Fall Western 2013 CAROLINATHE MAGAZINE OF WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY BINDING FORCE FROM HOMECOMING AND THE JUG TO THE TOWNHOUSE AND THE TUCK, TRADITIONS KEEP ALUMNI CONNECTED TRAINING SCHOOL STRESSES CHANGES ARE NOTHING NEW STUDENTS STREAKED INTO OUTDOOR SAFETY, SURVIVAL IN SOUTHERN CONFERENCE RECORD BOOK 40 YEARS AGO Western CAROLINA FALL 2013 | VOLUME 17, NO. 3 The Magazine of Western Carolina University is produced by the Office of Communications and Public Relations for alumni, faculty, staff, friends and students of Western Carolina University. The views and opinions that appear in this publication are not necessarily those of the editorial staff or the official policies of the university. CHANCELLOR David O. Belcher CHIEF OF STAFF Melissa Wargo MANAGING EDITOR Bill Studenc MPA ’10 ASSOCIATE EDITORS Jill Ingram MA ’08 Teresa Killian Tate ART DIRECTOR HOMECOMING 2013 Rubae Schoen CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER OCTOBER 24-27 Mark Haskett ’87 GRAPHIC DESIGNERS John Balentine Tailgating. Noon-3:30 p.m. Parking lots Will Huddleston THURSDAY, OCT. 24 Zack Keys The Last Lecture. 2:30 p.m. Coulter recital adjacent to E.J. Whitmire Stadium. Joseph Moon hall. Burton Ogle, director of the environmental WCU vs. Elon University. 3:30 p.m. STAFF WRITERS health sciences program, “What is Cool E.J. Whitmire Stadium/Bob Waters Field. about Environmental Health.” Information: Keith Brenton Tickets: 800.344.6928. Randall Holcombe 828.227.7196 or [email protected]. Daniel Hooker ’01 African-American Alumni Postgame Patrick O’Neal Spirit Night. 8 p.m. Central Plaza. Reception. 6:30-8 p.m. A.K. Hinds Steve White ’67 Music, food, fun. University Center’s Club Illusions. STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS FRIDAY, OCT. 25 RSVP by Friday, Oct. 18: 877.440.9990, Ashley T. Evans 828.227.7335 or [email protected]. Alumni Scholarship Homecoming Golf John Witherspoon Tournament. Noon. Waynesville Inn Golf Resort Stompfest. 8 p.m. John W. Bardo Fine and VIDEO EDITOR & Spa. Four-person captain’s choice format. Performing Arts Center. Annual stepping Joseph Hader ’12 $85 per person. RSVP by Friday, Oct. 18: competition by black fraternities and 877.440.9990, 828.227.7335 or sororities; sponsored by the Organization PRODUCTION MANAGER Ashley Beavers [email protected]. of Ebony Students and the Department of Intercultural Affairs. Tickets/information: Homecoming Parade. 6:15 p.m. CIRCULATION MANAGER 828.227.2276 or [email protected]. Cindi Magill Main Street, downtown Sylva. Homecoming Concert – Country music SATURDAY OCT. 26 artist Kacey Musgraves. 9 p.m. Ramsey Chancellor’s Brunch and Alumni Awards. Regional Activity Center. Tickets on sale 10 a.m. A.K. Hinds University Center Grandroom. at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24. Information: Honoring Joan MacNeill, Distinguished ramsey.wcu.edu or 828.227.7677. Service Award; Johnny Carson ’71, Academic Achievement Award; Wes Elingburg ’78, SUNDAY, OCT. 27 Professional Achievement Award; Manteo Inspirational Choir Concert. 1 p.m. Mitchell ’09 MAEd ’12, Young Alumnus Award. A.K. Hinds University Center Grandroom. $15 per person, business attire. RSVP by Friday, Information: 828.227.2276 or Oct. 18: 877.440.9990, 828.227.7335 [email protected]. or [email protected]. Search for this icon throughout the magazine for stories that feature See the complete Homecoming schedule online at Homecoming.wcu.edu. online extras – videos, photographs and more, available ONLY online. 2 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University magazine.wcu.edu FALL 2013 | VOLUME 17, NO. 3 CONTENTS 20 28 18 38 FEATURES SECTIONS 18 BOSTON STRONG 4 Worth Repeating A former WCU track athlete recalls close call at marathon bombing 5 Opening Notes 20 TEST OF ENDURANCE 6 News from the A couple builds a top school for Western Hemisphere outdoor responder training 12 WCU Athletics 28 GET THE MESSAGE? The university is making huge strides 40 Alumni Spotlight in emergency notification 44 Class Notes 30 BINDING FORCE 52 Calendar Traditions help maintain campus connections with alumni and friends 54 The View from Here 38 THE BARE FACTS 55 Last Look Forty years ago, WCU was the epicenter of collegiate streaking in the U.S. ON THE COVERS FRONT A symbol of WCU’s longstanding rivalry with Appalachian State, the Old Mountain Jug will be on the line one more time Nov. 23 when the Catamounts travel to Boone for what may be their final football game against the Mountaineers, who are leaving the Southern Conference after this season to join the Sun Belt Conference. BACK More than 100 booths of Western North Carolina’s finest arts and crafts will be on display and for sale as the 39th edition of WCU’s Mountain Heritage Day, the university’s tribute to traditional Southern Appalachian culture, kicks off on campus Saturday, Sept. 28. More information available at MountainHeritageDay.com. Fall 2013 | 3 “We’ve been trying for many years to get a provision under WORTH which concealed handgun permit REPEATING holders who’ve proven themselves sane, sober and law-abiding can protect themselves “It’s sort of like that “Reminded me of a Saturday in restaurants, on guy who lived next a.m. back in the late ’60s. educational property door when you were The mirrors in the dorm were and elsewhere.” growing up. He’s a swaying ... had never been in – Paul Valone of little bigger, has a an earthquake before then.” Grassroots North little more money – Bunny Bennett Parish ’69, Carolina to the N.C. and you always used replying to a WCU Alumni News Network, to fight him. Then Association Facebook post on a legislative he moves away, about a June 6 tremor near proposal that and you don’t have Cullowhee measuring 2.5 would allow gun- anybody to fight on the Richter scale. owners who hold with anymore. You concealed-carry didn’t necessarily “Seeing their faces along with permits to store their like him, but you’re hearing their stories while you firearms in vehicles going to miss him.” basically help rebuild their lives on university – Steve White ’67, is about the most rewarding campuses. WCU’s athletic experience I have ever been historian, to the involved in.” – Junior Matthew “I’m just not Asheville Citizen- Chevalier, one of 10 students convinced, based Times on arch- involved in a May service- on what I’ve seen, rival Appalachian based leadership course that that allowing more State’s decision to traveled to Staten Island, N.Y., firearms on campus leave the Southern to assist with rebuilding after is going to make Conference. Hurricane Sandy. campuses safer. I’ve not seen anything “Ultimately, we are looking at the river park as a to make me think catalyst for the revitalization of downtown Cullowhee.” that is the case.” – – Anna Fariello, associate research professor at Hunter WCU Police Chief Library and leader of CuRvE, a grassroots nonprofit Ernie Hudson to the dedicated to improving the Cullowhee community, Asheville Citizen- to the Smoky Mountain News on a proposed park Times on that along the Tuckaseigee River near campus. same proposal. 4 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University OPENING Notes As the beginning of the fall semester approaches, Western These activities are occurring against the backdrop of Carolina University is in the midst of the process of sharpening challenging times. The university has absorbed more than $32 its focus. It is no coincidence that the university’s “2020 Vision” million in cuts to state funding since 2008-09. As I write this, strategic plan is subtitled “Focusing Our Future.” Those who our elected officials are debating the budget for the 2013-15 worked on the plan – and there were many from across the biennium, with further reductions anticipated. Simply put, we campus and the broader external community – realized the do not have the resources to do everything we would like to do importance of a well-defined institutional focus in order for or to be all things to all people. We never have. That is why we the university to move forward and continue to meet the needs are taking a hard look at all of our functions in order to make of students and the region we serve. informed decisions about how to use limited resources toward Perhaps the most significant “focusing” activity in which we the goal of maintaining the growth, vitality and excellence of are engaged is academic program prioritization. Through this the university and WCU’s ability to serve students and the rigorous and inclusive process, we have examined all programs people of North Carolina. in our academic mix, assessing their quality, productivity and That said, harsh fiscal realities alone are not driving this need connection to mission. Academic program prioritization was to sharpen our focus. Institutions of higher education – like a direct outcome of the “2020 Vision” plan, and it was called any organization – should engage in a systematic process of for by the first initiative of the first goal of the first strategic review and prioritization of all of its functions as a normal order direction. Academic program prioritization will become a of business. And we will do just that. Regular examination of regular activity, ensuring that we have the proper array of what we do and how we do it will be an ongoing initiative of programs to enable us to meet our institutional mission and this forward-looking university in its pursuit of distinction. position us for the opportunities and challenges ahead. As good stewards of the resources and trust granted us by the We also have thoroughly reviewed the structure of our people and the state, we must constantly evaluate our operations administrative and other non-academic areas. As a result, toward the goal of continuous improvement. Doing so will we have made several organizational shifts designed to meet make us more efficient and will leave us a stronger institution.