• Format
  • Publications (documents)
• Type
  • Text
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Identifier
  • HL_WesternCarolinian_2013-06-21_Vol78_No16_A02

A2 june 21, 2013 NEWS. * The Western Carolinian Pulse storms plague this summer's forecast Amber Ethridge Contributing Writer Get ready, Jackson County! This summer is going to be a hot one! According to Harry Gerapetritis, meteo- rologist at the National Weather Service in Greenville, S.C., Jackson County can expect the temperatures to be well above normal for the months of June through August. This will be characterized by a stubborn South-eastern ridge. The precipita- tion is looking strong, though. The county can expect to receive almost anormal rainfall. When asked why the area had such a long cold snap this past spring, Gerapetritis answered, We were under a fairly persistent low pressure on the East _ Coast. That low pressure - was what caused the clouds and rainstorms. It was a very unusual low pressure, though, that lingered around the Southeast coast longer than normal. Western North Caro- lina will see its share of _ storms, like the one on _ June 13, so keep those umbrellas and parkas ready. This time of year, _ instead of the long thun- derstorms, there will This summer, campus will be sunny one minute and rainy the next! be what is called pulse storms. Gerapetritis described these storms as intense short storms | that are not predictable. The National Weather Service only does indi- vidual predictions for one week due to the fact that ' itis so hard to predict the . occurrence of storms any further out than that. If you are traveling to : the coast this summer to enjoy that hot beach, make sure you keep an ear out tothe weather channel for. _ the hurricane predictions. It is expected to be above normal this year with 13- 20 main storms, according to Gerapetritis. The hurri- cane season starts on June 1st and will not end until the end of November. The National Weather Service looks at past years and assesses whether to expect . a hurricane season to be above or below normal. This year, the National Weather Service i is looking - at well above normal with a prediction of 7-11 hur- ricanes. As of right now, itis still too early to say whether those tropical storms will hit the North Carolina coast or not. Photo by Chris Ward/STAFF According to the Na- tional Oceanic and Atmo- spheric Administration, El Nino is a disruption of the ocean-atmosphere system in the Tropical - Pacific having important ' consequences for weather and climate around the _ globe. The waters out in the Pacific Ocean will-be quite warm, which will determine the summer weather and climate. This year, however, E] Nino has not formed, * which will cause a higher hurricane system. Everyone in the Southeast region should be on guard for hur- ricane season. If we do have any storms, we can expect to see heavy rain in our region. Since its so early in the season, it is hard to tell if this will im- pact us, but people should be on guard regardless, Gerapetritis said. On a brighter note, the _time for tornadoes re- cently ended for the year in Western North Caroli- na. The tornado peak for . this region is between April and May. Once June comes, it is harder to get the wind needed for tornadoes, although it can happen at any time of the year. There could be a second peak in the late fall, but for now worry about those tropical storms that can bring hail, heavy rains and high wind gusts. So remember, Jackson - County, if you are going to the coast, keep an eye or ear glued to the: weather channel to predict those- tropical storms. Ifyouare going to stay in Jackson County, keep your um- brellas, rain boots and parkas handy for the sud- den pulse storms. _ Dangerous Trek: Sidewalk to link west and main campus. Brandy Carl Staff Writer In September of 2012, The Western Carolinian brought forth informa- tion on the plans for anew sidewalk from main campus to the new Health and Human. Sciences building. Since then, not much has hap- pened, but Director of Fa- cilities Planning, Design, and Construction Wiley Harris said that students can soon expect to see the newsidewalks. - Google Maps lists the HHS building as being approximately one mile away from the:H.F. Rob- inson building on WCUs main campus, Students can cross over Highway 107 to west campus by way of a walking bridge, but safe means of on foot transportation end there. | Tall grass and narrow strips of property line the road, which has a blind curve a the Rabbit Ridge apartment complex. No safe walking paths exist for students unable to get to the building by other means, or who are simply looking to get their exer- cise. The new sidewalk will offer a safer alterna- tive for those who cannot drive over or miss the Cat Trans HHS express. The sidewalk was estimated to be around $442,000 and will span approximately 3,900 feet. : -WCUs concern for the safety of the students made this an important venture by both Western Carolina University and the North Carolina Dis- trict of Transportation, therefore was expedited to be ready for fall semes- ter 2013, said Harris. Talks of constructing | asidewalk dateback since the plans were ' being discussed for the HHS buildings construc- tion, between 2007-2008, said Harris. No official start date has been. . established, but Jeffrey Alspaugh, assistant district engineer for dis- tricts two and 14 under - the NCDOTs Division of Highways, said construc- tion could start as early Photo by Chris Ward/STAFF Sidewalks will soon connect the west and main campus. as June 17. Harris said that the sidewalk is in the final stages of design. By Aug. 30, the project should be completed, ac- cording to the Alspaugh. The new sidewalk will run along the south side a Little Savannah Road, the same side asthe | Cullowhee Post Office.. From there, it will con- nect to the walk at the, West Campus Overflow Parking lot. The parking lot is located across from _ the HHS building. No major road work will be needed to com- _ plete the project, though some guardrail adjust- ments will be needed along Highway 107 and Centennial Drive, also known.as State Road, 1357, said Harris. About | 700 feet of Little Savan- nah Road will need to be widened, beginning at the overflow lot and heading back to campus, said Alspaugh. A curb and gutter will also be installed on the side of the road. Funding comes from the NCDOT Economic Devel- opment funds and Contin- gency funds. All road crossings will have curb Fae installed. WCU News Services Mimi Fenton, who has been serving as interim dean of Western Carolina Universitys Graduate School and Research since July 2012, has been selected to become the academic units perma- nent leader. Aprofessor of Eng- lish, Fenton has been leading WCUs graduate education programs and research activities since the retirement of the previous dean, Scott Hig- gins, who stepped down: last June after 31 years of service to the university. Mark Lord, acting provost, announced the appointment of Fenton on Wednesday, May 29. The appointment is pending approval by the WCU Board of Trustees and the University of North Carolina Board of Gover- . nors later this summer. Mimi has done a won- derful job in her year as interim dean, and has implemented significant initiatives to improve the efficiency of both the graduate studies side of the operation and the research administra- tion side, Lord said. She worked closely with program directors on strategies to increase enrollment, initiated a summer research as- sistantship program and restructured the Office Mimi Fenton. of Research Admin- istration. She brings first-hand experience to this position from the faculty and administra- tive perspectives, and the numerous teaching awards she has received throughout her career attest to her ability to connect with students. Fenton, a faculty mem- ber at WCU since 1992, previously served as associate dean in the Col- lege of Arts and Sciences from 1997 until 1999 and as director of graduate studies in English from 1995 to 1997. An acclaimed scholar of English poet John Mil- ton, whose works include Paradise Lost, Fenton won WCUs University Scholar Award for 2005- 06, the UNC Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2004, the WCU Chan- cellors Distinguished Teaching Award for 2002- 03, and the WCU College of Arts and Sciences Teaching Award for 2002- 03 and 1995-96. T feel privileged and honored to serve as part of the leadership team at Western Carolina Uni- versity, Fenton said. It is an exciting and fortu- itous time for graduate education and research. Iam working toward increased enrollment in our excellent gradu- ate programs, greater visibility of graduate education throughout the *-egion, development of Photo by Mark Haskett new sources of funding for graduate students, and intensified research support for students, staff and faculty. Many great opportunities lie ahead, and I am inspired by the progress we have been making and the possibili- ties for the future. Fenton earned her bachelors and masters degrees in English from the University of Wyo- ming, in 1980 and 1982 re- spectively, before earning her doctorate in English Curb ramps make it pos- sible for those in wheel- chairs to cross safely, . according to the DOT. In 2012, then-freshman Bryce Caldwell attended classes at the HHS build- ing. He responded well to the idea of sidewalks when asked. - TfI didnt want to wait for the Cat Tran, or if it gets full from limited amount of spots, you have another option, said Caldwell. _ With classes begin- hing Aug. 19, students will not have long to wait to be able to use the new sidewalks and have a safer way to walk to and from classes. For more informa- tion, contact the NCDOT at 919-715-7000 or visit their website at http:// www.ncdot.gov. For the original article covered by The Western Carolin- jan, visit http://www. weunews.com. from the University of Kentucky in 1990. She has taught at the University of New Or- leans, Francis Marion University, University of Kentucky and Purdue University North Cen- tral. She isa member of - the Council of Graduate Schools, the N.C. Council of Graduate Schools and the International Society . for Research Administra- tors, and she was elected president of the Milton Society of America in 2011. The Graduate School dean reports directly to the provost and is respon- sible for the development, promotion, coordina- tion and evaluation of. graduate education, and oversees and promotes sponsored research and compliance at WCU. The universitys gradu- ate education program currently includes more than 450 faculty members from more than 50 degree programs. Nearly 1,700 students are enrolled - in graduate education at Western Carolina through on-site classes in Cullowhee, in Asheville through WCU Pro- grams at Biltmore Park, and around the world through online courses. For more information about graduate programs at Western Carolina Uni- versity, call 828-227-7398 or email grad@weu.edu. .. University of Wyoming, \

The Western Carolinian is Western Carolina University's student-run newspaper. The paper was published as the Cullowhee Yodel from 1924 to 1931 before changing its name to The Western Carolinian in 1933.

• Creator
  • Western Carolina University
• Format
  • Publications (documents)
  • Text
• Type
  • Text
• Date
  • Date original: 2013-06-21
• Extent
  • Dimension: 22.75" x 11.5"
  • Pages: 12
• Subject - Topic
  • College student newspapers and periodicals
  • Cullowhee (N.C.) -- Newspapers
  • Universities and colleges -- North Carolina -- Cullowhee -- Newspapers
  • Western Carolina University -- Periodicals
• Location
  • Jackson County (N.C.)
  • Cullowhee (N.C.)
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Source Collection
  • WCU Students Newspapers Collection
• Identifier
  • HL_WesternCarolinian_2013-06-21_Vol78_No16
• Repository
  • Western Carolina University Hunter Library