevard, and Brevard College will be very proud of."

In addition to his on-field work, McCay worked closely with the Tar Heels' strength and conditioning program and with the team's nutritionist regarding all team meals. He also assisted with on-campus recruiting and other administrative duties.

McCay was an instrumental part of Carolina's run to the 2008 and 2009 College World Series and he has worked with a pair of catchers that were selected in the first seven rounds of the Major League Baseball Draft - Tim Federowicz and Mark Fleury - over the past two seasons.

"Matt has been an extremely valuable member of our coaching staff these past three seasons. I cannot thank him enough for his hard work and dedication to our program. I have known Matt since high school and as a player for me both at N.C. Wesleyan and North Carolina," said UNC Head Baseball Coach Mike Fox. "No one cares more about UNC, the game and its people than Matt. He was beloved by all our players here not only for his knowledge of the game but his willingness to help them in any way and his great sense of humor. Matt is most deserving of this opportunity at Brevard and I am extremely confident he will do well. I personally will miss him and Julie [his wife] dearly."

In the summer of 2008, McCay skippered the Thomasville Hi-Toms to the Coastal Plain League Petitt Cup Tournament title.

Prior to joining the UNC staff, McCay worked as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Hillsborough's Orange High School, for seven seasons and spent the summer of 2007 working as a coach and instructor at the Impact Baseball showcase camps and with Dirtbag Baseball, an elite North Carolina-based travel team. McCay graduated from Carolina in December 2006 with a degree in exercise and sport science after playing six years of independent league professional baseball.

McCay played the 2000-03 seasons with the Chillicothe (Ohio) Paints of the Frontier League. He was a three-time all-star selection, earned a spot on the organization's all-time team and was named the team's MVP in 2003. He ranks as the Paints' record holder in both career and single-season hits (2002). Before returning to Chapel Hill to finish his degree, McCay played the 2004 and 2005 seasons with the Northern League's Joliet (Illinois) Jackhammers.

McCay played for Fox for two seasons at North Carolina Wesleyan (1997-98) before joining him in Chapel Hill for the 1999 and 2000 campaigns. In two seasons at Carolina, McCay hit .297 with seven home runs and 78 RBI in 119 games as an outfielder.

While at Wesleyan, he was a second-team NCAA Division III All-America and also earned all-region and all-conference honors in 1998 when he hit .441 with 10 homers and 60 RBI. McCay also led the team in hitting as a freshman with a .391 average.

Coach McCay’s final comment was, "I want to lead the Brevard College Baseball program in a way that is one of the best experiences for the student athlete. I want our players to work hard to earn a degree, work hard on the athletic field, and leave the school and program as a better person because they chose to come to Brevard College."

The Brevard College Tornados baseball program went 9-35, 2-22 in the South Atlantic Conference in their second full season as members of the NCAA Division II.

 Posted 5.21.10

Brevard College Bestows Honorary Degree on Local Alumna

Brevard College honored a local alumna during its weekend commencement activities by officially completing a process that was halted in 1936.

On Friday, Evelyn Cordell Romeo of Hendersonville was presented an Honorary Associate of Arts Degree by Brevard College President Drew. L. Van Horn during the College’s Baccalaureate and Hooding Ceremony.

Romeo, who received her Business Certificate from Brevard Junior College, had to leave school in 1936 a few credits shy of receiving her Associates Degree.

"Although her academic pursuit was halted, her life experiences and service to the community allow us to take a step in fulfilling a milestone which she was unable to accomplish when she wanted," said President Van Horn during the special presentation.

Following her time at Brevard Junior College, Romeo worked in Washington, D.C. for Sen. Robert R. Reynolds, who was the chairman of the Senate Military Affairs Committee (today the Arms Services Committee). She was selected to participate in the World War II War Trials in Japan and arrived there on December 7, 1945.

While in Japan, Romeo met her husband, who was the personal physician for General Douglas MacArthur. Dr. and Mrs. Romeo’s lifetime of community service – which includes the establishment of Pardee Hospital in Hendersonville – has exemplified Brevard College’s motto of Learn in Order to Serve.

Posted 5.14.10

Ocean Bound: Brevard College's Voice of the Rivers Team Embarks on 19-day Voyage Down Yadkin-Pee Dee Rivers

Members of Brevard College’s 2010 VOR Expedition (from left to right) Dan Modahl, Jana Eilermann, Brian Henion, Aislinn Dugan, Chelsea Preciado, Katherine McKittrick, Rich Campana, Assistant Professor Cameron Austin, Austin Bunn, Tucker Lee, Teresa Musick, Associate Professor Jennifer Kafsky and Max Pelosi (in the boat). Members missing from the photo are students Marshal Hartley and Marcus Roberson.

A group of Brevard College students and professors is gearing up for a kayak adventure of a life time.

On Sunday, May 16, the College’s Voice of the Rivers (VOR) team will embark on a nearly 400-mile kayak expedition that will snake through North and South Carolina and end in the Atlantic Ocean.

This year, two Brevard College faculty members and 11 students will paddle the length of the Yadkin-Pee Dee watershed. The group will begin its journey by scouting the river's source in the mountains along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Blowing Rock, N.C. They will then embark on a 19-day paddling trip starting in North Wilkesboro, N.C. and ending near Georgetown, S.C. where Winyah Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean.

The Voice of the Rivers trip offers Brevard College students an interdisciplinary study of a river from its source to its end. During the trip, the students will learn about communication analysis and design as they study rivers and their importance to society. The courses are united with a study of current river conservation efforts, guided by the team’s experiences. Students will examine the challenges facing the health of the waterway, learn about various conservation groups and examine their strategies aimed at protecting this endangered resource.

Plans are also underway for VOR members to talk with a variety of people and programs that support the river, media organizations and conservation groups in North and South Carolina as the group makes its way to the sea.

VOR students—whose majors include Art, Religious Studies, Environmental Science, Exercise Science, Psychology and Wilderness Leadership and Experiential Education—are also required to post daily journal entries, photos and videos of their travels and experiences online using Facebook, blogs and the Brevard College Web site (www.brevard.edu/VOR).

Student expedition members include: Austin Bunn of Gaston, S.C.; Rich Campana of Raleigh, N.C.; Aislinn Dugan of Nantucket, Mass.; Jana Eilermann of Cincinnati, Ohio; Marshal Hartley of Clarks Mills, Penn.; Brian Henion of Hendersonville, N.C.; Katherine McKittrick of Charlotte, N.C.; Daniel Modahl of Beverly, Mass.; Teresa Musick of Hagerstown, Md.; Chelsea Preciado of Nashville, Tenn.; and Marcus Roberson of Davidson, N.C.

Team leaders are Brevard College Associate Professor and Coordinator of Wilderness Leadership and Experiential Education Jennifer Kafsky and Assistant Professor of Business and Organizational Leadership Cameron Austin.

Brevard College students Max Pelosi of Atlanta, Ga. and Tucker Lee of Baton Rouge, La.—both seniors in the Wilderness Leadership and Experiential Education Program—are assisting with this year’s trip.

Since its inaugural 1997 expedition from Brevard, N.C. to the Gulf of Mexico, the Voice of the Rivers program at Brevard College has offered students and faculty an opportunity to paddle and study a variety of ecologically and culturally significant rivers.

The VOR experience—which combines academics with outdoor exploration—is designed to educate the public and raise awareness of activities that threaten rivers; bring attention to organizations and groups poised to address those threats; and foster a sense of stewardship and community activity among the students who participate.

Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina, Brevard College offers a range of distinctive baccalaureate degree programs. The VOR program embodies the College’s commitment to a liberal arts education that is interdisciplinary and experiential. Past VOR expeditions include trips down the Tennessee, Ohio and Mississippi rivers; the Green River; the Rio Santa Cruz, Rio Limay and Rio Negro rivers in Patagonia, Argentina; the Savannah River; and the Catawba-Wateree watershed.

Read more about the 2010 Brevard College VOR Expedition at www.brevard.edu/VOR .

Posted 5.12.10

Brevard College Commencement Activities Set for This Weekend

Brevard College will hold commencement activities for more than 140 members of its Class of 2010 this weekend.

Special events for families and friends will begin at 3 p.m. on Friday, May 14 with a creek side reception beside the Porter Center for Performing Arts. The College’s Baccalaureate and Hooding Ceremony will begin at 4:30 p.m. inside the Porter Center’s Concert Hall.

During the ceremony, Brevard College President Drew Van Horn will make a special presentation to Evelyn Cordell Romeo of Hendersonville.

Following the service, a special picnic for graduates and their families will be held at 6 p.m. along the creek and lawn outside of the Porter Center.

The College’s 157th Commencement exercises will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 15 in the College’s Betty Neale Academic Quadrangle. This year’s speakers are seniors Ian Eric Townson of Cowpens, S.C. and Jami Amanda Perry of Greer, S.C.

Following the ceremony, a reception will be held on the lawn of Taylor and Green halls.

Details on commencement activities are available here (PDF) or by calling the Office of Academic Affairs at 828-884-8312.

Posted 5.12.10

June 2010

Tornados Play 2010 Home Football Games in Asheville

SAC Commissioner Patrick Britz

The Brevard College Athletic Department and Athletic Director Kim Pate announced during a press conference today that the Tornados Football team will hold its 2010 home games at Asheville High School in Asheville, N.C.

Brevard College President Dr. Drew Van Horn and South Atlantic Conference Commissioner Patrick Britz were also on hand for the announcement.

Click here to read statements made by Pate, Van Horn and Britz during the press conference.

To see pictures from Brevard's season finale against Catawba, click here.
To view the Asheville High School Memorial Stadium website, click here.

Posted 6.28.10

Learn About Transylvania County History at Brevard College’s Library

From birds to ghosts and waterfalls, Brevard College’s James A. Jones Library offers a wealth of information on the local history of Transylvania County.

In preparation for next year’s 150th Transylvania County Sesquicentennial, Brevard College’s Library, which located in the center of campus, has collected a large selection of books, newspaper articles, pamphlets, videos and more about Transylvania County and Brevard.

Find out when the first railroad and manufacturing plant was established, notable cultural influences, natural resources, and the location of former businesses such as the Justus Automatic Laundry and the Krispy Glaze Bakery.

A list of resources on Transylvania County is currently being compiled and will be made available online at the Brevard College Library and the 150th celebration Web sites in 2011. The list will include a variety of subjects such as architecture; art; business, camps; churches; education; environment; history and historical attractions; industry; libraries; medicine; music; outdoor adventures; photographs; politics; population; postcards; railways; sculpture; tourism; rivers and waterways; waterfalls; weather; white squirrels; and women.

For more information, visit the James A. Jones Library from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or contact Library Director Mike McCabe at 884-8248 or library@brevard.edu 

Posted 06.11.10 

Local Donor Establishes Pay It Forward Annual Scholarship at BC

An anonymous local donor has established a $10,000 Pay It Forward Annual Scholarship at Brevard College.

Based on the popular Pay It Forward book, movie and social movement, the scholarship will help deserving students reach their educational goals at Brevard College.

"The Pay It Forward movement is based on doing a favor for another person without any expectation of being paid back," said Brevard College President Drew L. Van Horn. "This scholarship reminds us of the great value of those who empower others to change their lives and their community."

The donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, is hoping that other donors will contribute to this scholarship to help additional deserving students achieve their dreams of a college education.

If you would like to make a contribution to the Pay It Forward Annual Scholarship at Brevard College, please contact the Brevard College Office of Institutional Advancement at 828.884.8218 or e-mail GivesToBC@brevard.edu.

Posted 6.9.10

July 2010

Daniels accepts position as new Cross Country and Track & Field Coach

World-renowned coach, author and speaker takes over the BC programs

The Brevard College Athletic Department and Athletic Director Kim Pate are pleased to announce Dr. Jack Daniels, a world-renowned coach, author and speaker, as the new Brevard College cross country and track & field coach.

"We are excited to have Dr. Jack Daniels join our coaching staff; his wealth of experience, depth of knowledge for the sport, and love for coaching will continue to lead our cross country and track programs toward great promise and success," said Pate. "Coach Daniels is a very humble and remarkable individual and I am honored to have the opportunity to work with him."

Daniels has been involved in both collegiate and post-collegiate track and cross-country for 35 years and has coached 30 individual DIII NCAA National Champions, eight NCAA National Team Champions and 130 All-Americans. He was also named the NCAA DIII Women’s Coach of the Century and was a three-time NCAA National Coach of the Year.

"For me, what makes a job most enjoyable is to be working with nice people and I was very impressed with the several people I met during my visit to Brevard," said Daniels. "Simply put, I love to coach both young ladies and young men, and to be able to continue doing that makes life real enjoyable for me."

Daniels has also coached five Olympians in men’s and women’s distance events and has also coached two sub-2:10 male marathoners on his way to being named "World’s Best Coach" by Runner’s World Magazine. Recently, he has been working at the Center for High Altitude Training, working and developing athletes from around the world.

"Jack was my coach and mentor at the University of Texas and truly shaped my life," said Dr. Sue Carter, a former athlete under Daniels. "Under his guidance I was able to excel in distance running as well as academics. He supported me in my preparation for medical school while earning All-American status in Track and Field. He is the best coach and the nicest man on the planet!"

In addition to his coaching ability, Daniels is an accomplished author, featured speaker and researcher, having written four books on running, including his most recent title, Daniels’ Running Formula, 2nd ed. He has also had over 50 articles published in scientific journals and also seen numerous articles on running published in popular magazines. Daniels is a featured speaker at coaches’ clinics, running camps and symposia that deals with training and has spent the past 13 years as the National Running Coach of Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s "Team in Training" program. Daniels was also part of a research program which examined performances and known VDOT values of elite middle and long distance runners, which helps determine an equivalent performance at a different race distance, providing a better value from which to access fitness and determine training paces.

Other professional accomplishments and merits of note for Daniels includes being the named Meet Director at the National Cross-Country Championship and has been the meet director at 25 conference championships and annual invitationals in both cross country and track and field. He was the Altitude consultant to the U.S. Olympic Track & Field team for the 1968 Mexico City Olympics and also served as a color commentator for CBC Television for the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Daniels has also been involved and conducted considerable research involving elite runners, swimmers and paddlers in both the U.S. and Canada, often working with U.S. teams in swimming and running at Colorado Springs and Lake Placid.

Daniels has a number of personal accomplishments as well, having received both silver and bronze medals in the Olympics in the Modern Pentathlon competition. He has also received a World Championship Bronze Medal and is a two-time U.S. National Champion and was the first foreign winner of the Swedish National Championship in the same event. Daniels also competed eight years as a competitive swimmer and four years on the University ROTC Rifle team. He was also a U.S. Army officer and military triathlon champion in Seoul and Tokyo.

Daniels has received numerous honors and awards, including the 2009 H. Browning Ross Outstanding National Service Award of Merit from the USATF. He was also awarded the title of "Master Coach" by the USA Track Coaches Association and is a Fellow with the American College of Sports Medicine. Daniels also serves as the Exercise Physiology consultant to Runner’s World Magazine and is an Editorial Board member of American Running & Fitness Association and serves as a consultant to college and club coaches and runners around the U.S. and the world. Daniels was also a recipient of the Outstanding Alumni Award from the University of Montana, and was inducted into the Cortland C-Club Sports Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Sequoia High School Sports Hall of Fame in 2006.

"I truly get as much enjoyment out of watching a young runner improve his/her performance as I get from seeing one of my runners make it to the Olympics," commented Daniels. "The road traveled is certainly as important as is the destination because every day along the way is part of a person's never-ending education, and I still feel I learn as much from my runners as they learn from me."

 Posted 7.19.10

August 2010

Brevard College Art Faculty Exhibition Opens September 3
An exhibition of work by Brevard College’s talented art faculty will be held from Sept. 3 to Oct. 1 at the College’s Spiers Gallery.
 
An opening reception will be held Friday, Sept. 3 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the gallery, which is located in Sims Art Center.
 
Working in a variety of two-and-three dimensional media, Brevard College faculty artists participating include: Bill Byers, Jo Pumphrey and Kyle Lusk as well as adjunct faculty Aaron Alderman, Michael Bryan, Lori Park, David Sheldon and Ike Wheeless. Professor Emeritus Tim Murray will also exhibit his work. 
 
The reception and exhibit visitations are free to the public. Gallery hours are 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. weekdays when the College is in session. The exhibit will be on display until October 1.
 
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 8.27.10

Sigma Xi Hosts Blue Ghost Firefly Presentation by Brevard College Professor/Author
The local chapter of the scientific research society Sigma Xi will host a presentation on the biology of the Blue Ghost Firefly on Tuesday, September 21 at Brevard College.
 
The presentation will feature Brevard College Associate Professor of Ecology and Environmental Studies and Executive Director of the Appalachian Center for Environmental Education Jennifer Frick-Ruppert.
 
Little was known about the Blue Ghost Firefly, which is unique to the Southern Appalachians, until Dr. Frick-Ruppert’s recent publication with Brevard College graduate Josh Rosen in the Journal of the NC Academy of Sciences.  Dr. Frick-Ruppert will also discuss the general biology of the Southern Appalachians – especially the interactions between plants and animals of the region.
 
The presentation, which is free and open to the public, will be at 7:30 p.m. held in Room 125 of the College’s McLarty-Goodson Building.
 
Dr. Frick-Ruppert, who has taught at Brevard College since 1997, teaches courses in environmental perspectives, biodiversity, and natural history and was awarded the 2003-2004 Award for Exemplary Teaching.  She earned her Ph.D. in Zoology from Clemson University in 1995.
 
Originally from South Carolina, Frick-Ruppert grew up with a love of nature and an appreciation for her surroundings. She has written several scientific articles, most recently on the biology of the Blue Ghost Firefly, and has authored websites for South Carolina Educational Television. From 2001-2005, she wrote a regular column for The Transylvania Times.
 
Her long awaited book, Mountain Nature: A Seasonal Natural History of the Southern Appalachians, is now available from UNC Press. Illustrated with both color and black- and-white images, it conveys the seasonal change in animals and plants of the region, emphasizing their interactions and unique characteristics. It has already received several notable reviews for its quality and lively writing style.
A 6 p.m. reception and 6:30 p.m. dinner are planned prior to the presentation. Cost to attend the reservation-only reception and dinner, which will be held in the Institute Room of Brevard College’s Myers Dining Hall, is $8. For more information or to make a reservation, contact Jeff Llewellyn at llewellyn@brevard.edu or 828-883-8292, ext 2277. Reservations must be received by Monday, September 20.      
 
UNC-Asheville chapter of Sigma Xi is comprised of members from Brevard College, Mars Hill College, Warren Wilson College and UNCA.

Posted 8.26.10

Brevard College Group Explores Geologic Wonders of Iceland

(Left to Right) BC sophomore Mary Kathryn Webb; senior Billy Swords; senior Chelsea Shew; Associate Professor of Geology Jim Reynolds; incoming freshman Elena Reynolds; and sophomore Mark Migliore pose in front of the Skaftafellsjökull glacier in Iceland’s Vatnajökull National Park.  To read a travel log and view photos and videos from the group's adventure in Iceland, go to www.travelpod.com/travel-blog/magellanic/4/tpod.html

Six Brevard College students recently joined Brevard College Associate Professor of Geology Jim Reynolds on an 18-day, camping field trip throughout Iceland.
 
The July trip included recent BC graduate Hunter Boyd of Hickory, N.C.; senior Chelsea Shew of Hendersonville, N.C.; senior Billy Swords of Atlanta, Georgia; sophomore Mary Kathryn Webb of Tyler, Texas; sophomore Mark Migliore of Jacksonville, Florida; and incoming freshman Elena Reynolds of Webster, N.C.
 
Connestee Falls resident Lee McMinn also joined the group that included seven other college students, faculty members and interested volcanophiles from around the world.
 
“Iceland was a nonstop adventure where I met people that I will never forget, experienced their amazing culture, and walked on geological features that have built Iceland into the active island it is today,” said Shew, a General Science major. “Everyday was something new to be amazed about.”
 
Swords, a general science major who is also working towards his teacher certification, was equally impressed with the island’s offerings especially its “wonderfully effective geothermal energy system, along with kind, strong and intelligent people.”
 
During the trip, the group visited a geothermal power plant near the capital, Reykjavík, as well the fjords of western and northwestern Iceland. They also traveled to Mývatn – in northeastern Iceland – where they explored volcanoes around the large lake, a large geothermal area, Krafla caldera and Dettifoss, Iceland’s largest waterfall.
 
While traveling to south Iceland, the group crossed the Sprengisandur –  also known as the Central Iceland Desert – passing close to the Vatnajökull, the world’s third largest icecap. They also visited the hot springs and orange mountains of Landmannalaugar.
 
While based out of Kirkjubæjarklaustar, the group explored the rifts at Eldgjá and Lakagígar – where the two largest eruptions in recorded history took place.  They also visited Jökulsárlón, a coastal lagoon that traps hundreds of icebergs that calved off of the Vatnajökull.
 
The final adventure was an overnight trip to the island of Heimaey – where, in 1973, the Eldfell volcano grew in the town and buried a neighborhood.
 
“I’m very fortunate to have the opportunities to take students to places like Iceland where they can get a sense of Earth in formation,” added Professor Reynolds. “The only disappointment was that Eyjafjallajökull stopped erupting by the time we arrived. We were able to go right to its base and collect some ash but it would have been icing on the cake to see an actual eruption.”

Posted 8.25.10

Move A Mountain Service Day
More than 250 new students, upper classmen, faculty and staff took part in Brevard College’s Move A Mountain Day on Monday, August 23. The half-day service-focused experience offered the volunteer groups a chance to work on projects that directly or indirectly serve their new community.  Click here to view a Move A Mountain Service Day Photo Gallery.

Posted 8.24.10

Brevard College Welcomes New Students; Move A Mountain Service Day Set for Monday
Brevard College will welcome new students on campus beginning Saturday, August 21.
 
Approximately 250 new students are expected for the 2010-2011 school year.  That number is an increase over last fall's enrollment of 229 new students.
 
Brevard College students this year will represent more than 30 different states as well as seven foreign countries (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Finland, the Republic of South Africa, Russia and the United Kingdom). 

Total enrollment is estimated to be approximately 650 students.

The College's Move A Mountain Day will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, August 23. The half-day service-focused experience takes new BC students, staffers and volunteers and sends them out into the community to work on projects that directly or indirectly serve their new community.
 
It’s long been a part of Brevard College’s tradition of experiential learning. The college’s motto — Cognosce ut Prosis — which means “Learn in order to Serve” is demonstrated as students inaugurate their first year at the College by giving back first.  The hard work helps students create an ethic of service and community and allows them to begin building relationships in the community and with fellow students.
 
Approximately 250 students will be participating in Move A Mountain Day, including new and transfer students as well as upperclassmen student leaders.  There are also 20 faculty and staff members volunteering as group leaders for the day. 
 
Move A Mountain groups are serving at a variety of locations in the area including:
 
Dupont Forest – trail maintenance
SAFE – painting and organizing donations
Bread of Life – preparing and serving a meal
Transylvania County Parks and Recreation – landscaping
Tanjer House – cleaning windows and yard
Habitat for Humanity – building a house
Sharing House – packing backpacks for young students
Heart of Brevard – cleaning downtown Brevard trash receptacles and streets
 
Classes will begin on Wednesday, August 25.

Posted 8.19.10

Brevard College Receives Leon Levine Foundation Scholarship for Appalachian Women
Brevard College recently received a gift from the Leon Levine Foundation to provide scholarship opportunities for Appalachian women with financial need.

The $5,000 gift will be used to help qualified women from Appalachia attend and graduate from Brevard College.

"Thanks to this generous gift from the Leon Levine Foundation, Brevard College will be able to continue to provide educational opportunities for women in the Appalachian region who otherwise would not have the resources to attend college," said Brevard College President Drew L. Van Horn.

Brevard College’s commitment to aid Appalachian families began in 1853 in a one-room schoolhouse where the college's first leader, The Reverend Laban Abernethy, set as a goal that, "None shall ever be turned away for want of means." Currently, almost 25 percent of the College’s student body comes from western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee, northeastern Georgia, southwestern Virginia and northwestern South Carolina. Additionally, 92 percent of Brevard College students receive some amount of financial aid, so every scholarship dollar we procure is most helpful.

About the Leon Levine Foundation Leon Levine is the founder of the Matthews, N.C.-based Family Dollar Stores, Inc. He and his wife Sandra are involved in a number of civic and charitable causes through the Leon Levine Foundation.

Posted 8.13.10

September

Brevard College Offers Buy One, Get One Free Ticket Special for Upcoming I Musici de Montréal Performance
Brevard College is offering a buy one ticket and get a second one free special for its upcoming performance of I Musici de Montréal featuring Mussorgsky's “Pictures at an Exhibition.”

Tickets to the performance – which will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 7 at the College’s Porter Center for Performing Arts – are $35 for adults and $10 for students.

I Musici de Montréal has developed a well-deserved reputation as one of the world’s finest chamber orchestras. Known for its gutsy, passionate music-making, I Musici de Montréal presents imaginative programs that draw on repertoire spanning the centuries.

The Porter Center’s All-Russian program will feature Mussorgsky's masterful “Pictures at an Exhibition.” with animated projections of award-winning painter Natasha Turovsky's images.  The film – which was selected for the 2010 Cannes Independent Film Festival in the Animated Short category – is featured on-stage via large screen projection above the orchestra.  The startling new paintings honor the Victor Hartmann canvasses which inspired Mussorgsky's composition, now lovingly envisioned for chamber orchestra.   

Under the direction of cellist Yuli Turovsky, I Musici de Montréal performs more than 100 concerts annually.  The orchestra’s precision, cohesion and distinctive sound have charmed audiences and critics.  Fanfaremagazine recently added its voice to the chorus of praise when it named I Musici de Montréal “one of the best chamber orchestras in North America.”

In addition to the evening concert, a generous donation from local arts supporter Cornell Secosan of Brevard will enable area fifth graders to attend a special “Young People’s Concert” at the Porter Center on Thursday, Oct. 7.  The Porter Center’s “Young People’s Concert” series is an interactive free educational program that annually introduces Transylvania county school children to music. The Friday morning concert will include time for students to talk with members of the I Musici de Montréal, learn about the instruments they play and, most importantly, learn how they might begin playing a string instrument.

 Tickets may be purchased from 10:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Porter Center Box Office. The Box Office will be open one hour before the performance. For more information on tickets, please contact the Porter Center Box Office at 828.884.8330. Additional information is available online at www.theportercenter.org

Posted 9.28.10

Brevard College Holds Fall Open Campus Days
Brevard College will hold several opportunities for prospective students to visit its campus this fall.

Open Campus days will be held on Oct. 11, Oct. 25, Nov. 8 and Nov. 22.  Each event, which will be held on a Monday, will begin with check-in at 9 a.m. at Brevard College’s Porter Center for Performing Arts and will conclude with an optional campus tour at 1:30 p.m. Lunch is included for all in attendance.

Designed to introduce potential students to college life at Brevard College, the Open Campus Day schedule features a guided campus tour; expert advice about financial aid and scholarships; information about the college’s academic programs; as well as opportunities for prospective students to meet current Brevard College students; participate in campus-life events and activities; and take part in a class observation.

Prospective students who would like to attend the Open Campus Day should contact the Office of Admissions at 828.884.8300 or toll free at 800.527.9090. To reserve a spot online, simply register at www.brevard.edu/visit

Brevard College Seeks Merchants to Participate in New Student Discount Program
Brevard College’s Board of Visitors, Student Government Association (SGA) and College Business Club (BC ²) are partnering together on an initiative designed to help with the community's "Spend it Local" campaign. 

From Sept. 27 through Oct. 2, students from the SGA and BC ² will be asking area business owners to participate in Brevard College’s new Student Discount Program.  Businesses that participate in the program will agree to offer a 10 percent discount to Brevard College students. 

Any merchant that agrees to participate will be given Brevard College logo stickers to display in their windows.  Students, who shop in the participating businesses, will be required to present their valid College ID to obtain a discount. 

“With Family Weekend occuring the first weekend in October and Homecoming just a few weeks later on the weekend of October 22, we’d like to enroll as many area businesses as possible,” said Brevard College Assistant Dean of Students Michelle Harvey.

Brevard College students and their families will be encouraged to visit businesses that participate in the student discount program. Participating businesses will also be listed on the BC Web site. 

Businesses that are already providing a student discount or would like to participate and were not contacted are encouraged to call Harvey at 828.884.8138.

Brevard College Hosts Family Weekend Oct. 1-3
Brevard College will welcome families and friends of BC students to campus during its annual Family Weekend, Oct. 1-3.

The weekend offers students and families a chance to reconnect after the beginning of a new academic year.

Parents will have an opportunity to sit in on classes, meet with faculty members and spend time together.  Throughout the weekend, families will have the opportunity to participate in a number of activities and events on campus and around the area.

On Friday evening, members of the College’s senior class will take part in the College’s annual Senior Pinning ceremony outside of the Porter Center for Performing Arts.  Senior Pinning is a fall tradition at Brevard College and is intended to recognize the academic accomplishment of the graduating class.

During the ceremony, graduating seniors are presented a silver and blue, scalloped-shaped lapel pin featuring the college’s seal.  They are “pinned” by a family member, friend or faculty member who has had a significant influence on his or her college experience.

For a complete schedule of Brevard College Family Weekend events, visit www.brevard.edu/familyweekend

Brevard College Football Coach Up For Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year
Go to www.coachoftheyear.com to vote!

For the second year in a row, Brevard College Head Football Coach Paul Hamilton is in the running for the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award.

The award honors the college football coach that best exemplifies responsibility and excellence both on and off the field.

Each winner from the various divisions of college football -- Division I, Division IAA, Division II and Division III --  will receive $50,000 for the charity of their choice.  An additional $20,000 will be donated to the alumni association of each winner’s school.  Winners are also recognized within a permanent exhibit at the College Football Hall of Fame.

Last year, Coach Hamilton was one of the top 15 vote-getters among Division II coaches.  Brevard College supporters hope to make him one of the five finalists this year.

To vote for Coach Hamilton, click on the link below and select vote now:

Coach Hamilton - Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year

Individuals are allowed to vote once a day, according to Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year rules.  With only 74 days left, Coach Hamilton is currently sitting ninth in the standings.

Brevard College's J.A. Jones Library Receives Federal Grant
Brevard College's J. A. Jones Library was recently awarded a $6,524 grant to promote digital literacy using contemporary technology.

The federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) were awarded by the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources.

These federal funds are investments to help libraries deliver relevant and up-to-date services for their communities.  At Brevard College, the LSTA grant has allowed the Library to replace out–of-date computers and provide a networked high-speed duplex laser printer to serve students, faculty and staff and local residents.

“The federal LSTA funds will support equal access to the library’s extensive e-resources, including databases, journals, e-books, art images and online music and videos from NC LIVE and the Appalachian College Association,” said Brevard College Library Director Mike McCabe.

Brevard College received one of the 162 grants for 2010-2011 awarded to North Carolina libraries; funding for all projects totaled more than $4.9 million. The LSTA grant program administered by the State Library funds projects across the state that help libraries deliver learning opportunities for a lifetime, support libraries in their mission to provide cost-effective access to the Internet and to information expertise and make library resources more accessible to all users.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums.  The Institute’s mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas.  Through the LSTA Grants to States program, IMLS provides funds to State Library agencies using a population-based formula.  State libraries may use the appropriation to support statewide initiatives and services; they may also distribute the funds through subgrants to public, academics, school, special and research libraries.

 Posted 9.21.10

BC Music Students to Perform Monthly at Connestee Falls Overlook Dining Room
Brevard College's Music Department and the College's Board of Visitors are partnering to present a series of student performances at the Overlook Dining Room in Connestee Falls.

Performances this fall are set for Friday, Sept. 24; Friday, Oct. 22; Friday, Nov. 19; and Friday, Dec. 10.  Each month will feature a different pair of performers playing short pieces from their repertoire intermittently between approximately 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.  In the fall, diners can expect to hear voice students, a jazz combo, guitar students and a trumpeter.

Additional performances are planned throughout the winter and early spring months.

The Overlook Dining Room in Connestee Falls is open to the public, but reservations are requested.  Dining on Fridays begins at 5 p.m. and the latest available reservations are at 8 p.m.  Contact the dining room at 885.5622 for reservations and access through the Connestee Falls security gate.  An early bird discount of 20 percent off entrées is available from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Posted 9.21.10

Brevard College Celebrates Grand Opening of Center for Multicultural and Service Initiatives
Brevard College recently celebrated the grand opening of its Center for Multicultural and Service Initiatives (CMSI).

Members of the campus community, along with North Carolina Campus Compact Executive Director Lisa Keyne, attended a special reception marking the grand opening of the Center.

The Center, which is located in the lower level of the College’s Academic Enrichment Center in Coltrane Commons, will provide students, faculty and staff with a variety of service/volunteer opportunities in the classroom, around campus and in the local community.

In addition to offering resources on service-learning and volunteerism, the Center will also house a Community Partner database that contains contact information for a variety of local organizations that offer volunteer opportunities.

“Whether it’s a chance to work on a food or clothing drive, help build houses or mentor local school students, the CMSI will serve as the campus hub for service opportunities in our area,” said Brevard College Service Initiatives Director Jessica Blanford.  “Last year alone, more than 500 Brevard College volunteers performed more than 5,000 hours of community service inside and outside of Transylvania County.

“We’re excited about the opportunity to help our campus learn, lead and serve – while bringing the College’s motto, ‘Learn In Order To Serve,’ to life.”
 
The CMSI will also coordinate the College's monthly Mini Move-A-Mountain Days; activities marking national Hunger & Homeless Awareness Week; Alternative Break Trips opportunities; the Team Mobilizing Opportunities for Volunteer Engagement (T.M.O.V.E.) student service organization; and the NC-ACTS! Fellow program.

The creation of the CMSI illustrates Brevard College’s Strategic Plan commitment to develop understanding of "service" and infuse it into all aspects of the college community.

Last spring, the College’s service efforts were recognized nationally by the 2009 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement.

Posted 9.21.10

“You Stepped Over the Line:” Brevard College Presents The Shape of Things
“Everybody has the ability to be manipulative, to be hateful and deceitful,” says playwright Neil LaBute. 

In The Shape of Things, LaBute proves just this when Adam, an awkward security guard at an art museum, and Evelyn, an art student with a hidden agenda, serendipitously meet, leading to a relationship that transforms Adam’s entire person: his look, attitude and life choices. But are these changes inspired by the benevolent and caring suggestions of a lover, or do they have a different motivator?

This comedic and ultimately harsh look at the lengths at which love, human cruelty, the drive to succeed and friendship can intertwine, will shock and intrigue the audience.

Brevard College’s Department of Theatre Studies will present LaBute’s The Shape of Things October 8-10 in The Morrison Playhouse of the Porter Center for Performing Arts.

The play will be directed by Dr. Kelly Carolyn Gordon, Coordinator of Theatre Studies at Brevard College, and designed by Assistant Professor of Theatre Studies Kasendra Bell. The exemplary cast of four includes freshman Addison Dent as Adam, senior Caitlin Kennedy as Evelyn, junior Adrian Wagner as Phillip and sophomore Liz Ramsay as Jenny.

“It’s a good play for discussion,” says Dent. “It will make you want to discover your own definition of art.”

Performance doors will open at 7:30 p.m. on Oct.  8-9. Curtain time for the evening shows will be 8 p.m.  A matinee will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 10.  The doors for the matinee show will open at 1:30 p.m.

Tickets for the performance are $10 for adults and $2 for students (with a student ID).  They may be purchased in person or over the phone (with a credit card) from 10:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Porter Center Box Office. The Box Office will be open one hour before the performances. For more information on tickets, please contact the Porter Center Box Office at 828.884.8330.

As the play contains adult language and situations, it is not suitable for children.

Posted 9.17.10

Brevard College Offers European Study Tour
Brevard College is offering a study tour of Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris and London March 4-12, 2011.

The study tour will be led by Michael Oliphant, an assistant professor in the Business and Organizational Leadership Department at Brevard College. Enrollment is open to Brevard College students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends.

During the study tour, participants will learn about the business, governmental and cultural institutions of the four European cities.  The total cost for the study trip is $2,721 and includes airfare, accommodations, meals, ground transportation and attractions.

An informational meeting on the study tour will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 16 in room 125 of the McLarty-Goodson Building on Brevard College's campus.

The study tour is organized by EF Tours, a world leader in organizing educational study tours for college students. 
 
To learn more about this opportunity, please contact Michael Oliphant at 884.8326 or oliphaml@brevard.edu.  The enrollment deadline for the study tour is Sept. 30, 2010. To enroll, visit  www.efcollegestudytours.com/enroll or call 1-800-873-2250.

Posted 9.10.10

Hafner Named Brevard College Director of Bands
Brevard College recently named Jamie Hafner as Director of Bands.
 
Hafner will take the helm of the college’s flagship instrumental ensemble, the Brevard College Symphonic Winds.  He will also teach conducting and select methods courses in the Music Education program at the college.
 
Hafner is Director Emeritus of Bands at The University of Toledo, where he served for 25 years teaching band and music education classes and serving Assistant Chair of the Music Department.  He is also Director Emeritus of Education at the Brevard Music Center.  There, he served for 32 years as a conductor, tuba performer, Director of Education and Dean of the Faculty.  In both capacities he worked very closely with college students, including future music educators, many of whom went on to have fine middle school, high school and collegiate band programs themselves.
 
Hafner retired from his post at Brevard Music Center in 2002, but has remained active as a conductor in the region.  He currently conducts the Brevard Community Band and for the last two years conducted the Land of the Sky Symphonic Band as well.  In addition, he is an occasional tuba performer, appearing with various chamber groups.
 
Hafner was a private conducting student of renowned conductor Elizabeth AH Green, Professor Emeritus at the University of Michigan.  Green authored an authoritative guide to conducting that serves as the text for many collegiate conducting courses taught today.  Hafner considers Green one of his primary influences and considers it his personal mission to teach her techniques to young music educators and conductors.
 
 “We are so excited to have Professor Hafner join our ranks,” said Laura Franklin, Brevard College Associate Professor of Music and Coordinator of the Music Major. “We consider his expertise in conducting and music education to be a boon to our students and to our department.  We are looking forward to a long and fruitful association!”
 
 “I am honored to be invited to [teach at] Brevard College,” said Hafner.  “BC has an excellent reputation for training successful music graduates, and a strong, enthusiastic music faculty.  They also have the Porter Center, that remarkable, world class performance facility where students develop their skills.  I look forward to joining my new faculty colleagues in guiding young musicians down their chosen career paths.”
 
Hafner will conduct the Brevard College Symphonic Winds in concert Thursday, November 4 and Tuesday, November 7.  Both concerts will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Porter Center for Performing Arts on the Brevard College campus.  There is no admission charge.

Posted 9.8.10

Brevard College Presents I Musici de Montréal Oct. 7
Brevard College will present I Musici de Montréal featuring Mussorgsky's “Pictures at an Exhibition” at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 7 in the Porter Center for Performing Arts.

I Musici de Montréal has developed a well-deserved reputation as one of the world’s finest chamber orchestras. Known for its gutsy, passionate music-making, I Musici de Montréal presents imaginative programs that draw on repertoire spanning the centuries.

The Porter Center’s All-Russian program will feature Mussorgsky's masterful “Pictures at an Exhibition.” with animated projections of award-winning painter Natasha Turovsky's images.  The film – which was selected for the 2010 Cannes Independent Film Festival in the Animated Short category – is featured on-stage via large screen projection above the orchestra.  The startling new paintings honor the Victor Hartmann canvasses which inspired Mussorgsky's composition, now lovingly envisioned for chamber orchestra.   

Under the direction of cellist Yuli Turovsky, I Musici de Montréal performs more than 100 concerts annually.  The orchestra’s precision, cohesion and distinctive sound have charmed audiences and critics.  Fanfaremagazine recently added its voice to the chorus of praise when it named I Musici de Montréal “one of the best chamber orchestras in North America.”

In addition to the evening concert, a generous donation from local arts supporter Cornell Secosan of Brevard will enable area fifth graders to attend a special “Young People’s Concert” at the Porter Center on Thursday, Oct. 7.  The Porter Center’s “Young People’s Concert” series is an interactive free educational program that annually introduces Transylvania county school children to music. The Friday morning concert will include time for students to talk with members of the I Musici de Montréal, learn about the instruments they play and, most importantly, learn how they might begin playing a string instrument.

Tickets to the Porter Center performance are $35 for adults and $10 for students. They may be purchased from 10:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Porter Center Box Office. The Box Office will be open one hour before the performance. For more information on tickets, please contact the Porter Center Box Office at 828.884.8330. Additional information is available online at www.theportercenter.org

Posted 9.07.10

Brevard College Department of Theatre Studies Announces Fall Shows
The Department of Theatre Studies at Brevard College will begin the 2010-2011 season with Neil LaBute’s provocative play The Shape of Things.

The Shape of Things tells the story of four college students, one of whom will create a shocking art installation that critiques America’s obsession with outward appearances.  The play’s surprising ending may inspire audiences to rethink their definitions of both art and ethics.  The play will be directed by Brevard College Coordinator of Theatre Studies Dr. Kelly Carolyn Gordon and designed by Assistant Professor of Theatre Studies Kasendra Bell. 

The Shape of Things opens on Friday, October 8 and continues through Sunday, October 10. Tickets go on sale on Friday, September 24.  Due to adult language and content, the play is not recommended for children. 

Tennessee William’s award-winning memory play, The Glass Menagerie, directed by Guest Artist Michael Lilly and designed by Kasendra Bell, will be performed from Nov. 18 - Nov. 21. 

Written in 1944, William’s semi-autographical play focuses on a young man’s heart-wrenching choice between his love for his family and his need to pursue his dreams, amid the turmoil of the Great Depression.  Tickets go on sale on Friday, November 5.

Both plays will be performed in The Morrison Playhouse of Brevard College’s Porter Center for Performing Arts.  Curtain time for all evening performances is at 8 p.m. and for Sunday matinees is 2 p.m.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $2 for students (with student ID) as well as BC faculty and staff.  They may be purchased from 10:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Porter Center Box Office. The Box Office will be open one hour before the performance. For more information on tickets, please contact the Porter Center Box Office at 828.884.8330.

Posted 9.07.10

Sierra Magazine Features Brevard College in “Cool Schools” Issue

Brevard College is one of the top schools in the country that takes “nature-based extracurriculars to a whole new altitude,” according to Sierra Magazine’s new “Cool Schools” issue.

The College is among 10 schools cited in the September/October issue of the Sierra Club’s award-winning national magazine.

The article, entitled “School's Out”, highlights Brevard College’s unique Voice of the Rivers (VOR) program, which offers students and faculty the opportunity to paddle and study a variety of ecologically and culturally significant rivers.

"We're thrilled that Brevard College and the VOR program has been recognized by the Sierra Cub," said Assistant Professor of Wilderness Leadership and Experiential Education Robert Dye.  "The Sierra Club has a long history of intellectual curiosity, environmental activism and strenuous physical activity in the environments they love.  We value these things and believe they are at the heart of what makes our Voice of the Rivers program so powerful."
 
The more than two-week-long VOR expedition, usually held at the end of the school year, embodies the College’s commitment to a liberal arts education that is interdisciplinary and frequently based on experiential education.

During the trip, Brevard College students study a river from its source to its end—examining the challenges facing the health of the waterway, learning about various conservation groups and examining their strategies aimed at protecting the endangered resource.  Students are also required to post daily journal entries, photos and videos of their travels and experiences online using a variety of social media.

"I think the group experience is key to the profound nature of the trip," added Dye, who has co-led two VOR expeditions. "Evening debriefs and sharing of journal writings allow students to see the river from the perspective of others and encourages them to expand their own concept of the role of rivers in our culture.  Sharing the struggles of a multi- week river expedition brings individuals close together and creates a very supportive learning community."

Since its inaugural 1997 trip from Brevard, N.C. to the Gulf of Mexico, VOR expeditions have included trips down the Green River; the Rio Santa Cruz, Rio Limay and Rio Negro rivers in Patagonia, Argentina; the Savannah River as well as the Catawba-Wateree and the Yadkin-Pee Dee watersheds.

Posted 09.01.10

October

Brevard College Honors 2010 Distinguished Alumni and Athletic Hall of Fame Recipients

(left to right) Brevard College President Drew Van Horn with Brevard College’s 2010 Gallery of Distinguished Alumni inductees Joe Raymond ’2000 of Nags Head, N.C. and Charlie Stoudenmire ’67 of Summerville, S.C. and 2010 Brevard College Athletic Hall of Fame inductees Patsy Neal of Morristown, Tenn. and Larry Burch ’65 of Lenoir, N.C.

Brevard College recently honored four noteworthy recipients during a special Distinguished Alumni and Athletic Hall of Fame Dinner. 

Charlie Stoudenmire ’67 of Summerville, S.C. and Joe Raymond ’2000 of Nags Head, N.C. were inducted into Brevard College’s Gallery of Distinguished Alumni.  The two Distinguished Alumni recipients were recognized by the College’s Alumni Advisory Board for making significant differences in their communities, professions and the world as well as bringing honor and respect to Brevard College by living out its motto, “Learn in Order to Serve.”

Larry Burch ’65 of Lenoir, N.C. and Patsy Neal of Morristown, Tenn., were inducted into Brevard College’s Athletic Hall of Fame. Burch, a BC athlete who went on to coach men’s basketball, soccer and golf at the College, and Neal, who taught for 10 years as well as coached men’s tennis at BC, were awarded the College’s highest athletic recognition for demonstrating exceptional personal achievement and making distinctive contributions to the advancement of athletics.

2010 Gallery of Distinguished Alumni Inductees
Charlie Stoudenmire graduated from Brevard College in 1967.  While at Brevard, he served as president of the Delphian Society as well as the catcher on the baseball team. He was also a hall monitor and served on the dormitory hearing board.
 
After finishing his undergraduate studies at East Tennessee State University, Stoudenmire earned a Master of Arts degree from Appalachian State University and an Educationalist Specialist degree from Winthrop College.  He also studied at Harvard University, Cornell University, South Carolina State University and The University of South Carolina.
 
Stoudenmire spent his life serving the public schools of South Carolina. At the age of 25, he became the youngest principal ever appointed to a principalship in South Carolina.
During his 35 years as a school principal, he also led the state’s largest high school – which boasted the largest graduating class in the state’s history – as well as the state’s top elementary school – which was recognized as a Palmetto Finest school.
 
Stoudenmire’s awards and recognitions include being been named National Distinguished Principal by the U.S. Department of Education and the National Association of Elementary School Principals; South Carolina School Administrator of the Year by the South Carolina Association of School Administrators; and South Carolina PTA Principal of the Year by the South Carolina PTA Executive Committee.
 
His community involvement includes serving on the Dorchester County United Way Executive Committee; the Dorchester County School Board of Trustees; the Dorchester County School Intervention Program; and coaching baseball, football and basketball at all age levels.
 
Joe Raymond graduated from Brevard College in 2000 with an Associate of Arts degree in Wilderness Leadership and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Studies. While at Brevard College, Raymond raced intercollegiate whitewater kayaks and was a member of 1999 Voice of the Rivers (VOR) expedition. He also worked with Student Government and Resident Hall associations and participated in BC Recycles, the Outing Club and the Environmental Awareness Community and Gardening Club.
 
Upon graduation, Raymond entered the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), where he assisted with marine casualty investigations in New Orleans and helped plan waterside security for space shuttle launches and Super Bowl XXXIX. He has served as Branch Chief for Facility and Container Inspections for all ports in Northeast Florida as well as participated in hurricane and oil spill responses – including the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and Hurricane Earl on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
 
Raymond continues to support Brevard College. He has attended every Homecoming since he graduated; coordinated alumni soccer games; participated in alumni events in other cities; and returned to campus to speak to a variety of classes. He currently is a member of the College’s Alumni Advisory Board. In 2008, Raymond initiated a fundraising effort for VOR equipment and paddled with the expedition on its final day.
 
Raymond’s community involvement includes reading and tutoring elementary school students as part of the military’s Partnership in Education program and coordinating USCG service projects on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. He is also an active member of the N.C. Coastal Federation.
 
2010 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees
Larry Burch opened his career at Brevard College in 1963, playing under Coach Chick Martin on the men’s basketball team and was also a member of the baseball team during his time at Brevard. A member of the graduating class of 1965, Burch made an impact at Brevard on the basketball team as the leading scorer and rebounder in the 1964 National Tournament run, setting the record for most rebounds pulled down in one game with 29.  He also was the leading scorer and an all-conference selection in 1965, winning the Conference Sportsmanship Award.  In addition to his other activities, Burch also was selected as an All-Conference Cross Country runner in 1965.

The impact Burch made on the program led to his eventual selection as an assistant basketball coach and later, the head basketball coach at Brevard College where he guided the team to a Conference tournament title in the 1971-1972 season.  Burch later used his talents throughout the BC Athletic Department in taking on the roles of head coach of the men’s soccer team, the baseball team and the men’s golf team.

While a coach at Brevard, Burch led the baseball team to victories over several highly ranked opponents, while his soccer team won two regional tournaments and participated in two national championships.  As a golf coach, Burch also led the team to two conference championships, one regional championship and led the team to the National Championship tournament.

Burch also served as the president of the Western Carolina Junior College Conference (WCJCC) during his time at Brevard and was the 1971-1972 WCJCC Basketball Coach of the Year.

Overall in his coaching career, Coach Burch coached teams in four different sports at three different levels of athletic competition, including coaching basketball at nearby Presbyterian University, competing in nearly 800 games or matches.  He coached those teams to 28 conference or regional championships and has had teams that have participated in seven state or national tournaments.

Today, Coach Burch is retired and living in Lenoir, N.C. after serving as the head basketball coach and athletic director at Hibriten High School.

Patsy Neal came to Brevard College in 1966, both as a coach and a teacher, after a successful playing career.  Neal was a three-time Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) All-American in women’s basketball and was the 1957 National Free Throw Champion, as well as playing in the Pan-American Games.  Neal also was captain of the U.S. team in the 1964 World Basketball Tournament as well as being a member of the U.S. team that toured Europe in 1965 and was a member of the U.S. All-Star team that played the Russian All-Star team in Madison Square Garden and several cities across the United States.

Neal came to Brevard College after coaching an independent AAU team in Salt Lake City, while earning her master’s degree in physical education from the University of Utah.  Upon coming to Brevard, she was hired by Chick Martin and encouraged to start a women’s basketball camp at the College, known as the Patsy Neal Basketball School, where she had 100 girls for each session and her camp staff and instructors included Pat Summit, the current women’s basketball coach of the University of Tennessee.

Neal taught health, physical education and recreation for 10 years at Brevard College and also coached the BC men’s tennis team for four years during her time with the Tornados.

An accomplished author, Neal started writing the first of her eight published books while serving as a professor and coach at the college and has published such notable textbooks as Basketball Techniques for Women, Coaching Methods for Women, Sport and Identity, So Run Your Race, Psalms and Proverbs on the Playing Field and Basketballs, Goldfish and World Championships. She has also won four Freedom Foundation Awards for essays and has had numerous articles published in newspapers and magazines, including Newsweek, the New York Times, Prevention and the Christian Athletes among others.

Selected as one of the Personalities of the South, Outstanding Young Women of America and Who’s Who of America, Neal was inducted into the National Association Sports and Physical Education Hall of Fame, the National AAU Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and the Wayland Baptist University Hall of Honor. She was also inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in the spring of 2003 for her contributions to women’s basketball in her career. Neal recently served as the executive director of the National Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Tenn., having accepted the position in 2002.

Posted 10.26.10

Brevard College Art Students and Faculty Travel to Winston-Salem to View “Painting with Paint” Exhibit
A group of students and faculty from Brevard College’s Art Department recently traveled to Winston-Salem to view the “Painting with Paint” exhibition at the Charlotte and Philip Hanes Art Gallery at Wake Forest University.

The exhibition showcases four contemporary artists whose media of choice has remained painting (with paint) throughout their professional histories.  Selection includes large scale works by Joseph Raffael, Hung Lui, Peter Plagens and Howard Buckwald.  Each of the exhibiting artists is represented by Nancy Hoffman Gallery in New York City.

“I especially enjoyed Hung Liu's layered paintings,” said Danielle Burch, a Brevard College junior who is majoring in art with a concentration in painting.  “The interaction between the resin and the paint gives the piece more depth than it would have had otherwise.  I also loved her painting with the candles; the sense of light and space was intriguing.”

 During their visit, the Brevard College art students and staff also had an opportunity to hear Nancy Hoffman, owner of the almost 40-year-old NYC gallery, talk about the artists and the history of her gallery.
 
“Listening to Nancy Hoffman speak encouraged me to pursue my own dream of owning and operating a studio and gallery,” added Burch, who is from Boiling Springs, N.C.

Posted 10.24.10

Nov. 8:  BC Music Day at Brevard’s Zaxby’s Restaurant
Monday, Nov. 8 is BC Music Day at Zaxby's Restaurant in Brevard.  The restaurant, located at 205 Asheville Highway, has graciously agreed to donate 10 percent of its sales between the hours of 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Nov. 8 to the Music Department at Brevard College.  We hope to see you there!

Brevard College Invites Area Children to “Trick-or-Treat” at Jones Hall
Brevard College will welcome costume-clad superheroes and princesses as well as ghosts and goblins to campus on Friday, Oct. 29 for a special evening of “trick-or-treating.”

The free, fun-filled family event will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Jones Residence Hall on Brevard College’s campus.

“Trick-or-treating” at Jones Hall is an annual tradition for Brevard College and the local community.  Each year, Brevard College students look forward to decorating Jones Residence Hall for Halloween so that area youngsters have the opportunity to “trick-or-treat” in a safe and supervised environment.

Posted 10.21.10

Brevard College Jazz Ensembles Perform "A Night Of Swing" October 26
Brevard College’s Division of Fine Arts will present the Brevard Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Combos in concert at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday Oct. 26 in the College’s Porter Center for Performing Arts.

This concert, which is free to the public, will include performances of some swing favorites such as "Cherokee," "I'm Beginning to See the Light," Mack the Knife," "Joy Spring," Summertime," "Groovin' High" and more.  The concert will feature solos and vocals from many of the talented students in the music department. 

For more information, contact Brevard College’s Division of Fine Arts at (828) 884-8211.

Posted 10.20.10

Brevard College Annual Fall Choral Collage Set for Oct. 30
The Brevard College Music Department will present its annual Fall Choral Collage at the College’s Porter Center for Performing Arts on Saturday, Oct. 30.

The 7:30 p.m. performance will include both the Brevard College Concert Choir and Chamber Chorale.

The performance, which is free to the public, will feature numerous selections from a wide range of styles and genres, including choral literature spanning from the 16th century to today.

The concert will also feature new music by American composers Eric Whitacre and Stephen Chatman as well as choral classics by Mendelssohn, Rachmaninoff, Schumann, and many others.

Paintings by Brevard College Professor Bill Byers on Exhibit at UNC-A
Three paintings by Brevard College Art Professor Bill Byers are currently on display as a part of an Invitational Art Exhibition at UNC - Asheville in the S. Tucker Cooke Gallery.  

Fifteen artists are represented in the exhibition and the work is a diverse mix of two and three dimensional media which encompasses drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture and video.  Each member of the UNC-A Art Faculty selected two visual artists to be represented in the exhibition. 

Byers has taught painting, drawing and photography at Brevard College for 24 years and was invited to participate by Professor Robert Tynes, who is a long-time member of the UNC-A faculty teaching both painting and drawing.  The three representational paintings by Byers included in the exhibit are derived from the mountain and forest landscape of this region.  

The exhibit will be on display through Nov. 9.  The gallery, which is located on the first floor of UNC-A's Owen Hall, is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Posted 10.15.10

Brevard Community Encouraged to Show BC Spirit During Homecoming Weekend
Brevard College’s Board of Visitors is encouraging local businesses and community members to show their BC spirit by wearing and displaying the College’s blue and white colors during Homecoming weekend, Oct. 22-24.
Several hundred Brevard College alumni and friends will return to campus and town to celebrate the three-day event, which begins Friday, Oct. 22.

“As a community, we’re excited to welcome past Brevard College students and their families ‘home’,” said Brevard College Board of Visitors Chair David Neumann.  “Wearing blue and white lets alumni know we support Brevard College’s achievements, spirit and traditions.”

This year’s Homecoming activities will include the College’s annual Distinguished Alumni and Athletic Hall of Fame Dinner; Golden Club Luncheon for alumni who attended BC 50 or more years ago; a Homecoming Dinner and Celebration; special reunion events; football and soccer games; walking tours of campus; and more.

Transylvania County Fifth Graders to Attend “Young People’s Concert” at Brevard College’s Porter Center for Performing Arts
A generous donation from local arts supporter Cornell Secosan of Brevard will enable Transylvania county fifth graders to attend a special “Young People’s Concert” at Brevard College’s Porter Center for Performing Arts on Thursday morning. 

 Brevard College's “Young People’s Concert” series at the Porter Center is an interactive free educational program that annually introduces local school children to music. The 10 a.m. concert will include time for students to talk with members of I Musici de Montréal, learn about the instruments they play and, most importantly, learn how they might begin playing a string instrument.

I Musici de Montréal has developed a well-deserved reputation as one of the world’s finest chamber orchestras. Known for its gutsy, passionate music-making, I Musici de Montréal presents imaginative programs that draw on repertoire spanning the centuries.

Under the direction of cellist Yuli Turovsky, I Musici de Montréal performs more than 100 concerts annually.  The orchestra’s precision, cohesion and distinctive sound have charmed audiences and critics.  Fanfaremagazine recently added its voice to the chorus of praise when it named I Musici de Montréal “one of the best chamber orchestras in North America.”

Brevard College will present a full performance by I Musici de Montréal featuring Mussorgsky's “Pictures at an Exhibition” at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday evening at the Porter Center.

The All-Russian evening program will feature Mussorgsky's masterful “Pictures at an Exhibition.” with animated projections of award-winning painter Natasha Turovsky's images.  The film – which was selected for the 2010 Cannes Independent Film Festival in the Animated Short category – is featured on-stage via large screen projection above the orchestra.  The startling new paintings honor the Victor Hartmann canvasses which inspired Mussorgsky's composition, now lovingly envisioned for chamber orchestra.  

Brevard College is offering a buy one ticket and get a second ticket free special for the evening performance.  Tickets are $35 for adults and $10 for students.

Tickets may be purchased from 10:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Porter Center Box Office. The Box Office will be open one hour before the performance. For more information on tickets, please contact the Porter Center Box Office at 828.884.8330. Additional information is available online at www.theportercenter.org

Posted 10.6.10

Brevard College Hosts Alumni Art Exhibition
An exhibition of work by Brevard College alumni artists will open Friday, Oct. 8 at the College’s Spiers Gallery.

An opening reception will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the gallery, which is located in Sims Art Center.

The exhibition will feature a variety of media by alumni artists who graduated from Brevard College between 1987 and 2007.

The reception and exhibit visitations are free to the public. Gallery hours are 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. weekdays when the College is in session. The exhibit will be on display through Nov. 5.

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.

Posted 10.1.10

Brevard College Business Students Travel to Atlanta to Experience Business First Hand
A group of students and faculty members from Brevard College’s Business and Organizational Leadership (BORG) Department traveled to Atlanta recently to meet with executives from The Federal Reserve Bank, The Atlanta Braves and The Coca-Cola Company.

The group was comprised of 36 students who are part of a new Business Colloquium course that covers topics such as corporate, community and self-branding.

“The trip was an extraordinary experience of students and faculty exploring and learning together,” said Brevard College Associate Professor and Coordinator of the BORG Major Barbara Boerner.  “At each destination we heard successful professionals share with our students the qualities they look for in their endeavors: initiative, team work, creativity and the willingness to do more than that assigned.”

The day-long field trip began with a tour of The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta where the group learned about the money printing process and heard a presentation on the overall state of the economy.

During their visit to the Atlanta Braves, the group met with Vice President of Marketing Mike Plant, who shared facts about the Braves Organization, marketing objectives and even information on internship possibilities. 

The group ended their trip with a visit to The Coca-Cola Company where they took a tour and learned about marketing and strategic planning.  They also heard from several senior executives about the global extent of branding and had an opportunity to analyze Coca-Cola advertisements to better understand the company’s marketing tactics.

 “Just being able to talk to people and see what their work culture is like was an amazing educational experience,” said Sarah Carlos, a Brevard College senior majoring in BORG from Eagle River, Alaska.  “Also being able to talk one-on-one to executives and being able to ask what they look for in an employee was really interesting.”

“The Atlanta trip was the best experience of my life,” added Abbi Bagwell, a Brevard College junior majoring in BORG from Mooresville, N.C.  “It was a chance for us to meet with very important people at very important companies, and a chance for us to get a feel of the real world. 

“We all had a wonderful time and encourage future students to participate in this class and these field trips because they were very inspirational, influential and motivating.”

All Brevard College BORG majors are required to take two Business Colloquium courses before graduation.  The Colloquium’s theme this semester is "The Art, Science, and Mystique of Branding."  In addition to the field trip, the course includes presentations from a variety of local nonprofit and business leaders.

Posted 9.29.10

November

Steep Canyon Rangers Inaugurate Brevard College Porter Center Performances
Brevard College and Mountain Song Productions will present An Evening with the Steep Canyon Rangers at 8 p.m. on Thursday, December 16 at the Porter Center for Performing Arts. 

This show marks the beginning of a new partnership between the College and Mountain Song Productions, producers of Mountain Song Festival.  There will be a pre-show reception with complimentary beverages starting at 6:30 pm.

“It seems appropriate to have the Rangers inaugurate the new beginning for the Porter Center; local artists with strong connections to the community and national recognition, celebrating 10 years as a band,” said John Felty, talent buyer for the Porter Center.

The past year has taken the Steep Canyon Rangers to new heights. During that time, their latest record, Deep In The Shade, stayed on the Billboard Bluegrass Top Ten for 18 weeks. Along with actor/banjoist Steve Martin they have headlined Merlefest and Bonaroo, and appeared on Late Night with David Letterman and Austin City Limits. Known for their smooth vocals, smart songwriting, ferocious instruments and jaw-dropping harmony, the Rangers are bringing bluegrass to music lovers across the USA and around the world.

The Steep Canyon Rangers include Brevard College alum Mike Guggino '98 (mandolin), Charles Humphrey III (bass), Woody Platt (guitar), Nicky Sanders (fiddle) and Graham Sharp (banjo).  A true band of brothers, the Steep Canyon Rangers have developed from college picking buddies in Chapel Hill, N.C. to one of the premier acoustic ensembles of the day. For the last 10 years they have dedicated themselves to creating a new and powerful brand of bluegrass that is distinctly their own.

The Rangers have shown a willingness to take bluegrass beyond its traditional borders, performing 120+ shows a year, ranging from bluegrass venues to rock and roll festivals, from opera houses to the Grand Ol’ Opry. In 2006, the International Bluegrass Music Association named the Steep Canyon Rangers Emerging Artist of the Year.

“This show will be really nice in that we get to perform a whole show without the time constraints we usually are under in a festival setting," said Woody Platt of the Steep Canyon Rangers. "It gives us the chance to try out new material and also gives the opportunity for the audience to experience the full spectrum of our performance.  This makes for a special evening with the hometown crowd." 

All seats are reserved and tickets for the performance are available at Rockin’ Robin Records, Celestial Mountain Music and online at www.theportercenter.org.  To order by phone call 800-514-3849.

Posted 11.22.2010Brevard College Associate Professor Clyde Carter Receives International Outstanding Experiential Teacher of the Year Award
Brevard College Associate Professor Clyde Carter was recently named Outstanding Experiential Teacher of the Year at the Association for Experiential Education’s (AEE) International Conference in Las Vegas, Nev.

Carter, who is an associate professor of Wilderness Leadership and Experiential Education, was recognized by the international association for his active passion for experiential education principles and theories in teaching practice. 

“Whenever we incorporate experience into our teaching, we go beyond just head knowledge and actually touch the lives of our students,” said Carter during his award acceptance speech. “Maybe we include a game or activity and learning becomes a joy for our students.  Or, it could be when we develop and facilitate a series of intense experiences that over time result in a paradigm shift in the way our students view themselves and their relationship to the world around them.  Regardless of the level we practice, experiential education is a powerful and influential form of education.”

Carter came to Brevard College in 1989 to develop an Outdoor Leadership program that eventually grew into the Wilderness Leadership and Experiential Education Major that is offered by the College today.  He helped develop Brevard College's Voice of the Rivers (VOR) program in 1997 and led the second expedition in 1999, a kayak trip down the Green River system through South Carolina to Charleston.  In 2008, Carter co-led his second VOR, which followed the Savannah River watershed from Lake Toxaway to Tybee Island, Ga.

Prior to Brevard, Carter had an extensive background instructing, leading and directing outdoor programs across the country.  He has worked in Alaska, Colorado, Minnesota and the Carolinas.  He is an instructor for the Wilderness Education Association; a Level IV Kayak Instructor with the American Canoe Association; a Master Educator Instructor for the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics; a Single Pitch Instructor for American Mountain Guides Association; and a two-time participant in the Salzburg Global Seminar. In 2008, Carter was recognized by the Southeast Region of AEE with the Rebecca L. Carver ABC Award.  In February, he will deliver the keynote address at the Preparing Educators for Adventures with Kids (PEAK) regional conference at Camp Greenville in Cedar Mountain.

The (AEE) is a nonprofit, professional membership association dedicated to experiential education and the students, educators and practitioners who utilize its philosophy.  Founded in 1972, the organization has 1,500 members in 30 countries engaged in more than 15 areas of professional practice.

Posted 11.17.2010

Brevard College Presents Lessons and Carols Dec. 4;
Traditional Christmas Service Dedicated to Robert and Ruth Coleman
Brevard College’s Choral Department will present its 13th annual performance of The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 4 in the Porter Center for Performing Arts.

Admission to the service, which has become a time-honored tradition for both the College and the community, is free.

This year’s performance is dedicated to the memory of Robert and Ruth Coleman, two of the College’s most ardent supporters.  Ruth Coleman, who died in October at the age of 100, and Robert Coleman, who died in 2000, were both career educators who deeply valued the educational mission of Brevard College.

In 1988, they endowed the Mr. and Mrs. Robert Coleman Scholarship Fund, which has since grown into one of College’s largest endowed funds and provides scholarship assistance to numerous students each year.  The Colemans are best known on Brevard College’s campus for their generous gift of the beautiful Kirkpatrick-Coleman organ in the Porter Center.

To honor the Colemans’ lives and service to the college, several of the service’s selections will feature Kyle Ritter, organist and choirmaster of All Souls Cathedral in Asheville, on the Kirkpatrick-Coleman pipe organ.

The performance will also include new and traditional carols sung by the Chamber Chorale and Concert Choir under the direction of Brevard College’s Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities Michael Porter. 

The service, which features traditional Christmas readings by Brevard College students and faculty, is modeled on the traditional Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols first held on Christmas Eve in 1918 at King's College Chapel in Cambridge, England.

Posted 11.17.2010Brevard College Hosts Public Reading by Novelist David Madden Nov. 17
Brevard College will host a public reading by novelist David Madden at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 17 in the lobby of the McLarty-Goodson Building.

The reading, which is part of the Poets and Writers series of the College's Humanities Division, is open free to the public.

Madden served as Louisiana State University’s (LSU) writer-in-residence from 1968 to 1992; director of the Creative Writing Program from 1992-1994; and founding director of the United States Civil War Center from 1992-1999.  He is currently LSU’s Robert Penn Warren Professor of Creative Writing, Emeritus.

In l961, Random House published Madden’s first novel, “The Beautiful Greed”, based on his Merchant seaman experiences.  He adapted his second novel, “Cassandra Singing”, to the screen for Warner Brothers.  “The Shadow Knows”, a book of stories, won a National Council on the Arts Award, judged by Hortense Calisher and Walker Percy.  His second collection, “The New Orleans of Possibilities”, appeared in 1982. Madden’s stories have been reprinted in numerous college textbooks and twice in Best American Short Stories.

A Rockefeller Grant, recommended by Robert Penn Warren and Saul Bellow, enabled Madden to work in Venice and Yugoslavia on his third novel, “Bijou”, a 1974 Book of the Month Club Alternate Selection.  His best-known novel, “The Suicide’s Wife”, was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and was made into a CBS movie.  “Pleasure-Dome”, “On the Big Wind” and “Sharpshooter: A Novel of the Civil War” are Madden’s most recent novels.  He has finished a short novel, “Abducted By Circumstance” and is finishing his third novel.

Madden’s poems and short stories have appeared in a wide variety of publications – from Redbook and Playboy to The Southern Review and Botteghe Oscure.  His plays have won many state and national contests; several have been published.

Madden now resides in Black Mountain.

Posted 11.15.10

Brevard College Professor Lectures on Aegean Art at Vassar College
Brevard College Associate Professor Anne Chapin recently traveled to Vassar College in New York on November 4 to deliver a lecture on "Private Lives, Public Faces: Family and Society in Aegean Art." 

The lecture, which explored the ways the Akrotiri frescoes illuminate family life in the Bronze Age Aegean, was sponsored by the Vassar College’s Department of Greek and Roman Studies.

Over the past 40 years archaeologists have been uncovering the port city of Akrotiri, destroyed in a massive volcanic explosion in the 17th century BCE.  This town, preserved up to the third storey, offers an unprecedented window into life in a prehistoric Aegean village with its well preserved houses, streets, and public squares.  Most notable of all are its vivid, exuberant wall paintings of the human and natural worlds which allow glimpses into the structures and activities of daily life in an Aegean town. Chapin examined these paintings for elusive evidence on the prehistoric family of 3600 years ago.

Chapin has taught art history and archaeology at Brevard College since 1998 and publishes extensively on her research in prehistoric Minoan and Mycenaean painting of the Aegean Bronze Age. She also works with the Gournia Excavations on Crete and is co-leader of a field project at Vaphio near Sparta. In addition to teaching and research, Chapin organizes and co-leads study abroad programs on behalf of Brevard College in Greece, Italy, Turkey, Bolivia and Peru, and most recently, to Egypt.

Posted 11.12.10

Brevard College Percussion Ensemble to Perform Nov. 16; Concert to Feature Local Recorder Quartet
The Brevard College Percussion Ensemble will be joined by recorder quartet Camerata Antiqua during its annual Fall Concert on Tuesday, November 16 in the Porter Center for Performing Arts. 

The 7:30 p.m. concert, which is free to the public, promises to offer a variety of music from the Renaissance through the present.  

"We are excited to share the stage with this wonderful group of musicians,” said Laura Franklin, musical director of the Brevard College Percussion Ensemble and coordinator of the College’s Music Major.  “I think the audience and our students will really enjoy seeing and hearing these instruments."

Camerata Antiqua is part of the Musicke Antiqua consort.  Musicke Antiqua is an early music consort performing in Brevard and surrounding areas.  The group performs music from the Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque periods, in costume, on replicas of early music instruments, including recorders and capped reed instruments.  It was founded by a group of three musicians in 2003.

 Both Musicke Antiqua and Camerata Antiqua seek to enrich cultural life through exciting, historically informed live performances and educational programs that will inspire a new appreciation of early music and enable and support recorder playing as a shared social experience.  Both groups offer tailor-made projects to suit schools and community groups. Members of Camerata Antiqua are Rita Black, Sharen Hafner, Carol Markey and Fran Demoretcky.

Posted 11.12.10

Brevard College Senior Receives Statewide Community Impact Student Award
Brevard College senior Meagan Crowson recently received North Carolina Campus Compact’s fifth Community Impact Student Award. 

Crowson was one of 34 college students across the state who received the award for making significant, innovative contributions to their campus’ efforts to address local community needs.  She also received a Volunteer Certificate of Appreciation from North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue.

Crowson, who is a Health Science Studies major from Mount Holly, N.C., is actively involved in the College’s Student Government Association as well as its Institute for Women in Leadership and Service Team.  Her local volunteer efforts include working at El Centro, an organization that provides tutoring to Hispanic youth, and serving at Free Rein Therapeutic Horse Riding Center doing various tasks and helping clients.  In 2011, she will complete her second term of NC-ACTS!, an AmeriCorps national service program hosted by the North Carolina Campus Compact (NCCC).

“In her two years at Brevard College, Meagan has made quite an impact in the Service Initiatives Office,” said Brevard College Service Initiatives Director Jessica Blanford.  “Her passion for helping others is contagious and she has emerged as a service leader on and off campus.  We are very proud of her.”

This is the second year a Brevard College student has received the statewide award.

The NCCC is a statewide coalition of higher education presidents and chancellors established to encourage and support campus engagement in the community.

Posted 11.11.10

Brevard College Hosts Senior Art Exhibition
An exhibition of work by two Brevard College senior art majors will open Friday, Nov. 12 at the College’s Spiers Gallery.

The exhibit, titled ‘Dichotomy,’ features the works of senior painting majors Anne Bolos of Shallotte and Beth Higgins of Weaverville. 

An opening reception will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the gallery, which is located in Sims Art Center on the campus of Brevard College.  Bolos and Higgins will give a brief gallery talk about their work at 6 p.m. during the opening reception.

The reception and exhibit visitations are free to the public. Gallery hours are 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. weekdays when the College is in session. The exhibit will be on display through Dec. 10.

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 exhibition, contact Diane Pomphrey at 884.8188.

Posted 11.8.10

BC Thanksgiving Break: Nov. 25-28
Students at Brevard College will observe Thanksgiving Break from Nov. 24-28. Administrative offices of the College will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 25 and Friday, Nov. 26. Classes will resume on Monday, Nov. 29.

Celebrate National Native American Heritage Month at Brevard College’s Jones Library
Brevard College’s A.E. Jones Library is celebrating National Native American Heritage Month in November with a rich display featuring many facets of American Indian culture and studies.

Supporting the theme of “Honoring the Legacy of Our Warriors,” the Library’s display emphasizes the bravery and loyalty Native Americans shown in the World Wars as soldiers and, more specifically, Code Talkers.  While Jones Library wishes to honor the legacy of the warriors in this display, it is also excited to showcase its diverse collection on Native American culture.

“We have a large collection supporting our Native American history and culture, including books detailing Transylvania County’s heritage,” Library Director Mike McCabe.  “It’s a pleasure to be able to share such a collection with the Brevard community.”

Anyone interested in learning about Native American culture, warriors, dance, music, poetry, and more is invited to stop by this month for a closer look into the American Indian experience. For more information regarding the display or Library hours and services, please contact Mike McCabe at 828-884-8268 or library@brevard.edu.

Posted 11.5.10

Brevard College’s The Glass Menagerie Explores the Power of Memory
The Brevard College Department of Theatre Studies is proud to present Tennessee Williams’ 1944 domestic classic, The Glass Menagerie, Nov. 18-21 in The Morrison Playhouse of the Porter Center for Performing Arts.

The action, seen through the memory of Tom Wingfield, takes place in the modest, southern home of the Wingfield family—Amanda, an overbearingly genteel southern belle, Tom, her world-weary son, and Laura, Tom’s timidly innocent sister.  Set in the 1930s, the play exhibits the desperation and ambition of Depression-era America.

The production, directed by guest artist Michael Lilly, will feature the talents of freshman Emily Glover (Amanda), juniors Kaitlyn Wood (Laura) and Adrian Wagner (Tom), and sophomore Kyle Jackola (Jim O’Connor). 

Performance doors will open at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 18-20. Curtain time for the evening shows is 8 p.m.  A matinee will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 21.  The doors for the matinee show will open at 1:30 p.m.

Tickets for the performance are $10 for adults and $2 for students (with a student ID).  They may be purchased in person from 10:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Porter Center Box Office. The Box Office will be open one hour before the performances.  For more information on tickets, please contact the Porter Center Box Office at 828.884.8330.

Posted 11.2.10

Brevard College Announces an Evening of Vocal Music
Brevard College senior Mosisah Mavity will perform a voice recital at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 6 in the Porter Center for Performing Arts.

The recital, which is free and open to the public, will include classical, opera and musical theatre repertoire by Claude Debussy, Franz Schubert, Georges Bizet, George Gershwin and many more.  The program also features Brevard College junior Craig Brinker on piano and senior Trevor Wolford on classical guitar.

A Duke Scholar from Thomasville, Ga., Mavity is an English major who is minoring in Music. During her time at Brevard College, she has studied voice under Dr. Kathryn Gresham and has performed in choirs, master classes and recitals.  She toured Austria and Bavaria with the BC Choirs in 2008.  Mavity performed in two opera scenes revues as well as the musical She Loves Me.  She also is active in community performance events, most notably several productions with the Asheville Lyric Opera Company.  In addition, she was a debut member of the newly-founded Asheville Summer Choral Festival.  In the summer of 2008, Mavity was accepted as a member of the vocal ensemble for the prestigious College Light Opera Company in Massachusetts.

A piano major from Atlanta, Ga. Brinker has performed in several ensembles on campus and composes original music.  He has written art songs and chamber works as well as served as sound designer for Brevard College Theatre Department’s production of Eurydice.

A reception in the Francis Pavilion will follow the performance. 

For more information, please contact Dr. Kathryn Gresham at 884-8324.

Posted 11.01.10

December 2010

Brevard College held its biannual Pancake Break Dec. 9 for students who needed a little time off from studying for final exams.  Faculty and staff members entertained the students as well as flipped and served the late night feast.  The Pancake Break is a more than 30-year tradition at the College.  Click here to view the photo gallery.

Posted 12.10.2010

Brevard College Music Department Presents Christmas Festival Dec. 7
Brevard College’s Music Department will present a Christmas Festival at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 7 in the Porter Center for Performing Arts.

The concert, which is free and open to the public, will be a prism-style performance featuring ensembles and soloists from every area of the College’s Music Department. 

The Brevard College Jazz Ensemble will open the concert with "Killer Claus," an arrangement by Jazz Ensemble Director Steve Wilson.  The BC Symphonic Winds, under the direction of Jamie Hafner, will perform Hayden's “St. Anthony Divertimento” and “Russian Christmas Music” by Alfred Reed. 

The BC Chamber Chorale will present several Christmas classics, including “Carol of the Bells” and “Deck the Halls.”  The BC Percussion Ensemble will make an appearance as well with a beautiful Spanish Christmas Carol, “Nino Lindo.” 

Student vocalists Jenny Baxter and Blake Ellege will be featured with the Jazz Ensemble as well as other solo performers.  The concert will close with Ellege and the BC Jazz Ensemble performing "Santa Claus is Back in Town," another arrangement by Wilson.

Posted 12.2.2010

Artwork by Brevard College Professor Jo Pumphrey Selected for Upcoming Green Hill Center's Annual Exhibition in Greensboro
Four paintings by Brevard College Art Professor Jo Pumphrey have been selected for the upcoming Winter Show Collector's Choice Annual Exhibition at the Green Hill Center for North Carolina Art in Greensboro.

This year’s show, which spotlights the work of more than 150 of the state’s best artists, will include four small landscape paintings by Pumphrey.  The works – each in oil and measuring 5x7" – were created last fall during Pumphrey’s sabbatical.  The paintings are based upon the fields of the farm surrounding the Gethsemani Monastery in Kentucky.

The exhibit will be on display at the Center from December 5 through January 15, 2011.

A special Collector’s Choice viewing on Dec. 4 will give new and seasoned art appreciators and collectors a chance to preview the Winter Show as well as purchase the fine art and craft pieces on display.  Proceeds from Collector’s Choice support Green Hill Center’s exhibition and educational programming.

Posted 11.23.2010

MLK Celebration Partners Seek Assistance with Upcoming Events
Transylvania County’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Partners are seeking assistance in the planning and coordination of the county’s upcoming 21st Annual MLK Celebration.

The 2011 celebration, entitled The Dream Begins With You, will be held Jan 14-17.

The group is looking for interested community members for the following committees:  Friday evening kick-off event, Saturday Prayer Brunch, Monday evening Walk to Change and Monday evening celebration.

In addition, they are seeking bands and other performers for the Friday evening kick-off event as well as volunteer service project ideas for a Brevard College student-led initiative called the MLK Challenge.

Auditions for the Monday evening program will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 6 and Tuesday, Dec. 7 in Brevard College's Dunham Auditorium.  The group is looking for talented individuals who can play music, sing, dance, share poetry or readings, etc.

Transylvania County’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Partners currently consists of representatives from the Brevard/Transylvania County Human Relations Council, Brevard College, Bethel A Baptist Church, El Centro as well as individual volunteers. 

To volunteer or for more information, please contact Michelle Harvey, Assistant Dean of Students at Brevard College, at 884-8138 or harveyml@brevard.edu.

Posted 11.23.2010