The Reporter is a publication produced by Western Carolina University featuring news, events, and campus community updates for faculty and staff. The publication began in August of 1970 and continues digitally today. Click on the link in the “Related Mate

• Creator
  • Western Carolina University
• Format
  • Newsletters
• Type
  • Text
• Date
  • Date original: 2008-07-07
  • Date digitized: 2018-10-17
• Extent
  • Dimension: 11" x 8.5"
  • Pages: 8 pages
• Subject - Topic
  • Western Carolina University -- Periodicals
• Location
  • Jackson County (N.C.)
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Source Collection
  • The Reporter, Western Carolina University
• Identifier
  • HL_Reporter_2008_07
• Related material
  • Https://news-prod.wcu.edu/the-reporter/
• Repository
  • Western Carolina University Hunter Library

New Agreement Strengthens Efforts to Revitalize Cherokee Language The nine 3- and 4-year-olds in Sharyn Panther's preschool class understand how to hold hands, have snacks, take naps, go swimming and cross the street all in the Cherokee language. The youngsters are among the dozens who participate in the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians' language immersion classes. The immersion program, now in its fourth year and run through the tribe's Kituwah Preservation and Education Program, includes preschool classes for infants through 5-year-olds, and plans are under way to establish a kindergarten class. The push to ingrain the Cherokee language in the youngest generation of Eastern Band members reflects a worldwide effort among indigenous groups to revitalize their native tongues, part of a response to growing awareness of the thousands of languages at risk of disappearing. Western Carolina University recently increased its role in this effort by joining a partnership with the EBCI, the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and Northeastern (Okla.) State University. The memorandum of agreement, which Chancellor John Bardo signed in June, acknowledges the Cherokee language as "a living, viable language" deserving of academic attention, and supports seeking "opportunities for faculty, staff, students and communities to advance the study of the Cherokee language, history and culture." WCU and the Eastern Band have enjoyed a relationship for decades, and in 2005 formalized an agreement to improve educational and economic opportunities. This latest agreement will benefit WCU's Cherokee language program, part of the university's Cherokee studies program. Established two years ago, the language program is involved in multiple projects aimed at language revitalization, including offering Cherokee language classes, developing curriculum and learning materials for use in the EBCI's immersion preschool, and training education majors in the Cherokee language who want to teach immersion classes. The Cherokee Preservation Foundation has been a primary supporter of Western's efforts, putting approximately $640,000 toward its language program. Continued on Page 7 Cherokee Author Robert Conley Named Next Sequoyah Professor at WCU Cherokee scholar Robert J. Conley, an author with 80 books to his credit during a career spanning 40 years, is the new Sequoyah Distinguished Professor in Cherokee Studies. Conley's appointment to the endowed professorship took effect July 1. He will move into a multiyear, fixed-term faculty position held previously by Thomas Hatley, a scholar of Colonial-era Cherokee history appointed to the professorship in 2002. "Tom Hatley has served both the university and the Cherokee community well, playing a vital role in developing important partnerships between Continued on Page 7 WCU Group Visits China to Explore Exchange Opportunities A delegation from WCU traveled to China this summer to lay groundwork for an array of new exchange and collaborative programs with seven Chinese universities. "We and our students need to understand China and its thriving economy in order to prepare them to succeed in this increasingly global marketplace," said Lois PetrovichMwaniki, director of international programs and services. "Our delegation's visit coincided with the beginning of a potential boom in exchange opportunities to China. The universities we visited were proud of the many relationships they had with overseas universities and wanted to develop more relationships with U.S. institutions." With Chinese language courses being offered at WCU and a growing number of courses suitable for English-speaking students at Chinese universities, the time is right to expand partnerships, exchange programs and international research collaborations, said Petrovich-Mwaniki. WCU encountered strong interest in exchange programs in which Chinese students would study at their home institution for rwo years and at WCU for rwo years, she said. A number of universities showed interest in having faculty and interns from WCU's English language education programs teach in China, said Wendy Ford, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Bob McMahan, dean of the Kimmel School of Construction Management and Technology, and Dan Ostergaard, director of the Institute for the Economy and the Future, explored opportunities for collaborative student and faculty research. Petrovich-Mwaniki encouraged faculty to consider leading three-week summer courses in China, too. Just one week traveling with the delegation in China proved to be a powerful educational experience for Provost Kyle Carter, who was surprised at the level of infrastructure, such as the high-speed train in Shanghai, and the welcoming, proud and entrepreneurial atmosphere in the country. "The perception I had of a very closed society in communist China, which was colored by news reports, was just absolutely shattered," said Carter. "Our world is truly interdependent, and our students are going to be cheated if they don't get a better perspective of where Cullowhee, North Carolina and the United States fit within the global perspective. The only way to do that is to travel, to interact and to study different cultures." - By TERESA KILLIAN Above: Officials from East China University of Scienct and uchno/ogy in Shanghai grut dtkgatts from WCU. New Scholarship Benefits Employees and Their Families University employees and their spouses and children have a new financial incentive to earn degrees from WCU under a recently approved scholarship program. More than $42,000 is available in scholarships this fall from the recently endowed Family Scholarship Fund. scholarships for employees and their families with proceeds from the sale of Prudential Life Insurance stock. As a Prudential customer, the university received stock when Prudential reorganized in 2001 from a mutual insurance company to a stock company. were used at WCU each semester in 2007-08. For more information about the scholarship, contact Mike Stewart, assistant to the chief financial officer, at 227-7321 or stewart@email.wcu.edu. - By TERESA KILLIAN Applications for scholarships of up to $1,000 a semester- $2,000 a year -will "The new WCU Family Scholarship Fund will make the high-quality education offered at Western more accessible to the staff and faculty members who give their time and talents every day to make this university great, and more accessible to their families, who Applications Due July 14 for Bardo Scholarship \ be available under the "Forms" section of the faculty and staff Web site located at www.wcu.edu/258.asp and will be accepted through Friday, July 18, in the human resources office at 220 H.F. Robinson Building. The WCU Family Scholarship Fund was designed to generate annual scholarships that will help degree-seeking WCU students who also are university employees or their spouses or children. Financial need is not a scholarship requirement but may be considered by the selection committee in awarding the funds. Recipients will be announced in August. The WCU board of trustees established what would become the Family Scholarship Fund in 2006 when it voted to create a fund that would generate money for annual :i: Reporter- July 7, 2oos are also a very important part of the WCU family," said Chuck Wooten, vice chancellor for administration and finance. For university employees who are seeking a degree from Western, the scholarships will cover the balance of tuition and fees remaining after the University of North Carolina system's employee tuition waiver is applied. For the 2008-09 academic year, the employee tuition waiver covers $539 for an undergraduate course and $818 for a graduate course. The waiver does not cover debt service payments and student fees totaling $122 for an undergraduate course and $98 for a graduate course. About 75 employee tuition waivers Students entering their first year at Western Carolina University who are children or grandchildren ofWCU employees are eligible for the Deborah J. Bardo Employee Scholarship, a renewable $700 merit-based scholarship. Applications should be submitted by Monday, July 14, to Chris Parrish, scholarship coordinator and senior assistant director of admission, in 102 Camp Building. Contact Parrish for applications or more information by phone at 227-7317 or by e-mail at parrish@email.wcu.edu. I Alumna Pamela Buchanan is New Health Services Director WCU's new director of health services is alumna Pamela M. Buchanan, former director of planning and operations at WestCare Health System. Sam Miller, vice chancellor for student affairs, said Buchanan has nearly rwo decades of experience in health care, including serving as WescCare Health System's director of planning and operations, chief financial officer and controller. "Her background and her expertise will help us further our mission of providing uncomplicated and affordable access to qualiry health care for all students," Miller said. In Buchanan's roles at WestCare, she worked with the emergency department in an effort to improve patient wait times and redesign the flow of patient traffic through the clinic area. She recently also worked on a project to redesign pharmacy processes berween the hospital and long-term care center to ensure patient safery and compliance with the standards set by regulatory agencies. In addition to managing fiscal accounting functions and patient care areas including radiation oncology centers, the sports medicine clinic and rehabilitation services, she oversaw implementation of a multimillion dollar hospital information system. "! am excited co become a part of the university system and the mission of preparing young people to meet the future, as I was prepared in my days here as a student," said Buchanan. "The chance to combine my knowledge gained at WestCare with my enthusiasm for WCU is a wonderful opportunity." Buchanan earned her bachelor's degree in business administration in 1991 and her master's degree in business administration in 1999, both from Western. She currently is a member of the WCU Alumni Association's board of directors. - By TERESA KilLIAN Carnegie Designation Would Sharpen University's Focus on Engagement WCU is seeking official recognition of its emphasis on communiry engagement and its link to engaged teaching, research and service. Under the leadership of Carol Burton, assistant vice chancellor for undergraduate studies, and Gary Jones, associate professor of computer information systems and economics in the College of Business, WCU is applying to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching for designation as a Communiry-Engaged universiry. The Carnegie Foundation defines community engagement as "the collaboration berween higher education institutions and their larger communities (local, regional/stare, national and global) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity." "The rigorous application process for this designation offers a way for us to conduct an extensive review of our current efforts, establish some benchmarks for future goals and gain external recognition for our actions in this area," said Burton. It also dovetails nicely with the university's SACS-approved qualiry enhancement plan and initiatives flagged as critical co WCU in the UNC Tomorrow study, she said. Updates will be available at www.wcu.edu/engagement. -By lEilA TVEDT WCU Installs New Siren System WCU recently installed and tested a combination siren and public address system , controlled by campus police. Signals from the tower-mounted system will reach across campus and into neighborhoods nearby, said Police Chi efT om Johnson. The system, which cost about $100,000, includes a variery of alert tones, a library of prerecorded messages chat can be used to respond to natural or manmade emergencies, and a manual override to enable spoken messages from campus police. Once the system is fully in place, the university will provide guidelines for che proper response when the sirens sound, including when co leave an area or when to shelter in place, where to find additional details on the Web, and other necessary precautions. "This new alarm system is part of the university's commitment to the safery of rhe campus communiry. It is the latest step in the process of making sure we have the safest campus possible," Johnson said. Three towers that currently hold the siren/PA loudspeakers are located at the intersection of Centennial and Central drives behind the Graham Building, on the edge of the intramural field near the Ramsey Regional Activiry Center, and on the west side of campus near the entrance to the track/soccer complex. Additional towers may be located on the Millennia! Initiative properry as that area is developed, Johnson said. A series of regularly scheduled siren tests to be announced will keep the system in good working order and get people used to responding. - By lEilA TVEDT New Smoking Policy Takes Effect Smoking is prohibited within 50 feet of buildings on campus under a policy implemented July 1. The policy is an effort by the universiry to accommodate the concerns of smokers and nonsmokers alike while protecting university facilities and furnishings. The Legislature passed laws in 2007 recognizing the health risks of secondhand smoke and enabling universities to establish smoke-free zones around buildings on campus. WCU's executive council approved the new policy Monday, June 30, after a series of campuswide forums and comment periods for students, faculry and staff. Smoking receptacles will be removed from building entrances and placed beyond the perimeters, and building coordinators will be responsible for signage about smoking policies. ~ Reporter - July 7, 2oos Staff Recognized for Years of Service Western honored 84 employees at the 35th annual SPA service awards luncheon in June for their combined 1,030 years of service. The banquet honored employees with five, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 years of service and 13 retirees. Chancellor John W. Bardo thanked the honorees for the difference they make every day helping the university operate, from making sure students are safe to distributing mail. "All that you have done and continue to do for Western means a lot to our students and to all of us at the institution," said Bardo. Since their inception, the annual celebrations have honored a total of 3,101 people for giving 27,448 years of service to WCU. ~ Reporter- July 7, 2ooa University Photographer Wins Support Staff Award Chancellor John W Bardo presented the 2008 Judy H. Dowell Outstanding Support Staff Award to university photographer Mark Hasken at the SPA service awards luncheon in June. Has ken, who also was honored at the banquet for completing 20 years of service, was selected from a pool of23 candidates who were nominated by their co-workers. Bardo said Haskett's co-workers described him as someone who was incredibly dependable and outstandingly loyal to the university, as evidenced by the way he adjusts his schedule to work evenings, weekends or whatever it rakes to photograph university events. "He is creating a tremendous photographic history of Western that will last for many years to come," said Bardo. Haskett joins Bill Studenc, senior director of news services, and Mickey Randolph, professor of psychology, as Western's nominees for the Governor's Award for Excellence. Ncttl'<'l'' Notl'tclurcrl: 1\titi<'Bmok, ill St'll'lct'l), flrc·urlti Bucl''"''"'i/(tct!tttc< 1\ltillllg<'lll<'lll)./oycc l>tit'l< (llllll'<'l'<tly Ccll/<'1'), !'t~u! I>ya ill Scn•tu·•}, I c• J;tnllcr il "' dt/1<'< 1\ltlllltgcmcJII). !ldi•tt llt1111 (1/cti/th tillflllullli/11 Socii<'<'< IJt't/11\· (~/fill'}, (-'ftltl<' Ct~ro!ylll\ftln!J (( 'oopeu/111'<' lrluoll 1011 1111rl ( til'<'<' I' Snl'll n), /11 nult1 1\!otJI'<' ( lltllll<'l' !tbrtlry) tlllff Noblnc \"(//<Oil ( lacdtt "'' 1\ltlililg<'lll<'ill). Faculty, Staff Win $450,000 in Grants WCU's grants office recently announced more than $450,000 in new funding for faculty and staff initiatives. Funded projects include: • The Cherokee Preservation Foundation awarded $45,747 to Anna Fariello, associate professor of Hunter Library, to research and document Cherokee baskets and basketmakers during the first part of the 20th century. The project includes developing a printed guidebook. • The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources awarded $9,704 to Lauren Bishop, energy manager in the facilities management department, to help purchase two electric vehicles to be used by staff and as an educational tool about alternative fuel vehicles. • The Balsam Mountain Trust awarded $4,540 to Ron Davis, assistant professor of natural resources conservation and management, to begin baseline data collection on wildlife species in Balsam Mountain Preserve. Davis will monitor animal movement, habitat use and demographics in response to development and land conservation efforts. • University of North Carolina General Administration awarded $134,000 to the emergency medical care program to enhance irs online bachelor of science degree program. • University of North Carolina General Administration awarded $7,573 to Carlie Merritt and Cindy Brown, both assistant professors of applied criminology, for development of a virtual courtroom in an online world. Students in the criminal justice program will be able to represent judges, atrorneys, defendants and victims in real-time, virtual courtroom educational experiences created by WCU faculty. • University of North Carolina General Administration awarded $31,000 to Jonathan Snover, director of the master's degree program in science and entrepreneurship, to develop a graduate certificate in science and technology entrepreneurship that will be available online and help students with technical ideas develop and practice the skills necessary to advance or commercialize a new product. • University of Norrh Carolina General Administration awarded $38,782 to expand features of the online WestHealth virtual health care system used as an educational tool by students in the online RN-to-BSN program. Barbara St. John , assistant professor of nursing, will develop a virtual public health department, and Julia Wetmore, assistant professor of nursing, will initiate and refine a virtual Institute for EvidenceBased Practice. • University of North Carolina General Administration awarded $72,008 to Jim Costa, executive director of Highlands Biological Station, ro develop "molecularready" capability at the research station. • The Santa Aguila Charitable Trust awarded $112,765 to Robert Young, director of the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines, to hire a full-time employee to serve as the primary point of contact between the program and the trust, which is relocating from Switzerland to Cullowhee, and to plan and organize all scientific and education-related activities for the trust. For more information, contact Wanda G. Ashe, grants manager, at 227-7212 or ashe@wcu.edu. :!: Reporter - July 7, 2008 Newsfile Roseanna Belt, director of the WCU Cherokee Center; Brian Railsback, dean of the Honors College, and two members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, lynne Harlan and Ash leigh Brown, recently presented a workshop at the 21st annual National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in American Higher Education. The session was titled "Before and After the Memorandum of Understanding: A Case Study ofTribai/University Relations;' and centered on the signed agreement, development of a distinguished professorship in Cherokee studies and implementation of a task force dedicated to making the memorandum work. Pat Brown, dean of educational outreach and president of Alpha Sigma lambda, the national honor society for nontraditional adult students, delivered the keynote address at the 50th anniversary celebration for Villanova University's chapter. David Dorondo, associate professor of history, has been elected as an at-large member to the board of the North Carolina Association of Historians. Ronald D. Hunter, professor of applied criminology, was recently honored by the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences after completing a one-year term as president of the international organization. Cheryl Johnston, assistant professor of forensic anthropology, recently led a workshop for professional archaeologists at Marshall University Graduate College at the invitation of the Council for West Virginia Archaeology. Participants practiced locating, investigating and recovering remains of deer bones buried in mock grave sites. The Journal of Interactive learning Environments recently published an article by John LeBaron, the Jay M. Robinson Distinguished Professor of Educational Technologies, and Anna McFadden, director of the Coulter Faculty Center, titled "The Brave New World of elearning: A Department's Response to Mandated Change." Elizabeth Gillespie McRae, associate professor of history, has been elected to membership in the Historical Society of North Carolina. The society is limited to 75 members, who are elected based on publications, professional reputation and contributions to the state and the historical profession. Brill publishing house recently released the book"Monstrous Fishes and the Mead-Dark Sea: Whaling in the Medieval North Atlantic" by Vicki Szabo, associate professor of history. :J ~Reporter- July 7, 2008 Summer Arts Festival to Highlight Talent of State's Far Western Counties Western will showcase talented artists and young musicians of the state's westernmost counties at the inaugural Summer Arts Festival, a free event beginning at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 13, at the Fine and Performing Arts Center. "The Summer Arts Festival is an opportunity for us to fulfill our mission of outreach and cultural enrichment," said Robert Kehrberg, dean of the College of Fine and Performing Arts, the festival's sponsor. A reception for an art exhibition titled "Fragile Earth: Reflections on the Environment" will be from 2-4 p.m. at the Fine Art Museum, with an award ceremony at 3 p.m. The exhibition is a response by more than 40 artists to the beauty and vulnerability of the environment, said Martin DeWitt, museum director. Working with the Jackson County Arts Council and other area arts organizations, DeWitt solicited entries from artists on the Qualla Boundary and in Clay, Cherokee, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain and Transylvania counties. "The Fragile Earth exhibit features some of the most innovative and creative expression by artists from throughout our mountain communities," DeWitt said. The exhibit will be on display at the museum through Saturday, Aug. 16. A concert featuring 10 acts of musicians, all ages 16 or younger and primarily representing the region's bluegrass and gospel traditions, will begin at 4 p.m. July 13 in the performance hall. Amanda Dills Stewart of the Fiddling Dills Sisters will emcee the concert, which is general admission searing. The Jackson County nonprofit organization Catch the Spirit of Appalachia, which works with youth to sustain the region's creative heritage, was instrumental in recruiting musicians, said Paul Lormand, the center's director of performing arts. "The idea of the concert was to provide all the wonderful young musicians in the area a professional venue to showcase their talent," Lormand said. "Bubble People," a monoprint screen print by Charlene Collins Haug of Haywood County - By JILL INGRAM WCU Earns High Marks for Drinking Water Quality Drinking water supplied by WCU's water plant to the university community met all federal and state standards and requirements for quality, according to the annual drinking water quality report for 2008. In addition, the wastewater collection system performed satisfactorily, with no wastewater reaching surface water such as Cullowhee Creek or the Tuckaseigee River. Copies of the reports are available ~t the Facilities Management office and posted on the Web under "Water Reports" at http://admfin.wcu.edu/plant. For more information, contact Bill Manware, assistant director of facilities operation and maintenance, at 227-7224 or manware@email. wcu.edu. Sequoyah Professor Continued from cover C rolina and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians," said rcrn a . en Jy Fo rd , dean of the College of Arts and Sc1ences. Hatley was rrumrn tal in creating a memorandum of understanding between t>Jl and university leaders, an agreement that has led to projects to 111 ce plentiful rivercane (a staple of Cherokee basketmakers) !(Store on J Pand efforts to develop programs to prevent the loss of the :Jl' ro ex h okrr language, Ford said. ~~r look ro Robert Conley to build upon those existing pJrrnrrs hl.ps and provide leadership for the continued development of tducarion programs, cul~ural enrichmen_t and research for th_e benefit f II who are interested rn the preservanon of Cherokee hemage and 0h: fururr of the people of the Qualla Boundary," she said. r In addition to Conley's responsibilities as a teacher and scholar of Chrrokee and Native American studies, he will be instrumental In rhr development of the new Tsalagi Institute, and will serve as its founding director. The institute will focus on the coordination and implementation of future projects involving the university, the Eastern B.md of Cherokee Indians and other Native American constituents. An rnrolled member of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians, Conley has held teaching and administrative positions Jt numerous institutions, including Northern Illinois University, Southwest Missouri State University, Eastern Montana College, 8 <One College, Morningside College, University of New Mexico Jnd Lenoir-Rhyne College. He was an adjunct faculty member in WCU's Cherokee studies program in 2005. Cherokee Language Continued from cover ' Lmguage revitalization is an incredible r ponsibility and the Cherokee Preservation Foundation has really stepped up," said Hmwell Francis, director of the Cherokee lmguage program. Susan Jenkins, executive director of the Cherokee Preservation Foundation, said the organization's support is an opportunity for WCU and the Eastern Band to build their capacity for language revitalization. ' language is such a critical element in any '<tivr American community," said Jenkins, Awards for his writing include the Wordcraft Circle "Wordcrafrer of the Year" in 1997, and "Writer of the Year" in 1999 for fiction for his "War Women." His "The Cherokee Nation: A History" was selected by the American Library Association as an "outstanding academic title" for 2005, and his "Cherokee Medicine Man" was a 2007 nominee for the Oklahoma Reads Oklahoma competition. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Professional Writers Hall of Fame in 1996. "Making the move to North Carolina is like going home, even though I was born in Oklahoma, because North Carolina is home to all Cherokees," Conley said. "The first time my wife and I visited North Carolina some years ago, a Cherokee lady said to us, 'Welcome home.' When it came time for us to leave, neither of us wanted to go." - By BILL STUDENC Grants-In-Action With funding from the Cherokee Preservation Foundation, WCU's Cherokee language program supports language revitalization by: • Offering a first-year Cherokee language online course, beginning this fall, and a Cherokee literature course for spring 2009. • Offering training and other support to students majoring in elementary education who want to teach in immersion classrooms. • Producing Cherokee language books, by Cherokee artists and storytellers including Luzene Hill, Kathi and Leroy Littlejohn, Tom Belt, Freeman Owle and Nannie Taylor, to use in immersion classrooms. • Providing curriculum content for Cherokee language classrooms with projects such as the video-recording of Cherokee speakers as they talk about traditional activities, including pottery or basket-making, while engaged in those activities. • member of the Choctaw Nation. "We saw th<r the Eastern Band couldn't do it alone and Western couldn't do it alone." A primary objective of the funding is to produce certified Cherokee language teachers hke Jennifer Wolfe, an EBCI member and ~CU senior majoring in elementary educauon. Wolfe is an assistant in Panther's preschool class and wants someday to teach an EBCI immersion kindergarten class. Learning Cherokee as a second language herself, Wolfe ~nderstands the challenges of teaching new ~guage learners. "! think I've progressed :!::lte a bit," said Wolfe, who participated in wCU' Ch Eastern Band member Emma Garrett constructs the bottom of a cane basket. s erokee language classes and whose grandfather is fluent. 1. he. de c t·1 ne of Cherokee literacy beginning in the early 20th century is tied to - am h ong other factors - federal boarding ~ ool edu~tion, which discouraged Native dguages; Increased mobility; intermarriage; en th . 0 e nse of electronic communications. nc es · B d' ttmare puts the number of the Eastern 1~400s fluent speakers at 309 of the tribe's ' p rota] members. gu ro~onents say saving endangered ianages IS C • • nnca[[y important because each language represents a unique system of thought. Language, many argue, is the embodiment of culture. Language revitalization is a massive effort requiring student recruitment, teacher training and curriculum development. "People don't really have an idea of just how immense the undertaking is," said Tom Belt, WCU's Cherokee language instructor and an Oklahoma Cherokee. Another challenge is the amount of time that revitalization takes. Gloria Sly, a member of the Cherokee Nation, is director of that tribe's Cultural Resource Center and helped establish the tribe's relationship with Northeastern State. Sly recalls the day in 2000 when the nation's principal chief, Chad Smith, invited her to become a part of the tribe's language revitalization effort. "He said, 'Gloria, do you have 20 years to work on language initiatives?"' Sly said. The Cherokee Nation will have a better understanding of the success of its language revitalization efforts in another decade, when language students become parents and perhaps pass the language to their own children. In 2005, the Cherokee Nation and Northeastern State accomplished a major achievement with the establishment of a bachelor's degree in Cherokee education, the only four-year degree in a Native language offered by a public U.S. university, Sly said. Sharing resources and expertise and identifYing new funding sources are primary goals of the agreement between the EBCI, WCU, Cherokee Nation and Northeastern. A Cherokee dictionary, shared teacher training and a "study abroad" experience between the EBCI and Cherokee Nation are among the first projects planned for the new partnership. The opportunity to soak up some of the Cherokee language knowledge available in Oklahoma excites Wolfe. "It would be to my advantage to go out there and see how they teach," she said. - By JILL INGRAM ~ Reporter - July 7, 2ooa ~Raportar 0. ---July 7- August 11 - - 11111!!!!!!1111!1!1!!!!!!!!!!!!1!1!!!!!!!!!!!!1!1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! .... ~ 0 00 ~ ~ ~ c 0 :~ :0 ~ ·~ Q; a: :·"g Q. '0 e IE 0 ~ N" ' ~ ;; g ~ '0 §.. 10 ~ '§.. ~ "~' E E"' ~ ~ "C u :g a. :s '0 ·a~. 8 ""'' ~ c .g ·E .E .~ § "8. a. 0 ~ g :; "C :; ~ a. ~ .~ ~ u .t= "0 z '0 i!' -;;; ·~c: ::.:>. .~ ~ .;",' c ::.:>. c e J E .!! ~ Thursday,July 10 Summer Concert Series - Nick Edelstein, funky blues from Atlanta. 7 p.m. UC lawn. Rain location: Club Illusions, UC. (227-7206) Outdoor Summer Fun Series - Beginner-level whitewater rafting course on Nantahala River. Participants should be a minimum age of 8 or weigh 60 pounds. Registration required.$. (227-7397) Sunday, July 73 Summer Arts Festival-Showcase for artists and young musicians of the state's westernmost counties. Reception for"Fragile Earth" art exhibit, 2-4 p.m. (award ceremony at 3 p.m.) Concert featuring young bluegrass and gospel musicians at 4 p.m. FAPAC. (227-2479) Sunday, July 13-Friday, July 18 Seventh Bienniel Personalist Seminar - "Schelling & Emerson: Examining Personalist Options in Philosophy;' including exploration of metaphysics, theory of knowledge, ethics and philosophy of religion. WCU campus.$. (227-3940) Thursday, July 17 Summer Concert Series - Hope Massive, internationa I roots music. 7 p.m. UC lawn. Rain location: Club Illusions, UC. (227-7206) Outdoor Summer Fun Series- Hike with a WCU botany expert, learn about plant identification and the Appalachian ecosystem. Registration required. $. (227-7397) Tuesday, July 22 Folkmoot USA - A celebration of the world's cultural heritage through folk music and dance. 7:30p.m. FAPAC. $. (452-2997) Thursday, July 24 Outdoor Summer Fun Series - Introductory canoe trip down a slow-moving river. Registration required. $. (227-7397) Summer Concert Series - Catfish Whiskey, rock 'n' roll, blues, country, folk. 7 p.m. UC lawn. Rain location: Club Illusions, UC. (227-7206) Friday, July 25-Saturday, July 26 Outdoor Summer Fun Series - Introduction to rock climbing will cover the basics at an indoor wall and outdoor sites. No prior experience necessary. Participants must be at least 16 and in good physical condition. Registration required.$. (227-7397) Saturday, July 26 Catamount Club Auction - 20th annual auction to raise money for athletic scholarships. Featuring a coaches' reception at 5:30 p.m., silent auction at 6:30p.m., dinner at 7:30 p.m. and a live auction after dinner. Hickory Metro Convention Center.$. (227-3047) Tuesday, July 29 Summer Concert Series - Austin "Walkin' Cane"Charanghat, blues from Cleveland. 7 p.m. UC lawn. Rain location: Club Illusions, UC. (227-7206) Thursday, July 31 Summer Concert Series - Farpoint, progressive rock from Sumter, S.C. 7 p.m. UC lawn. Rain location: Club Illusions, UC. (227-7206) Outdoor Summer Fun Series -Introduction to the unique challenges of outdoor photography, including natural light, composition, focus and camera modes. Registration required.$. (227-7397) Exhibits Fine Art Museum "Fragile Earth: Reflections on the Environment"Juried competition of new work in a variety of media by artists in WNC's eight westernmost counties and the Qual Ia Boundary. Sunday, July 13, through Saturday, Aug.16. "Worldviews"- Selections from WCU's permanent collection. Ongoing. Wednesdays through summer Ice Cream social - Pl!!!l •• Fine Art Museum summer hours: Ice cream and a variety of toppings. $1 sundaes. 1-3 p.m. UC lawn. (227-7206) AUGUST2008 Friday, August 1 Summer commencement - 7 p.m. RRAC. (227-7495) Sunday, August 3 Broadway Triple Arts Series - Performance by camp participants featuring acting, singing and dancing. 3 p.m., reception to follow. FAPAC. (227-3726) KEY: $- Admission fee; BB- Belk Building; CAC-Catamount Athletic Center; CAT-Center for Applied Technology; CCB-Cordelia Camp Building; CSC-Catamount Softball Complex; FAPAC-Fine and Performing Arts Center; HA-Hoey Auditorium; HFR- H.F. Robinson Administration Building; Hl-Hunter library; HS/CF- Hennon Stadium/Childress Field; MHC -Mountain Heritage Center; NSANatural Sciences Auditorium; RH- Recital Hall, Coulter Building; RRAC- Ramsey Regional Activity Center; UC-A.K. Hinds Univer~ty Center; WS/BW- Whitmire Stadium/Bob Waters Field. Submissions: Send news items, calendar notices and address changes to Reporter@email.wcu.edu or WCU Calendar. 420 H.F. Robinson Building, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC 28723. Submit items for The Reporter calendar at least three weeks prior to the event. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, excluding school holidays. (hnp:/ /fapac.wcu.edu or 227-3591) Mountain Heritage Center "Migration of the Scotch-Irish People"- Slideshow spotlight. July . "Stream of Life" - Slideshow spotlight, August. "A Craftsman's Legacy"- The furniture of Jesse Bryson Stalcup. Gallery B. Through Friday, July 18. "The Artistry of Plain-Style Furniture"- An exhibit of furniture handmade in Western North Carolina during the 1800s and early 1900s. Gallery C. Through Monday, Dec. 15. "People of One Fire"- Cherokee pottery. Gallery B. Monday, Aug. 4-Sunday, Nov. 16. "Migration of the Scotch-Irish People"- Text panels, illustrations, artifacts and murals that trace the ScotchIrish Appalachian settlers from Ulster to Pennsylvania, through the Shenandoah Valley, and into Western North Carolina. Gallery A. Permanent exhibit. Mountain Heritage Center hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. (227-7129 or http:/ /www.wcu.edu/mhc) Hunter Library Art education exhibit- Artwork by students in the art education program is on display through July on the main fioor. (227-7210) "Bartram's Journey: The 1775 Journey ofWilliam Bartram to Western North Carolina"- Exhibit on the life and observations of botanist William Bartram is on display through the end of August on the ground floor. (227-3398)