P
PAATHWTHWAAYSYSCollege of Humanities and Social Sciences International photojournalist Chris Hondros. Page 4 Scholarship recipient Whitney West and donor Jean Kilgore at the CHASS scholarship luncheon. John Edwards, Mary Alice Williams, Gary Pearce and Lisa Pace at the 1997 NC Equity Carpathian Awards. Cover Story
speech-writer for Hunt
during his first two terms
as governor.
In 1984, Pearce found himself out of politics – and out of work – when another call came from Hunt. He had joined the law firm of Poyner and Spruill in Raleigh, and he offered Pearce an opportunity to do public relations for the firm. Pearce set up shop and began helping the attorneys and their clients with PR needs. “We guide (candidates) through the rapids. It’s a combination of teaching, coaching, advising and being a psychologist.”
Pearce re-entered politics in
1992, when Hunt decided
to run again for Governor.
Pearce was Hunt’s chief
strategist during the ‘92
and ’96 campaigns, and
served as an outside advisor
to Hunt during his third
and fourth terms.
Discovering
Mickey Mantle
It was in 1997 that Pearce
made the breakthrough
F
ALL 2004
A L
IFE IN POLITICS
G
Gary Pearce (’76 History) never intended to enter politics. As an NC State student, he loved studying history and wanted to write for the local newspaper. Now, 30 years later, Pearce is known as one of the top political consultants in the country. He is gearing up for Election Day 2004 as a consultant on Erskine Bowles’s U.S. Senate campaign and continues
his involvement with NC State.
Pearce, 55, likens the job of campaign consultant to that of a river guide – “we guide (candidates) through the rapids,” he says, with a chuckle. “It’s a combination of teaching, coaching, advising and being a psychologist.”
His career began in the mid-1970s when Pearce grew tired of covering politics for the Raleigh News & Observer and decided that he wanted to be on the inside of the political action. Pearce had covered Jim Hunt as Lieutenant Governor, and in 1976, accepted an offer from Hunt to be press secretary for his first gubernatorial campaign.
“I figured I’d try it for a year and see what happens … and here I am, 30 years later, still doing it,” Pearce says, laughing. He held posts as press secretary and discovery of his political career: an attorney by the name of John Edwards, who wanted to run for U.S. Senate. “He blew me away from the first moment I met him,” Pearce says. Borrowing a line from former Senator Bob Kerrey, Pearce says, “I felt like I was the first baseball scout to see Mickey Mantle.”
“Everyone wants to find a new, fresh candidate who’s never been in politics, who could do it … and I realized, I’ve found him,” Pearce says. As Edwards’ consultant,
continued on page 2 continued from page 1
A LIFE IN...
Pearce showed him the ropes on
campaign strategy and development.
“When you win an election,
you breathe the most rarified air.
It is an incredible experience.”
Edwards passed his first test with
flying colors. Pearce poses one
question to a candidate before
starting work on any campaign:
Why are you running?
Many aspiring politicians fumble
the answer to the question with mechanical or vague replies,
A blast from the past – Gary Pearce and Governor Jim Hunt in 1980.
Pearce says. “John (Edwards) gave the best answer I’d ever heard,” Pearce says. “He told me that he was running because he’d been an advocate for people in the courtroom, helping them one by one, and he thought he’d be a good advocate in the Senate for everyone in North Carolina.” This message was the basis of Edwards’ Senate campaign, and it worked. Edwards slid past Republican PATHWAYS PATHWAYS PATHWAYS PATHWAYS PATHWAYS FALL 2004
candidate Lauch Faircloth in the tight race, to become U.S. Senator in his first political office ever. “When you win an election, you breathe the most rarified air,” Pearce says. “It is an incredible experience.” He is not surprised that Edwards is on the Presidential ticket this year as John Kerry’s running mate. “I never doubted that John (Edwards) had the potential to hold national office,” Pearce says. “At first people thought I was crazy to work for him … they certainly were wrong about that.” Passing the Torch With his days of intense 24-hour-a-day
Pearce also is teaching an upper-level Political Science course in CHASS this semester, “Campaign Strategy and Management.” Pearce will draw from his personal experience to help the students understand what it’s like to be involved in a campaign, what it means to be a candidate, and how campaigns are organized. “What happened to me in 1976 changed my life,” Pearce says. “I gave a year of my life to a campaign and learned so much. It provided me with a set of opportunities and experiences that you just can’t buy … you can’t get any other way.”
COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES NC STATE UNIVERSITY Campus Box 7011 Raleigh, NC 27695 919.513.1829 • www.chass.ncsu.edu Dr. Linda P. Brady, dean Suzanne Jacovec, writer and editor PATHWAYS PATHWAYS PATHWAYS PATHWAYS PATHWAYS is published by NC State’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences for its alumni, friends and supporters. Correspondence, alumni updates and address corrections may be sent to: PATHWAYS PATHWAYS PATHWAYS PATHWAYS PATHWAYS College of Humanities and Social Sciences NC State University Campus Box 7011 Raleigh, NC 27695
campaign work behind him, Pearce now enjoys part-time political consulting and serving a handful of nonprofit and corporate clients. His work this season for the Erskine Bowles campaign involves writing, advising, and developing communica­tion and media strategies. “I gave a year of my life to a campaign and learned so much. It provided me with a set of opportunities and experiences that you just can’t buy...”
Gary Pearce teaching political science
students at NC State.
PATHWAYS • Fall 2004 • 2
CHASS A
CHIEVES – WITH YOUR SUPPORT! Along with the rest of the University, CHASS is focusing on raising money from private sources. NC State never again will be a completely state-supported institution. Over the last three years, we’ve raised nearly $5.6 million. Our goal for this year is $1 million. AAmong the highlights this past year: NC State alumni David and Celia Jolley established a $125,000 trust that will fund the David S. and Celia G. Jolley Endowment to provide scholarships in CHASS. David earned a B.A. in economics from NC State in 1970, and is retired from Wachovia Corporation. Celia, who earned her master’s degree in education from NC State in 1980, is a retired educator. The Jolleys created this scholarship endowment in honor of family members and lifelong mentors. CHASS and the College of Management are collaborating to develop programs that explore the relationships among economic, political and legal systems in free societies, with initial funding from the John William Pope Foundation. The $511,500 grant will help develop new undergraduate courses, fund research projects, and establish a visiting lecturer program. With an $11,000 lead gift, Mrs. Sandra Grissom made possible the Steven E. Grissom Endowment for the MALS Program to honor her late husband, a 1995 graduate of the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS) program. Neighbors, family and long-time friends have pitched in to raise the total endowment to $24,200. The Brenda L. Smart Fund supports our new Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Brenda wrote and published short stories and poetry. She died last year of cancer, and her family and friends have contributed $8,600 in her memory for the Creative Writing Program, with priority for prizes in the short fiction contest. Please consider making a gift to CHASS. Every gift makes a difference. If each CHASS grad gave just $25, we would raise half a million dollars. With our new website, it is easier than ever to support the College. Visit www.GiveTo.CHASS.ncsu.edu to make your gift online today. TThis fall CHASS welcomes 400 entering freshmen, one of our largest classes in history. We’ve been a college for nearly 40 years, and we are just beginning to see second-generation CHASS students whose families are building a history in our College. I had the pleasure to meet many of these new students at NC State’s Legacy Luncheon in August. Twenty-nine CHASS legacies attended – another new record! It was such a joy for me to talk with their families and see the pride they have in our College and this University. I am delighted that these students have chosen CHASS, and I value the deep connections that exist among the NC State family, and particularly among CHASS alumni. As always, we appreciate your continued interest and support. Linda P. Brady Dean, CHASS
At the NC State Legacy Luncheon, CHASS Dean Linda Brady teaches a freshman how to make
the Wolfpack’s signature ‘wolf howl’ hand gesture. (Photo by Roger Winstead) A.C. and Nancy Snow enjoy the CHASS scholarship luncheon with the recipient of their scholarship, Lauren Simmons. “GROWING THE CHASS FAMILY”
PATHWAYS • Fall 2004 • 3
A PRIZE-WORTHY PAIR
With a degree from CHASS, you can do pretty much anything. Our graduates go on to pursue just about any career, from classroom teacher to corporate CEO. For Chris Hondros (’93, B.A. English) and Dan Neil (‘87 M.A. English), the path led to journalism, and ultimately, to the field’s highest honor.
be totally invisible,” he says. “Liberia was the closest I’ve ever come in my career to that ideal.” Hondros crept down to the front line to capture his images, alongside heavily-armed rebel troops on the offensive. “I also like to highlight normal life in these war-torn countries,” Hondros says. “The news makes is look like 24-hour-a-day chaos, but it’s not like that … people live normal, day-to-day lives.” Now between assignments, Hondros is enjoying some much-needed down time. He returned to campus in September to show his photography and describe to students his experiences as a photojournalist.
Accelerating to Achievement DDan Neil’s columns for the Los Angeles Times are more than just automobile reviews. He injects wry humor, carefully constructed metaphor, and even references to 19th-century British literature. His work is one-of-a-kind. Neil had been writing automobile reviews for the Los Angeles Times for just four months when he was nominated for the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for criticism. When it was announced that he had won, the reality of his achievement was difficult to register.
The World Through a Lens AAs a teenager, Chris Hondros enjoyed experimenting with cameras that he purchased at the local pawn shop. At NC State he took pictures for the Technician and the Agromeck, the background for his first job with the Troy Daily News in Ohio. After earning his master’s degree in visual communication from Ohio University, Hondros returned to North Carolina to work for the Fayetteville Observer. Now a photographer for Getty Images in New York, Hondros has established himself as one of the world’s preeminent photojournalists. Hondros was a finalist for the 2004 Pulitzer Prize in spot news photogra­phy, for his coverage of the civil war in Liberia. “What photographers want most in these situations is not to be seen … to
Dan Neil on assignment in a Land Rover
Freelander on Catalina Island.
“It was really exhilarating, then a little bit scary,” he says. “I spent a lot of time grappling with what it meant.” After his graduate studies in English at NC State, Neil became a copy editor at the News & Observer, and later, editor
of the newspaper’s auto section. Just
one month after filling this post, he
penned his first car review.
Neil went on to become an
automotive reviewer for The New
York Times, contributing editor at
Car and Driver magazine, and
senior travel editor at Expedia
Travels Magazine. He also dabbled
in freelance writing for a variety of
publications, including Conde Nast
Traveler and Travel and Leisure.
“I like it best when the discussion of
an automobile becomes part of the
larger conversation about culture in
America,” he says. “I realize that my
work can change minds.”
Stay tuned to the CHASS website
(www.chass.ncsu.edu) for details about
Chris Hondros’ exhibition and
Militiaman exults during the civil war in Liberia, by Chris Hondros.
program at NC State next fall.
PATHWAYS • Fall 2004 • 4
O
Other documentaries produced by Walt Wolfram, Neal Hutcheson, and the North Carolina Language and Life Project: “Mountain Talk” features the language and life of communities along North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Originally broadcast last winter, the documentary met wide public acclaim and continues to air on North Carolina public television. “Princeville Remembers the Flood,” a look at the community’s survival and rebuilding after the devastation of Hurricane Floyd, was Wolfram’s gift to the city of Princeville, North Carolina. “Indian by Birth: The Lumbee Dialect” chronicles the re-creation of Lumbee English in North Carolina. The documentary became part of the Museum of the Native American Resource Center at UNC-Pembroke and is used by the Robeson County public schools. “Ocracoke Brogue: A Portrait of Hoi Toider Speech” profiles the unique heritage and language of this Outer Banks community. It is on permanent exhibit at the Ocracoke Preservation Society House. “Celebrating Muzel Bryant” captures the 100th birthday festivities for Muzel Bryant, the last member of the only African American family to live on Ocracoke since the Civil War. For more information, visit www.ncsu.edu/linguistics public,” Wolfram says. “Our ultimate goal is to use these vignettes as educational materials in the public schools … to add dialect awareness to the social studies curriculum.” Wolfram and CHASS video producer and director Neal Hutcheson traverse the state, entrenching themselves in local communities. Their approach to documentary-making is unique. Wolfram and Hutcheson believe in letting people tell their own stories, as the best teachers of their own distinctive languages. Music is also central to their documentaries, from banjo pickin’ to gospel and rap. “We break the mold in documentary style,” Wolfram says. “We don’t function as experts, we’re not tour guides.” Hutcheson adds, “I like showing stories of ordinary people, who are really unique and fascinating. I also feel an urgency with some of these people whose language is dying.” “Voices of North Carolina” takes its viewers into living rooms, front porches and gathering halls across North Carolina, where people from all walks of life tell the stories of their unique heritage and language. NEW DOCUMENTARY HIGHLIGHTS NORTH CAROLINA’S ‘VOICES’ Hoi toiders. Lumbee Indians. Mountain dwellers. City folk. North Carolina is unique in the number of dialects spoken across the state, from the Outer Banks to the Smoky Mountains. PProfessor Walt Wolfram’s latest video documentary, “Voices of North Carolina,” produced and directed by Neal Hutcheson, chronicles the state’s diverse dialects and reveals how communities across North Carolina are preserving their heritage through language. “‘Voices of North Carolina’ focuses on language, but goes beyond language,” says Wolfram, the William C. Friday Distinguished Professor of Linguistics. Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation and with support from the North Carolina Language and Life Project, the documentary is slated to air on North Carolina public television this winter. “Voices” spotlights different regional and ethnic dialects across the state, including the Cherokee language, Outer Banks brogue, Lumbee English, and African-American English. The documentary also features vignettes on the unique dialects of North Carolina’s mountain and city communities, and it highlights the growing Spanish-speaking population across the state. “I’ve always had a strong interest in getting information out to the
Folks from W
estern North Carolina telling the story of their language. (Photo by Ernestine Upchurch)
W
olfram and Hutcheson editing “Voices of North Carolina.”
PATHWAYS • Fall 2004 • 5
CHASS ACHIEVES: BREAKING BARRIERS OVER THE AIRWAVES
Even as a child growing up in the tiny town of Mt. Jackson, Virginia, Professor
Ed Funkhouser knew that he wanted a career in radio.
I
In high school, he broadcast school and sports news on the local radio station and wrote a paper about how radio is “the most exciting career in the world.” He went on to be a DJ in Memphis and has spent all but three years of his career in the communication field. Even his military service in Korea centered upon communication, as he held the post of army intelligence agent. Now an associate professor of Communication in CHASS, Funkhouser
Living. They recognize individuals in the Triangle area whose awareness and actions have created accessibility and inclusion in the community for people of all ages and abilities. “We wanted to make the local newspaper available to blind people...”
teaches communication theory and the history of media. For the last several years, he has enjoyed being
Twenty years ago, Funkhouser helped create the Radio Reading Service, an independent non-profit corporation
Ed Funkhouser teaches senior
-level communication students
the “Voice of the Wolfpack” over the public address system at every home football and women’s basketball game. Funkhouser’s love for communication not only applies to his career, but also to his service to others. He recently won a Triangle Access Award for his achievements in removing communication barriers. The awards are presented annually by the Alliance for Disability Advocates and the Center for Independent
that provided daily newspapers and other current news to blind and visually impaired Raleigh residents over a special radio signal carried by the NC State University station, WKNC-FM. “We wanted to make the local newspaper available to blind people,” Funkhouser says. “We found a way to use university resources to provide this access … as a land-grant institution, we’re here to serve the people of North Carolina.”
Today, the Triangle Reading Service boasts more than 100 volunteers and broadcasts news 24-hours-a-day, on a statewide frequency carried by WUNC­FM. The broadcasts are also available on community television and in every hospital bed in the Triangle. In addition to broadcasting local, “We found a way to use university resources to provide this access … as a land-grant institution, we’re here to serve the people of North Carolina.”
state and national news, the Triangle
Reading Service airs special programs
on religion, gardening and books.
When he retires, Funkhouser hopes
to become more involved with the
Triangle Reading Service. For now,
his focus is on teaching. Whether
in front of a class of 30 or 200,
Funkhouser relishes in sharing
his knowledge and experience
with students.
“Change is under my feet … with
emerging technology, new media,
new rules by the FCC,” he says.
“What a field to keep up with,
and to get to teach.”
To learn more about the
Triangle Reading Service, visit www.trianglereadingservice.org.
T
riangle Reading Service volunteers read the news over the air.
PATHWAYS • Fall 2004 • 6
2001
(B.A. Political Science) moved to London in 2001 and has been working on her Master of Fine Arts degree at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. graduated in September 2004 and plans to teach at the college level. Mary Elizabeth Johnson (Bachelor of Social University in May 2003. She now works adoptions unit (post-investigations) of the Johnston County Department of Social Services. She resides in Clayton, N.C. 2002 (B.A. Communication) recently married his college sweetheart, Janelle (Eubanks) Godwin (B.A. Communication, ’01) and moved to publisher for Qwest Communications, covering a 14-state region. The couple bought a home last fall and now resides in Janelle is an assistant teacher at the Montessori Academy of Colorado. 2003 Decker Ngongang (B.A. Political Science) is an assistant vice president with Bank of America. He just signed a 12-month contract to write viewpoint guest editorials for the Charlotte Observer. (B.A. Communication) speech-language pathology at UNC-Chapel Hill. She recently received a grant through the School of Education for research on preschool children in social inclusion programs. May 2005. She develops educational programs and House and exhibits. Janet resides in Richmond. 1997 Philip Martin (B.A. MDS, German Studies) received a Fulbright Scholarship to teach English language and American culture in pursued a Master of Divinity at Lutheran As part of this program, Philip served for an internship year in Cairo, Egypt, at St. Andrews United Church of Cairo. He 2003 and was ordained a Lutheran pastor on May 30, 2003. Philip currently serves as 1998 (B.A. Communication) is pursuing an acting career in Los Angeles. She filmed a movie in June and is a member of actors’ studio. 2000 (B.A. Political Science) is District Liaison for North Carolina He travels with the Congressman when he is in the 13th district and represents him at meetings and events in the community when he is Dan also handles outreach organizations. He will marry Sarah Randall currently works with the Downey McGrath 1965 Tim Brannon (B.A. English, B.A. Philosophy; M.A. English, ’76) is a political consultant and Director of Public Relations in Daytona Beach, Florida where he lives with his wife, Lana. He has recently published a novel, Into the Elephant Grass, . The novel was written he served in an Army Military Intelligence/ Psychological Operations unit. In the novel, Brannon combines prose and poetry to ravaged both. 1981 John Daniels (B.A. Speech Communication) is a new sales manager for Solutions by Beautiful Homes. High School. The family resides in Fuquay-1986 Elaine Klonicki (B.A. Psychology) is a freelance writer who focuses on psychology and personal growth. She published her first book in March 2002, Thinking About Therapy? What to Expect from Elaine also authored an article on reality TV versus family shows, which will be reprinted this year in a new biography of Earl Hanner (creator of “The 1989 (B.A. Political Science) was married to Dana Ferrari of Evergreen, Colorado, in September 2003. The couple resides in the suburbs of Atlanta, where Brad is a pilot with Delta Airlines. the Boeing 737. 1991 (M.A. Archival Management) is a Park Ranger and ALUMNI NOTES
Elaine Klonicki
Tim Brannon
Decker Ngongang
News Online!
Sarah Randall
and
Jennifer Gar
dner Her work is primarily photography, with a focus on political subject matter. She Work) earned her MSW from East Carolina as a Team Leader in the foster care and Trey Godwin Colorado. Trey is Advertising Coordinator for Dex Media, the official phone book Commerce City, Colorado. Taylor S. Sands is pursuing a master’s degree in Taylor will graduate in National Historic Site in Richmond, VA. conducts tours of the Maggie L. Walker Germany. Upon return to the U.S., he Theological Southern Seminary.graduated with a master’s in divinity in pastor of Emmanuel��s Lutheran Church in Pittsburgh, PA. Sherrod Sisco Joel Asher’s Daniel Crawford Congressman Brad Miller. in Washington. to agriculture groups and Veterans (B.A. Political Science ’03) this May. Sarah Group, a lobbying firm in Washington, D.C. A Viet Nam Fableupon his returning from Viet Nam, where paint a picture of the country of Viet Nam, the Vietnamese people, and the war that He has two sons: Grey, a sophomore at Western Carolina University; and Bryan, a freshman at Fuquay-Varina Varina, N.C. “The Talking Cure.” Waltons”). Elaine resides in Raleigh. Brad Hoffman His current position is First Officer on Janet Blanchard Interpreter at the Maggie L. Walker
Sherr
od Sisco
Send Us Y
our www.chass.ncsu.edu
Daniel Crawfor
d
PATHWAYS • Fall 2004 • 7
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about special lectureslcome!
sit us online for newsVieAlumni W
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ATHWAYS • Fall 2004 • 8 We want to hear from you! Please share with us what you've been up to since graduating from CHASS. How has your CHASS degree impacted your life? We’re eager to hear your interesting news, such as new jobs, travel, awards, family life, community involvement, personal achievements, etc. Please also include a photo, and be on the lookout for updates on your fellow alumni in future issues of PPAATHWTHWAAYSYS! Name: Employer: Degree/Year Awarded: Address: Our alumni drive our future. If every CHASS grad gave just $25, we would raise half a million dollars for scholarships. Visit us online today to make your gift: http://GiveTo.CHASS.ncsu.edu Mail alumni news to: Pathways College of Humanities and Social Sciences, NC State, Box 7011 Raleigh, NC 27695-7011 Fax to: 919.513.7036 SHARE YOUR NEWS Home Phone: Work Phone: Email: Your News: ❏ yes ❏ no May we include your e-mail address in the write-up so that your former classmates could contact you?
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