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Winter Western 2015 CAROLINATHE MAGAZINE OF WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY HUNDREDS FROM WCU GIFTS TOWARD SCHOLARSHIPS WCU’S MARCHING BAND HELP ‘FLIP’ A PRISON ARE ON UPWARD TREND TAKES MANHATTAN HORNING IN The Pride of the Mountains Marching Band leads the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade through the streets of New York City. SEE MORE ON PAGE 24. Photo by Jarrett Frazier ’12 Western CAROLINA WINTER 2015 | VOLUME 19, NO. 1 CONTENTS 30 16 12 2022 The Magazine of Western Carolina University is FEATURES SECTIONS produced by the Office of Communications and Public Relations for alumni, faculty, staff, friends 16 LOOKING FOR JAN O’BRIEN 4 Worth Repeating and students of Western Carolina University. The Facebook said a beloved campus icon views and opinions that appear in this publication 5 Opening Notes are not necessarily those of the editorial staff or had died; the Internet was wrong the official policies of the university. 20 COMMUNITY OF CARING 6 News from the Western Hemisphere CHANCELLOR Hundreds from WCU help transform a David O. Belcher closed prison into a shelter and soup kitchen 12 WCU Athletics CHIEF OF STAFF Melissa Canady Wargo 26 THE 7 PERCENT SOLUTION 40 Alumni Spotlight MANAGING EDITOR Alumni, friends increase their giving Bill Studenc MPA ’10 to provide additional scholarships 46 Class Notes ASSOCIATE EDITORS Randall Holcombe Teresa Killian Tate 30 AN OUTSIDE INFLUENCE 56 Calendar CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER A tradition of mixing academics, outdoor recreation Mark Haskett ’87 leads to a No. 1 ‘adventure college’ ranking 58 The View from Here STAFF DESIGNERS John Balentine Will Huddleston STAFF WRITERS Keith Brenton ON THE COVERS Wendy Buchanan ’12 Daniel Hooker ’01 FRONT The contours of the landscape surrounding the Western Carolina University Christy Martin ’71 MA ’78 campus, as illustrated in this topographical map from the U.S. Geological Survey, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Department of the Interior, make for a perfect environment for outdoor recreation Ashley T. Evans and learning. VIDEO EDITOR Joseph Hader ’12 BACK Runners are coated by clouds of color during the Fun Run 5K held on a chilly morning in November on the campus of Western Carolina University. The MARKETING DIRECTOR event was part of a year of activities associated with the celebration of the 125th Robin Oliver anniversary of the founding of WCU. PRODUCTION MANAGER Ashley Beavers CIRCULATION MANAGER Cindi Magill BUSINESS MANAGER Linda Mallonee Search for this icon throughout the magazine for stories that feature online extras – videos, photographs and more, available ONLY online. magazine.wcu.edu Winter 2015 | 3 WORTH REPEATING COMMENTS FROM OUR READERS GURNEY CHAMBERS ’61 ON THE PREVIOUS EDITION Thank you for the profile on the late James “Uncle Jimmy” Childress, who owned and DAN J. HEATH (attended 1947-49) was a personality on WRGC- AM in Sylva from the 1950s until a few years into the 21st I enrolled at Western Carolina Teachers College in the middle of the century. Thousands of students quarter in December 1947 after serving in the U.S. Navy for two-and- who attended Western during a-half years. I was 19 years of age. My uncle, Stedman Mitchell, was those years were acquainted foreman of grounds and later director of food service. He suggested I with Uncle Jimmy, or at least his try and enroll. voice on the radio. For much I am amazed at WCU’s growth. While I was there, its enrollment of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, was about 500 or so. There were about 33 cars and 33 dogs owned WRGC was about the only by the students. radio station students could Thank you for your great magazine. My first cousin, a graduate of pick up in Cullowhee. Jimmy WCU, subscribed me to it last year. Her son recently graduated has been one of Western’s there, too. May many follow! great benefactors, especially toward the baseball program. Even as he was approaching MONA (GILLESPIE) TUCKER ’73 MAED ’74 his 90th birthday, he would still make it to an inning or two I would like to commend you on the spring 2014 edition. As with all of Western’s baseball game. of your past editions, I thoroughly enjoyed every article, but most He wrote a little ditty about especially the article titled “A Class Act.” I am thrilled that the N.C. Cullowhee – obviously he views Sports Hall of Fame inducted Coach Bob Waters this year! What a Cullowhee and Western as deserved honor! synonymous – that he sang over the PA system at a game last I had the good fortune of meeting Coach Waters in the spring of my year. The fans seemed to love freshman year at WCU in 1970 when I made the WCU cheerleading it. I am convinced that there squad. For the next four years, I grew to respect Coach Waters are thousands of alumni out as a true leader. He was always supportive of the cheerleaders there who read of Uncle Jimmy’s and worked closely with us to do all we could to promote school passing with great sadness. spirit at WCU. I have such fond memories of football game days when Coach Waters would open the team’s locker room for us to decorate with “Go Cats!” signs and provide treats for the players and RANDY WOODSON, coaches. He was such a kind and gentle man, and provided amazing Chancellor, N.C. State University professionalism and leadership to all of his players, cheerleaders and fans in general. I enjoyed the 125th anniversary Coach Bob Waters was certainly “a class act,” and I will forever feel edition of the Western Carolina honored to have known him during my time at WCU. Thanks for Magazine. Well done! Much to highlighting this incredible Catamount leader. be proud of. LYNDON SMITH ’61 Have a comment about this issue that you think is A few issues back, you asked for memories of “worth repeating?” Let us hear from you! the WCU/App game. Me and some others drank Email us at [email protected] or send us a moonshine – white lightning – from a jar sitting at letter to 420 H.F. Robinson, Cullowhee, N.C., 28723. Memorial Stadium during the game. Suppose y’all We’ll select a few to share with your fellow readers. are doing great in the valley. All is good here. OPENING Notes Western Carolina University’s quasquicentennial anniversary, Band, selected not only to participate in the annual Macy’s a yearlong celebration of our university’s 125 years of making Thanksgiving Day Parade, but picked to lead the parade. Yes, a difference in the lives of the students and region we serve, last year was one for the record books. But now is definitely drew to a close in December. Throughout 2014, we spent time not the time to rest on our laurels. looking back at our past, our roots, our historic mission of We must take advantage of the momentum of our 125th service to Western North Carolina and our growth as an engine anniversary celebration to continue the relentless pursuit of of economic and community development. This looking back our vision for WCU. We must invest strategically in degree has been appropriate because the successes of today and the programs that will prepare our students to fill high-demand opportunities of tomorrow are built upon the solid foundation jobs in our region and state. We must help provide an accessible created during the previous 125 years. Now we turn our attention education to deserving students by increasing privately funded to the years ahead and to the future of this great institution. scholarships for high-performing students in need of financial 2014 proved to be an amazing point of departure for looking assistance. We must increase community partnerships that toward Western Carolina’s future. It was the year WCU began will provide academic opportunities that get students out of offering engineering courses to students in the Asheville- the classroom in order to put their education to the test in a Hendersonville area at our Biltmore Park instructional site, real-world environment. And we must be an active collaborator thanks to the legislative support of Sen. Tom Apodaca ’80 in efforts to move the region forward by playing a significant and his colleagues in the General Assembly. It also was the role in economic and community development, in driving year when the amount of external grant funding for research conversation among leaders in different parts of the region, at WCU rose 60 percent, providing resources for the important and in supporting the area’s cultural strengths. work of faculty and student researchers. Much of the work in the years ahead will revolve around 2014 was the year in which enrollment metrics continued their our continuing efforts to keep our institution’s time-honored climb – in terms of both quantity and quality. Last fall witnessed commitment to student access and student success at the the third consecutive year of record enrollment at Western forefront of all we do. That is why we are ramping up our efforts Carolina, and our students came to campus better prepared for to encourage stronger philanthropic investment in WCU – the academic rigors of university study. And there are impressive efforts that have resulted in the establishment of more than indicators of WCU’s reputational growth in academic quality. 100 new endowed scholarships at WCU since my installation For example, last year WCU placed second nationally in the in March 2012. (You’ll find a story and list of them on Page 26). number of undergraduate students whose research was accepted That is why we are strategically advocating with the General for presentation at the National Conference on Undergraduate Assembly to advance our UNC system and institutional Research – the ninth consecutive year WCU has placed in the priorities.

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