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Western Fall 2006 T h e Mag a z i n e o f We s t e r n C a ro l i n a U n i v e r s i t y A Learning Environment Biodiversity of WNC Mountains Offers Endless Research Opportunities Catamount fans across the Southeast who can’t make it to the Saturday, Sept. 23, football game at Furman or to the Homecoming showdown with Chattanooga still can have front row seats. Both games are scheduled to be broadcast by ComCast/ Charter Sports Southeast ( CSS) for cable subscribers in 12 states — Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. WLOS/ WYMA of Asheville, which is donating the uplink and satellite time for the WCU- Furman game, will carry a replay on Sunday, Sept. 24, at 2 p. m. Negotiations also are under way to televise the annual Battle for the Old Mountain Jug when Appalachian State returns to Cullowhee on Nov. 11. For updates on the televised games or a complete fall athletics schedule, visit catamountsports. com. Tackling the Tube 8 Cover Story Features 4 Millennial Campus Campus of Future Embraces Innovation, Service to WNC 14 Serving Citizens Public Sector Careers Attract WCU Alums 19 Homecoming Attraction Catamounts Come Back to Cullowhee 24 Sporting Goods Five Named to Hall of Fame, Grads Grab Gridiron Glory, Softball Superstars 32 Courageous Catamounts Freedom Fighters Earn Bronze Stars 34 News and Notes Catch Up with Classmates Fall 2006 Volume 10, No. 3 Western Carolina University Magazine, formerly known as Our Purple and Gold, is produced by the Office of Public Relations in the Division of Advancement and External Affairs for alumni, faculty, staff, friends and students of Western Carolina University. Chancellor John W. Bardo Vice Chancellor Clifton B. Metcalf Advancement and External Affairs Associate Vice Chancellor Leila Tvedt Public Relations Managing Editor Bill Studenc Associate Editor Teresa Killian Art Director Rubae Sander Chief Photographer Mark Haskett ’ 87 Contributing Writers Mike Cawood Randall Holcombe Daniel Hooker ’ 01 John Kenyon Jim Rowell ’ 72 Steve White ’ 67 Dianne Yount ’ 79 Contributing Designers John Balentine Loretta Adams ’ 80 Contributing Photographer Ashley T. Evans Chris Edmonds Special thanks to: The U. S. Marine Corps, Robins Air Force Base, The Sylva Herald, the Asheville Citizen- Times, Clay County Progress, DownStreamPhoto. com and the Charlotte Bobcats for their contributions to this issue. Please send story ideas and suggestions to: Western Carolina University Magazine Suite 420, H. F. Robinson Building Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC 28723 or via e- mail: bstudenc@ wcu. edu. Go to the Western Carolina University Alumni Association Web site ( alumni. wcu. edu) to add a class note, update your information, or catch up on campus events. Postmaster: Send address changes to: Office of Alumni Affairs, Suite 440, H. F. Robinson Building Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC 28723. Outdoors Odyssey WNC Mountains Take Students Above and Beyond ( on the cover) Kathy Mathews, assistant professor of biology, points out aspects of rivercane to Western students Sharhonda Bell, Katie McDowell and Adam Griffith ( from left to right). Their measurements and observations will be used to help restore the plant, which, though native to the region, has struggled for survival in the face of development and agricultural planting. T h e M a g a z i n e o f W e s t e r n C a r o l i n a U n i v e r s i t y Western When Robert Lee Madison assembled 18 students in August of 1889 in the one- room schoolhouse that was the forerunner of Western Carolina University, he did so with a vision of what he called “ the Cullowhee Idea”— the concept of an educational institution with an influence ranging far beyond the small mountain community where it was located. As described by history professors Curtis Wood and Tyler Blethen in “ A Mountain Heritage: The Illustrated History of Western Carolina University,” Madison came to the Cullowhee Valley to launch a school at the behest of people characterized by a stead-fast “ spirit of progress, ambition and change for themselves and their children.” The vision and the spirit of Madison and WCU’s found-ers are now taking a giant leap into the future as the university implements the Millennial Initiative, which Chancellor John W. Bardo calls “ a defining moment in university history.” The Millennial Initiative calls for the university to develop close partnerships with business, industry and government in a way that simultaneously increases hands- on educational opportunities for students, allows professors to conduct high- tech research and plays a role in regional economic development. WCU will build multiple- use neighborhoods that cluster academic buildings, research facilities, business, industry and housing on portions of the existing campus and on 344 acres recently acquired across N. C. Highway 107. In those on- campus neighborhoods, partners from the university, private industry and government will come together, share resources from manpower to knowledge and conduct research into scientific and technological innovations that have commercial applications. University officials say Western’s plan is not a conventional “ research park” or “ business incubator” approach in which research and business activities occur in a separate district, but is a new arrangement in which those activities actually will be in-serted into the existing, traditional campus to create integrated knowledge communities. A mixed- use neighborhood centered on retirement, aging and health, for instance, would not only have classroom space for students but might also have nearby a private health care provider who works with older populations, specialty senior housing or a company that supplies products related to health and aging. “ These neighborhoods will become home to educational and outreach programs that are co- located to improve the education of our students while also supporting the regional economy,” said Paul Evans MS ’ 72, director of WCU’s Insti-tute for the Economy and the Future, which will oversee the Millennial Initiative ( see related story). “ Students not only learn in the classroom, but also can effectively apply that learning to real problems as they work with public and private partners located in the very neighborhoods where those students are living and learning.” N. C. Gov. Michael Easley said the ability to produce innovative technologies and a skilled, knowledgeable workforce is an important factor to the state’s future economic success. “ Western Carolina University’s Millennial Initiative capitalizes on Western’s research and entrepreneurial strengths to promote economic development and prepare the region’s workforce for the transformed economy of the new millennium,” he said. Propelling the Millennial Initiative forward is the North Carolina Board of Governors endorsement this spring of the university’s plans to create a “ knowledge enterprise zone.” The endorsement capped a process that began six years ago when the General Assembly approved Millennial Campus legislation based on a measure originally written by WCU staff. The leg-islation makes it possible for UNC institutions to seek public-private partnerships to improve the academic experience for Millennial Initiative Looks to the Future While Maintaining the Vision of WCU’s Founders By BILL STUDENC The Evolution of an Idea “ Western Carolina University’s Millennial Initiative capitalizes on Western’s research and entrepreneurial strengths to promote economic development and prepare the region’s workforce for the transformed economy of the new millennium.” — N. C. Gov. Michael Easley The Magazine of Western Carolina University FALL 2006 students and allow universities to apply their intellectual re-sources— their faculty, students and staff— to foster economic development to benefit their respective regions and the state. “ We are pleased that the Board of Governors has approved our request, which follows an exhaustive process involving the campus, the local community and the entire Western North Carolina region,” Bardo said. Now, the Millennial Initiative is coming to life as the uni-versity updates its master plan, which guides construction and development ( see related story). Already, representatives of several private companies, including a business investigating environmentally friendly methods of pest control, a wireless technology company interested in new product development, and a secure data storage facility, have contacted university officials to explore potential partnerships. Attracting new high- tech businesses and industries to the region is a critical element of the Millennial Initiative. “ We are attempting to fulfill a promise we made to the people of Western North Carolina to do everything in our power to help keep some of the best and brightest of the region’s young people from being forced to leave home to find the type of high-paying jobs available elsewhere,” Bardo said. “ We want the children of the mountains to be able to remain in the mountains, to be prosperous, and to be participants in the global economy.” State and federal officials say that WCU’s efforts will help a region and state that have been hammered hard by the loss of jobs in such traditional manufacturing settings as textiles and furniture— jobs that are gone and not coming back. “ As we look to the future of North Carolina, job creation and technological development will be essential to our growth and prosperity,” U. S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole said. “ The creation of the Millennial Initiative will play such an important role in this endeavor, helping to lead the way for university, private industry and government partners to work together.” The Millennial Initiative will attract high- tech businesses to campus that offer stu-dents more hands- on experiences such as those pictured above. From left to right, Sarah Reneer operates equipment in an audio- visual production lab; Lee Scholoss and Phillip Thrailkil work with machinery; Jonika Shank explores robotics; nursing students Megan Gillette and Zoe Quinn practice skills; and Brett Banther experiments with prototyping. Leading the way in planning Western’s Millennial Initiative is the university’s think tank and regional economic development arm, guided by a distinguished group of scholars, military leaders, government officials and business professionals who are lending their expertise to help accomplish the mission. In their roles as senior policy fellows with WCU’s Institute for the Economy and the Future, they are assisting the university in crafting a long- range plan for regional growth in Western North Carolina and for pursuing business opportunities for its Millennial Initiative ( see related story). The fellows, who joined the university earlier this year, also are assisting in developing policy studies, survey research and public forums on regional economic development issues. Among the fellows’ other projects, for example, is a recent survey of America’s state- level homeland security officials that revealed ongoing concerns about national security and federal disaster preparedness. The senior policy fellows are Alphonse Buccino, a technology consultant who has worked at the National Science Foundation and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; Maj. Gen. Geoff Higginbotham, a retired Marine who served during the Vietnam and Desert Storm campaigns; Daniel Os-tergaard, former executive director of the U. S. Department of Homeland Security’s Advisory Council; Arnold Packer, a work-force development authority who has worked with the U. S. Department of Labor; William T. Thompkins Jr., an informa-tion technology development and management expert; Alan Z. Thornburg, formerly a N. C. Court of Appeals judge; and Robert Warshaw, former U. S. deputy drug czar. “ With the announcement that these distinguished and highly skilled leaders have agreed to serve as senior policy fel-lows at the IEF, we have taken a very important step in meeting our commitment to build a regional think tank with capacities for rigorous research and economic base analysis that can help Western North Carolina prosper,” said Chancellor John W. Bardo. Formerly known as the Center for Regional Develop-ment, the IEF is working on projects targeting digital entrepre-neurship; economic modeling and visualization; issue polling, research and policy analysis; and executive education for global competitiveness in critical areas such as corporate security. Pictured above: Senior policy fellows at Western’s Institute for the Economy and the Future, from left to right, are Daniel Ostergaard, Maj. Gen. Geoff Higginbotham, Alphonse Buccino, William T. Thompkins Jr., Arnold Packer and Alan Z. Thornburg. Senior Policy Fellows Helping Chart Path for Economic Future FALL 2006 The Magazine of Western Carolina University With new academic buildings, residence halls and traffic patterns popping up all across campus during the construc-tion boom of the past several years, Chancellor John W. Bardo has often said, “ If you haven’t been to Western in the past few months, then you really haven’t been to Western.” With the addition of 344 acres that more than doubled the size of campus and the dramatic transformations envisioned in the university’s new master plan, future visitors may have difficulty even recognizing the place. That’s because the master plan recently approved by WCU’s board of trustees represents an innovative new concept of the 21st- century university. The plan, a long- range roadmap designed to guide future growth on Western’s existing cam-pus and development of the new property, moves away from old notions of an ivory tower removed from the rest of the world. Instead, the plan, a major component of the Millennial Initiative, envisions the Western of the future as a mixed-use knowledge community that blends traditional campus functions and facilities with private and governmental enterprises in a place featuring common recreational facilities, open space and other commercial and community amenities. “ We are reinventing Western Carolina University,” said Bardo. “ We are transforming the traditional notion of a university into a broader notion of a university- centered knowledge community. In this conception, the university continues its traditional functions, but also serves as a central source of intellectual energy— a knowledge- based economic development enterprise— to spur regional prosperity in the knowledge economy.” The master plan calls for developing “ neighborhoods of interest” on portions of the existing campus and on the recently acquired property, which runs roughly from the Jackson County Airport to the N. C. Center for the Advancement of Teaching. Neighborhoods of interest are mixed- use areas designed so that partners from private business and industry work alongside fac-ulty and students teaching and learning in academic programs closely related to the activities of those firms. Master Planning Process Guides Development of Existing Campus, Millennial Properties By BILL STUDENC A Roadmap to the Future Architectural drawing of the proposed retirement, aging and health neighborhood Plans for this neighborhood call for a 145,000- square- foot School of Health and Gerontological Sciences building and neighboring facilities for private business and industry, such as a health care provider or company that supplies products linked to health and aging. The Magazine of Western Carolina University FALL 2006 Architectural drawing of the proposed learning services and education neighborhood The neighborhood would be anchored by a 163,000- square- foot School of Education building and would offer space for related public- private endeavors, such as the development of educational software. The first two neighborhoods to be developed on the new property are expected to focus on retirement, aging and health, with a new $ 46 million School of Health and Gerontological Sciences; and on learning services and education, with a new $ 40 million School of Education. Both new buildings have been designated high funding priorities by the UNC Board of Governors. University officials believe the health, aging and retire-ment neighborhood, where students and faculty interested in those areas would study, teach and live, also would provide a good location for private health care provider facilities, specialty housing related to older populations, and companies that supply products or services related to health and aging. The education and learning neighborhood would create opportunities for public- private partnerships in research and policy studies, competitive learning systems, and pedagogy and software development. Other potential neighborhoods identified in the master plan include those focused on technology and engineering; arts and entertainment; business; humanities and culture; social sciences and services; and the Honors College. The master plan calls for the creation of “ town centers” on both sides of campus, where restaurants, coffee shops, retail stores and other businesses would provide services to help keep students on campus and attract visitors. The plan also continues the emphasis on a pedestrian-friendly campus that was a hallmark of the previous master plan, with strong walking corridors, plazas and ample green space, and provides for a true “ front door” to campus at the connection between the old and new parts of campus, as well as an “ entrance statement” at the “ back door” to campus off Old Cullowhee Road. The Millennial Initiative property ( shown inside the yellow lines) is located on 344 acres across N. C. Highway 107 from the existing WCU campus. FALL 2006 The Magazine of Western Carolina University Retired WCU Biology Professor J. Dan Pittillo ( pointing) teaches “ Forest Ecosystems of the Southern Appalachians,” a course offered at nearby Highlands Biological Station. Photo courtesy of Highlands Biological Station Learning Environment The Magazine of Western Carolina University FALL 2006 Scientists estimate 100,000 different species reside inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park, though fewer than 10 percent had been documented when Western Carolina University began participating in the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory several years ago. This summer, the initiative had documented more than 600 species new to science and the national park’s 5,000th entry – the velvet leaf blueberry shrub. There’s a lot to discover in the great outdoors around Western, and those discoveries could be important for everything from developing future medicines to guaran-teeing the quality of drinking water. “ This is really a magical place,” said Jim Costa, WCU professor of biology and director of the Highlands Biological Station to the south of campus. The Southern Appalachians offered refuge to organisms driven away by historic glaciers, and the mountains, over time, naturally divided and isolated species that adapted to the significant precipitation and temperatures. “ It’s so biologically rich,” said Costa, adding that herpetologists around the world describe the area as second only to the American tropics in diversity of salamanders. The thin- skinned creatures are easy prey to pollution, and studying them can help assess environmental health. Such resources create many opportunities for West-ern students. Wes Bonds, an assistant professor of chemistry, leads classes in the search for new genes in the northern red oak tree. Their findings could improve information useful to the forestry industry. Sean O’Connell, an assistant professor of biology, and his students have examined microbial communities, tis-sue decomposition and bacterial biodiversity in caves of the Smokies. Their findings could yield information in the field of forensic microbiology— an evolving crime investi-gation method utilizing bacteria to determine how long a body may have been decomposing. Western students have studied whether the roots of different plants could help clean hazardous waste and how to protect the endangered Frazer fir. They have inves-tigated the effects of ozone and air pollution on healthy hikers in the national parks. Hundreds of other students have participated in a project to restore a 1- mile portion of Cullowhee Creek to improve water quality and restore a habitat that will support aquatic life including trout. This summer, work continued on a project to locate, study and revitalize rivercane. The once plentiful grass, which can grow 12- to 16- feet tall, not only helps prevent sedimentation and flooding problems but also is used for making baskets and other Cherokee goods. Today, students such as Katie McDowell from Franklin are working with faculty members who have expertise in genetics, botany, geochemistry, remote sensing, sedimentology and ecology restoration to revitalize the plant. McDowell said she has hiked deep into thick, thorny brush to document about 40 sites in six counties with a notebook and tools including Global Positioning System devices. Students record location, density and height. “ Rivercane is not Asian bamboo or kudzu,” said Rob Young, associate professor of geosciences. “ It’s a native plant that belongs here. If it were aggressive, it would not be gone. We think rivercane restoration is a high priority for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and it’s excit-ing for WCU to be able to provide that kind of service.” Mountains, Climate Near WCU Create World- Renowned Outdoor “ Classroom” By Teresa Kilian Jerry R. Miller, the Blanton J. Whitmire Distinguished Professor of Environmental Sciences, helps student Jessica Jaynes take measurements at the Tuckaseigee River just a few miles from campus. FALL 2006 The Magazine of Western Carolina University Fishermen perch on the banks of creeks and rivers that wind along Western Carolina University. Five miles away, national for-est trails invite hikers and mountain bikers. To the south, WCU faculty and student kayakers take turns playing on a whitewater river feature called “ the Slab.” And just inside the Jackson County border, cyclists attack the hill up to the Blue Ridge Parkway and rock climbers explore Laurel Knob, the highest cliff- face east of the Mississippi. The great outdoors in Western’s back yard offers many op-portunities to students, from the chance to participate in outdoor adventure sports to the opportunity to work in the burgeoning outdoors and tourism industries. “ People come to the mountains to experience a number of things – activities not readily available in other regions,” said Michael Despeaux, an outdoors sports enthusiast and WCU career services coordinator and counselor. “ They come here every weekend with kayaks on their cars to paddle on the Nantahala River or drive hours to hike in the Smokies or on the Appalachian Trail and fish on the Tuckaseigee.” This summer, “ Good Morning America” and National Geographic Adventure featured rafting on the Nantahala as one of the nation’s “ Top Ten Trips with a Splash,” on par with snorkeling in Hawaii and swimming with dolphins in Florida. One of the latest ways Western is seizing outdoor opportu-nities near campus to enhance education is a new “ Integration of Learning” program. The interdisciplinary program invites interested freshmen to choose an adventure sport such as cycling or trail running. Working with Base Camp Cullowhee and a small group of faculty, students will participate in a sport and then incorporate their experiences into tailor- made English and sociol-ogy courses. They also will help develop a historical exhibit for WCU’s Mountain Heritage Center. “ By establishing a strong connection to several faculty members and to a subculture in this community affiliated with an outdoor sport, the students will be grounded here at the university,” said Despeaux, who was one of the developers of the inter- disciplinary learning program. “ They will be more likely to stay at Western and succeed at Western. They also will walk away with an appreciation of the important economic and sociological components of those sports to this region.” Adventure Sports Foster Personal Growth Outdoor adventure sports reel participants back again and again. “ People test the limits of what they can do and what they are comfortable with, and they leave thrilled to realize that they have abilities they had not recognized,” said Scott Philyaw ’ 83, associate professor of history, director of the Mountain Heritage Center and lifelong outdoors enthusiast. “ But, it’s more than, ‘ I didn’t know I could do that,’ after a first trip down a whitewater river or climbing something that looks scary,” Philyaw said. “ You also learn that you can, in un-predictable wilderness situations, take care of yourself. Even a birdwatcher can get caught in a summer thunderstorm, or a trout fisherman in rising water. The self- confidence from knowing you can take care of yourself is incredibly valuable in any situation.” What participants also practice are the personal tools of suc-cess— planning, focus, risk assessment, a can- do attitude, problem solving, strategy, teamwork and leadership — that are requirements in any career, whether indoors or out. Continued on page 12 WNC Recreational Opportunities Prepare Students for Success By Teresa Kilian Get Out, Get Ahead Western’s Base Camp Cullowhee program hosts a wide range of instructional and recreational activities for students including whitewater rafting ( upper left), cycling ( upper right) and rock climbing ( right). Andrew Allen The Magazine of Western Carolina 10 University FALL 2006 A former professional cyclist who started racing in high school runs Base Camp Cullowhee, Western’s launchpad for outdoor programs from rock climbing to snow skiing. And although Josh Whitmore wasn’t as big or as fast as his archrival in his early racing days, he usually beat that yellow bus to school every morning and back home every afternoon. He even gave his nearly 15- ton competitor a head start as he finished his homework at school before taking off so he wouldn’t have to haul books on the 10- mile ride, uphill, both ways, in the snow. Well, actually, there was no snow, but the ride was rigorous enough to prepare Whitmore for a chance meeting with a cyclist who was decked out from aerodynamic jersey to high- tech bike shoes. The gym-shoe wearing 14- year- old turned and chased him down. Their conversation yielded an invitation to Whitmore’s first race ( not with a school bus). “ By the time I was 16, all I really wanted to be was a bicycle racer,” said Whitmore. Graduating a year early from high school allowed him more time to train on a bicycle worth far more than the $ 300 Ford Escort he used to chauffeur it to races. A few years later, he was a professional cyclist. The problem was he felt like that was all he was. “ You have to be single- focused to be that kind of athlete,” said Whitmore. “ I was getting burned out and really missed lots of other activities – rock climbing, kayaking and backpacking. I started to wonder what my role in the world was, what it should be, and needed to have more meaning in my job.” Instead of striving to transform his body into a high- per-formance cycling machine, Whitmore took jobs teaching and guiding others with Outward Bound and the National Outdoor Leadership School. “ Leading outdoor programs was not about trying to develop athletes physically, but about using outdoor activities as a medium for personal growth, a sense of self and group development.” Whitmore completed his master’s degree in recreation management in Montana. He sees working with college students as a way to help young adults growing up in a technologically dependent generation get away from the impersonal communication of cell phones and instant messaging. “ Spending time together outdoors requires personal interaction and removes a layer of being anonymous and of being less responsible or less accountable,” said Whitmore. WCU students such as Ted Denning say they have come away from Base Camp Cullowhee activities feeling more con-nected to Western and to themselves. “ Josh made my first year at Western great,” Denning said. “ He’s done it all. There is not a conversation with him that I don’t learn something new, or where he doesn’t open my eyes to a part of the world that I never thought about.” Denning is not alone. In the past year, Whitmore said participation at Base Camp Cullowhee has tripled. Now training in his spare time to represent the United States this fall at the Union Cycliste Internationale World Cup in Canada, Whitmore says taking the job at Western was about fulfilling a commitment to pass on to others the kind of experi-ences that are important to him. Windy Gordon, an assistant professor in psychology who also teaches kayaking, says Western is fortunate to have Whitmore at the helm. “ Unless you really press Josh, you will never know how deep and broad his skills are,” said Gordon. “ He’s a world- class cyclist. If he chose, he could be a world- class mountaineer. He is certainly a very skilled paddler, and most impressive is his leadership ability and capacity to train new student leaders. He is profoundly understated and remarkably over competent. He is an absolute coup for us.” Leader of the Pack Former Professional Cyclist Josh Whitmore Inspires Students By Teresa Kilian Josh Whitmore FALL 2006 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 11 David Hepp ’ 98 relocated from Western North Carolina to Charlotte this summer to become paddlesports manager of the world’s largest whitewater park of its kind— the U. S. National Whitewater Center. Hepp coordinates boating and rafting on a multi- channel, 12- million-gallon artificial river, which drops 23 feet in altitude in 1,000 yards. “ It’s big,” said Hepp, a paddler who has competed at similar whitewater parks around the world while part of the U. S. National Team. “ This is easily the steepest whitewater park in the world.” Nearby rivers drew Hepp to WCU, where he met his wife. The couple recently sold Dillsboro Chocolate Factory in antici-pation of the move to Charlotte with their three daughters. “ We are true to Cullowhee, though,” Hepp said. “ I can see us moving back someday, and I can envision a perfect place for a whitewater park.” U. S. National Whitewater Center David Hepp ’ 98, Paddlesports Manager Mary Ellen Hammond MPA ’ 91 combined her love of writing and passion for the outdoors in her work as co- owner and president of Almond- based Milestone Press, which publishes outdoor guidebooks for whitewater rafting, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, camping, rockhounding, mountain biking, road biking and motorcycle touring. Milestone’s publications include the “ Off The Beaten Track” guide series by Ham-mond’s husband and business partner, Jim Parham. Next spring, Milestone will release a hiking guidebook for Western North Carolina. “ Who would have guessed, back in the early 1950s when the first canoes were navigating the Nantahala River, that white-water rafting would draw so many tourists to this region, and that athletes would train here for Olympic whitewater kayak com-petition?“ Hammond asked “ Who knows what’s next?” Milestone Press Mary Ellen Hammond MPA ’ 91, Co- Owner and President Great Outdoors, Great Occupations Get Ahead Continued from page 10 Outdoor Businesses Offer Hands- On Work Experience Meanwhile, WCU students themselves are a resource to the businesses and organizations that serve outdoor recreational enthusiasts in Western North Carolina. For instance, all summer staff members at the Dillsboro River Company are Western students, said owner Shane Williams ’ 96. Catamounts have put their academic skills to work as they researched and wrote brochures for the Blue Ridge Parkway. Others helped organize the documents needed for the advocacy efforts of American Whitewater, a nonprofit that works to con-serve and restore America’s whitewater resources and enhance opportunities to enjoy them safely. The organization recently relocated its national headquarters from Washington, D. C., to Jackson County. “ This area has a nice balance of professional talent and aca-demic talent as well as being close to major projects of ours,” said Mark Singleton, executive director of American Whitewater. “ Just down the road from Western, we are working on agreeing to have whitewater releases on the West Fork of the Tuckaseigee, which will create another new paddling opportunity, and, as a result, another economic opportunity.” Visitors to Region Fuel Tourism, Hospitality Industry Philyaw said the economic impact of outdoor recreational sports is much higher than most people realize. “ You may think a camper goes out in the woods, sleeps in a tent and goes home, but that’s not true,” said Philyaw. “ When you walk out of the woods, you want a hot shower and a good hot meal. Adventure sports are play, but the economic impact is profound.” www. milestonepress. com www. usnwc. org Ben Edson/ downstreamphoto. com The Magazine of Western Carolina 12 University FALL 2006 Statesville native Michael Briere ’ 96 has applied his bachelor’s degree in market-ing to working as an agent for New Zea-land- based Bliss- Stick, which manufactures kayaks. Briere travels from his Asheville home to trade shows and festival demon-strations and takes clients out to try prod-ucts one- on- one at “ cool” area rivers. “ Never in a thousand years would I have imagined in Dr. Myron Leonard’s marketing classes that I would be doing this,” Briere said. When he started kayaking after graduating from Western, he found himself driving past the university to get to his out-doors destinations. “ Mention the Smokies to any paddler in the world, and they will mention one thing —‘ lots of whitewater,’” Briere said. Bliss- Stick Kayaks Michael Briere ’ 96, Agent S hane Williams ’ 96 owns and operates Dillsboro River Company, which offers begin-ner and intermediate family- oriented rafting trips. “ Families often begin very nervous, not knowing if it’s something they can do, and when they finish, they have a sense of accomplishment that they can and did some-thing like that together.” Williams also teaches outdoors courses at Southwestern Community College for part of the year, works as a raft guide for the Nantahala Outdoor Center and leads international kayaking trips. What struck him as he trained to guide on the Cheoah River was the quality of experienced instructors and guides they will find in Western North Carolina, which regularly attracts visitors from Atlanta, Charlotte, Greensboro and Chattanooga. Dillsboro River Company Shane Williams ’ 96, Owner and Guide L aura Blalock ’ 03 MAc ’ 05 does not consider herself an outdoors enthusiast but has a job she loves thanks to the outdoor industry. Blalock is the full- time financial accountant for the Sylva- based nonprofit organization American Whitewater. She came to Western originally to study education, but, as she conquered the financial challenges that come with going to school and providing for her family as a single parent, her interests turned to busi-ness and accounting. “ Moving, getting a job and attending school were challenges for me since I had little to no savings,” said Blalock. She gradu-ated summa cum laude with her under-graduate degree in accounting and won the business school’s Outstanding Senior Award in 2005. American Whitewater Laura Blalock ’ 03 MAc ’ 05, Financial Accountant www. dillsbororiver. com www. bliss- stick. com www. americanwhitewater. org Western professors have researched the multimillion- dol-lar industries linked to outdoor sports, from Chris Cooper, assistant professor of political science and public affairs, who authored “ Pedaling for Dollars: From Outer Banks to Mountains, Cycling Brings Big Bucks to NC,” to Hal Herzog, professor of psychology, who studied the economic impact of whitewater rafting in the “ New Ency-clopedia of Appalachian Whitewater.” Bob Dalley, a retired associate professor from the engi-neering technology department, says he believes the outdoor recreation industry has room to grow. Dalley, who designs and builds boats ideal for fishing on moving water, is advocating for the creation of a National Paddling and Rowing Heritage Center in WNC. He sees the center as a tourist attraction that would celebrate such history as the spectacular sleek, small boats that the Cherokee designed. That kind of historical and cultural element is critical to the future of the industry, says Windy Gordon, an assistant professor in psychology at Western. “ The business is no longer just about how to tie knots,” said Gordon, who not only works at Western but also has instructed, managed and served on the board of directors for the Nantahala Outdoor Center. “ It’s ‘ How does this place where we are climbing tie into the history of the native people who lived here?’” Gordon said. “ You can’t just be a kayaker or a rock climber. You need to bring to those activities an appreciation of art, history, literature and sociology. There’s got to be a reason to go to a place other than an adrenaline charge of hiking, climbing, biking or boating.” “ Adventure sports are play, but the economic impact is profound.” — Scott Philyaw ’ 83 FALL 2006 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 13 It was almost on a whim that Jay Denton ’ 78 MPA ’ 05, Sylva town manager, fired off an e- mail inquiry to a group of North Caro-lina city and county managers earlier this year. Denton, who was searching for fellow Western graduates currently working in local government positions across the state, said responses began pouring in almost immediately, flooding his inbox with the names of nearly 50 Catamount brothers and sisters working as management profes-sionals from the westernmost mountains to the easternmost shores of the Outer Banks. “ I’ve been involved in local government for a long time. I knew a lot of Western alumni were employed in the public sector, but it was amazing how many replies I got in one afternoon,” said Denton. In Sylva alone, Denton finds himself working alongside several Western alumni, including town clerk Brandi Henson Ashe ’ 03 and finance officer Lynn Allen Bryant ’ 89. Just down the street at the Jackson County Courthouse are land records and mapping director Bobby McMahan ’ 81 and John Ashe ’ 73, executive director of the Jackson County Public Housing Agency. What is it that draws so many Catamounts to public service? For Steve Wyatt MPA ’ 91, recently appointed Henderson County manager, it’s knowing that when you get up in the morning to go to work, you have the ability to make a real difference. “ I have a burning desire to see Western North Carolina improve, to enhance the quality of life for our folks. I have an opportunity to do that in my job,” said Wyatt, who works alongside assistant county manager Selena Coffey ’ 93 MPA ’ 95. “ Local government is the place where the rubber meets the road, where government meets the people. You don’t go to Washington or Raleigh to work directly with the people you serve. If you want to make a real difference in the lives of people, you do that at the local level.” Other WCU graduates in local government positions agreed. “ This is a very rewarding profession that gives you the opportunity to serve all the citizens in your community,” said Wayne Bowers ’ 69, city manager for Greenville since 1977. “ Each day brings new and interesting challenges, but all have in Shannon Ashe ’ 97 – police detective, Sylva Randy Billings ’ 73 – executive director, Piedmont Triad Council of Governments Matt Brinkley ’ 02 MPA ’ 04 – city budget of-ficer, Durham Paula G. Carden ’ 03 MPA ’ 06 – public health director, Jackson County John Connet ’ 92 – city manager, Clinton Heather Wakenshaw Cotton ’ 00 – city planner, Marion Mike Decker ’ 84 MPA ’ 00 – city administrator, Franklin Billy Joe Farmer ’ 83 MBA ’ 86 – city manager, Red Springs William Alan Gill ’ 80 – parks and recreation director, city of Henderson and Vance County Stacy Guffey ’ 99 – planning director, Macon County Andy Hedrick ’ 77 – town manager, Fuquay- Varina William Todd Herms ’ 05 – town manager, Badin Charles Horne ’ 74 MPA ’ 85 – county manager, Chatham County Tracy Jackson ’ 88 – assistant county manager, Iredell County Jeff Jamison ’ 80 – chief of police, Sylva Charles Mashburn ’ 68 – finance director, Stanly County Al McClure ’ 76 – finance director and deputy executive director, Cape Fear Council of Governments Kimberley Mecimore ’ 93 – environmental health specialist, Iredell County Alice Collier Smith Moore ’ 70 – city public information director, High Point Other Western alumni working in local N. C. government positions found through Denton’s investigative work: Public Goods From the Mountains to the Coast, Local Governments Rely on Alums By BILL STUDENC Kendra Penland Turner ’ 04 MPA ’ 06, neighborhood coordinator for the city of Asheville, meets with assistant city manager Jeff Richardson, who also teaches in the MPA program. The Magazine of Western Carolina 14 University FALL 2006 common the provision of essential services to the citizens of your community. Citizens depend on city government to provide these services each day and generally let you know directly if the services are not being provided properly. As an administrator, you get to be a part of a fascinating political process without being a politician.” Many Catamounts employed in upper- level public sector jobs are graduates of WCU’s Master of Public Affairs program, which of-fers classes at night in Asheville for the convenience of government professionals already working in the business. Among them is Joel Mashburn ’ 69 MPA ’ 84, currently Iredell County manager. “ I was the county manager in Henderson County, and would travel to Ashe-ville for my classes,” said Mashburn, who has worked in the public sector for 32 years. “ It took four years, but I did it, and I feel the MPA not only helped establish me as a professional administrator, but it improved my reasoning skills and taught me discipline. Also, I devel-oped a much broader view of the relationships necessary for effective government.” The town of Warsaw seems to recognize the value of the pro-gram, earlier this year hiring Jason Burrell ’ 03 MPA ’ 05 as its city manager, replacing fellow alum Frankie Maness MPA ’ 01, who left to become assistant city manager in Graham. “ The board didn’t start out looking for someone from Western Carolina’s program, but it no doubt helped to know that someone with that background could do an outstanding job,” Warsaw Mayor Win Batten told the Warsaw- Faison News. April Bone ’ 00 MPA’ 03 credits the lessons she learned in her MPA statistics and government classes with providing her with the skills necessary for her job as budget analyst for Gaston County. “ I help prepare and monitor the county’s $ 202 million budget,” Bone said. “ The MPA program is the reason I have a job. I interned with the Gaston County Budget Office and was hired a few months after graduation. The foundation laid in the program continues to serve me on a daily basis.” And Craig Honeycutt MPA ’ 04, city manager for Laurinburg, says his WCU years gave him the ability to listen. “ Western’s program was unique because of the great mixture of young and old, of straight- from- undergrad- students to students who had years of practical experience,” Honeycutt said. “ The open and frank discussions in class were wonderful, and were led by professors who encouraged differences of opinion, because when dealing with the public, that is part of the job.” Just ask William Andrew MPA ’ 92. Upon his recent departure as resources development manager to accept the long- embattled po-sition of city manager for Flowery Branch, Ga., the Hall County ( Ga.) Board of Commissioners presented Andrew with a bulletproof vest. In spite of the flak – and the occasional need for a flak jacket – WCU alums working in the public sector say they wouldn’t trade their jobs for any other. “ I’ve been working in local government for 24 years now,” said Steve Harrell ’ 77, planning and development director for Carolina Beach. “ You get a true feeling of giving something back to the community and contributing to the common welfare, and a feel-ing of having an impact— an impact that is measurable.” L. Richard Nifong ’ 71 – city communications and information services director, High Point Allen Oliver ’ 78 – city parks and recreation director, High Point Jonathan A. Olson ’ 90 – division chief, Wake County Emergency Medical Services George Page ’ 93 – parks and recreation direc-tor, Brunswick County Chad Parker ’ 97 MPA ’ 06 – director of solid waste management, Jackson County Michael C. Peoples ’ 98 – town manager, Cramerton Susan L. Powell MPA ’ 98 – town clerk, Mills River Mary Elizabeth Quidley ’ 79 – town clerk, Kill Devil Hills Joshua W. Ray MPA ’ 03 – town manager, Biscoe Glenn Rhodes ’ 74 – town manager, Columbus Dan Schaeffer ’ 79 – public works director, Sylva Richard Shore ’ 73 – parks and recreation supervisor, High Point Richard Smith ’ 92 – director of planning and community development, Kannapolis Jerry Taylor ’ 88 – information services, Iredell County Jennifer Turner MPA’ 03 – law enforcement officer, Asheville Mark Wagner ’ 95 – director of parks and recreation, Pinehurst Steve Warren ’ 75 – deputy director of planning and inspections, Iredell County Frank Willis ’ 69 – retired in May as Randolph County manager after 30 years of service John Wilson ’ 79 – town recreation director, Hudson Joseph Zalkin ’ 81 – assistant chief, Wake County Emergency Medical Services Western alums working together to serve the residents of Henderson County are Steve Wyatt MPA ’ 91, recently appointed county manager, and Selena Coffey ’ 93 MPA ’ 95, assistant county manager. Jay Denton ’ 78 MPA ’ 05, Sylva town manager ( left), and former town clerk Alison Lyons ’ 02 MPA ’ 04 ( center) consult on a project with Christopher Cooper ( right), MPA program director. FALL 2006 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 15 It’s hard to believe that nearly a year has passed since comedian and “ Tonight Show” host Jay Leno helped Western launch its new Fine and Performing Arts Center at a black- tie celebration featuring the funnyman’s humorous observations and the music of blues singer Kat Williams. The gala opening back in October was just the tip of the arts and entertainment iceberg, as the center’s inaugural season attracted capacity crowds for shows by the internationally acclaimed Atlanta Ballet, the singing Von Trapp family from “ The Sound of Music” and the dazzling light show and performance art of Luma, to name just a few. The center is ready to raise the curtain on its second season. Nine shows will be hitting the boards as part of the 2006- 07 performance series, “ Galaxy of Stars: Legends on Stage.” “ Hazel Larsen Archer: Black Mountain College Photographer.” The college and people who lived and created in the experimental arts community in the late 1940s and 1950s come alive in this collection of images. Aug. 22 - Sept. 23. “ Art That Works: The Kimmel Collection of Art and Design.” The eclectic exhibit explores modernism in wide-ranging American, and European fine art and design spanning 100 years from 1885 to 1985. Sept. 23 - Oct. 21. Fine and Performing Arts Center Launches Second Season Successful Sequel Performance Hall Fine Art Museum Galaxy of Stars: Legends on Stage Sunday, Sept. 17 – “ Let’s Put on a Show,” a collection of songs, reminiscences and jazz by Mickey Rooney, 3 p. m. Monday, Oct. 16 – “ Man of Constant Sorrow,” the story and music of Ralph and Carter Stanley, 7: 30 p. m. Sunday, Nov. 19 – Selections from “ The Nutcracker” and other classical works, by the Atlanta Ballet, 3 p. m. Thursday, Dec. 14 – The Lettermen, performing music spanning the 1960s through today, 7: 30 p. m. Thursday, Feb. 1 – “ Ol’ Time Religion,” featuring the American Spiritual Ensemble, 7: 30 p. m. Thursday, March 1 – Cirque le Masque, a gravity- defying European stage show, 7: 30 p. m. Saturday, March 17 – “ Out of the Mist: A Dragon & An Ire- ish Tale,” a puppet extravaganza by Wood and Strings Theatre, 3 p. m. Sunday, April 15 – “ Amadeus,” a performance by the Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada, 3 p. m. Friday, April 27 – The Capitol Steps, a traveling troupe performing political satire, 7: 30 p. m. For more information, call ( 828) 227- 2479 or visit the Web at www. wcu. edu/ fapac. 16 The Magazine of Western Carolina University FALL 2006 Country music legend Roy Clark will perform opening night at Western’s premiere of a colorful, unique art exhibition that celebrates the marriage of form and function — “ Art that Works: The Kimmel Collection of Art and Design.” Clark, a co- host of the television show “ Hee Haw” for more than 20 years and award- winning musician, will perform at 7: 30 p. m. on Saturday, Sept. 23, at Western’s Fine and Performing Arts Center. The musician’s hits include “ Yesterday When I Was Young” and “ Thank God and Greyhound,” and he made appearances on TV shows including “ The Tonight Show” and “ The Beverly Hillbillies.” Clark’s awards include the Pioneer Award from the Academy of Country Music, numerous Instrumentalist of the Year awards and Entertainer of the Year. Tickets to the show are $ 45 each and can be purchased by visiting the Web site at www. wcu. edu/ fapac or calling the box office at ( 828) 227- 2479. The concert follows a by- invitiaton- only gala preview of the Kimmel exhibit at the Fine Art Museum for Fine and Performing Arts Center major donors. Following the major donor gala preview, ticket holders for the Roy Clark performance will also be able to view the Kimmel Collection beginning at 6: 30 p. m. A free reception and gallery talk opening the exhibit to the public will be held from 1- 3 p. m. Sunday, Sept. 24. The exhibit features art pieces that Joe and Cynthia Kimmel acquired nationwide and during their travels around the world. The Kimmel collection includes examples of art noveau and art deco movements as well as modernist furniture, glass, ceramics, paintings, photographs and sculpture. Works of art range from limited edition prints of Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse, the exquisite glass of Emile Galle to the innovative chair design of accalimed architect Frank Gehry. Joe Kimmel, founder of one of the leading construction industry executive search companies, Asheville- based Kimmel & Associates, is a strong supporter of Western’s construction management, engineering and technology school, which was recently named in his honor. For more information about the Kimmel Collection exhibit or attending the gala preview for major donors, contact the museum office at ( 828) 227- 3591. Roy Clark Takes the Stage as WCU Opens Kimmel Exhibit “ Harvey K. Littleton and Friends: A Legacy of Transforming Object, Image + Idea.” Littleton, called the father of the contemporary studio glass movement, also in-vented the vitreographic print- making process. The exhibit features Littleton Studio prints and works in glass, sculpture, ceramics and painting by Littleton and 15 guest acclaimed artists. Oct. 21 - Dec. 16. For more information about museum hours and events, call ( 828) 227- 3591 or check out www. wcu. edu/ fapac. The Kimmel exhibit features a diverse collection of art pieces ( right) ranging from prints to glass. FALL 2006 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 17 The 2006 edition of Western’s annual Mountain Heritage Weekend features a performance by bluegrass music chart- topper Rhonda Vincent and her band, the Rage, on Friday, Sept. 29, leading up to Mountain Heritage Day, the university’s daylong festival of mountain culture, on Saturday, Sept. 30. Vincent and the Rage will present a pre- festival concert in the Ramsey Regional Activity Center at 7: 30 p. m. Friday. Dubbed “ the new queen of bluegrass” by the Wall Street Journal, Vincent is a six- time winner of the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Female Vocalist of the Year Award. Tickets, at $ 10 and $ 15, go on sale Friday, Sept. 1, and may be purchased by calling the amsey Center box office at ( 828) 227- 7722, toll- free ( 866) 928- 3378, or by clicking on the Web at http:// ramsey. wcu. edu. Shortly after daybreak on Saturday, the 32nd annual Mountain Heritage Day kicks off on WCU’s campus with demonstrations of authentic mountain folk arts; three stages of traditional music and dance; exhibitions of shape- note singing and Cherokee stickball; an arts and crafts midway featuring handmade items; food booths with old- fashioned fare; and numerous just- for- fun competitions. Mountain Heritage Day is held outside, rain or shine, and admission to the festival is free of charge. Pets are not allowed on festival grounds, but service ani-mals are welcome. For more information about the festival, call ( 828) 227- 3193 or click on the Web at www. mountainheritageday. com. It will be a busy Mountain Heritage Weekend at Western, as the Catamounts do battle with Georgia Southern in a Southern Conference football clash at 6 p. m. Sept. 30 in E. J. Whitmire Stadium, and as WCU students welcome moms, dads, brothers and sisters to campus for Family Weekend Sept 29- 30. For information on accommodations, contact the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce at ( 800) 962- 1911, or click on the Web at www. mountainlovers. com. Bluegrass Queen to Play a Busy Mountain Heritage Weekend Rhonda Vincent Mountain Heritage Day Offers Music, Crafts, Folk Arts, Food and Fun Weekend of September 30th The Magazine of Western Carolina 18 University FALL 2006 Join us to celebrate the pageantry of the present and the memories of the past. WCU Alumni Association HOMECOMING 2006 October 13- 15 Western C arolina U ni v ersit y Event Calendar Friday, October 13 Noon – Alumni Scholarship Golf Tournament, a Homecoming tradition, tees off at Laurel Ridge Country Club in Waynesville. Shotgun start. Cost: $ 80 per person, includes fees and cart. Four- person “ captains choice” format. Refreshments available during play. Social following the tournament. RSVP is required by Friday, October 6. Call the Office of Alumni Affairs at ( 877) 440- 9990 or ( 828) 227- 7335, or e- mail magill@ email. wcu. edu. 6: 15 p. m. – Homecoming 2006 Main Street Parade in Sylva. Cheer as community and student floats, Western cheer-leaders, football team, Homecoming Court, and Catamount Marching Band parade through downtown Sylva. Prizes awarded for best floats; winners announced during Saturday’s football game. 7 p. m. – WCU Nurses’ Alumni Association Reception at Moore Hall. Come and meet the Class of 1973, the first class to graduate from Western’s nursing program. Please contact Sharon Metcalfe at Metcalfe@ wcu. edu or 828- 670- 8810 or Diane Oakley at Oakleydia@ aol. com. 8 p. m. – Spirit Night. Join students, faculty, staff and alumni for a pep rally, music and food on the lawn of A. K. Hinds University Center. Fireworks will light up the autumn sky at the conclusion of the evening. C o m He oHmomeec too mCuilnlogw h2e0e 0 6 Gathering of “ The Herd” Come join more than 100 former athletes and cheerleaders from the mid- 1950s through the mid- 1960s. Get reacquainted with your old Catamount teammates from years gone by as the group known as “ The Herd” reunites for Homecoming weekend. From 12: 30 until 3 p. m. Saturday, “ The Herd” will host a pre- game tailgate adjacent to the E. J. Whitmire Stadium parking lot. Look for the big purple- and- gold tent at the bottom of the Ramsey Center stairs. After the game, come join “ The Herd” for dinner at the Jarrett House in nearby Dillsboro at 7: 30 p. m. For more information and to RSVP, contact Tobe Childers ’ 61 at ( 800) 211- 8759 or e- mail tchilde@ transunion. com. Saturday, October 14 8 - 10 a. m. – WCU Alumni Breakfast. The University Center Grandroom becomes Alumni Central! Come join fellow WCU alumni and friends for a continental breakfast. It’s a great time to make weekend plans with your old classmates, or simply reminisce about those good ole days in Cullowhee! RSVP by Friday, October 6, to mramsey@ wcu. edu. 12: 30 - 3 p. m. – Pre- game tailgate, with live music in the parking lot of Jordan- Phillips Field House. 3: 30 p. m. – Football. The Catamounts do battle against the Mocs of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in the cozy confines of Whitmire Stadium and Bob Waters Field. 7 p. m. – Stompfest 2006, a step- show competition featuring African American fraternities and sororities. Ramsey Regional Activity Center. For tickets or information, call the Center for Student Involvement at ( 828) 227- 2276. 10 p. m. - 1 a. m. – Stompfest After Party. University Center Grandroom. Sunday, October 15 3: 30 p. m. – The crowd- pleasing Inspirational Choir Concert will bring Homecoming Weekend to a close. University Center Grandroom. 5 year reunion! Class of 2001 10 year reunion! Class of 1996 15 year reunion! Class of 1991 20 year reunion! Class of 1986 25 year reunion! Class of 1981 Class Reunion 12 - 2pm – Class Reunion Luncheon Reunions for the classes of 2001, 1996, 1991, 1986 and 1981. Come visit with your classmates from years gone by. You and your class will be provided a complimentary lunch in Illusions on the third floor of the University Center ( adjacent to the Grandroom). RSVP by October 6 to Marty Ramsey at ( 828) 227- 7335 or ( 877) 440- 9990 or mramsey@ wcu. edu ALUMNI ASSOCIATION For more information, visit the Alumni Association Web site at http:// alumni. wcu. edu or contact Marty Ramsey ’ 85, Director of Alumni Affairs, at ( 828) 227- 7335, ( 877) 440- 9990 or mramsey@ wcu. edu. Continuing the Tradition Alumni Association Scholarship Helps Daughter of Western Graduates Juanita Proffitt ’ 39 did not know how she would afford college. The “ bank burst” in 1929. The aunt from Speedwell who raised her had terminal cancer. There was simply “ no money, no anything,” Proffitt said. “ My mother finally raised $ 6 – that was a lot of money then – and that got me started at Western.” Proffitt was able to work her way through the teacher education program, taking jobs such as grading papers for professors. “ Most of the time, I had enough money to pay my way, but I realized children with potential need help,” she said. “ I have really tried through the years to help. I think about them, and I empathize.” Proffitt, a member of Western’s Alumni Association board of directors, and her husband, Brank Proffitt ’ 42, have reached out to students in many ways, but the latest has been through supporting the Alumni Association Scholarship Fund. The scholarship fund is designed to help Western students who have financial need, preferably students who have close family ties to Catamount alumni or whose parents work for the university. “ The No. 1 reason people give for dropping out is a lack of money,” said David Andrew ’ 83, president- elect of the Alumni Association and chairman of its financial affairs committee. “ We are very pleased now to be able to award the first scholarship.” The $ 40,000 raised so far enabled the association to award the first scholarship this summer to Amanda Roach, a senior athletic training major from Fairview whose parents both graduated from Western. Hospital bills from a recent medical emergency in her family have caused some financial stress. “ The scholarship is just such a blessing to me and my family,” said Roach. “ Every little bit helps.” Her parents, Judy Davis Roach ’ 73 and Leon Roach ’ 73 MAEd ’ 77, said they were not surprised when their daughter chose to attend WCU and study athletic training. As the daughter of an A. C. Reynolds High School teacher who also coached sports, she attended her first high school football game when just 2 months old. The avid sports fan also played, and it was actually an athletic trainer who helped her recover from an injury that inspired her to pursue a career path incorporating her love of sports and desire to work in physical therapy. “ Sports are a big part of my life, and I did not want to leave them,” she said. Her mother said she is impressed with the amount of hands-on experience her daughter is gaining through Western’s athletic training program. “ She has worked really hard,” said Judy Roach, noting the long hours athletic trainers put in, from arriving before the team to staying until after practices and games. Roach has done everything from assisting the championship Swain County High School football team to working with a Catamount baseball player who has Horner’s Syndrome. The syndrome can affect the nerves and cause one pupil to be constricted. Roach’s curiosity and interest in the player inspired a research project about her experience with him that won invitations to every major athletic training conference on the East Coast, from the National Athletic Training Association meeting in Atlanta to the Eastern Athletic Training Association event in Philadelphia. “ We would think the constriction in his left eye would affect his depth perception and ability to play, but it did not,” she said. “ It’s just amazing how the human body adapts itself over time.” Meanwhile, she lived for three years in Reynolds Residence Hall, where her father also stayed when he was at Western. She recently moved to the Phi Mu sorority hall to be closer to her “ family away from home.” Her parents have had a bit of a homecoming, too, when they visit her. “ There’s a lot of new things and changes, and yet still a lot that brings back the memories,” said Judy Roach. “ We are excited to see the direction the school is going.” Want to help? Make checks payable to: WCU Foundation ( Alumni Scholarship Fund) c/ o The Office of Alumni Affairs 440 H. F. Robinson Administration Building Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC 28723 The first Alumni Association scholarship recipient, WCU senior Amanda Roach ( second from left), celebrates the honor with her mother Judy Davis Roach ’ 73, scholarship supporter Juanita Proffitt ’ 39 and her father, Leon Roach ’ 73 MAEd ’ 77. For more information, contact Brett L. Woods, director of annual and special gifts, at ( 828) 227- 7124 or bwoods@ wcu. edu. Ken Melton ’ 94 MPA ’ 96 cranks up the car, carries the local daily newspaper back in the house and reads headlines to his wife as she finishes getting ready for work. “ Ooh, read that,” says Sherry Melton ’ 95 MPA ’ 96 when he hits stories she’d like to hear before going over the paper herself— cover to cover. The news hounds met at Western, where they arrived with goals of working in TV journalism but left with something else— a desire to not only gather news but also help make it. “ I evolved from wanting to do documentaries or pieces that highlighted what was wrong to really wanting to do more to fix problems,” said Ken Melton. Today, the New Bern native helps coordinate appropria-tions activity and works with proposed tax laws as legislative affairs director for the North Carolina Department of Revenue. Meanwhile, Sherry Melton recently began working as vice president of communications with the North Carolina Citizens for Business and Industry, which serves as the state chamber of commerce and manufacturing association. She traces the fork in her career path to a required political science course under Don Livingston. “ I fell in love with politics,” said Sherry Melton, who grew up on a family- owned dairy farm near Franklin. “ I became absolutely determined to make a career out of communications and politics together.” She has— a very successful career. With NCCBI, Melton’s re-sponsibilities include editing North Carolina magazine, a weekly legislative bulletin, and the association’s Web site. She works with reporters and with communication among policymakers, members and potential members. “ My job is to advance a public policy agenda for the betterment of North Carolina and all her residents,” Melton said. “ It doesn’t get any better than that.” Her “ break” came after landing a job at the State Employees Association of North Carolina. During her eight years there, she lobbied the North Carolina General Assembly and ultimately was promoted to public relations director. “ The competition ( for the job) was fierce. I had to compete with MPA ( Master’s of Public Affairs) graduates from numerous other well- respected universi-ties, such as UNC- Chapel Hill, N. C. State University and Duke University. I knew, however, that no one had received a better education than I had at WCU,” Melton said. “ What I learned from Dr. Don Livingston in his public policy formulation course about ‘ influence peddlers’ and the role of lobbyists in policymaking proved so true and valuable to me,” she said. “ What I learned from Dr. Gordon Mercer about manage-ment and leadership theory also prepared me to succeed in my first job— not only in managing and motivating staff, but also in coordinating and organizing grassroots activism. What I learned from Dr. Ken Wink about government budgeting prepared me to analyze and make sense of North Carolina’s $ 30- plus billion bud-get, and taught me how the government budget game is played.” Livingston said he tries to teach his students to develop research, analytical and communication skills as well as stay informed about political developments in the world. “ I want them to realize that an individual’s success in life is measured not by one’s accumulations but by one’s contributions,” he said. Livingston describes Sherry Melton as bright, industrious and highly motivated with outstanding organizational, analytical and communicative skills, and Ken Melton as a sharp young man who was an industrious and serious student with superb people skills. “ He and Sherry are a great team,” Livingston said. It was in Livingston’s class that Ken Melton said he fine-tuned his public speaking skills. After a discussion, a classmate told him that he made a good point. The small compliment had a big effect. “ It just dawned on me that I belonged, that I was just as valued a voice and opinion in discussion as anybody else,” Ken Melton said. “ I really felt like whatever I do out of here, I can go out and try to make a positive impact in the world of public policy in some form or fashion.” A required internship led him to the Buncombe County Board of Elections and ultimately developed into a full- time job. He became the deputy director in charge of absentee voting and special projects before moving on to work as a legislative as-sistant to state Sen. Virgina Foxx ( now U. S. Rep. Virginia Foxx) and researcher with the General Assembly. Ken Melton then “ put in quite a bit of shoe leather” with lobbyist Zeb Alley. “ We were the eyes and ears on the ground for legislation that may have an impact on any of our clients,” said Ken Melton, who the North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research ranked among the top 50 of more than 500 lobbyists for the 2003- 04 year. He moved to the state revenue department from there. “ I wake up in the morning and look forward to going to work,” he said. Making Headlines MPA Degrees Help Couple Advocate for Change By Teresa Kilian Sherry Melton ’ 95 MPA ’ 96 and Ken Melton ’ 94 MPA ’ 96 often read the newspaper together at the start of workdays spent monitoring public policy proposals for the state. Sherry Melton also edits North Carolina magazine ( right) through her work with the North Carolina Citizens for Business and Industry. FALL 2006 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 23 Five former Catamounts will be inducted into the Western Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday, Sept. 16, prior to the Catamount’s football game with two- time NCAA I- AA national champion Eastern Kentucky. This fall marks the 17th consecutive year that WCU will pause to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of former student- athletes, coaches and administrators, continuing a tradition begun in 1990. Induction ceremonies will be held on the Ramsey Center concourse prior to the 6 p. m. kickoff. Members of the 2006 Hall of Fame class are Mark Ferguson ( football), Scott Gay ’ 88 ( baseball), Ralph Lundy ’ 73 MAEd ’ 76 ( men’s soccer), Darrell Murray ( men’s basketball) and Willie Williams ’ 03 ( football). Ferguson played football for the Catamounts from 1970- 73. In his senior season, the Asheville native was a first team All- American as selected by the American Football Coaches Association and The Football News. An offensive lineman, he helped Western to a 6- 3- 1 record that season. The previous year, Ferguson was a key figure in Western posting a 7- 2- 1 record and a ranking of eighth in the final Associated Press small college poll. Gay was a member of Western’s baseball squad from 1983- 85, leaving after his junior season as a fourth- round draft pick of the New York Yankees. A first- team All- Southern Conference selection in 1984 and 1985, the Milford, Conn., native was named conference Player of the Year after leading WCU to the SoCon championship and the school’s first- ever NCAA Tournament berth in 1985. He led the conference in strikeouts twice, and his 12 wins in 1985 established a school and SoCon single- season record. Lundy came to Western as a junior in 1970, helping the Catamount men’s soccer team turn around a 1- 6- 1 record in its inaugural season to an 8- 2 record and a berth in the NAIA playoffs. After receiving his undergraduate degree in physical education, Lundy joined the Marines, later returning to Western as an assistant coach and receiving his master’s degree in physical education. Lundy left in 1976 to become head men’s soccer coach at Erskine. In 1987, Lundy moved on as head men’s coach at the College of Charleston, a post he still holds. During his 30 years as a head coach, Lundy has a career record of 333- 218- 37 and ranks among the nation’s top 10 in career victories. Five Former Cats To Be Inducted into Hall in September By MIKE CAWOOD From Game to Fame WCUAthletics The Magazine of Western Carolina 24 University FALL 2006 WCUAthletics Murray was a forward for Western on the 1962- 63 men’s basketball team, which advanced to the NAIA national championship game. An All- Carolinas Conference selection, the Elwood, Ind., native ended his career fourth on Western’s all- time scoring list ( 1,471 points) and second in rebounding ( 1,208), being just one of three Catamounts to accumulate 1,000 points and rebounds in a career. As a senior, Murray led Western to a 20- 6 record and a second- place league finish. As a sophomore, he helped the Catamounts to a 21- 8 record and a Carolinas Conference Champion-ship. Murray was named to the North State Conference All- Freshman Team after setting a school season record of 155 offensive rebounds. Williams, Western’s first football player to reach the Super Bowl, was a three- time All- SoCon pick ( 1990- 92), earning first- team honors in 1992. The Columbia, S. C., native, like fellow inductee Ferguson, is a member of WCU’s All- 20th Century Football Team and holds the distinction of being the first WCU player selected to play in the Blue- Gray All- Star Classic. A defensive back, Williams was drafted in the sixth round by the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he played for four seasons, leading the AFC in intercep-tions and playing in Super Bowl XXX in 1996. He followed his first stint in Pittsburgh with seven seasons with the Seattle Seahawks before returning to the Steelers for the last two seasons, helping his team win Super Bowl XL this past season. For more information about Hall of Fame weekend or any other WCU athletics event, contact the department of athletics at ( 828) 227- 7338. On an evening back in May, Dave Bristol ’ 59 found himself in a room filled with sports figures he’s always admired. By the time that night was over, the Andrews native stood beside them as a member of the N. C. Sports Hall of Fame. He was one of 10 inductees for 2006 in a ceremony in Raleigh. “ It was like getting money from home without writing,” Bristol said describing the experience. “ It could not have been better. When I introduced my daughter ( Murphy girls’ basketball coach Cissy Dyer) to Dean Smith, that was a proud moment. It was worth the whole trip to see her standing there talking to him.” Bristol became the youngest manager in Major League Baseball when the Cincinnati Reds hired him in 1966 at age 33. He led the Reds from 1966- 69 and managed at the big league level for all or part of 11 seasons until 1980, with stops in Milwaukee, Atlanta and San Francisco. Former Citizen- Times sportswriter Bob Terrell ’ 51 first covered him as a player when Bristol was 14 and later followed him at spring training during Bristol’s managerial career. “ Dave developed a good part of the Big Red Machine for Cincinnati in the minor leagues,” Terrell recalled, referring to the nickname given to the Reds during their run of four World Series appearances in the 1970s. “ I always enjoyed him as one of the sharpest baseball men I knew.” Since Western North Carolina had few opportunities for aspiring ballplayers during Bristol’s younger years, he used to hitchhike to Haywood County to play for a team there. He signed with the Reds after high school and played for Cincinnati farm clubs in the 1950s and early ’ 60s— the last few years as a player- manager— before his big league managing debut. Bristol coached the likes of Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Dale Murphy and Mike Schmidt. After concluding his career as a manager in 1980, he stayed at the big league level as a coach, for Philadelphia and later for Cincinnati, before leaving MLB after the 1993 season. “ Because Dave Bristol lived in the big leagues for so long, he has insights into the game that few people have,” said Chuck Jackson, a former big league baseball player who lives in Ashe-ville. “ I don’t know if coaches around here realize what kind of a resource we have in WNC. The baseball community around here needs to find a way to tap into this resource. He’s a treasure.” Reprinted in edited form with permission of the Asheville Citizen- Times. Playing In The Big League Former Baseball Manager Named to State Sports Hall of Fame By TYLER NORRIS GOODE Hall of Fame inductees pictured are Ralph Lundy ’ 73 MAEd ’ 76 ( upper left), Mark Ferguson ( center left), Willie Williams ’ 03 ( lower left), Darrell Murray ( upper right) and Scott Gay ’ 88 ( lower right). FALL 2006 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 25 Many WCU Alums Are Among High School Football Coaching Legends By STEVE WHITE ’ 67 Friday Night Lights America needed a change of pace in the late 1940s fol-lowing a decade and a half of economic depression and global conflict. And although there were few lighted local fields immediately after World War II, high school football quickly grew into the cultural event now known as Friday Night Lights. The phenomenon sprang from that need for diversion and community spirit, spreading throughout much of the nation. North Carolina was not immune, as the consuming topic in cafes and barber shops from Murphy to Manteo during the autumn months revolves around the fortunes of local high school football teams. Western has contributed its share of icons that helped make high school football an integral part of the state’s culture. In the 1950s and ’ 60s, when high school football was blooming in Western North Carolina, Hugh “ Pee Wee” Hamilton ’ 50 and Norris “ Pee Wee” Jones ’ 51 were legends. Hamilton won 145 games at Andrews, Asheville and East Henderson high schools. Jones coached for 20 years at T. C. Roberson High and 10 years at Swain High, chalking up 195 victories. Perhaps the most- renowned high school football coach in WCU’s legacy is Charles “ Babe” Howell ’ 53, who won a North Carolina record 301 football games. Included in Howell’s resume are five state championships at Sylva- Webster High, where he spent 24 seasons. He has been inducted into the WCU, Western North Carolina, N. C. High School Athletics Association and North Carolina Sports halls of fame. Even the winningest high school football coach of all- time, the legendary John McKissick MA ’ 69 of Summerville ( S. C.) High, holds a WCU graduate degree. In the ’ 70s, a new set of coaching legends was crowned. Boyce Deitz ’ 69 took over the reins at Swain High in 1977 and, over the next 20 seasons, won 201 games and five state championships. Bob Colvin ’ 62 earned a North Carolina record 11 state championships at Robbinsville from 1966 through 1985 and prevailed in 177 games in those 20 seasons. Jim Taylor ’ 70 collected 201 victories in 20 seasons at Shelby High, while Bruce Peterson ’ 63 claimed eight confer-ence titles at Lee Edwards/ Asheville High in 10 seasons. Currently, 17 WCU graduates are active as head coaches in North Carolina high schools, and at least a dozen in South Carolina and Georgia. Among the most successful are John photo by John Fletcher courtesy of the Asheville Citizen- Times The Magazine of Western Carolina 26 University FALL 2006 Lowery ’ 78, who is pushing 200 triumphs at Forest Hills High in Union County; Mike Biggerstaff ’ 70, who has won more than 100 games at West Caldwell and East Burke; Jim Fox ’ 71 at Rosman, who also has passed the century mark in the W column: Danny Wilkins ’ 79, who guided his Asheville High squad to the state 3A championship last season; and Neil Setzer ’ 81, who has secured more than 60 wins at Hayesville High and has developed a perennial state playoff program. Over the years, high school football has come to de-fine communities. In many small towns, Friday night at the stadium is as significant as Christmas and the Fourth of July. “ The annual Fat Friday game between East Burke and Freedom epitomizes the spirit and community of high school football,” says Biggerstaff, ex- Catamount all- star linebacker and East Burke’s head coach. “ They can turn off the traffic lights in Morganton, Drexel and Valdese because everyone is at the game.” Now director of regional outreach for WCU’s athletics department, Deitz says nothing unites Swain County better than Friday football in Bryson City. “ You’ve got the team, the student body, the band and the community all on the same page for several hours and, generally, that enthusiasm and spirit carries over into everyday life,” he said. Fox, who has coached at several large- and small- classi-fication schools, said Friday nights in the one- school- in- one-town venues of the Smoky Mountain Conference are special. “ The excitement at the Murphy, Hayesville, Swain, Robbins-ville and Rosman games cannot be matched in Charlotte or Greensboro. It’s like a family reunion every Friday night. Everyone in the stands knows the players and vice- versa,” he said. The post- war coaches saw numerous innovations and changes such as two- platoon football, the addition of face masks, development of the kicking game, and a move from the hard- nosed, grind- it- out running game to using the whole field. The newer legends also have seen the game change with integration, artificial playing fields, the emphasis on strength and conditioning, and sophisticated passing and blocking schemes. Despite the changes, when the lights come up on Friday night again this season, one thing will remain the same. It’s THE game. photo by Ann Ferguson courtesy of the Clay County Progress Catamounts who became hometown heroes for coaching high school football include, from left, Charles “ Babe” Howell ’ 53, who won a North Carolina record 301 football games; Al “ Mutt” DeGraffenreid ’ 77 MAEd ’ 80, former Cherokee High School coach who is now athletics director at Smoky Mountain High School; Danny Wilkins ’ 79, who led Asheville High to the state 3A championship last year; and ( background) Neil Setzer ’ 81, coach of the Hayesville Yellow Jackets. photo by Steve Dixon courtesy of the Asheville Citizen- Times FALL 2006 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 27 A familiar face from the glory years of Catamount football once again will be prowling the sidelines this fall as former West-ern player and assistant coach Don Powers ’ 68 MAE d ’ 69 returns as defensive coordinator. “ Coach Powers join-ing our program will make a huge impact,” said Kent Briggs ’ 79 MAE d ’ 81, the Catamounts’ head coach. “ His experience, personality and love for Western Caro-lina bring a lot to the football program, as well as to the university. He is a Catamount and always will be a Cata-mount. Every Catamount, present and past, is excited to have Coach Powers back.” While an assistant coach at Western ( 1974- 83), Powers was associated with Western’s most prolific teams and coached some of the greatest players in school his-tory. After playing four years as an outside linebacker and earning National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics All- District hon-ors three times, Powers joined the staff of legendary Coach Bob Waters in 1968 as a graduate assistant. He became a full- time as-sistant the following year, working the linebackers, a post he held until 1974 when he was named defensive coordinator. His impact was felt immediately, as the unit finished fourth in the nation in scoring defense in 1974, allowing just 87 points in 11 games. Powers was named assistant head coach in 1982, becoming the first person in WCU history to earn such a title. Five times from 1976- 83, Western ranked among the NCAA leaders in pass defense, pacing the nation in the category in 1977 by allowing just 77.5 yards per game. Western also led the Southern Conference in passing defense from 1977- 79. In his final season at Western, Powers helped the Catamounts reach the NCAA I- AA champion-ship game. During his tenure as a defensive coach, a total of 27 all- SoCon honors were bestowed upon Catamount defenders over a seven- year period. Powers, who has been in private business since 2000, previously coached 12 years at The Citadel, including the last five as the Bulldogs’ head coach. Powers took over a Bulldog team that was 2- 9 overall and 0- 8 in the Southern Conference before taking the helm and guiding them to an 11- 12 league mark during his first three years. Un-der his leadership, the Bulldogs went from two victories in 1995 to six wins in 1997, marking the top increase in the Southern Conference during that time span. As the Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator, Powers was a two- time Southern Conference defensive assistant coach of the year honoree ( 1990 and 1992) as he helped The Citadel win its second SoCon Championship in 1992, and first since 1961. That team went 11- 2 overall and 6- 1 in the SoCon, while recording wins over Arkansas and Army and reaching the second round of the NCAA I- AA playoffs. “ It’s great to be back where I belong, back home at Western, because this is my home in so many ways,” Powers said. “ I am elated with the way Coach Briggs approaches the program. We are both proud to be a part of the Bob Waters heritage and legacy, and my strongest motivation is to help achieve the success that Coach Waters envisioned for this program. I really want to see Western have a Southern Conference championship in football. I am very strongly motivated to achieve that for Coach Waters, for every player who has ever played at Western, and for all Catamount fans.” At the rate he’s going, Danny Williamson ’ 84 MAEd ’ 86 is going to have to build a bigger trophy case. That’s because the veteran Catamount coach was named Southern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year after guiding his squad to a come-from- behind first- place finish in the 2006 SoCon championships in April. The victory came just a couple months after Western’s men claimed the indoor track and field conference title, helping Williamson earn coach of the year honors for that sport. For Williamson, it was the 20th confer-ence coaching honor. And, on the heels of that honor, he was selected the Southeast District Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Coach of the Year by the U. S. Track & Field/ Cross Country Coaches’ Associa-tion. Now, about that bigger trophy case.... Fast Company Former Player, Coach Returns to Bob Waters Field By MIKE CAWOOD Powers Play Don Powers ’ 68 MAEd ’ 69 returns to help coach Catamounts. The Magazine of Western Carolina 28 University FALL 2006 At the risk of sounding cliché, the inaugural season of Cata-mount women’s softball was seemingly straight from the pages of a fairy tale. The storybook season could not have been written any better by screenwriters in Hollywood. The first pitch was a strike… the first hit was a home run… the first game was a win… and the first season resulted in a championship. Preseason predictions pegged the youthful Cats in seventh place in the eight- team league. But amid the hills of Western North Carolina, an offensive juggernaut and a one- two pitching combination was unveiled. When the dust finally settled on the infield diamond, Western had racked up nine Southern Conference weekly honors; six All- SoCon selections, including five first- team honorees; three monthly awards; and three of the conference’s four annual awards. And, the Cats brought home a regular season championship trophy in their first year of existence – something that no other SoCon team in any sport had ever pulled off before. “ When we first made the move to add softball to our list of sponsored sports, no one would have ever believed that this team would have accomplished in one year what they did, and we could not be more proud of their accomplishments,” said Chip Smith, WCU athletics director. Five players, led by junior Ashley Adams, belted double- digit home runs this season as the Catamounts shattered the confer-ence record for homers in a single season with 81 round- trippers. Adams led the way with another SoCon record, amassing 21 four-baggers. Freshman Lauren Ross began the home run barrage in the season- opener, blasting two— including smashing the team’s first- ever hit over the centerfield wall— to lead the Catamounts to victory in their inaugural outing. Western was the first school in the conference to reach 20, 30 and 40 wins, and was the only league team to hit the 40- win mark during regular season competition. The Catamounts tore through the conference and captured the 2006 regular season championship, sweeping the College of Charleston at home to earn the crown. Individually, freshman pitcher Mendy McKenzie led the league in wins ( 22) and strikeouts ( 207) during the regular season while ranking second overall in earned run average ( 2.17). The Clemmons native garnered a SoCon- re-cord five pitcher- of- the- week honors during the season, and was twice named the conference’s pitcher of the month. She would eventually be dubbed the SoCon Pitcher of the Year. The second part of the powerful one- two pitching punch was Fremont native Jenny Jackson, who secured 15 wins in the circle with the third- best ERA in the SoCon ( 2.38) during the season. Credited with the school’s first no- hitter, Jackson also hit .302 with 11 home runs as a utility player and earned the SoCon’s Freshman of the Year award. The architect of Western’s success also was lauded by the league, as Head Coach Megan Smith garnered the SoCon’s Coach of the Year award. Hired in July 2004, Smith guided the Catamounts to the regular season championship with only four losses in league action. Along the way, she collected her 100th career victory in just her second stint as a head collegiate coach. Despite an early exit from the conference tournament, the Catamounts are primed for next year. The championship roster, composed mostly of freshmen, bears just two juniors and a pair of sophomores, and the entire starting lineup returns intact. “ I am just so proud of this team— very proud,” Coach Smith said. “ This team did more than anyone expected and really played their hearts out all season long, and that’s all any coach can ask. Things just did not go our way at the tournament, but I am still very proud of this team. They want to and cannot wait to get back here next season.” Catamount softball fans feel the same way. This is one Hollywood story crying out for a sequel. Catamount Softball Hits Home Run in First At- Bat By Daniel Hoo ker ’ 01 A Storybook Season Winning moments in the Catamounts’ first season include, clockwise from left, Mendy McKenzie’s fast pitches, Samm Keppel’s golden glovework, Ashley Adams’ championship- clinching catch and the national anthem at the dedication of Western’s new softball facility. FALL 2006 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 29 Sitting on stage in front of 900- plus graduating students and a close- to- capacity crowd at spring commencement, Dr. Frances Owl- Smith ’ 83 was a little nervous about giving her “ thank you” speech, but the Waynesville pathologist, on hand to accept WCU’s Award for Academic and Professional Achievement, was pleased to have her family, including three grandchildren, in the Ramsey Cen-ter audience. “ I hoped my grandchildren could see that if they work hard and are dedicated to their educations, they can do anything they choose to do,” she said. “ And I was hoping that something I would say would be an inspiration to other people.” It’s hard to imagine anyone being less than inspired by Dr. Owl- Smith, the first female member of the Eastern Band of Chero-kee Indians to receive a medical degree. A Cherokee native, she graduated from Swain County High School in 1968 and married Doyle Smith, and the couple soon began having children. Over the next decade, she kept busy as a housewife while working occasion-ally as a teacher’s aide or nurse’s assistant. Smith’s flexible schedule as a barber made it possible for his wife to enroll at Western, and in 1979, at the age of 29, she joined the freshman class. Owl- Smith became a dean’s list student, enrolled in the medical technology ( now clinical laboratory sciences) program, recorded a 4.0 grade point average during her junior and senior years, and graduated summa cum laude ( with highest honors). Owl- Smith had never considered medicine as a career until a visit to a podiatry school led her to consider applying for medi-cal school. She had attended an eight- week program for minority students at UNC- Chapel Hill in the summer of 1982. Because of her success in that program, she was accepted into medical school at Chapel Hill. Loans, financial aid and a fellowship helped the family make ends meet while husband Doyle continued barbering. Owl- Smith graduated with high honors four years later as a medical doctor, but those years were not easy as she tried to balance roles as wife, mother and student while dealing with the sleep deprivation caused by clinical rotations and nighttime study. After graduation from medical school, Owl- Smith was chosen to enter the pathology residency program at UNC- Chapel Hill. Dur-ing the five- year residency, the couple’s son was diagnosed with a medical illness that would need lifelong attention. That was a major adjustment for the family, but they persevered, and Owl- Smith became a practicing pathologist at the age of 42. The family moved to the Southwest as Owl- Smith began her career working for the Indian Health Service in Arizona and New Mexico, partly as payback for loans. The family came back to the mountains in 2002 when she accepted a position at Haywood Regional Medical Center, where she is a pathologist and laboratory medical director. Owl- Smith’s many admirers include Dan Southern, WCU clini-cal laboratory sciences professor, who taught and mentored her. “ Dr. Owl- Smith is a very respected pathologist and has helped save many lives with her diagnostic skills,” Southern said. “ As a supervi-sor of laboratory personnel, she’s adored by her employees, many of whom are graduates of WCU’s clinical laboratory sciences program. She also gives unselfishly to her family, community and to her heri-tage, and she’s been an ardent supporter of the CLS program.” No wonder that after receiving her award at spring commence-ment, she spoke to the graduates about the importance of doing good. “ As a practicing pathologist, I’m obligated to make accurate diagnoses, and today I have a diagnosis for all of us,” she said. “ We all have a terminal illness called life. So I challenge you to go out there and get a real life— a life not just of the mind, but of the soul — a life where you do good.” A Positive Diagnosis First Eastern Band Woman To Earn Medical Degree Inspires Others To Work Hard, But Enjoy Life By RANDALL HOLCOMBE alumniAchievements Dr. Frances Owl- Smith ’ 83 works as a pathologist and laboratory medical director at Haywood Regional Medical Center. The Magazine of Western Carolina 30 University FALL 2006 Joe Crocker ’ 74 had long admired the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, which in the past 70 years has directed more than $ 360 million to nonprofit organiza-tions and charitable activities that benefit North Carolinians. So when offered the chance to join the foundation last year as director of operations, Crocker said yes. He saw the move as an opportunity to be closer to the philanthropic work he al-ready was part of as senior vice president and community affairs manager for the Wachovia Corporation in Winston- Salem. “ The foundation provided the oppor-tunity to be involved full- time as opposed to part- time,” said Crocker, former chair-man of Western’s board of trustees. “ The more you are in the community serving the community through leadership and board positions, the more you become aware of the needs. Since I started my working career, I have served on local boards and worked with organizations to help others. This is a culmination of that beginning.” Thomas W. Ross, executive director of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, said Crocker’s background in community relations and economic development made him an ideal choice for the orga-nization, which processes 700 to 1,000 grant applications annually. Crocker’s friends and colleagues also say the new job is a perfect fit. “ Joe is an exceptional individual and a tremendous asset to the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation,” said Harold Martin, senior vice president for academic affairs for the University of North Carolina system and former chancellor at Winston- Salem State University. “ He is a very serious, honest, religious person driven to always do the right thing. It’s just who Joe is.” Ricky Shore, president of Aladdin Travel & Meeting Planners, described his former Wachovia coworker as just a solid citizen. “ There is a book about the purpose- driven life, and that is what Joe is about,” said Shore. “ The move to the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation enables him to come closer to fulfilling a purpose-driven life.” The list of organizations that Crocker has helped lead or contribute to is long, including Western Carolina University, the North Carolina Rural Center, the North Carolina Public School Forum, the North Carolina Network of Grantmakers, Donors Choose, the North Carolina Medi-cal Care Commission, the Mint Museum in Charlotte, Family Guidance Center, the Inter- Faith Housing Development Corporation of Hickory, Catawba County United Way, Catawba Valley Community College and Catawba Memorial Hospital. What Crocker brings to the organiza-tions that he assists is a listening- based, inquisitive and decisive leadership style. “ At meetings, I would be amazed how many questions he would ask,” said Catherine Lough, director of develop-ment at the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching. Lough got to know Crocker when they both worked for Wachovia. “ You knew he would ask questions, and he would ask the hard questions until he was satisfied that he had a full understanding of the issue,” said Lough, adding that he also is a people person who is quick with a smile. “ You instantly feel comfortable and at home around Joe. He really puts people at ease.” Lucky for Western, Crocker has kept room in his heart and made time for his alma mater. He has served two terms on the university’s board of trustees and made history as WCU’s first African American board chairman, during a time of tremendous growth. Indirectly, too, he and his wife, Carol Vaughan Crocker ’ 75, have had a hand in recruiting at least two students. One was their daughter Marcella, who said she grew to love the mountains and the school during their many visits back to Cullowhee for football games and other events. “ He’s been bringing us here to Western ever since I can remember,” said Marcella Crocker ’ 05. The other was their daughter’s longtime friend and Lough’s daughter, Betsy Walker ’ 05, who joined the Crockers on one of those trips west. “ Carol was a music major and took Betsy around,” Lough said. “ There was something so special that appealed to Betsy that she came home right away and said, ‘ That’s where I want to go.’ She sat at the kitchen table and filled out her application.” Purpose- Driven Life Zest for Philanthropy Guides Career By Teresa Kilian alumniAchievements WCU is a family tradition for Carol Vaughan Crocker ’ 75, Marcella Crocker ’ 05 and Joe Crocker ’ 74. FALL 2006 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 31 Lt. Col William “ Bill” Lochridge IV ’ 65 cannot forget the reason he spends his days protecting the waters around New York. The commander of the New York State Military Emer-gency Boat Service can still see the scattered shoes and the body of a fallen firefighter, even though 9/ 11 was five years ago. Lochridge also cannot forget the “ Pier 92” family of emergency responders who grew so close that he and his fiancé relocated their October 2001 wedding to the Ground Zero Command Center. Then- Mayor Rudy Giuliani performed the ceremony. “‘ We need an uplifting event like this,’ Giuliani told me,” said Lochridge. The 22- year veteran of the computer and communications industry who also served two tours in Vietnam was feeding breakfast to his yellow lab, Chance, when he heard that a plane hit the World Trade Center, turned on his TV and watched the unthinkable. “ My commanding general called and instructed me to find a way into the city,” said Lochridge, a member of the New York Naval Militia. “ I told the general that all bridges and tun-nels into the city were closed, traffic congestion was horrendous, and all non- military and law enforcement aircraft were re- routed or grounded. He said, ‘ Lochridge, you find a way in.’” His way was a friend’s 36- foot high- speed power boat named the Huntress, which picked him up at the Greenwich Yacht Club. They traveled to the 23rd Street Marina through three Coast Guard blockades. “ The memories of those first few days shall always be with me: the smell; the powdery ash covered with paper from offices that once were occupied; shoes littering the ground; a flattened baby stroller in front of the Millennium Hotel; crushed fire trucks and police cars around the impact site; and an American flag that I watched, on the first night, as it broke loose from its pole, flew through currents of hot air and caught itself on a lamp post,” said Lochridge. “ It never touched the ground.” For the next 51 days, Lochridge and others at Ground Zero worked 18- to 22- hour shifts. Lochridge helped coordinate the flow of materials needed at Ground Zero. He directed installa-tion of defensive security and safety systems for the Command Center on Pier 92 and coordinated with the Coast Guard and police marine units for waterfront security. Meanwhile, fast approaching was his wedding day to a woman from Germany who had been a professional ballerina that he first met when he was a student at Western. Twice, he proposed. Twice, she said no. Finally, in 2000, they reconnected. “ Only this time, she asked me to marry her,” Lochridge said. “ Amen.” On their wedding day, a police car drove them from LaGuardia International Airport to the command center near Ground Zero, which had been decorated with everything from floral arrangements to a wedding cake from the Red Cross. Military personnel joined New York and New Jersey state police, firefighters, sanitation workers and state and federal emergency workers in an honor guard that led to the Command Center podium. Instead of “ Here Comes the Bride,” a piper played the “ Marine Corps Hymn.” When Giuliani asked Lochridge if he was ready to get married, he said, “ Yes, sir. It’s only taken 37 years since I first asked her.” Emergency Responder Embraces New Mission, New Life By Teresa Kilian alumniAchievements Triumph over Tragedy Courage and Commitment Drive Alums Five Years After 9/ 11 Lt. Col. William “ Bill” Lochridge IV ’ 65 commands the New York State Military Emergency Boat Service ( above). Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani presided over Lochridge’s wedding at a command center near Ground Zero a month after 9/ 11 ( left). The Magazine of Western Carolina 32 University FALL 2006 Former Catamount golfer 1st Lt. Sarah Parris ’ 00 broke her back and injured her face when a Humvee in which she was manning a gun turret flipped over. The vehicle had swerved to avoid an Iraqi running toward the convoy – one of 50 Parris rode in while serving with the 78th Security Forces Squadron. In recognition of her service, Parris was honored at Robins Air Force Base in May with the Bronze Star, a medal presented for heroic or meritorious achievement of service, not involved in aerial flight, in connection with operations against enemy forces. Her responsibilities in Iraq included advising and mentoring Iraqi soldiers at Camp Ur near the city of An Nasiriyah, a nontraditional role for females in those areas. “ It was definitely a challenge trying to get accustomed to the Iraqi culture,” she said. “ It’s definitely not in my personality to accept treatment as a second- class citizen just because I’m a woman. It took a month or so for the Iraqis to get used to women being assertive and in positions of authority. The main thing was respecting their culture, taking things slowly and showing them that we can all work together.” In addition to training soldiers, Parris helped create several security plans. One was developed for the high- profile Iraqi elections in October and December, enabling more than 2,000 soldiers to travel to An Nasiriyah to vote. She helped develop standards not only for Camp Ur, but also define the path taken by coalition forces in Iraq. “ I’ve enjoyed my experience, and I will value this honor for the rest of my life,” said Parris, who separated from the Air Force this summer and plans to work as a physical education teacher. At Western, her athletic achievements landed her in 11th place on the university’s all- time golfing career scoring charts with 6,458 strokes in 76 total rounds for a stroke average of 84.97. “ I am looking forward to being ‘ Coach P’,” she said. Reprinted in edited form with permission of the Robins Air Force Base newspaper, the Robins Rev- Up. Catamount Alumna Earns Bronze Star By 2nd Lt. Sequoiya L. Franks Darkhorse Marine Decorated for Valor By Cpl. Mark Sixbey alumniAchievements Maj. Gen. Richard Natonski presented the Bronze Star Medal with Combat Distinguishing Device to 1st Lt. Alfred L. Butler IV ’ 01 ( right). U. S. Marine photo by Cpl. Mark Sixbey. Col. Theresa C. Carter, 78th Air Base Wing Commander, presents a citation for meritorious service to 1st Lt Sarah Parris ’ 00 ( right). U. S. Air Force photo by Sue Sapp. Darkhorse Marine 1st Lt. Alfred L. Butler IV ’ 01 was deco-rated with the nation’s fourth- highest award for valor by the 1st Marine Division commanding general. Maj. Gen. Richard Natonski presented the Bronze Star Medal with Combat Distinguishing Device to Butler, weapons company executive officer, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, outside the battalion’s command post in May. “ I knew his father, and I think he’s following in his footsteps,” Natonski said. “ This is his third deployment to Iraq, and he’s done a marvelous job over here.” The 27- year- old from Jacksonville earned the award for his actions and leadership while commanding an 81mm mortar platoon on Dec. 23, 2004, during combat operations in Fallujah. “ It was one of those days when everyone ran out of ammo,” said Butler. “ We even used AK- 47s.” As insurgents ambushed his platoon, Butler rushed to the attack where he found several men pinned under heavy auto-matic weapons fire on a stairwell. He evacuated them from the house and learned insurgents had isolated additional men on the second floor. He quickly organized an assault force and raced to an adjacent house under constant small arms fire to recover the men. The platoon commander led his team as they cleared two buildings, jumping from roof to roof to reach them. He shielded the bodies of the fallen Marines when a grenade landed nearby, then threw two grenades into a room filled with insurgents. While delivering cover fire, Butler moved the men across to an adjacent rooftop, personally evacuating a wounded Marine under constant small arms fire and grenade attacks. His actions preserved the lives of the men. Butler credited the decoration to the Marines under his command. “ I owe those Marines my life,” he said. “ The things they did that day are the sort of things you read about in books. What they do for each other and what they sacrifice for each other makes you not want to leave the Marine Corps.” Butler was only 5 years old when his father, Marine Maj. Alfred Butler III, was killed in Beirut. Butler said most of what he knows of his father he learned from Marines like Maj. Gen. Natonski who served with him. “ From what I understand, he was a great man, great Marine, husband and father,” said Butler, who is currently on duty in Iraq. “ If I can be half of that, I think I’ll be fine.” Reprinted in edited form with permission of the U. S. Marine Corps. FALL 2006 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 33 The Class Notes section features news about personal or professional accomplishments of Western graduates. Alumni are listed in the year in which they earned their first degree at Western. City and county names not otherwise identified are in North Carolina. • class NOTES• 1939 Darnell Phillips Spann received special recognition for Mother’s Day this year. As the oldest mom attending worship that day at Pilot Baptist Church, she was presented with a vase of red roses. Spann lives in Zebulon. 1965 Dale Hollifield and wife Dianne ’ 66 were honored in May as the Southern Conference Distinguished Service Award winners from Western. Each member institution selects honorees based on their overall contributions to the school. The Distinguished Service Award honors select individuals who have gone above and beyond the call to help Southern Conference institutions better achieve their goals to the benefit of thousands of student- athletes. In 1995, Dale retired from United Parcel Service with 28 ½ years of service, and Dianne has spent her entire career in education, teaching at various levels and in many areas. Both have been lifelong supporters of Western athletics, academics and the arts. 1971 It is a reunion of sorts for Timothy C. Jacobs MAEd ’ 75 MA ’ 99, former director of WCU’s A. K. Hinds University Center, who is serving as interim director for the University Union at the University of North Texas “ as a favor” to his ex- boss at Western. Bonita Jacobs ( no relation), former associate vice chancellor for student affairs at WCU and current vice president for student development at UNT, asked Jacobs in January to step in and run the student union until a permanent director is named. He is in charge of a 198,000- square- foot facility with more than 65 employees. The facility averages 17,500 users a day at the 32,000- student university. 1974 Chairman of Sylva’s WestCare Health System board of trustees since 2005, Jim Manring MBA ’ 76 in April received a state trustee service award at the Annual N. C. Hospital Leaders Institute of the North Carolina Hospital Association. The trustee service awards recognize hospital trustees who, through their leadership, have made significant and unique contributions to their hospitals and the communities they serve. A member of WestCare’s board of trustees since 1996, Manring is director of planned giving at Western. 1975 After 30 years in education— the past 23 at West Henderson High School in Henderson County— cross country coach and guidance counselor Greg Price MAEd ’ 76 retired in June. Before going to West Henderson in 1983, he was at Rugby Middle School and Highlands High School. “ My daughter is graduating ( from West Henderson High) this year, so I thought I’d graduate with her,” he told the Times- News of Hendersonville. Among the trophies and plaques his student-athletes have won over the years are boys’ and girls’ state championships in 1993 and the boys’ state championship again in 1995. 1976 Recently selected as one of four supervisors in the United States for NCAA women’s basketball, Judith L. Stroud MAEd ’ 81 has reached a milestone in women’s basketball: She has played, coached, officiated and— beginning in September— will supervise officials, bringing her involvement in the sport to more than 30 years. A resident of Hendersonville, Stroud is an agent with State Farm Insurance and a member of Western’s College of Business Advisory Board. 1977 Previously vice president for academic affairs at Western Piedmont Community College in Morganton, Jim Burnett MAEd ’ 84 EdS ’ 92 became the college’s fifth president in January. An alumnus of WPCC and honored as WPCC Alumnus of the Year in 2001, he joined the staff in 1973 as coordinator of veterans’ affairs and then served in various positions, including dean of student services, registrar and adjunct business instructor. 1978 After more than 10 years with theaters in Kansas City, Boston and Providence, Jeff Clark returned to his home state last spring as executive director of the Mariam and Robert Hayes Performing Arts Center in Blowing Rock. His job includes executing the business plan and creating programming and patron services for the new center, scheduled to open in August after almost five years of arduous fundraising for the 15- year- old dream. 1979 After holding many positions with Angel Medical Center in Franklin over the past 15 years, Jean Sprinkle recently returned to a position she held 10 years ago— director of Home Health and Hospice. The agency offers patients and their families education, training, treatments and therapy, as well as bereavement counseling for up to one year after the death of a loved one. 1980 Retired director of administrative services for Cleveland County Schools, Steve C. Borders MAEd EdS ’ 82 recently was appointed to serve as interim superintendent of the school system, beginning in July. He served as teacher, assistant principal and principal in Cleveland County before becoming administrative services director, a position he held for three years before retiring with 30 years in N. C. public schools. 1982 Serving as Western’s acting registrar since October, Larry Hammer MS ’ 96 ( pictured above) in June was appointed registrar. Prior to moving to the Registrar’s Office in October, he was information systems coordinator for enrollment management at Western. Hammer and wife Darla live in Sylva with son Paul and daughter Elizabeth. 1983 Commander Wesley S. Trull has retired from the U. S. Coast Guard after serving almost 23 years in the armed forces. Commissioned a second lieutenant in the U. S. Army after college, he transferred to the Coast Guard in 1987. His last assignment was at the U. S. Coast Guard Air Station in San Francisco, where he served as the unit’s operations officer and the executive officer. 1985 After 21 years in the U. S. Air Force, Lance Sigmon has retired as a lieutenant colonel and opened a law practice in Newton. During his military career, he served as a military trial judge, the chief appellate government counsel for the Air Force, the chief prosecutor The Magazine of Western Carolina 34 University FALL 2006 Deborah Potter ’ 80 used to sign off her deejay slots at Western Carolina University’s radio station with “ I love you Cullowhee!” The station played everything from Steely Dan to The Rolling Stones, and Potter’s discovery of how much she loved working there set the course for a career in the communi-cations field that led her to a position today as press secretary for U. S. Rep. Charles Taylor, who was recently awarded an honorary doctorate at Western. Potter had planned to become a school teacher when she enrolled at Western, but switched her major to radio and television. She graduated summa cum laude on a Saturday and went to work for WLOS- TV in Asheville the following Monday. After six months of working as a video editor ( and six months of “ bugging” the news director), she began reporting. During her time at WLOS and at WSPA in Spartanburg, she covered stories including the Republican National Convention in New Orleans when then- Vice President George H. W. Bush was nominated as a presidential candidate. Potter cried in the newsroom when she heard the missing children of South Carolinian Susan Smith were found dead in a lake. She spent long days covering the search for Atlanta Olympics bomber Eric Rudolph. Potter then moved to an editing position at the Asheville Citizen- Times, where Jim Buchanan ’ 83, editorial page associate editor, said Potter was always a friendly, reliable “ go- to” person. “ When you wanted something taken care of, you could direct it to her and it would be done,” Buchanan said. Taylor had called her “ out of the blue” to ask her to join his staff, she said. They talked about his initiatives and vision for Western North Carolina. “ I was amazed because I had not heard about them, and he said that was why he needed me as a press secretary— to help more people learn about them. He said, ‘ You know, Deborah, if I’m successful at what I want to do, then maybe by the time your girls get out of college, they’ll be able to find a job here and won’t have to move away like my sons.’ I thought about that a lot.” Potter, a mother of two, joined Taylor’s staff nearly three years ago, and Taylor said she has brought a new level of professionalism to their office. “ A lot of the initiatives we are working on are very complex, and Deborah has been successful at working with our district media to keep the public informed of what we are working on,” Taylor said. Potter has had the chance to visit Western’s campus several times to observe some of the growth Taylor has helped make happen. She visited the Center for Applied Technology, a 28,000- square- foot facility that was the first new building constructed on Western’s campus in more than 17 years. Nearly $ 8 million in federal funds enabled its construction. “ I thought how cool it would have been to use all that great equipment with all the bells and whistles,” Potter said. “ I was proud to be working with someone who did so much to make that building a reality.” Capitol Communication Catamount Works With Congressman By Teresa Killian for Europe and the Middle East, and a military defense counsel. His new practice will involve the representation of any member of the military accused of a crime and facing trial by court- martial. Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, military personnel accused of a crime may elect to be represented by a civilian attorney at trial. Sigmon’s practice will be based in Newton, but he will travel worldwide to represent clients. 1987 Kings Mountain Middle School seventh- grade language arts teacher Cynthia Jean Cook in March was selected a Star Teacher and recognized at the 16th annual Time Warner Cable Star Teacher banquet at Gardner- Webb University. Before receiving certification in middle grades language arts in 1998, she was a K– 4 resource teacher for two years, then spent about nine years working with children with disabilities in a regular education setting. Cook also has acquired certification in academically intellectually gifted education. Last year, she was voted Kings Mountain Middle School’s teacher of the year. 1990 In April 2005, Rick Gardin, lead counselor for group homes for challenged youth in Burke County, began the Heroes for Christ Youth Sports Organization, a Christian- based organization that hosts three basketball teams for boys and girls ages 8 to 17. Although the organization has a Christian emphasis, Gardin says it is unaffiliated with a single denomination. “ Basketball is just a way to get them here,” he told The News Herald of Morganton. “ We have another agenda: to teach them character and respect. We want to teach the kids the basic fundamentals of basketball and how sports can relate to life.” 1991 The list of achievements keeps growing for Hayesville High School English teacher Marianne Leek MAT ’ 01 ( pictured above), who inspires students to learn through assignments centered on personal reflection. In addition to earning National Board Certification, two Hayesville High School Teacher of the Year awards and the 2003 North Carolina Character Educator of the Year, Leek is the 2005- 06 Teacher of the Year for Region 8 in North Carolina. “ Marianne exemplifies the type of teacher that we aspire to prepare at Western,” said Michael Dougherty, dean of the College of Education and Allied Professions. “ She understands and effectively demonstrates the three ‘ Rs’ in the correct order: relationship, relevance and rigor.” Lisa Majors- Duff joined the American Cancer Society as an income manager in June 2005. Her responsibilities include generating more than $ 250,000 in contributions in Jackson and • classNOTES• Deborah Potter ’ 80 joins U. S. Rep. Charles Taylor on a tour of Western’s biology and chemistry research facilities. Continued on page 36 FALL 2006 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 35 Western’s registrar Larry Hammer ’ 82 MS ’ 96 vividly remembers his friend Dr. Sal Lettieri ’ 83 walking down the hall in the Natural Sciences Building reading his physi-cal chemistry textbook aloud – in French. Lettieri was a student to the extreme: He didn’t just study foreign language. He became fluent, tutored others and considered at-tending school in Montreal. Instead, the chemistry and mathematics major went to medical school in North Carolina and pursued postdoctoral work at Johns Hopkins Hospital and Maryland Shock Trauma Center. Today, the student has emerged a teacher. Lettieri shares his expertise as a plastic surgeon specializing in trauma reconstruc-tion with residents at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Arizona. “ The difficulty is fewer and fewer plastic surgeons are willing to do trauma reconstruction exclusively,” said Lettieri, who was drawn to the profession for the variety of work. “ The lifestyle can have long, unpredictable hours, and the reimburse-ment for such procedures is diminishing.” His patients range from burn victims to people with ad-vanced cancer, such as a patient whose jaw eroded as a result of a tumor or treatment. Episodes of the TV show “ Saving Life and Limb” highlighted how Lettieri helped repair a woman’s scalp after a dog attack and reconstruct the face of a man injured in a lawn mower accident. Royce Woosley, the head of Western’s chemistry department when Lettieri was a student, said the lawn mower injury documentary was hard to watch and yet incredible. “ The man who Sal did surgery on had had a mustache most of his life that was destroyed, and he said on the show that he was very pleased Dr. Lettieri was able to re-store it as he built a new upper lip,” Woosley said. “ It was amazing.” Lettieri said he feels very fortunate to have built a career around something he is happy doing and for which he has an aptitude. Before he started college, the math whiz considered pursu-ing a career in engineering and enrolled at Western with every intention of transferring to N. C. State University. “ I ended up liking Western so much that I just stayed and majored in math and chemistry,” he said. After graduation, Lettieri spent a year as a graduate assistant with the chemistry department at Western. He considered dental school but, as a senior, decided he would rather pursue medicine. Lettieri lacked the biology credits other medical school applicants had, having decided to apply so late in his undergraduate career. He was not accepted the first time, but Woosley and other faculty helped him prepare to reapply during his year as a graduate as-sistant and supported his dream however possible. “ I we
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Title | Western : the magazine of Western Carolina University. |
Other Title | Magazine of Western Carolina University |
Date | 2006-08 |
Description | Fall 2006 (Volume 10, no. 3) |
Digital Characteristics-A | 7.5 MB; 40 p. |
Digital Format | application/pdf |
Pres Local File Path-M | \Preservation_content\StatePubs\pubs_borndigital\images_master\ |
Full Text | Western Fall 2006 T h e Mag a z i n e o f We s t e r n C a ro l i n a U n i v e r s i t y A Learning Environment Biodiversity of WNC Mountains Offers Endless Research Opportunities Catamount fans across the Southeast who can’t make it to the Saturday, Sept. 23, football game at Furman or to the Homecoming showdown with Chattanooga still can have front row seats. Both games are scheduled to be broadcast by ComCast/ Charter Sports Southeast ( CSS) for cable subscribers in 12 states — Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. WLOS/ WYMA of Asheville, which is donating the uplink and satellite time for the WCU- Furman game, will carry a replay on Sunday, Sept. 24, at 2 p. m. Negotiations also are under way to televise the annual Battle for the Old Mountain Jug when Appalachian State returns to Cullowhee on Nov. 11. For updates on the televised games or a complete fall athletics schedule, visit catamountsports. com. Tackling the Tube 8 Cover Story Features 4 Millennial Campus Campus of Future Embraces Innovation, Service to WNC 14 Serving Citizens Public Sector Careers Attract WCU Alums 19 Homecoming Attraction Catamounts Come Back to Cullowhee 24 Sporting Goods Five Named to Hall of Fame, Grads Grab Gridiron Glory, Softball Superstars 32 Courageous Catamounts Freedom Fighters Earn Bronze Stars 34 News and Notes Catch Up with Classmates Fall 2006 Volume 10, No. 3 Western Carolina University Magazine, formerly known as Our Purple and Gold, is produced by the Office of Public Relations in the Division of Advancement and External Affairs for alumni, faculty, staff, friends and students of Western Carolina University. Chancellor John W. Bardo Vice Chancellor Clifton B. Metcalf Advancement and External Affairs Associate Vice Chancellor Leila Tvedt Public Relations Managing Editor Bill Studenc Associate Editor Teresa Killian Art Director Rubae Sander Chief Photographer Mark Haskett ’ 87 Contributing Writers Mike Cawood Randall Holcombe Daniel Hooker ’ 01 John Kenyon Jim Rowell ’ 72 Steve White ’ 67 Dianne Yount ’ 79 Contributing Designers John Balentine Loretta Adams ’ 80 Contributing Photographer Ashley T. Evans Chris Edmonds Special thanks to: The U. S. Marine Corps, Robins Air Force Base, The Sylva Herald, the Asheville Citizen- Times, Clay County Progress, DownStreamPhoto. com and the Charlotte Bobcats for their contributions to this issue. Please send story ideas and suggestions to: Western Carolina University Magazine Suite 420, H. F. Robinson Building Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC 28723 or via e- mail: bstudenc@ wcu. edu. Go to the Western Carolina University Alumni Association Web site ( alumni. wcu. edu) to add a class note, update your information, or catch up on campus events. Postmaster: Send address changes to: Office of Alumni Affairs, Suite 440, H. F. Robinson Building Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC 28723. Outdoors Odyssey WNC Mountains Take Students Above and Beyond ( on the cover) Kathy Mathews, assistant professor of biology, points out aspects of rivercane to Western students Sharhonda Bell, Katie McDowell and Adam Griffith ( from left to right). Their measurements and observations will be used to help restore the plant, which, though native to the region, has struggled for survival in the face of development and agricultural planting. T h e M a g a z i n e o f W e s t e r n C a r o l i n a U n i v e r s i t y Western When Robert Lee Madison assembled 18 students in August of 1889 in the one- room schoolhouse that was the forerunner of Western Carolina University, he did so with a vision of what he called “ the Cullowhee Idea”— the concept of an educational institution with an influence ranging far beyond the small mountain community where it was located. As described by history professors Curtis Wood and Tyler Blethen in “ A Mountain Heritage: The Illustrated History of Western Carolina University,” Madison came to the Cullowhee Valley to launch a school at the behest of people characterized by a stead-fast “ spirit of progress, ambition and change for themselves and their children.” The vision and the spirit of Madison and WCU’s found-ers are now taking a giant leap into the future as the university implements the Millennial Initiative, which Chancellor John W. Bardo calls “ a defining moment in university history.” The Millennial Initiative calls for the university to develop close partnerships with business, industry and government in a way that simultaneously increases hands- on educational opportunities for students, allows professors to conduct high- tech research and plays a role in regional economic development. WCU will build multiple- use neighborhoods that cluster academic buildings, research facilities, business, industry and housing on portions of the existing campus and on 344 acres recently acquired across N. C. Highway 107. In those on- campus neighborhoods, partners from the university, private industry and government will come together, share resources from manpower to knowledge and conduct research into scientific and technological innovations that have commercial applications. University officials say Western’s plan is not a conventional “ research park” or “ business incubator” approach in which research and business activities occur in a separate district, but is a new arrangement in which those activities actually will be in-serted into the existing, traditional campus to create integrated knowledge communities. A mixed- use neighborhood centered on retirement, aging and health, for instance, would not only have classroom space for students but might also have nearby a private health care provider who works with older populations, specialty senior housing or a company that supplies products related to health and aging. “ These neighborhoods will become home to educational and outreach programs that are co- located to improve the education of our students while also supporting the regional economy,” said Paul Evans MS ’ 72, director of WCU’s Insti-tute for the Economy and the Future, which will oversee the Millennial Initiative ( see related story). “ Students not only learn in the classroom, but also can effectively apply that learning to real problems as they work with public and private partners located in the very neighborhoods where those students are living and learning.” N. C. Gov. Michael Easley said the ability to produce innovative technologies and a skilled, knowledgeable workforce is an important factor to the state’s future economic success. “ Western Carolina University’s Millennial Initiative capitalizes on Western’s research and entrepreneurial strengths to promote economic development and prepare the region’s workforce for the transformed economy of the new millennium,” he said. Propelling the Millennial Initiative forward is the North Carolina Board of Governors endorsement this spring of the university’s plans to create a “ knowledge enterprise zone.” The endorsement capped a process that began six years ago when the General Assembly approved Millennial Campus legislation based on a measure originally written by WCU staff. The leg-islation makes it possible for UNC institutions to seek public-private partnerships to improve the academic experience for Millennial Initiative Looks to the Future While Maintaining the Vision of WCU’s Founders By BILL STUDENC The Evolution of an Idea “ Western Carolina University’s Millennial Initiative capitalizes on Western’s research and entrepreneurial strengths to promote economic development and prepare the region’s workforce for the transformed economy of the new millennium.” — N. C. Gov. Michael Easley The Magazine of Western Carolina University FALL 2006 students and allow universities to apply their intellectual re-sources— their faculty, students and staff— to foster economic development to benefit their respective regions and the state. “ We are pleased that the Board of Governors has approved our request, which follows an exhaustive process involving the campus, the local community and the entire Western North Carolina region,” Bardo said. Now, the Millennial Initiative is coming to life as the uni-versity updates its master plan, which guides construction and development ( see related story). Already, representatives of several private companies, including a business investigating environmentally friendly methods of pest control, a wireless technology company interested in new product development, and a secure data storage facility, have contacted university officials to explore potential partnerships. Attracting new high- tech businesses and industries to the region is a critical element of the Millennial Initiative. “ We are attempting to fulfill a promise we made to the people of Western North Carolina to do everything in our power to help keep some of the best and brightest of the region’s young people from being forced to leave home to find the type of high-paying jobs available elsewhere,” Bardo said. “ We want the children of the mountains to be able to remain in the mountains, to be prosperous, and to be participants in the global economy.” State and federal officials say that WCU’s efforts will help a region and state that have been hammered hard by the loss of jobs in such traditional manufacturing settings as textiles and furniture— jobs that are gone and not coming back. “ As we look to the future of North Carolina, job creation and technological development will be essential to our growth and prosperity,” U. S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole said. “ The creation of the Millennial Initiative will play such an important role in this endeavor, helping to lead the way for university, private industry and government partners to work together.” The Millennial Initiative will attract high- tech businesses to campus that offer stu-dents more hands- on experiences such as those pictured above. From left to right, Sarah Reneer operates equipment in an audio- visual production lab; Lee Scholoss and Phillip Thrailkil work with machinery; Jonika Shank explores robotics; nursing students Megan Gillette and Zoe Quinn practice skills; and Brett Banther experiments with prototyping. Leading the way in planning Western’s Millennial Initiative is the university’s think tank and regional economic development arm, guided by a distinguished group of scholars, military leaders, government officials and business professionals who are lending their expertise to help accomplish the mission. In their roles as senior policy fellows with WCU’s Institute for the Economy and the Future, they are assisting the university in crafting a long- range plan for regional growth in Western North Carolina and for pursuing business opportunities for its Millennial Initiative ( see related story). The fellows, who joined the university earlier this year, also are assisting in developing policy studies, survey research and public forums on regional economic development issues. Among the fellows’ other projects, for example, is a recent survey of America’s state- level homeland security officials that revealed ongoing concerns about national security and federal disaster preparedness. The senior policy fellows are Alphonse Buccino, a technology consultant who has worked at the National Science Foundation and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; Maj. Gen. Geoff Higginbotham, a retired Marine who served during the Vietnam and Desert Storm campaigns; Daniel Os-tergaard, former executive director of the U. S. Department of Homeland Security’s Advisory Council; Arnold Packer, a work-force development authority who has worked with the U. S. Department of Labor; William T. Thompkins Jr., an informa-tion technology development and management expert; Alan Z. Thornburg, formerly a N. C. Court of Appeals judge; and Robert Warshaw, former U. S. deputy drug czar. “ With the announcement that these distinguished and highly skilled leaders have agreed to serve as senior policy fel-lows at the IEF, we have taken a very important step in meeting our commitment to build a regional think tank with capacities for rigorous research and economic base analysis that can help Western North Carolina prosper,” said Chancellor John W. Bardo. Formerly known as the Center for Regional Develop-ment, the IEF is working on projects targeting digital entrepre-neurship; economic modeling and visualization; issue polling, research and policy analysis; and executive education for global competitiveness in critical areas such as corporate security. Pictured above: Senior policy fellows at Western’s Institute for the Economy and the Future, from left to right, are Daniel Ostergaard, Maj. Gen. Geoff Higginbotham, Alphonse Buccino, William T. Thompkins Jr., Arnold Packer and Alan Z. Thornburg. Senior Policy Fellows Helping Chart Path for Economic Future FALL 2006 The Magazine of Western Carolina University With new academic buildings, residence halls and traffic patterns popping up all across campus during the construc-tion boom of the past several years, Chancellor John W. Bardo has often said, “ If you haven’t been to Western in the past few months, then you really haven’t been to Western.” With the addition of 344 acres that more than doubled the size of campus and the dramatic transformations envisioned in the university’s new master plan, future visitors may have difficulty even recognizing the place. That’s because the master plan recently approved by WCU’s board of trustees represents an innovative new concept of the 21st- century university. The plan, a long- range roadmap designed to guide future growth on Western’s existing cam-pus and development of the new property, moves away from old notions of an ivory tower removed from the rest of the world. Instead, the plan, a major component of the Millennial Initiative, envisions the Western of the future as a mixed-use knowledge community that blends traditional campus functions and facilities with private and governmental enterprises in a place featuring common recreational facilities, open space and other commercial and community amenities. “ We are reinventing Western Carolina University,” said Bardo. “ We are transforming the traditional notion of a university into a broader notion of a university- centered knowledge community. In this conception, the university continues its traditional functions, but also serves as a central source of intellectual energy— a knowledge- based economic development enterprise— to spur regional prosperity in the knowledge economy.” The master plan calls for developing “ neighborhoods of interest” on portions of the existing campus and on the recently acquired property, which runs roughly from the Jackson County Airport to the N. C. Center for the Advancement of Teaching. Neighborhoods of interest are mixed- use areas designed so that partners from private business and industry work alongside fac-ulty and students teaching and learning in academic programs closely related to the activities of those firms. Master Planning Process Guides Development of Existing Campus, Millennial Properties By BILL STUDENC A Roadmap to the Future Architectural drawing of the proposed retirement, aging and health neighborhood Plans for this neighborhood call for a 145,000- square- foot School of Health and Gerontological Sciences building and neighboring facilities for private business and industry, such as a health care provider or company that supplies products linked to health and aging. The Magazine of Western Carolina University FALL 2006 Architectural drawing of the proposed learning services and education neighborhood The neighborhood would be anchored by a 163,000- square- foot School of Education building and would offer space for related public- private endeavors, such as the development of educational software. The first two neighborhoods to be developed on the new property are expected to focus on retirement, aging and health, with a new $ 46 million School of Health and Gerontological Sciences; and on learning services and education, with a new $ 40 million School of Education. Both new buildings have been designated high funding priorities by the UNC Board of Governors. University officials believe the health, aging and retire-ment neighborhood, where students and faculty interested in those areas would study, teach and live, also would provide a good location for private health care provider facilities, specialty housing related to older populations, and companies that supply products or services related to health and aging. The education and learning neighborhood would create opportunities for public- private partnerships in research and policy studies, competitive learning systems, and pedagogy and software development. Other potential neighborhoods identified in the master plan include those focused on technology and engineering; arts and entertainment; business; humanities and culture; social sciences and services; and the Honors College. The master plan calls for the creation of “ town centers” on both sides of campus, where restaurants, coffee shops, retail stores and other businesses would provide services to help keep students on campus and attract visitors. The plan also continues the emphasis on a pedestrian-friendly campus that was a hallmark of the previous master plan, with strong walking corridors, plazas and ample green space, and provides for a true “ front door” to campus at the connection between the old and new parts of campus, as well as an “ entrance statement” at the “ back door” to campus off Old Cullowhee Road. The Millennial Initiative property ( shown inside the yellow lines) is located on 344 acres across N. C. Highway 107 from the existing WCU campus. FALL 2006 The Magazine of Western Carolina University Retired WCU Biology Professor J. Dan Pittillo ( pointing) teaches “ Forest Ecosystems of the Southern Appalachians,” a course offered at nearby Highlands Biological Station. Photo courtesy of Highlands Biological Station Learning Environment The Magazine of Western Carolina University FALL 2006 Scientists estimate 100,000 different species reside inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park, though fewer than 10 percent had been documented when Western Carolina University began participating in the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory several years ago. This summer, the initiative had documented more than 600 species new to science and the national park’s 5,000th entry – the velvet leaf blueberry shrub. There’s a lot to discover in the great outdoors around Western, and those discoveries could be important for everything from developing future medicines to guaran-teeing the quality of drinking water. “ This is really a magical place,” said Jim Costa, WCU professor of biology and director of the Highlands Biological Station to the south of campus. The Southern Appalachians offered refuge to organisms driven away by historic glaciers, and the mountains, over time, naturally divided and isolated species that adapted to the significant precipitation and temperatures. “ It’s so biologically rich,” said Costa, adding that herpetologists around the world describe the area as second only to the American tropics in diversity of salamanders. The thin- skinned creatures are easy prey to pollution, and studying them can help assess environmental health. Such resources create many opportunities for West-ern students. Wes Bonds, an assistant professor of chemistry, leads classes in the search for new genes in the northern red oak tree. Their findings could improve information useful to the forestry industry. Sean O’Connell, an assistant professor of biology, and his students have examined microbial communities, tis-sue decomposition and bacterial biodiversity in caves of the Smokies. Their findings could yield information in the field of forensic microbiology— an evolving crime investi-gation method utilizing bacteria to determine how long a body may have been decomposing. Western students have studied whether the roots of different plants could help clean hazardous waste and how to protect the endangered Frazer fir. They have inves-tigated the effects of ozone and air pollution on healthy hikers in the national parks. Hundreds of other students have participated in a project to restore a 1- mile portion of Cullowhee Creek to improve water quality and restore a habitat that will support aquatic life including trout. This summer, work continued on a project to locate, study and revitalize rivercane. The once plentiful grass, which can grow 12- to 16- feet tall, not only helps prevent sedimentation and flooding problems but also is used for making baskets and other Cherokee goods. Today, students such as Katie McDowell from Franklin are working with faculty members who have expertise in genetics, botany, geochemistry, remote sensing, sedimentology and ecology restoration to revitalize the plant. McDowell said she has hiked deep into thick, thorny brush to document about 40 sites in six counties with a notebook and tools including Global Positioning System devices. Students record location, density and height. “ Rivercane is not Asian bamboo or kudzu,” said Rob Young, associate professor of geosciences. “ It’s a native plant that belongs here. If it were aggressive, it would not be gone. We think rivercane restoration is a high priority for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and it’s excit-ing for WCU to be able to provide that kind of service.” Mountains, Climate Near WCU Create World- Renowned Outdoor “ Classroom” By Teresa Kilian Jerry R. Miller, the Blanton J. Whitmire Distinguished Professor of Environmental Sciences, helps student Jessica Jaynes take measurements at the Tuckaseigee River just a few miles from campus. FALL 2006 The Magazine of Western Carolina University Fishermen perch on the banks of creeks and rivers that wind along Western Carolina University. Five miles away, national for-est trails invite hikers and mountain bikers. To the south, WCU faculty and student kayakers take turns playing on a whitewater river feature called “ the Slab.” And just inside the Jackson County border, cyclists attack the hill up to the Blue Ridge Parkway and rock climbers explore Laurel Knob, the highest cliff- face east of the Mississippi. The great outdoors in Western’s back yard offers many op-portunities to students, from the chance to participate in outdoor adventure sports to the opportunity to work in the burgeoning outdoors and tourism industries. “ People come to the mountains to experience a number of things – activities not readily available in other regions,” said Michael Despeaux, an outdoors sports enthusiast and WCU career services coordinator and counselor. “ They come here every weekend with kayaks on their cars to paddle on the Nantahala River or drive hours to hike in the Smokies or on the Appalachian Trail and fish on the Tuckaseigee.” This summer, “ Good Morning America” and National Geographic Adventure featured rafting on the Nantahala as one of the nation’s “ Top Ten Trips with a Splash,” on par with snorkeling in Hawaii and swimming with dolphins in Florida. One of the latest ways Western is seizing outdoor opportu-nities near campus to enhance education is a new “ Integration of Learning” program. The interdisciplinary program invites interested freshmen to choose an adventure sport such as cycling or trail running. Working with Base Camp Cullowhee and a small group of faculty, students will participate in a sport and then incorporate their experiences into tailor- made English and sociol-ogy courses. They also will help develop a historical exhibit for WCU’s Mountain Heritage Center. “ By establishing a strong connection to several faculty members and to a subculture in this community affiliated with an outdoor sport, the students will be grounded here at the university,” said Despeaux, who was one of the developers of the inter- disciplinary learning program. “ They will be more likely to stay at Western and succeed at Western. They also will walk away with an appreciation of the important economic and sociological components of those sports to this region.” Adventure Sports Foster Personal Growth Outdoor adventure sports reel participants back again and again. “ People test the limits of what they can do and what they are comfortable with, and they leave thrilled to realize that they have abilities they had not recognized,” said Scott Philyaw ’ 83, associate professor of history, director of the Mountain Heritage Center and lifelong outdoors enthusiast. “ But, it’s more than, ‘ I didn’t know I could do that,’ after a first trip down a whitewater river or climbing something that looks scary,” Philyaw said. “ You also learn that you can, in un-predictable wilderness situations, take care of yourself. Even a birdwatcher can get caught in a summer thunderstorm, or a trout fisherman in rising water. The self- confidence from knowing you can take care of yourself is incredibly valuable in any situation.” What participants also practice are the personal tools of suc-cess— planning, focus, risk assessment, a can- do attitude, problem solving, strategy, teamwork and leadership — that are requirements in any career, whether indoors or out. Continued on page 12 WNC Recreational Opportunities Prepare Students for Success By Teresa Kilian Get Out, Get Ahead Western’s Base Camp Cullowhee program hosts a wide range of instructional and recreational activities for students including whitewater rafting ( upper left), cycling ( upper right) and rock climbing ( right). Andrew Allen The Magazine of Western Carolina 10 University FALL 2006 A former professional cyclist who started racing in high school runs Base Camp Cullowhee, Western’s launchpad for outdoor programs from rock climbing to snow skiing. And although Josh Whitmore wasn’t as big or as fast as his archrival in his early racing days, he usually beat that yellow bus to school every morning and back home every afternoon. He even gave his nearly 15- ton competitor a head start as he finished his homework at school before taking off so he wouldn’t have to haul books on the 10- mile ride, uphill, both ways, in the snow. Well, actually, there was no snow, but the ride was rigorous enough to prepare Whitmore for a chance meeting with a cyclist who was decked out from aerodynamic jersey to high- tech bike shoes. The gym-shoe wearing 14- year- old turned and chased him down. Their conversation yielded an invitation to Whitmore’s first race ( not with a school bus). “ By the time I was 16, all I really wanted to be was a bicycle racer,” said Whitmore. Graduating a year early from high school allowed him more time to train on a bicycle worth far more than the $ 300 Ford Escort he used to chauffeur it to races. A few years later, he was a professional cyclist. The problem was he felt like that was all he was. “ You have to be single- focused to be that kind of athlete,” said Whitmore. “ I was getting burned out and really missed lots of other activities – rock climbing, kayaking and backpacking. I started to wonder what my role in the world was, what it should be, and needed to have more meaning in my job.” Instead of striving to transform his body into a high- per-formance cycling machine, Whitmore took jobs teaching and guiding others with Outward Bound and the National Outdoor Leadership School. “ Leading outdoor programs was not about trying to develop athletes physically, but about using outdoor activities as a medium for personal growth, a sense of self and group development.” Whitmore completed his master’s degree in recreation management in Montana. He sees working with college students as a way to help young adults growing up in a technologically dependent generation get away from the impersonal communication of cell phones and instant messaging. “ Spending time together outdoors requires personal interaction and removes a layer of being anonymous and of being less responsible or less accountable,” said Whitmore. WCU students such as Ted Denning say they have come away from Base Camp Cullowhee activities feeling more con-nected to Western and to themselves. “ Josh made my first year at Western great,” Denning said. “ He’s done it all. There is not a conversation with him that I don’t learn something new, or where he doesn’t open my eyes to a part of the world that I never thought about.” Denning is not alone. In the past year, Whitmore said participation at Base Camp Cullowhee has tripled. Now training in his spare time to represent the United States this fall at the Union Cycliste Internationale World Cup in Canada, Whitmore says taking the job at Western was about fulfilling a commitment to pass on to others the kind of experi-ences that are important to him. Windy Gordon, an assistant professor in psychology who also teaches kayaking, says Western is fortunate to have Whitmore at the helm. “ Unless you really press Josh, you will never know how deep and broad his skills are,” said Gordon. “ He’s a world- class cyclist. If he chose, he could be a world- class mountaineer. He is certainly a very skilled paddler, and most impressive is his leadership ability and capacity to train new student leaders. He is profoundly understated and remarkably over competent. He is an absolute coup for us.” Leader of the Pack Former Professional Cyclist Josh Whitmore Inspires Students By Teresa Kilian Josh Whitmore FALL 2006 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 11 David Hepp ’ 98 relocated from Western North Carolina to Charlotte this summer to become paddlesports manager of the world’s largest whitewater park of its kind— the U. S. National Whitewater Center. Hepp coordinates boating and rafting on a multi- channel, 12- million-gallon artificial river, which drops 23 feet in altitude in 1,000 yards. “ It’s big,” said Hepp, a paddler who has competed at similar whitewater parks around the world while part of the U. S. National Team. “ This is easily the steepest whitewater park in the world.” Nearby rivers drew Hepp to WCU, where he met his wife. The couple recently sold Dillsboro Chocolate Factory in antici-pation of the move to Charlotte with their three daughters. “ We are true to Cullowhee, though,” Hepp said. “ I can see us moving back someday, and I can envision a perfect place for a whitewater park.” U. S. National Whitewater Center David Hepp ’ 98, Paddlesports Manager Mary Ellen Hammond MPA ’ 91 combined her love of writing and passion for the outdoors in her work as co- owner and president of Almond- based Milestone Press, which publishes outdoor guidebooks for whitewater rafting, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, camping, rockhounding, mountain biking, road biking and motorcycle touring. Milestone’s publications include the “ Off The Beaten Track” guide series by Ham-mond’s husband and business partner, Jim Parham. Next spring, Milestone will release a hiking guidebook for Western North Carolina. “ Who would have guessed, back in the early 1950s when the first canoes were navigating the Nantahala River, that white-water rafting would draw so many tourists to this region, and that athletes would train here for Olympic whitewater kayak com-petition?“ Hammond asked “ Who knows what’s next?” Milestone Press Mary Ellen Hammond MPA ’ 91, Co- Owner and President Great Outdoors, Great Occupations Get Ahead Continued from page 10 Outdoor Businesses Offer Hands- On Work Experience Meanwhile, WCU students themselves are a resource to the businesses and organizations that serve outdoor recreational enthusiasts in Western North Carolina. For instance, all summer staff members at the Dillsboro River Company are Western students, said owner Shane Williams ’ 96. Catamounts have put their academic skills to work as they researched and wrote brochures for the Blue Ridge Parkway. Others helped organize the documents needed for the advocacy efforts of American Whitewater, a nonprofit that works to con-serve and restore America’s whitewater resources and enhance opportunities to enjoy them safely. The organization recently relocated its national headquarters from Washington, D. C., to Jackson County. “ This area has a nice balance of professional talent and aca-demic talent as well as being close to major projects of ours,” said Mark Singleton, executive director of American Whitewater. “ Just down the road from Western, we are working on agreeing to have whitewater releases on the West Fork of the Tuckaseigee, which will create another new paddling opportunity, and, as a result, another economic opportunity.” Visitors to Region Fuel Tourism, Hospitality Industry Philyaw said the economic impact of outdoor recreational sports is much higher than most people realize. “ You may think a camper goes out in the woods, sleeps in a tent and goes home, but that’s not true,” said Philyaw. “ When you walk out of the woods, you want a hot shower and a good hot meal. Adventure sports are play, but the economic impact is profound.” www. milestonepress. com www. usnwc. org Ben Edson/ downstreamphoto. com The Magazine of Western Carolina 12 University FALL 2006 Statesville native Michael Briere ’ 96 has applied his bachelor’s degree in market-ing to working as an agent for New Zea-land- based Bliss- Stick, which manufactures kayaks. Briere travels from his Asheville home to trade shows and festival demon-strations and takes clients out to try prod-ucts one- on- one at “ cool” area rivers. “ Never in a thousand years would I have imagined in Dr. Myron Leonard’s marketing classes that I would be doing this,” Briere said. When he started kayaking after graduating from Western, he found himself driving past the university to get to his out-doors destinations. “ Mention the Smokies to any paddler in the world, and they will mention one thing —‘ lots of whitewater,’” Briere said. Bliss- Stick Kayaks Michael Briere ’ 96, Agent S hane Williams ’ 96 owns and operates Dillsboro River Company, which offers begin-ner and intermediate family- oriented rafting trips. “ Families often begin very nervous, not knowing if it’s something they can do, and when they finish, they have a sense of accomplishment that they can and did some-thing like that together.” Williams also teaches outdoors courses at Southwestern Community College for part of the year, works as a raft guide for the Nantahala Outdoor Center and leads international kayaking trips. What struck him as he trained to guide on the Cheoah River was the quality of experienced instructors and guides they will find in Western North Carolina, which regularly attracts visitors from Atlanta, Charlotte, Greensboro and Chattanooga. Dillsboro River Company Shane Williams ’ 96, Owner and Guide L aura Blalock ’ 03 MAc ’ 05 does not consider herself an outdoors enthusiast but has a job she loves thanks to the outdoor industry. Blalock is the full- time financial accountant for the Sylva- based nonprofit organization American Whitewater. She came to Western originally to study education, but, as she conquered the financial challenges that come with going to school and providing for her family as a single parent, her interests turned to busi-ness and accounting. “ Moving, getting a job and attending school were challenges for me since I had little to no savings,” said Blalock. She gradu-ated summa cum laude with her under-graduate degree in accounting and won the business school’s Outstanding Senior Award in 2005. American Whitewater Laura Blalock ’ 03 MAc ’ 05, Financial Accountant www. dillsbororiver. com www. bliss- stick. com www. americanwhitewater. org Western professors have researched the multimillion- dol-lar industries linked to outdoor sports, from Chris Cooper, assistant professor of political science and public affairs, who authored “ Pedaling for Dollars: From Outer Banks to Mountains, Cycling Brings Big Bucks to NC,” to Hal Herzog, professor of psychology, who studied the economic impact of whitewater rafting in the “ New Ency-clopedia of Appalachian Whitewater.” Bob Dalley, a retired associate professor from the engi-neering technology department, says he believes the outdoor recreation industry has room to grow. Dalley, who designs and builds boats ideal for fishing on moving water, is advocating for the creation of a National Paddling and Rowing Heritage Center in WNC. He sees the center as a tourist attraction that would celebrate such history as the spectacular sleek, small boats that the Cherokee designed. That kind of historical and cultural element is critical to the future of the industry, says Windy Gordon, an assistant professor in psychology at Western. “ The business is no longer just about how to tie knots,” said Gordon, who not only works at Western but also has instructed, managed and served on the board of directors for the Nantahala Outdoor Center. “ It’s ‘ How does this place where we are climbing tie into the history of the native people who lived here?’” Gordon said. “ You can’t just be a kayaker or a rock climber. You need to bring to those activities an appreciation of art, history, literature and sociology. There’s got to be a reason to go to a place other than an adrenaline charge of hiking, climbing, biking or boating.” “ Adventure sports are play, but the economic impact is profound.” — Scott Philyaw ’ 83 FALL 2006 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 13 It was almost on a whim that Jay Denton ’ 78 MPA ’ 05, Sylva town manager, fired off an e- mail inquiry to a group of North Caro-lina city and county managers earlier this year. Denton, who was searching for fellow Western graduates currently working in local government positions across the state, said responses began pouring in almost immediately, flooding his inbox with the names of nearly 50 Catamount brothers and sisters working as management profes-sionals from the westernmost mountains to the easternmost shores of the Outer Banks. “ I’ve been involved in local government for a long time. I knew a lot of Western alumni were employed in the public sector, but it was amazing how many replies I got in one afternoon,” said Denton. In Sylva alone, Denton finds himself working alongside several Western alumni, including town clerk Brandi Henson Ashe ’ 03 and finance officer Lynn Allen Bryant ’ 89. Just down the street at the Jackson County Courthouse are land records and mapping director Bobby McMahan ’ 81 and John Ashe ’ 73, executive director of the Jackson County Public Housing Agency. What is it that draws so many Catamounts to public service? For Steve Wyatt MPA ’ 91, recently appointed Henderson County manager, it’s knowing that when you get up in the morning to go to work, you have the ability to make a real difference. “ I have a burning desire to see Western North Carolina improve, to enhance the quality of life for our folks. I have an opportunity to do that in my job,” said Wyatt, who works alongside assistant county manager Selena Coffey ’ 93 MPA ’ 95. “ Local government is the place where the rubber meets the road, where government meets the people. You don’t go to Washington or Raleigh to work directly with the people you serve. If you want to make a real difference in the lives of people, you do that at the local level.” Other WCU graduates in local government positions agreed. “ This is a very rewarding profession that gives you the opportunity to serve all the citizens in your community,” said Wayne Bowers ’ 69, city manager for Greenville since 1977. “ Each day brings new and interesting challenges, but all have in Shannon Ashe ’ 97 – police detective, Sylva Randy Billings ’ 73 – executive director, Piedmont Triad Council of Governments Matt Brinkley ’ 02 MPA ’ 04 – city budget of-ficer, Durham Paula G. Carden ’ 03 MPA ’ 06 – public health director, Jackson County John Connet ’ 92 – city manager, Clinton Heather Wakenshaw Cotton ’ 00 – city planner, Marion Mike Decker ’ 84 MPA ’ 00 – city administrator, Franklin Billy Joe Farmer ’ 83 MBA ’ 86 – city manager, Red Springs William Alan Gill ’ 80 – parks and recreation director, city of Henderson and Vance County Stacy Guffey ’ 99 – planning director, Macon County Andy Hedrick ’ 77 – town manager, Fuquay- Varina William Todd Herms ’ 05 – town manager, Badin Charles Horne ’ 74 MPA ’ 85 – county manager, Chatham County Tracy Jackson ’ 88 – assistant county manager, Iredell County Jeff Jamison ’ 80 – chief of police, Sylva Charles Mashburn ’ 68 – finance director, Stanly County Al McClure ’ 76 – finance director and deputy executive director, Cape Fear Council of Governments Kimberley Mecimore ’ 93 – environmental health specialist, Iredell County Alice Collier Smith Moore ’ 70 – city public information director, High Point Other Western alumni working in local N. C. government positions found through Denton’s investigative work: Public Goods From the Mountains to the Coast, Local Governments Rely on Alums By BILL STUDENC Kendra Penland Turner ’ 04 MPA ’ 06, neighborhood coordinator for the city of Asheville, meets with assistant city manager Jeff Richardson, who also teaches in the MPA program. The Magazine of Western Carolina 14 University FALL 2006 common the provision of essential services to the citizens of your community. Citizens depend on city government to provide these services each day and generally let you know directly if the services are not being provided properly. As an administrator, you get to be a part of a fascinating political process without being a politician.” Many Catamounts employed in upper- level public sector jobs are graduates of WCU’s Master of Public Affairs program, which of-fers classes at night in Asheville for the convenience of government professionals already working in the business. Among them is Joel Mashburn ’ 69 MPA ’ 84, currently Iredell County manager. “ I was the county manager in Henderson County, and would travel to Ashe-ville for my classes,” said Mashburn, who has worked in the public sector for 32 years. “ It took four years, but I did it, and I feel the MPA not only helped establish me as a professional administrator, but it improved my reasoning skills and taught me discipline. Also, I devel-oped a much broader view of the relationships necessary for effective government.” The town of Warsaw seems to recognize the value of the pro-gram, earlier this year hiring Jason Burrell ’ 03 MPA ’ 05 as its city manager, replacing fellow alum Frankie Maness MPA ’ 01, who left to become assistant city manager in Graham. “ The board didn’t start out looking for someone from Western Carolina’s program, but it no doubt helped to know that someone with that background could do an outstanding job,” Warsaw Mayor Win Batten told the Warsaw- Faison News. April Bone ’ 00 MPA’ 03 credits the lessons she learned in her MPA statistics and government classes with providing her with the skills necessary for her job as budget analyst for Gaston County. “ I help prepare and monitor the county’s $ 202 million budget,” Bone said. “ The MPA program is the reason I have a job. I interned with the Gaston County Budget Office and was hired a few months after graduation. The foundation laid in the program continues to serve me on a daily basis.” And Craig Honeycutt MPA ’ 04, city manager for Laurinburg, says his WCU years gave him the ability to listen. “ Western’s program was unique because of the great mixture of young and old, of straight- from- undergrad- students to students who had years of practical experience,” Honeycutt said. “ The open and frank discussions in class were wonderful, and were led by professors who encouraged differences of opinion, because when dealing with the public, that is part of the job.” Just ask William Andrew MPA ’ 92. Upon his recent departure as resources development manager to accept the long- embattled po-sition of city manager for Flowery Branch, Ga., the Hall County ( Ga.) Board of Commissioners presented Andrew with a bulletproof vest. In spite of the flak – and the occasional need for a flak jacket – WCU alums working in the public sector say they wouldn’t trade their jobs for any other. “ I’ve been working in local government for 24 years now,” said Steve Harrell ’ 77, planning and development director for Carolina Beach. “ You get a true feeling of giving something back to the community and contributing to the common welfare, and a feel-ing of having an impact— an impact that is measurable.” L. Richard Nifong ’ 71 – city communications and information services director, High Point Allen Oliver ’ 78 – city parks and recreation director, High Point Jonathan A. Olson ’ 90 – division chief, Wake County Emergency Medical Services George Page ’ 93 – parks and recreation direc-tor, Brunswick County Chad Parker ’ 97 MPA ’ 06 – director of solid waste management, Jackson County Michael C. Peoples ’ 98 – town manager, Cramerton Susan L. Powell MPA ’ 98 – town clerk, Mills River Mary Elizabeth Quidley ’ 79 – town clerk, Kill Devil Hills Joshua W. Ray MPA ’ 03 – town manager, Biscoe Glenn Rhodes ’ 74 – town manager, Columbus Dan Schaeffer ’ 79 – public works director, Sylva Richard Shore ’ 73 – parks and recreation supervisor, High Point Richard Smith ’ 92 – director of planning and community development, Kannapolis Jerry Taylor ’ 88 – information services, Iredell County Jennifer Turner MPA’ 03 – law enforcement officer, Asheville Mark Wagner ’ 95 – director of parks and recreation, Pinehurst Steve Warren ’ 75 – deputy director of planning and inspections, Iredell County Frank Willis ’ 69 – retired in May as Randolph County manager after 30 years of service John Wilson ’ 79 – town recreation director, Hudson Joseph Zalkin ’ 81 – assistant chief, Wake County Emergency Medical Services Western alums working together to serve the residents of Henderson County are Steve Wyatt MPA ’ 91, recently appointed county manager, and Selena Coffey ’ 93 MPA ’ 95, assistant county manager. Jay Denton ’ 78 MPA ’ 05, Sylva town manager ( left), and former town clerk Alison Lyons ’ 02 MPA ’ 04 ( center) consult on a project with Christopher Cooper ( right), MPA program director. FALL 2006 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 15 It’s hard to believe that nearly a year has passed since comedian and “ Tonight Show” host Jay Leno helped Western launch its new Fine and Performing Arts Center at a black- tie celebration featuring the funnyman’s humorous observations and the music of blues singer Kat Williams. The gala opening back in October was just the tip of the arts and entertainment iceberg, as the center’s inaugural season attracted capacity crowds for shows by the internationally acclaimed Atlanta Ballet, the singing Von Trapp family from “ The Sound of Music” and the dazzling light show and performance art of Luma, to name just a few. The center is ready to raise the curtain on its second season. Nine shows will be hitting the boards as part of the 2006- 07 performance series, “ Galaxy of Stars: Legends on Stage.” “ Hazel Larsen Archer: Black Mountain College Photographer.” The college and people who lived and created in the experimental arts community in the late 1940s and 1950s come alive in this collection of images. Aug. 22 - Sept. 23. “ Art That Works: The Kimmel Collection of Art and Design.” The eclectic exhibit explores modernism in wide-ranging American, and European fine art and design spanning 100 years from 1885 to 1985. Sept. 23 - Oct. 21. Fine and Performing Arts Center Launches Second Season Successful Sequel Performance Hall Fine Art Museum Galaxy of Stars: Legends on Stage Sunday, Sept. 17 – “ Let’s Put on a Show,” a collection of songs, reminiscences and jazz by Mickey Rooney, 3 p. m. Monday, Oct. 16 – “ Man of Constant Sorrow,” the story and music of Ralph and Carter Stanley, 7: 30 p. m. Sunday, Nov. 19 – Selections from “ The Nutcracker” and other classical works, by the Atlanta Ballet, 3 p. m. Thursday, Dec. 14 – The Lettermen, performing music spanning the 1960s through today, 7: 30 p. m. Thursday, Feb. 1 – “ Ol’ Time Religion,” featuring the American Spiritual Ensemble, 7: 30 p. m. Thursday, March 1 – Cirque le Masque, a gravity- defying European stage show, 7: 30 p. m. Saturday, March 17 – “ Out of the Mist: A Dragon & An Ire- ish Tale,” a puppet extravaganza by Wood and Strings Theatre, 3 p. m. Sunday, April 15 – “ Amadeus,” a performance by the Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada, 3 p. m. Friday, April 27 – The Capitol Steps, a traveling troupe performing political satire, 7: 30 p. m. For more information, call ( 828) 227- 2479 or visit the Web at www. wcu. edu/ fapac. 16 The Magazine of Western Carolina University FALL 2006 Country music legend Roy Clark will perform opening night at Western’s premiere of a colorful, unique art exhibition that celebrates the marriage of form and function — “ Art that Works: The Kimmel Collection of Art and Design.” Clark, a co- host of the television show “ Hee Haw” for more than 20 years and award- winning musician, will perform at 7: 30 p. m. on Saturday, Sept. 23, at Western’s Fine and Performing Arts Center. The musician’s hits include “ Yesterday When I Was Young” and “ Thank God and Greyhound,” and he made appearances on TV shows including “ The Tonight Show” and “ The Beverly Hillbillies.” Clark’s awards include the Pioneer Award from the Academy of Country Music, numerous Instrumentalist of the Year awards and Entertainer of the Year. Tickets to the show are $ 45 each and can be purchased by visiting the Web site at www. wcu. edu/ fapac or calling the box office at ( 828) 227- 2479. The concert follows a by- invitiaton- only gala preview of the Kimmel exhibit at the Fine Art Museum for Fine and Performing Arts Center major donors. Following the major donor gala preview, ticket holders for the Roy Clark performance will also be able to view the Kimmel Collection beginning at 6: 30 p. m. A free reception and gallery talk opening the exhibit to the public will be held from 1- 3 p. m. Sunday, Sept. 24. The exhibit features art pieces that Joe and Cynthia Kimmel acquired nationwide and during their travels around the world. The Kimmel collection includes examples of art noveau and art deco movements as well as modernist furniture, glass, ceramics, paintings, photographs and sculpture. Works of art range from limited edition prints of Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse, the exquisite glass of Emile Galle to the innovative chair design of accalimed architect Frank Gehry. Joe Kimmel, founder of one of the leading construction industry executive search companies, Asheville- based Kimmel & Associates, is a strong supporter of Western’s construction management, engineering and technology school, which was recently named in his honor. For more information about the Kimmel Collection exhibit or attending the gala preview for major donors, contact the museum office at ( 828) 227- 3591. Roy Clark Takes the Stage as WCU Opens Kimmel Exhibit “ Harvey K. Littleton and Friends: A Legacy of Transforming Object, Image + Idea.” Littleton, called the father of the contemporary studio glass movement, also in-vented the vitreographic print- making process. The exhibit features Littleton Studio prints and works in glass, sculpture, ceramics and painting by Littleton and 15 guest acclaimed artists. Oct. 21 - Dec. 16. For more information about museum hours and events, call ( 828) 227- 3591 or check out www. wcu. edu/ fapac. The Kimmel exhibit features a diverse collection of art pieces ( right) ranging from prints to glass. FALL 2006 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 17 The 2006 edition of Western’s annual Mountain Heritage Weekend features a performance by bluegrass music chart- topper Rhonda Vincent and her band, the Rage, on Friday, Sept. 29, leading up to Mountain Heritage Day, the university’s daylong festival of mountain culture, on Saturday, Sept. 30. Vincent and the Rage will present a pre- festival concert in the Ramsey Regional Activity Center at 7: 30 p. m. Friday. Dubbed “ the new queen of bluegrass” by the Wall Street Journal, Vincent is a six- time winner of the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Female Vocalist of the Year Award. Tickets, at $ 10 and $ 15, go on sale Friday, Sept. 1, and may be purchased by calling the amsey Center box office at ( 828) 227- 7722, toll- free ( 866) 928- 3378, or by clicking on the Web at http:// ramsey. wcu. edu. Shortly after daybreak on Saturday, the 32nd annual Mountain Heritage Day kicks off on WCU’s campus with demonstrations of authentic mountain folk arts; three stages of traditional music and dance; exhibitions of shape- note singing and Cherokee stickball; an arts and crafts midway featuring handmade items; food booths with old- fashioned fare; and numerous just- for- fun competitions. Mountain Heritage Day is held outside, rain or shine, and admission to the festival is free of charge. Pets are not allowed on festival grounds, but service ani-mals are welcome. For more information about the festival, call ( 828) 227- 3193 or click on the Web at www. mountainheritageday. com. It will be a busy Mountain Heritage Weekend at Western, as the Catamounts do battle with Georgia Southern in a Southern Conference football clash at 6 p. m. Sept. 30 in E. J. Whitmire Stadium, and as WCU students welcome moms, dads, brothers and sisters to campus for Family Weekend Sept 29- 30. For information on accommodations, contact the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce at ( 800) 962- 1911, or click on the Web at www. mountainlovers. com. Bluegrass Queen to Play a Busy Mountain Heritage Weekend Rhonda Vincent Mountain Heritage Day Offers Music, Crafts, Folk Arts, Food and Fun Weekend of September 30th The Magazine of Western Carolina 18 University FALL 2006 Join us to celebrate the pageantry of the present and the memories of the past. WCU Alumni Association HOMECOMING 2006 October 13- 15 Western C arolina U ni v ersit y Event Calendar Friday, October 13 Noon – Alumni Scholarship Golf Tournament, a Homecoming tradition, tees off at Laurel Ridge Country Club in Waynesville. Shotgun start. Cost: $ 80 per person, includes fees and cart. Four- person “ captains choice” format. Refreshments available during play. Social following the tournament. RSVP is required by Friday, October 6. Call the Office of Alumni Affairs at ( 877) 440- 9990 or ( 828) 227- 7335, or e- mail magill@ email. wcu. edu. 6: 15 p. m. – Homecoming 2006 Main Street Parade in Sylva. Cheer as community and student floats, Western cheer-leaders, football team, Homecoming Court, and Catamount Marching Band parade through downtown Sylva. Prizes awarded for best floats; winners announced during Saturday’s football game. 7 p. m. – WCU Nurses’ Alumni Association Reception at Moore Hall. Come and meet the Class of 1973, the first class to graduate from Western’s nursing program. Please contact Sharon Metcalfe at Metcalfe@ wcu. edu or 828- 670- 8810 or Diane Oakley at Oakleydia@ aol. com. 8 p. m. – Spirit Night. Join students, faculty, staff and alumni for a pep rally, music and food on the lawn of A. K. Hinds University Center. Fireworks will light up the autumn sky at the conclusion of the evening. C o m He oHmomeec too mCuilnlogw h2e0e 0 6 Gathering of “ The Herd” Come join more than 100 former athletes and cheerleaders from the mid- 1950s through the mid- 1960s. Get reacquainted with your old Catamount teammates from years gone by as the group known as “ The Herd” reunites for Homecoming weekend. From 12: 30 until 3 p. m. Saturday, “ The Herd” will host a pre- game tailgate adjacent to the E. J. Whitmire Stadium parking lot. Look for the big purple- and- gold tent at the bottom of the Ramsey Center stairs. After the game, come join “ The Herd” for dinner at the Jarrett House in nearby Dillsboro at 7: 30 p. m. For more information and to RSVP, contact Tobe Childers ’ 61 at ( 800) 211- 8759 or e- mail tchilde@ transunion. com. Saturday, October 14 8 - 10 a. m. – WCU Alumni Breakfast. The University Center Grandroom becomes Alumni Central! Come join fellow WCU alumni and friends for a continental breakfast. It’s a great time to make weekend plans with your old classmates, or simply reminisce about those good ole days in Cullowhee! RSVP by Friday, October 6, to mramsey@ wcu. edu. 12: 30 - 3 p. m. – Pre- game tailgate, with live music in the parking lot of Jordan- Phillips Field House. 3: 30 p. m. – Football. The Catamounts do battle against the Mocs of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in the cozy confines of Whitmire Stadium and Bob Waters Field. 7 p. m. – Stompfest 2006, a step- show competition featuring African American fraternities and sororities. Ramsey Regional Activity Center. For tickets or information, call the Center for Student Involvement at ( 828) 227- 2276. 10 p. m. - 1 a. m. – Stompfest After Party. University Center Grandroom. Sunday, October 15 3: 30 p. m. – The crowd- pleasing Inspirational Choir Concert will bring Homecoming Weekend to a close. University Center Grandroom. 5 year reunion! Class of 2001 10 year reunion! Class of 1996 15 year reunion! Class of 1991 20 year reunion! Class of 1986 25 year reunion! Class of 1981 Class Reunion 12 - 2pm – Class Reunion Luncheon Reunions for the classes of 2001, 1996, 1991, 1986 and 1981. Come visit with your classmates from years gone by. You and your class will be provided a complimentary lunch in Illusions on the third floor of the University Center ( adjacent to the Grandroom). RSVP by October 6 to Marty Ramsey at ( 828) 227- 7335 or ( 877) 440- 9990 or mramsey@ wcu. edu ALUMNI ASSOCIATION For more information, visit the Alumni Association Web site at http:// alumni. wcu. edu or contact Marty Ramsey ’ 85, Director of Alumni Affairs, at ( 828) 227- 7335, ( 877) 440- 9990 or mramsey@ wcu. edu. Continuing the Tradition Alumni Association Scholarship Helps Daughter of Western Graduates Juanita Proffitt ’ 39 did not know how she would afford college. The “ bank burst” in 1929. The aunt from Speedwell who raised her had terminal cancer. There was simply “ no money, no anything,” Proffitt said. “ My mother finally raised $ 6 – that was a lot of money then – and that got me started at Western.” Proffitt was able to work her way through the teacher education program, taking jobs such as grading papers for professors. “ Most of the time, I had enough money to pay my way, but I realized children with potential need help,” she said. “ I have really tried through the years to help. I think about them, and I empathize.” Proffitt, a member of Western’s Alumni Association board of directors, and her husband, Brank Proffitt ’ 42, have reached out to students in many ways, but the latest has been through supporting the Alumni Association Scholarship Fund. The scholarship fund is designed to help Western students who have financial need, preferably students who have close family ties to Catamount alumni or whose parents work for the university. “ The No. 1 reason people give for dropping out is a lack of money,” said David Andrew ’ 83, president- elect of the Alumni Association and chairman of its financial affairs committee. “ We are very pleased now to be able to award the first scholarship.” The $ 40,000 raised so far enabled the association to award the first scholarship this summer to Amanda Roach, a senior athletic training major from Fairview whose parents both graduated from Western. Hospital bills from a recent medical emergency in her family have caused some financial stress. “ The scholarship is just such a blessing to me and my family,” said Roach. “ Every little bit helps.” Her parents, Judy Davis Roach ’ 73 and Leon Roach ’ 73 MAEd ’ 77, said they were not surprised when their daughter chose to attend WCU and study athletic training. As the daughter of an A. C. Reynolds High School teacher who also coached sports, she attended her first high school football game when just 2 months old. The avid sports fan also played, and it was actually an athletic trainer who helped her recover from an injury that inspired her to pursue a career path incorporating her love of sports and desire to work in physical therapy. “ Sports are a big part of my life, and I did not want to leave them,” she said. Her mother said she is impressed with the amount of hands-on experience her daughter is gaining through Western’s athletic training program. “ She has worked really hard,” said Judy Roach, noting the long hours athletic trainers put in, from arriving before the team to staying until after practices and games. Roach has done everything from assisting the championship Swain County High School football team to working with a Catamount baseball player who has Horner’s Syndrome. The syndrome can affect the nerves and cause one pupil to be constricted. Roach’s curiosity and interest in the player inspired a research project about her experience with him that won invitations to every major athletic training conference on the East Coast, from the National Athletic Training Association meeting in Atlanta to the Eastern Athletic Training Association event in Philadelphia. “ We would think the constriction in his left eye would affect his depth perception and ability to play, but it did not,” she said. “ It’s just amazing how the human body adapts itself over time.” Meanwhile, she lived for three years in Reynolds Residence Hall, where her father also stayed when he was at Western. She recently moved to the Phi Mu sorority hall to be closer to her “ family away from home.” Her parents have had a bit of a homecoming, too, when they visit her. “ There’s a lot of new things and changes, and yet still a lot that brings back the memories,” said Judy Roach. “ We are excited to see the direction the school is going.” Want to help? Make checks payable to: WCU Foundation ( Alumni Scholarship Fund) c/ o The Office of Alumni Affairs 440 H. F. Robinson Administration Building Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC 28723 The first Alumni Association scholarship recipient, WCU senior Amanda Roach ( second from left), celebrates the honor with her mother Judy Davis Roach ’ 73, scholarship supporter Juanita Proffitt ’ 39 and her father, Leon Roach ’ 73 MAEd ’ 77. For more information, contact Brett L. Woods, director of annual and special gifts, at ( 828) 227- 7124 or bwoods@ wcu. edu. Ken Melton ’ 94 MPA ’ 96 cranks up the car, carries the local daily newspaper back in the house and reads headlines to his wife as she finishes getting ready for work. “ Ooh, read that,” says Sherry Melton ’ 95 MPA ’ 96 when he hits stories she’d like to hear before going over the paper herself— cover to cover. The news hounds met at Western, where they arrived with goals of working in TV journalism but left with something else— a desire to not only gather news but also help make it. “ I evolved from wanting to do documentaries or pieces that highlighted what was wrong to really wanting to do more to fix problems,” said Ken Melton. Today, the New Bern native helps coordinate appropria-tions activity and works with proposed tax laws as legislative affairs director for the North Carolina Department of Revenue. Meanwhile, Sherry Melton recently began working as vice president of communications with the North Carolina Citizens for Business and Industry, which serves as the state chamber of commerce and manufacturing association. She traces the fork in her career path to a required political science course under Don Livingston. “ I fell in love with politics,” said Sherry Melton, who grew up on a family- owned dairy farm near Franklin. “ I became absolutely determined to make a career out of communications and politics together.” She has— a very successful career. With NCCBI, Melton’s re-sponsibilities include editing North Carolina magazine, a weekly legislative bulletin, and the association’s Web site. She works with reporters and with communication among policymakers, members and potential members. “ My job is to advance a public policy agenda for the betterment of North Carolina and all her residents,” Melton said. “ It doesn’t get any better than that.” Her “ break” came after landing a job at the State Employees Association of North Carolina. During her eight years there, she lobbied the North Carolina General Assembly and ultimately was promoted to public relations director. “ The competition ( for the job) was fierce. I had to compete with MPA ( Master’s of Public Affairs) graduates from numerous other well- respected universi-ties, such as UNC- Chapel Hill, N. C. State University and Duke University. I knew, however, that no one had received a better education than I had at WCU,” Melton said. “ What I learned from Dr. Don Livingston in his public policy formulation course about ‘ influence peddlers’ and the role of lobbyists in policymaking proved so true and valuable to me,” she said. “ What I learned from Dr. Gordon Mercer about manage-ment and leadership theory also prepared me to succeed in my first job— not only in managing and motivating staff, but also in coordinating and organizing grassroots activism. What I learned from Dr. Ken Wink about government budgeting prepared me to analyze and make sense of North Carolina’s $ 30- plus billion bud-get, and taught me how the government budget game is played.” Livingston said he tries to teach his students to develop research, analytical and communication skills as well as stay informed about political developments in the world. “ I want them to realize that an individual’s success in life is measured not by one’s accumulations but by one’s contributions,” he said. Livingston describes Sherry Melton as bright, industrious and highly motivated with outstanding organizational, analytical and communicative skills, and Ken Melton as a sharp young man who was an industrious and serious student with superb people skills. “ He and Sherry are a great team,” Livingston said. It was in Livingston’s class that Ken Melton said he fine-tuned his public speaking skills. After a discussion, a classmate told him that he made a good point. The small compliment had a big effect. “ It just dawned on me that I belonged, that I was just as valued a voice and opinion in discussion as anybody else,” Ken Melton said. “ I really felt like whatever I do out of here, I can go out and try to make a positive impact in the world of public policy in some form or fashion.” A required internship led him to the Buncombe County Board of Elections and ultimately developed into a full- time job. He became the deputy director in charge of absentee voting and special projects before moving on to work as a legislative as-sistant to state Sen. Virgina Foxx ( now U. S. Rep. Virginia Foxx) and researcher with the General Assembly. Ken Melton then “ put in quite a bit of shoe leather” with lobbyist Zeb Alley. “ We were the eyes and ears on the ground for legislation that may have an impact on any of our clients,” said Ken Melton, who the North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research ranked among the top 50 of more than 500 lobbyists for the 2003- 04 year. He moved to the state revenue department from there. “ I wake up in the morning and look forward to going to work,” he said. Making Headlines MPA Degrees Help Couple Advocate for Change By Teresa Kilian Sherry Melton ’ 95 MPA ’ 96 and Ken Melton ’ 94 MPA ’ 96 often read the newspaper together at the start of workdays spent monitoring public policy proposals for the state. Sherry Melton also edits North Carolina magazine ( right) through her work with the North Carolina Citizens for Business and Industry. FALL 2006 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 23 Five former Catamounts will be inducted into the Western Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday, Sept. 16, prior to the Catamount’s football game with two- time NCAA I- AA national champion Eastern Kentucky. This fall marks the 17th consecutive year that WCU will pause to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of former student- athletes, coaches and administrators, continuing a tradition begun in 1990. Induction ceremonies will be held on the Ramsey Center concourse prior to the 6 p. m. kickoff. Members of the 2006 Hall of Fame class are Mark Ferguson ( football), Scott Gay ’ 88 ( baseball), Ralph Lundy ’ 73 MAEd ’ 76 ( men’s soccer), Darrell Murray ( men’s basketball) and Willie Williams ’ 03 ( football). Ferguson played football for the Catamounts from 1970- 73. In his senior season, the Asheville native was a first team All- American as selected by the American Football Coaches Association and The Football News. An offensive lineman, he helped Western to a 6- 3- 1 record that season. The previous year, Ferguson was a key figure in Western posting a 7- 2- 1 record and a ranking of eighth in the final Associated Press small college poll. Gay was a member of Western’s baseball squad from 1983- 85, leaving after his junior season as a fourth- round draft pick of the New York Yankees. A first- team All- Southern Conference selection in 1984 and 1985, the Milford, Conn., native was named conference Player of the Year after leading WCU to the SoCon championship and the school’s first- ever NCAA Tournament berth in 1985. He led the conference in strikeouts twice, and his 12 wins in 1985 established a school and SoCon single- season record. Lundy came to Western as a junior in 1970, helping the Catamount men’s soccer team turn around a 1- 6- 1 record in its inaugural season to an 8- 2 record and a berth in the NAIA playoffs. After receiving his undergraduate degree in physical education, Lundy joined the Marines, later returning to Western as an assistant coach and receiving his master’s degree in physical education. Lundy left in 1976 to become head men’s soccer coach at Erskine. In 1987, Lundy moved on as head men’s coach at the College of Charleston, a post he still holds. During his 30 years as a head coach, Lundy has a career record of 333- 218- 37 and ranks among the nation’s top 10 in career victories. Five Former Cats To Be Inducted into Hall in September By MIKE CAWOOD From Game to Fame WCUAthletics The Magazine of Western Carolina 24 University FALL 2006 WCUAthletics Murray was a forward for Western on the 1962- 63 men’s basketball team, which advanced to the NAIA national championship game. An All- Carolinas Conference selection, the Elwood, Ind., native ended his career fourth on Western’s all- time scoring list ( 1,471 points) and second in rebounding ( 1,208), being just one of three Catamounts to accumulate 1,000 points and rebounds in a career. As a senior, Murray led Western to a 20- 6 record and a second- place league finish. As a sophomore, he helped the Catamounts to a 21- 8 record and a Carolinas Conference Champion-ship. Murray was named to the North State Conference All- Freshman Team after setting a school season record of 155 offensive rebounds. Williams, Western’s first football player to reach the Super Bowl, was a three- time All- SoCon pick ( 1990- 92), earning first- team honors in 1992. The Columbia, S. C., native, like fellow inductee Ferguson, is a member of WCU’s All- 20th Century Football Team and holds the distinction of being the first WCU player selected to play in the Blue- Gray All- Star Classic. A defensive back, Williams was drafted in the sixth round by the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he played for four seasons, leading the AFC in intercep-tions and playing in Super Bowl XXX in 1996. He followed his first stint in Pittsburgh with seven seasons with the Seattle Seahawks before returning to the Steelers for the last two seasons, helping his team win Super Bowl XL this past season. For more information about Hall of Fame weekend or any other WCU athletics event, contact the department of athletics at ( 828) 227- 7338. On an evening back in May, Dave Bristol ’ 59 found himself in a room filled with sports figures he’s always admired. By the time that night was over, the Andrews native stood beside them as a member of the N. C. Sports Hall of Fame. He was one of 10 inductees for 2006 in a ceremony in Raleigh. “ It was like getting money from home without writing,” Bristol said describing the experience. “ It could not have been better. When I introduced my daughter ( Murphy girls’ basketball coach Cissy Dyer) to Dean Smith, that was a proud moment. It was worth the whole trip to see her standing there talking to him.” Bristol became the youngest manager in Major League Baseball when the Cincinnati Reds hired him in 1966 at age 33. He led the Reds from 1966- 69 and managed at the big league level for all or part of 11 seasons until 1980, with stops in Milwaukee, Atlanta and San Francisco. Former Citizen- Times sportswriter Bob Terrell ’ 51 first covered him as a player when Bristol was 14 and later followed him at spring training during Bristol’s managerial career. “ Dave developed a good part of the Big Red Machine for Cincinnati in the minor leagues,” Terrell recalled, referring to the nickname given to the Reds during their run of four World Series appearances in the 1970s. “ I always enjoyed him as one of the sharpest baseball men I knew.” Since Western North Carolina had few opportunities for aspiring ballplayers during Bristol’s younger years, he used to hitchhike to Haywood County to play for a team there. He signed with the Reds after high school and played for Cincinnati farm clubs in the 1950s and early ’ 60s— the last few years as a player- manager— before his big league managing debut. Bristol coached the likes of Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Dale Murphy and Mike Schmidt. After concluding his career as a manager in 1980, he stayed at the big league level as a coach, for Philadelphia and later for Cincinnati, before leaving MLB after the 1993 season. “ Because Dave Bristol lived in the big leagues for so long, he has insights into the game that few people have,” said Chuck Jackson, a former big league baseball player who lives in Ashe-ville. “ I don’t know if coaches around here realize what kind of a resource we have in WNC. The baseball community around here needs to find a way to tap into this resource. He’s a treasure.” Reprinted in edited form with permission of the Asheville Citizen- Times. Playing In The Big League Former Baseball Manager Named to State Sports Hall of Fame By TYLER NORRIS GOODE Hall of Fame inductees pictured are Ralph Lundy ’ 73 MAEd ’ 76 ( upper left), Mark Ferguson ( center left), Willie Williams ’ 03 ( lower left), Darrell Murray ( upper right) and Scott Gay ’ 88 ( lower right). FALL 2006 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 25 Many WCU Alums Are Among High School Football Coaching Legends By STEVE WHITE ’ 67 Friday Night Lights America needed a change of pace in the late 1940s fol-lowing a decade and a half of economic depression and global conflict. And although there were few lighted local fields immediately after World War II, high school football quickly grew into the cultural event now known as Friday Night Lights. The phenomenon sprang from that need for diversion and community spirit, spreading throughout much of the nation. North Carolina was not immune, as the consuming topic in cafes and barber shops from Murphy to Manteo during the autumn months revolves around the fortunes of local high school football teams. Western has contributed its share of icons that helped make high school football an integral part of the state’s culture. In the 1950s and ’ 60s, when high school football was blooming in Western North Carolina, Hugh “ Pee Wee” Hamilton ’ 50 and Norris “ Pee Wee” Jones ’ 51 were legends. Hamilton won 145 games at Andrews, Asheville and East Henderson high schools. Jones coached for 20 years at T. C. Roberson High and 10 years at Swain High, chalking up 195 victories. Perhaps the most- renowned high school football coach in WCU’s legacy is Charles “ Babe” Howell ’ 53, who won a North Carolina record 301 football games. Included in Howell’s resume are five state championships at Sylva- Webster High, where he spent 24 seasons. He has been inducted into the WCU, Western North Carolina, N. C. High School Athletics Association and North Carolina Sports halls of fame. Even the winningest high school football coach of all- time, the legendary John McKissick MA ’ 69 of Summerville ( S. C.) High, holds a WCU graduate degree. In the ’ 70s, a new set of coaching legends was crowned. Boyce Deitz ’ 69 took over the reins at Swain High in 1977 and, over the next 20 seasons, won 201 games and five state championships. Bob Colvin ’ 62 earned a North Carolina record 11 state championships at Robbinsville from 1966 through 1985 and prevailed in 177 games in those 20 seasons. Jim Taylor ’ 70 collected 201 victories in 20 seasons at Shelby High, while Bruce Peterson ’ 63 claimed eight confer-ence titles at Lee Edwards/ Asheville High in 10 seasons. Currently, 17 WCU graduates are active as head coaches in North Carolina high schools, and at least a dozen in South Carolina and Georgia. Among the most successful are John photo by John Fletcher courtesy of the Asheville Citizen- Times The Magazine of Western Carolina 26 University FALL 2006 Lowery ’ 78, who is pushing 200 triumphs at Forest Hills High in Union County; Mike Biggerstaff ’ 70, who has won more than 100 games at West Caldwell and East Burke; Jim Fox ’ 71 at Rosman, who also has passed the century mark in the W column: Danny Wilkins ’ 79, who guided his Asheville High squad to the state 3A championship last season; and Neil Setzer ’ 81, who has secured more than 60 wins at Hayesville High and has developed a perennial state playoff program. Over the years, high school football has come to de-fine communities. In many small towns, Friday night at the stadium is as significant as Christmas and the Fourth of July. “ The annual Fat Friday game between East Burke and Freedom epitomizes the spirit and community of high school football,” says Biggerstaff, ex- Catamount all- star linebacker and East Burke’s head coach. “ They can turn off the traffic lights in Morganton, Drexel and Valdese because everyone is at the game.” Now director of regional outreach for WCU’s athletics department, Deitz says nothing unites Swain County better than Friday football in Bryson City. “ You’ve got the team, the student body, the band and the community all on the same page for several hours and, generally, that enthusiasm and spirit carries over into everyday life,” he said. Fox, who has coached at several large- and small- classi-fication schools, said Friday nights in the one- school- in- one-town venues of the Smoky Mountain Conference are special. “ The excitement at the Murphy, Hayesville, Swain, Robbins-ville and Rosman games cannot be matched in Charlotte or Greensboro. It’s like a family reunion every Friday night. Everyone in the stands knows the players and vice- versa,” he said. The post- war coaches saw numerous innovations and changes such as two- platoon football, the addition of face masks, development of the kicking game, and a move from the hard- nosed, grind- it- out running game to using the whole field. The newer legends also have seen the game change with integration, artificial playing fields, the emphasis on strength and conditioning, and sophisticated passing and blocking schemes. Despite the changes, when the lights come up on Friday night again this season, one thing will remain the same. It’s THE game. photo by Ann Ferguson courtesy of the Clay County Progress Catamounts who became hometown heroes for coaching high school football include, from left, Charles “ Babe” Howell ’ 53, who won a North Carolina record 301 football games; Al “ Mutt” DeGraffenreid ’ 77 MAEd ’ 80, former Cherokee High School coach who is now athletics director at Smoky Mountain High School; Danny Wilkins ’ 79, who led Asheville High to the state 3A championship last year; and ( background) Neil Setzer ’ 81, coach of the Hayesville Yellow Jackets. photo by Steve Dixon courtesy of the Asheville Citizen- Times FALL 2006 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 27 A familiar face from the glory years of Catamount football once again will be prowling the sidelines this fall as former West-ern player and assistant coach Don Powers ’ 68 MAE d ’ 69 returns as defensive coordinator. “ Coach Powers join-ing our program will make a huge impact,” said Kent Briggs ’ 79 MAE d ’ 81, the Catamounts’ head coach. “ His experience, personality and love for Western Caro-lina bring a lot to the football program, as well as to the university. He is a Catamount and always will be a Cata-mount. Every Catamount, present and past, is excited to have Coach Powers back.” While an assistant coach at Western ( 1974- 83), Powers was associated with Western’s most prolific teams and coached some of the greatest players in school his-tory. After playing four years as an outside linebacker and earning National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics All- District hon-ors three times, Powers joined the staff of legendary Coach Bob Waters in 1968 as a graduate assistant. He became a full- time as-sistant the following year, working the linebackers, a post he held until 1974 when he was named defensive coordinator. His impact was felt immediately, as the unit finished fourth in the nation in scoring defense in 1974, allowing just 87 points in 11 games. Powers was named assistant head coach in 1982, becoming the first person in WCU history to earn such a title. Five times from 1976- 83, Western ranked among the NCAA leaders in pass defense, pacing the nation in the category in 1977 by allowing just 77.5 yards per game. Western also led the Southern Conference in passing defense from 1977- 79. In his final season at Western, Powers helped the Catamounts reach the NCAA I- AA champion-ship game. During his tenure as a defensive coach, a total of 27 all- SoCon honors were bestowed upon Catamount defenders over a seven- year period. Powers, who has been in private business since 2000, previously coached 12 years at The Citadel, including the last five as the Bulldogs’ head coach. Powers took over a Bulldog team that was 2- 9 overall and 0- 8 in the Southern Conference before taking the helm and guiding them to an 11- 12 league mark during his first three years. Un-der his leadership, the Bulldogs went from two victories in 1995 to six wins in 1997, marking the top increase in the Southern Conference during that time span. As the Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator, Powers was a two- time Southern Conference defensive assistant coach of the year honoree ( 1990 and 1992) as he helped The Citadel win its second SoCon Championship in 1992, and first since 1961. That team went 11- 2 overall and 6- 1 in the SoCon, while recording wins over Arkansas and Army and reaching the second round of the NCAA I- AA playoffs. “ It’s great to be back where I belong, back home at Western, because this is my home in so many ways,” Powers said. “ I am elated with the way Coach Briggs approaches the program. We are both proud to be a part of the Bob Waters heritage and legacy, and my strongest motivation is to help achieve the success that Coach Waters envisioned for this program. I really want to see Western have a Southern Conference championship in football. I am very strongly motivated to achieve that for Coach Waters, for every player who has ever played at Western, and for all Catamount fans.” At the rate he’s going, Danny Williamson ’ 84 MAEd ’ 86 is going to have to build a bigger trophy case. That’s because the veteran Catamount coach was named Southern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year after guiding his squad to a come-from- behind first- place finish in the 2006 SoCon championships in April. The victory came just a couple months after Western’s men claimed the indoor track and field conference title, helping Williamson earn coach of the year honors for that sport. For Williamson, it was the 20th confer-ence coaching honor. And, on the heels of that honor, he was selected the Southeast District Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Coach of the Year by the U. S. Track & Field/ Cross Country Coaches’ Associa-tion. Now, about that bigger trophy case.... Fast Company Former Player, Coach Returns to Bob Waters Field By MIKE CAWOOD Powers Play Don Powers ’ 68 MAEd ’ 69 returns to help coach Catamounts. The Magazine of Western Carolina 28 University FALL 2006 At the risk of sounding cliché, the inaugural season of Cata-mount women’s softball was seemingly straight from the pages of a fairy tale. The storybook season could not have been written any better by screenwriters in Hollywood. The first pitch was a strike… the first hit was a home run… the first game was a win… and the first season resulted in a championship. Preseason predictions pegged the youthful Cats in seventh place in the eight- team league. But amid the hills of Western North Carolina, an offensive juggernaut and a one- two pitching combination was unveiled. When the dust finally settled on the infield diamond, Western had racked up nine Southern Conference weekly honors; six All- SoCon selections, including five first- team honorees; three monthly awards; and three of the conference’s four annual awards. And, the Cats brought home a regular season championship trophy in their first year of existence – something that no other SoCon team in any sport had ever pulled off before. “ When we first made the move to add softball to our list of sponsored sports, no one would have ever believed that this team would have accomplished in one year what they did, and we could not be more proud of their accomplishments,” said Chip Smith, WCU athletics director. Five players, led by junior Ashley Adams, belted double- digit home runs this season as the Catamounts shattered the confer-ence record for homers in a single season with 81 round- trippers. Adams led the way with another SoCon record, amassing 21 four-baggers. Freshman Lauren Ross began the home run barrage in the season- opener, blasting two— including smashing the team’s first- ever hit over the centerfield wall— to lead the Catamounts to victory in their inaugural outing. Western was the first school in the conference to reach 20, 30 and 40 wins, and was the only league team to hit the 40- win mark during regular season competition. The Catamounts tore through the conference and captured the 2006 regular season championship, sweeping the College of Charleston at home to earn the crown. Individually, freshman pitcher Mendy McKenzie led the league in wins ( 22) and strikeouts ( 207) during the regular season while ranking second overall in earned run average ( 2.17). The Clemmons native garnered a SoCon- re-cord five pitcher- of- the- week honors during the season, and was twice named the conference’s pitcher of the month. She would eventually be dubbed the SoCon Pitcher of the Year. The second part of the powerful one- two pitching punch was Fremont native Jenny Jackson, who secured 15 wins in the circle with the third- best ERA in the SoCon ( 2.38) during the season. Credited with the school’s first no- hitter, Jackson also hit .302 with 11 home runs as a utility player and earned the SoCon’s Freshman of the Year award. The architect of Western’s success also was lauded by the league, as Head Coach Megan Smith garnered the SoCon’s Coach of the Year award. Hired in July 2004, Smith guided the Catamounts to the regular season championship with only four losses in league action. Along the way, she collected her 100th career victory in just her second stint as a head collegiate coach. Despite an early exit from the conference tournament, the Catamounts are primed for next year. The championship roster, composed mostly of freshmen, bears just two juniors and a pair of sophomores, and the entire starting lineup returns intact. “ I am just so proud of this team— very proud,” Coach Smith said. “ This team did more than anyone expected and really played their hearts out all season long, and that’s all any coach can ask. Things just did not go our way at the tournament, but I am still very proud of this team. They want to and cannot wait to get back here next season.” Catamount softball fans feel the same way. This is one Hollywood story crying out for a sequel. Catamount Softball Hits Home Run in First At- Bat By Daniel Hoo ker ’ 01 A Storybook Season Winning moments in the Catamounts’ first season include, clockwise from left, Mendy McKenzie’s fast pitches, Samm Keppel’s golden glovework, Ashley Adams’ championship- clinching catch and the national anthem at the dedication of Western’s new softball facility. FALL 2006 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 29 Sitting on stage in front of 900- plus graduating students and a close- to- capacity crowd at spring commencement, Dr. Frances Owl- Smith ’ 83 was a little nervous about giving her “ thank you” speech, but the Waynesville pathologist, on hand to accept WCU’s Award for Academic and Professional Achievement, was pleased to have her family, including three grandchildren, in the Ramsey Cen-ter audience. “ I hoped my grandchildren could see that if they work hard and are dedicated to their educations, they can do anything they choose to do,” she said. “ And I was hoping that something I would say would be an inspiration to other people.” It’s hard to imagine anyone being less than inspired by Dr. Owl- Smith, the first female member of the Eastern Band of Chero-kee Indians to receive a medical degree. A Cherokee native, she graduated from Swain County High School in 1968 and married Doyle Smith, and the couple soon began having children. Over the next decade, she kept busy as a housewife while working occasion-ally as a teacher’s aide or nurse’s assistant. Smith’s flexible schedule as a barber made it possible for his wife to enroll at Western, and in 1979, at the age of 29, she joined the freshman class. Owl- Smith became a dean’s list student, enrolled in the medical technology ( now clinical laboratory sciences) program, recorded a 4.0 grade point average during her junior and senior years, and graduated summa cum laude ( with highest honors). Owl- Smith had never considered medicine as a career until a visit to a podiatry school led her to consider applying for medi-cal school. She had attended an eight- week program for minority students at UNC- Chapel Hill in the summer of 1982. Because of her success in that program, she was accepted into medical school at Chapel Hill. Loans, financial aid and a fellowship helped the family make ends meet while husband Doyle continued barbering. Owl- Smith graduated with high honors four years later as a medical doctor, but those years were not easy as she tried to balance roles as wife, mother and student while dealing with the sleep deprivation caused by clinical rotations and nighttime study. After graduation from medical school, Owl- Smith was chosen to enter the pathology residency program at UNC- Chapel Hill. Dur-ing the five- year residency, the couple’s son was diagnosed with a medical illness that would need lifelong attention. That was a major adjustment for the family, but they persevered, and Owl- Smith became a practicing pathologist at the age of 42. The family moved to the Southwest as Owl- Smith began her career working for the Indian Health Service in Arizona and New Mexico, partly as payback for loans. The family came back to the mountains in 2002 when she accepted a position at Haywood Regional Medical Center, where she is a pathologist and laboratory medical director. Owl- Smith’s many admirers include Dan Southern, WCU clini-cal laboratory sciences professor, who taught and mentored her. “ Dr. Owl- Smith is a very respected pathologist and has helped save many lives with her diagnostic skills,” Southern said. “ As a supervi-sor of laboratory personnel, she’s adored by her employees, many of whom are graduates of WCU’s clinical laboratory sciences program. She also gives unselfishly to her family, community and to her heri-tage, and she’s been an ardent supporter of the CLS program.” No wonder that after receiving her award at spring commence-ment, she spoke to the graduates about the importance of doing good. “ As a practicing pathologist, I’m obligated to make accurate diagnoses, and today I have a diagnosis for all of us,” she said. “ We all have a terminal illness called life. So I challenge you to go out there and get a real life— a life not just of the mind, but of the soul — a life where you do good.” A Positive Diagnosis First Eastern Band Woman To Earn Medical Degree Inspires Others To Work Hard, But Enjoy Life By RANDALL HOLCOMBE alumniAchievements Dr. Frances Owl- Smith ’ 83 works as a pathologist and laboratory medical director at Haywood Regional Medical Center. The Magazine of Western Carolina 30 University FALL 2006 Joe Crocker ’ 74 had long admired the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, which in the past 70 years has directed more than $ 360 million to nonprofit organiza-tions and charitable activities that benefit North Carolinians. So when offered the chance to join the foundation last year as director of operations, Crocker said yes. He saw the move as an opportunity to be closer to the philanthropic work he al-ready was part of as senior vice president and community affairs manager for the Wachovia Corporation in Winston- Salem. “ The foundation provided the oppor-tunity to be involved full- time as opposed to part- time,” said Crocker, former chair-man of Western’s board of trustees. “ The more you are in the community serving the community through leadership and board positions, the more you become aware of the needs. Since I started my working career, I have served on local boards and worked with organizations to help others. This is a culmination of that beginning.” Thomas W. Ross, executive director of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, said Crocker’s background in community relations and economic development made him an ideal choice for the orga-nization, which processes 700 to 1,000 grant applications annually. Crocker’s friends and colleagues also say the new job is a perfect fit. “ Joe is an exceptional individual and a tremendous asset to the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation,” said Harold Martin, senior vice president for academic affairs for the University of North Carolina system and former chancellor at Winston- Salem State University. “ He is a very serious, honest, religious person driven to always do the right thing. It’s just who Joe is.” Ricky Shore, president of Aladdin Travel & Meeting Planners, described his former Wachovia coworker as just a solid citizen. “ There is a book about the purpose- driven life, and that is what Joe is about,” said Shore. “ The move to the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation enables him to come closer to fulfilling a purpose-driven life.” The list of organizations that Crocker has helped lead or contribute to is long, including Western Carolina University, the North Carolina Rural Center, the North Carolina Public School Forum, the North Carolina Network of Grantmakers, Donors Choose, the North Carolina Medi-cal Care Commission, the Mint Museum in Charlotte, Family Guidance Center, the Inter- Faith Housing Development Corporation of Hickory, Catawba County United Way, Catawba Valley Community College and Catawba Memorial Hospital. What Crocker brings to the organiza-tions that he assists is a listening- based, inquisitive and decisive leadership style. “ At meetings, I would be amazed how many questions he would ask,” said Catherine Lough, director of develop-ment at the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching. Lough got to know Crocker when they both worked for Wachovia. “ You knew he would ask questions, and he would ask the hard questions until he was satisfied that he had a full understanding of the issue,” said Lough, adding that he also is a people person who is quick with a smile. “ You instantly feel comfortable and at home around Joe. He really puts people at ease.” Lucky for Western, Crocker has kept room in his heart and made time for his alma mater. He has served two terms on the university’s board of trustees and made history as WCU’s first African American board chairman, during a time of tremendous growth. Indirectly, too, he and his wife, Carol Vaughan Crocker ’ 75, have had a hand in recruiting at least two students. One was their daughter Marcella, who said she grew to love the mountains and the school during their many visits back to Cullowhee for football games and other events. “ He’s been bringing us here to Western ever since I can remember,” said Marcella Crocker ’ 05. The other was their daughter’s longtime friend and Lough’s daughter, Betsy Walker ’ 05, who joined the Crockers on one of those trips west. “ Carol was a music major and took Betsy around,” Lough said. “ There was something so special that appealed to Betsy that she came home right away and said, ‘ That’s where I want to go.’ She sat at the kitchen table and filled out her application.” Purpose- Driven Life Zest for Philanthropy Guides Career By Teresa Kilian alumniAchievements WCU is a family tradition for Carol Vaughan Crocker ’ 75, Marcella Crocker ’ 05 and Joe Crocker ’ 74. FALL 2006 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 31 Lt. Col William “ Bill” Lochridge IV ’ 65 cannot forget the reason he spends his days protecting the waters around New York. The commander of the New York State Military Emer-gency Boat Service can still see the scattered shoes and the body of a fallen firefighter, even though 9/ 11 was five years ago. Lochridge also cannot forget the “ Pier 92” family of emergency responders who grew so close that he and his fiancé relocated their October 2001 wedding to the Ground Zero Command Center. Then- Mayor Rudy Giuliani performed the ceremony. “‘ We need an uplifting event like this,’ Giuliani told me,” said Lochridge. The 22- year veteran of the computer and communications industry who also served two tours in Vietnam was feeding breakfast to his yellow lab, Chance, when he heard that a plane hit the World Trade Center, turned on his TV and watched the unthinkable. “ My commanding general called and instructed me to find a way into the city,” said Lochridge, a member of the New York Naval Militia. “ I told the general that all bridges and tun-nels into the city were closed, traffic congestion was horrendous, and all non- military and law enforcement aircraft were re- routed or grounded. He said, ‘ Lochridge, you find a way in.’” His way was a friend’s 36- foot high- speed power boat named the Huntress, which picked him up at the Greenwich Yacht Club. They traveled to the 23rd Street Marina through three Coast Guard blockades. “ The memories of those first few days shall always be with me: the smell; the powdery ash covered with paper from offices that once were occupied; shoes littering the ground; a flattened baby stroller in front of the Millennium Hotel; crushed fire trucks and police cars around the impact site; and an American flag that I watched, on the first night, as it broke loose from its pole, flew through currents of hot air and caught itself on a lamp post,” said Lochridge. “ It never touched the ground.” For the next 51 days, Lochridge and others at Ground Zero worked 18- to 22- hour shifts. Lochridge helped coordinate the flow of materials needed at Ground Zero. He directed installa-tion of defensive security and safety systems for the Command Center on Pier 92 and coordinated with the Coast Guard and police marine units for waterfront security. Meanwhile, fast approaching was his wedding day to a woman from Germany who had been a professional ballerina that he first met when he was a student at Western. Twice, he proposed. Twice, she said no. Finally, in 2000, they reconnected. “ Only this time, she asked me to marry her,” Lochridge said. “ Amen.” On their wedding day, a police car drove them from LaGuardia International Airport to the command center near Ground Zero, which had been decorated with everything from floral arrangements to a wedding cake from the Red Cross. Military personnel joined New York and New Jersey state police, firefighters, sanitation workers and state and federal emergency workers in an honor guard that led to the Command Center podium. Instead of “ Here Comes the Bride,” a piper played the “ Marine Corps Hymn.” When Giuliani asked Lochridge if he was ready to get married, he said, “ Yes, sir. It’s only taken 37 years since I first asked her.” Emergency Responder Embraces New Mission, New Life By Teresa Kilian alumniAchievements Triumph over Tragedy Courage and Commitment Drive Alums Five Years After 9/ 11 Lt. Col. William “ Bill” Lochridge IV ’ 65 commands the New York State Military Emergency Boat Service ( above). Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani presided over Lochridge’s wedding at a command center near Ground Zero a month after 9/ 11 ( left). The Magazine of Western Carolina 32 University FALL 2006 Former Catamount golfer 1st Lt. Sarah Parris ’ 00 broke her back and injured her face when a Humvee in which she was manning a gun turret flipped over. The vehicle had swerved to avoid an Iraqi running toward the convoy – one of 50 Parris rode in while serving with the 78th Security Forces Squadron. In recognition of her service, Parris was honored at Robins Air Force Base in May with the Bronze Star, a medal presented for heroic or meritorious achievement of service, not involved in aerial flight, in connection with operations against enemy forces. Her responsibilities in Iraq included advising and mentoring Iraqi soldiers at Camp Ur near the city of An Nasiriyah, a nontraditional role for females in those areas. “ It was definitely a challenge trying to get accustomed to the Iraqi culture,” she said. “ It’s definitely not in my personality to accept treatment as a second- class citizen just because I’m a woman. It took a month or so for the Iraqis to get used to women being assertive and in positions of authority. The main thing was respecting their culture, taking things slowly and showing them that we can all work together.” In addition to training soldiers, Parris helped create several security plans. One was developed for the high- profile Iraqi elections in October and December, enabling more than 2,000 soldiers to travel to An Nasiriyah to vote. She helped develop standards not only for Camp Ur, but also define the path taken by coalition forces in Iraq. “ I’ve enjoyed my experience, and I will value this honor for the rest of my life,” said Parris, who separated from the Air Force this summer and plans to work as a physical education teacher. At Western, her athletic achievements landed her in 11th place on the university’s all- time golfing career scoring charts with 6,458 strokes in 76 total rounds for a stroke average of 84.97. “ I am looking forward to being ‘ Coach P’,” she said. Reprinted in edited form with permission of the Robins Air Force Base newspaper, the Robins Rev- Up. Catamount Alumna Earns Bronze Star By 2nd Lt. Sequoiya L. Franks Darkhorse Marine Decorated for Valor By Cpl. Mark Sixbey alumniAchievements Maj. Gen. Richard Natonski presented the Bronze Star Medal with Combat Distinguishing Device to 1st Lt. Alfred L. Butler IV ’ 01 ( right). U. S. Marine photo by Cpl. Mark Sixbey. Col. Theresa C. Carter, 78th Air Base Wing Commander, presents a citation for meritorious service to 1st Lt Sarah Parris ’ 00 ( right). U. S. Air Force photo by Sue Sapp. Darkhorse Marine 1st Lt. Alfred L. Butler IV ’ 01 was deco-rated with the nation’s fourth- highest award for valor by the 1st Marine Division commanding general. Maj. Gen. Richard Natonski presented the Bronze Star Medal with Combat Distinguishing Device to Butler, weapons company executive officer, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, outside the battalion’s command post in May. “ I knew his father, and I think he’s following in his footsteps,” Natonski said. “ This is his third deployment to Iraq, and he’s done a marvelous job over here.” The 27- year- old from Jacksonville earned the award for his actions and leadership while commanding an 81mm mortar platoon on Dec. 23, 2004, during combat operations in Fallujah. “ It was one of those days when everyone ran out of ammo,” said Butler. “ We even used AK- 47s.” As insurgents ambushed his platoon, Butler rushed to the attack where he found several men pinned under heavy auto-matic weapons fire on a stairwell. He evacuated them from the house and learned insurgents had isolated additional men on the second floor. He quickly organized an assault force and raced to an adjacent house under constant small arms fire to recover the men. The platoon commander led his team as they cleared two buildings, jumping from roof to roof to reach them. He shielded the bodies of the fallen Marines when a grenade landed nearby, then threw two grenades into a room filled with insurgents. While delivering cover fire, Butler moved the men across to an adjacent rooftop, personally evacuating a wounded Marine under constant small arms fire and grenade attacks. His actions preserved the lives of the men. Butler credited the decoration to the Marines under his command. “ I owe those Marines my life,” he said. “ The things they did that day are the sort of things you read about in books. What they do for each other and what they sacrifice for each other makes you not want to leave the Marine Corps.” Butler was only 5 years old when his father, Marine Maj. Alfred Butler III, was killed in Beirut. Butler said most of what he knows of his father he learned from Marines like Maj. Gen. Natonski who served with him. “ From what I understand, he was a great man, great Marine, husband and father,” said Butler, who is currently on duty in Iraq. “ If I can be half of that, I think I’ll be fine.” Reprinted in edited form with permission of the U. S. Marine Corps. FALL 2006 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 33 The Class Notes section features news about personal or professional accomplishments of Western graduates. Alumni are listed in the year in which they earned their first degree at Western. City and county names not otherwise identified are in North Carolina. • class NOTES• 1939 Darnell Phillips Spann received special recognition for Mother’s Day this year. As the oldest mom attending worship that day at Pilot Baptist Church, she was presented with a vase of red roses. Spann lives in Zebulon. 1965 Dale Hollifield and wife Dianne ’ 66 were honored in May as the Southern Conference Distinguished Service Award winners from Western. Each member institution selects honorees based on their overall contributions to the school. The Distinguished Service Award honors select individuals who have gone above and beyond the call to help Southern Conference institutions better achieve their goals to the benefit of thousands of student- athletes. In 1995, Dale retired from United Parcel Service with 28 ½ years of service, and Dianne has spent her entire career in education, teaching at various levels and in many areas. Both have been lifelong supporters of Western athletics, academics and the arts. 1971 It is a reunion of sorts for Timothy C. Jacobs MAEd ’ 75 MA ’ 99, former director of WCU’s A. K. Hinds University Center, who is serving as interim director for the University Union at the University of North Texas “ as a favor” to his ex- boss at Western. Bonita Jacobs ( no relation), former associate vice chancellor for student affairs at WCU and current vice president for student development at UNT, asked Jacobs in January to step in and run the student union until a permanent director is named. He is in charge of a 198,000- square- foot facility with more than 65 employees. The facility averages 17,500 users a day at the 32,000- student university. 1974 Chairman of Sylva’s WestCare Health System board of trustees since 2005, Jim Manring MBA ’ 76 in April received a state trustee service award at the Annual N. C. Hospital Leaders Institute of the North Carolina Hospital Association. The trustee service awards recognize hospital trustees who, through their leadership, have made significant and unique contributions to their hospitals and the communities they serve. A member of WestCare’s board of trustees since 1996, Manring is director of planned giving at Western. 1975 After 30 years in education— the past 23 at West Henderson High School in Henderson County— cross country coach and guidance counselor Greg Price MAEd ’ 76 retired in June. Before going to West Henderson in 1983, he was at Rugby Middle School and Highlands High School. “ My daughter is graduating ( from West Henderson High) this year, so I thought I’d graduate with her,” he told the Times- News of Hendersonville. Among the trophies and plaques his student-athletes have won over the years are boys’ and girls’ state championships in 1993 and the boys’ state championship again in 1995. 1976 Recently selected as one of four supervisors in the United States for NCAA women’s basketball, Judith L. Stroud MAEd ’ 81 has reached a milestone in women’s basketball: She has played, coached, officiated and— beginning in September— will supervise officials, bringing her involvement in the sport to more than 30 years. A resident of Hendersonville, Stroud is an agent with State Farm Insurance and a member of Western’s College of Business Advisory Board. 1977 Previously vice president for academic affairs at Western Piedmont Community College in Morganton, Jim Burnett MAEd ’ 84 EdS ’ 92 became the college’s fifth president in January. An alumnus of WPCC and honored as WPCC Alumnus of the Year in 2001, he joined the staff in 1973 as coordinator of veterans’ affairs and then served in various positions, including dean of student services, registrar and adjunct business instructor. 1978 After more than 10 years with theaters in Kansas City, Boston and Providence, Jeff Clark returned to his home state last spring as executive director of the Mariam and Robert Hayes Performing Arts Center in Blowing Rock. His job includes executing the business plan and creating programming and patron services for the new center, scheduled to open in August after almost five years of arduous fundraising for the 15- year- old dream. 1979 After holding many positions with Angel Medical Center in Franklin over the past 15 years, Jean Sprinkle recently returned to a position she held 10 years ago— director of Home Health and Hospice. The agency offers patients and their families education, training, treatments and therapy, as well as bereavement counseling for up to one year after the death of a loved one. 1980 Retired director of administrative services for Cleveland County Schools, Steve C. Borders MAEd EdS ’ 82 recently was appointed to serve as interim superintendent of the school system, beginning in July. He served as teacher, assistant principal and principal in Cleveland County before becoming administrative services director, a position he held for three years before retiring with 30 years in N. C. public schools. 1982 Serving as Western’s acting registrar since October, Larry Hammer MS ’ 96 ( pictured above) in June was appointed registrar. Prior to moving to the Registrar’s Office in October, he was information systems coordinator for enrollment management at Western. Hammer and wife Darla live in Sylva with son Paul and daughter Elizabeth. 1983 Commander Wesley S. Trull has retired from the U. S. Coast Guard after serving almost 23 years in the armed forces. Commissioned a second lieutenant in the U. S. Army after college, he transferred to the Coast Guard in 1987. His last assignment was at the U. S. Coast Guard Air Station in San Francisco, where he served as the unit’s operations officer and the executive officer. 1985 After 21 years in the U. S. Air Force, Lance Sigmon has retired as a lieutenant colonel and opened a law practice in Newton. During his military career, he served as a military trial judge, the chief appellate government counsel for the Air Force, the chief prosecutor The Magazine of Western Carolina 34 University FALL 2006 Deborah Potter ’ 80 used to sign off her deejay slots at Western Carolina University’s radio station with “ I love you Cullowhee!” The station played everything from Steely Dan to The Rolling Stones, and Potter’s discovery of how much she loved working there set the course for a career in the communi-cations field that led her to a position today as press secretary for U. S. Rep. Charles Taylor, who was recently awarded an honorary doctorate at Western. Potter had planned to become a school teacher when she enrolled at Western, but switched her major to radio and television. She graduated summa cum laude on a Saturday and went to work for WLOS- TV in Asheville the following Monday. After six months of working as a video editor ( and six months of “ bugging” the news director), she began reporting. During her time at WLOS and at WSPA in Spartanburg, she covered stories including the Republican National Convention in New Orleans when then- Vice President George H. W. Bush was nominated as a presidential candidate. Potter cried in the newsroom when she heard the missing children of South Carolinian Susan Smith were found dead in a lake. She spent long days covering the search for Atlanta Olympics bomber Eric Rudolph. Potter then moved to an editing position at the Asheville Citizen- Times, where Jim Buchanan ’ 83, editorial page associate editor, said Potter was always a friendly, reliable “ go- to” person. “ When you wanted something taken care of, you could direct it to her and it would be done,” Buchanan said. Taylor had called her “ out of the blue” to ask her to join his staff, she said. They talked about his initiatives and vision for Western North Carolina. “ I was amazed because I had not heard about them, and he said that was why he needed me as a press secretary— to help more people learn about them. He said, ‘ You know, Deborah, if I’m successful at what I want to do, then maybe by the time your girls get out of college, they’ll be able to find a job here and won’t have to move away like my sons.’ I thought about that a lot.” Potter, a mother of two, joined Taylor’s staff nearly three years ago, and Taylor said she has brought a new level of professionalism to their office. “ A lot of the initiatives we are working on are very complex, and Deborah has been successful at working with our district media to keep the public informed of what we are working on,” Taylor said. Potter has had the chance to visit Western’s campus several times to observe some of the growth Taylor has helped make happen. She visited the Center for Applied Technology, a 28,000- square- foot facility that was the first new building constructed on Western’s campus in more than 17 years. Nearly $ 8 million in federal funds enabled its construction. “ I thought how cool it would have been to use all that great equipment with all the bells and whistles,” Potter said. “ I was proud to be working with someone who did so much to make that building a reality.” Capitol Communication Catamount Works With Congressman By Teresa Killian for Europe and the Middle East, and a military defense counsel. His new practice will involve the representation of any member of the military accused of a crime and facing trial by court- martial. Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, military personnel accused of a crime may elect to be represented by a civilian attorney at trial. Sigmon’s practice will be based in Newton, but he will travel worldwide to represent clients. 1987 Kings Mountain Middle School seventh- grade language arts teacher Cynthia Jean Cook in March was selected a Star Teacher and recognized at the 16th annual Time Warner Cable Star Teacher banquet at Gardner- Webb University. Before receiving certification in middle grades language arts in 1998, she was a K– 4 resource teacher for two years, then spent about nine years working with children with disabilities in a regular education setting. Cook also has acquired certification in academically intellectually gifted education. Last year, she was voted Kings Mountain Middle School’s teacher of the year. 1990 In April 2005, Rick Gardin, lead counselor for group homes for challenged youth in Burke County, began the Heroes for Christ Youth Sports Organization, a Christian- based organization that hosts three basketball teams for boys and girls ages 8 to 17. Although the organization has a Christian emphasis, Gardin says it is unaffiliated with a single denomination. “ Basketball is just a way to get them here,” he told The News Herald of Morganton. “ We have another agenda: to teach them character and respect. We want to teach the kids the basic fundamentals of basketball and how sports can relate to life.” 1991 The list of achievements keeps growing for Hayesville High School English teacher Marianne Leek MAT ’ 01 ( pictured above), who inspires students to learn through assignments centered on personal reflection. In addition to earning National Board Certification, two Hayesville High School Teacher of the Year awards and the 2003 North Carolina Character Educator of the Year, Leek is the 2005- 06 Teacher of the Year for Region 8 in North Carolina. “ Marianne exemplifies the type of teacher that we aspire to prepare at Western,” said Michael Dougherty, dean of the College of Education and Allied Professions. “ She understands and effectively demonstrates the three ‘ Rs’ in the correct order: relationship, relevance and rigor.” Lisa Majors- Duff joined the American Cancer Society as an income manager in June 2005. Her responsibilities include generating more than $ 250,000 in contributions in Jackson and • classNOTES• Deborah Potter ’ 80 joins U. S. Rep. Charles Taylor on a tour of Western’s biology and chemistry research facilities. Continued on page 36 FALL 2006 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 35 Western’s registrar Larry Hammer ’ 82 MS ’ 96 vividly remembers his friend Dr. Sal Lettieri ’ 83 walking down the hall in the Natural Sciences Building reading his physi-cal chemistry textbook aloud – in French. Lettieri was a student to the extreme: He didn’t just study foreign language. He became fluent, tutored others and considered at-tending school in Montreal. Instead, the chemistry and mathematics major went to medical school in North Carolina and pursued postdoctoral work at Johns Hopkins Hospital and Maryland Shock Trauma Center. Today, the student has emerged a teacher. Lettieri shares his expertise as a plastic surgeon specializing in trauma reconstruc-tion with residents at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Arizona. “ The difficulty is fewer and fewer plastic surgeons are willing to do trauma reconstruction exclusively,” said Lettieri, who was drawn to the profession for the variety of work. “ The lifestyle can have long, unpredictable hours, and the reimburse-ment for such procedures is diminishing.” His patients range from burn victims to people with ad-vanced cancer, such as a patient whose jaw eroded as a result of a tumor or treatment. Episodes of the TV show “ Saving Life and Limb” highlighted how Lettieri helped repair a woman’s scalp after a dog attack and reconstruct the face of a man injured in a lawn mower accident. Royce Woosley, the head of Western’s chemistry department when Lettieri was a student, said the lawn mower injury documentary was hard to watch and yet incredible. “ The man who Sal did surgery on had had a mustache most of his life that was destroyed, and he said on the show that he was very pleased Dr. Lettieri was able to re-store it as he built a new upper lip,” Woosley said. “ It was amazing.” Lettieri said he feels very fortunate to have built a career around something he is happy doing and for which he has an aptitude. Before he started college, the math whiz considered pursu-ing a career in engineering and enrolled at Western with every intention of transferring to N. C. State University. “ I ended up liking Western so much that I just stayed and majored in math and chemistry,” he said. After graduation, Lettieri spent a year as a graduate assistant with the chemistry department at Western. He considered dental school but, as a senior, decided he would rather pursue medicine. Lettieri lacked the biology credits other medical school applicants had, having decided to apply so late in his undergraduate career. He was not accepted the first time, but Woosley and other faculty helped him prepare to reapply during his year as a graduate as-sistant and supported his dream however possible. “ I we |
OCLC number | 137281166 |