The SewaneeMountain MESSENGER Vol. XXVIII, No. 3 Friday, January 20, 2012 Ebey Appointed to PTO-SES County Commission Forum on Sherwood Ebey of Sewanee was appointed to fi ll the District 5-B seat on the Education & Franklin County Commission until August. Ebey is taking the seat of Arthur Knoll, who died in November. Th e county commission made the appointment at its Jan. 17 meeting. Johnny Budget Issues Hughes, of Sewanee, who holds the District 5-A seat, nominated Ebey for the post. The Sewanee Elementary Parent Th ere were no other nominations, and the appointment was approved. Teacher Organization is hosting an Ebey, a longtime friend and neighbor of Knoll’s, said he was interested in open forum on the education and continuing Knoll’s work on the com- budget issues facing Franklin County mission. He is particularly interested and the state of Tennessee. in the issues facing the commission Th e forum will be at 6 p.m., Tues- as it wrestles with the Franklin day, Jan. 24, in the cafeteria of Sewanee County schools budget. Ebey will Elementary School. Topics will include also replace Knoll on the schools the state’s waiver from No Child Left committ ee of the commission. Behind, teacher evaluations, TCAP “I am committ ed to the operation scores and the Franklin County school and success of Franklin County board budget. schools in general and Sewanee Th e Gathering by Robert Sparrow Jones, 2012. Oil on canvas, 36 x 32 inches. Among the elected offi cials sched- Elementary, in particular,” Ebey said uled to att end are Rebecca Sharber, recently. director of schools, and Franklin Ebey will be att ending the Jan. 24 New Show at Carlos Gallery County school board members Chris PTO forum at Sewanee Elementary McDonough and Chris Guess. Also School (see adjacent story) to “listen The Carlos Gallery in the Nabit ened color merges imagination with expected are Franklin County com- and learn more about what is going Art Building at the University presents reality and engages a perfect tension missioner Johnny Hughes, newly Sherwood Ebey on.” “Th e Gathering,” an exhibition of oil of psychology and emotional indif- appointed county commissioner paintings by Georgia-based artist ference. Sherwood Ebey and Franklin County Robert Sparrow Jones. The show is Ultimately, Jones wants his viewers Mayor Richard Stewart. on display until Feb. 11. Th e opening to never forget the communal wild that School systems in Tennessee de- Organic Prayer Project reception and artist’s talk will be at humans share with nature. pend on local tax revenues and state 4:30 p.m., Friday, Jan 27. Jones’ work investigates the re- and federal money in order to fund In this new series, Jones explores lationship between people and the public education. School systems Growing at St. Mary’s a “Thoreauvian” attempt to coexist natural world. Working in drawing, cannot raise money to fund education. by Sadie Shackelford, Messenger Intern with nature. This fascination with painting and print media, his work And school systems must use specifi c “Farming is a spiritual practice and symbolic of internal work.” Th ese are the natural world, both delicate and has been exhibited nationally and state and federal funds to pay for spe- the words of Michael Trent Th ompson, farmer and founder of the Organic enduring, forlornly strange and inti- internationally. cifi c services. Prayer Project (OPP) at the Farm of St. Mary’s Sewanee. Th ompson moved to mately known, is Jones’ response to, Th e Carlos Gallery is located in the Th e Franklin County School Board Sewanee in March of 2011. and escape from, the hyper-civilized, Nabit Art Building 105 Kennerly Rd., is projecting a $3 million dollar short- Th ompson said, “I fi rst came to Sewanee in the summer of 2010 for the technology-saturated, globalized Sewanee. Gallery hours are 8 a.m.–5 fall in its 2012–13 budget. To balance School of Lett ers. Th at is when I encountered for the fi rst time this unique place world. p.m., Monday through Friday; and 1–5 the 2011–12 budget, the school board and its wonderful folks. My wife and I decided that this was a place we could Inspired by his upbringing in a p.m., Saturdays and Sundays. For more is making up the estimated $2.6 mil- live into our way of life.” small valley town and a passion for information call 598-1256. lion dollar shortfall by using part of its Th ompson spent one year of seminary at the Candler School of Th eology narrative, Jones’ paintings depict safe fund balance. at Emory University in At- havens, such as tree houses and boat For more information, or to sub- lanta, Ga., where he focused among landscapes and waterscapes, mit a specific question or topic for on Anglican Studies. While reminding us that even in Mother SUD Voting the forum, contact the SES-PTO at att ending the school, Th omp- Nature’s peril, meditative places exist <[email protected]>. son discovered the Episcopal and survive. Ends Tuesday Church and became an Ob- In these paintings, the new and old late of St. Benedict. Th omp- world overlap in a mixture of bucolic Results of the SUD commissioner’s son’s wife, Carmen Toussaint and cosmopolitan elements. Height- election will be announced at the next Th ompson, is currently the meeting of the Sewanee Utility Dis- program coordinator at the trict’s board of commissioners meet- Candler School of Theol- ing, 5 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 24. ogy. University Voter turnout has been light, ac- Using the garden at St. cording to SUD offi cials. Candidates Mary’s and land nearby Locks In for the open seat are Art Hanson and on Dakotah Lane, a space Tom McCawley. Voting takes place Thompson leases from the at the SUD office, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Retreat Center, the Sister’s Four-Year weekdays. Th e election will close at 5 of St. Mary’s off ers the per- p.m., Jan 24. fect combination of a strong The agenda for the meeting in- Benedictine community and Tuition Price cludes approval of December minutes, accessible land for Th ompson Th e University announced that it the general manager’s report and the to work. will guarantee the cost of tuition, room fi nancial report. In unfi nished busi- While Th ompson enjoys Th e gate of the Organic Prayer Project and board for the next four years for the ness, the board will consider whether farming, the project is mainly focused on his faith. class entering the University next fall. to participate in a federal program Th e tuition these students will pay for natural gas-powered vehicles. Th e “Farming is a metaphor for what we’re doing with our own souls,” Th ompson The Sewanee Performing Arts Series said. “It is a spiritual practice and symbolic of internal work.” He explained that will remain level from the Fall 2012 SUD annual meeting is set for 5 p.m., through Spring 2016 semesters. Th e Tuesday, Feb. 28. presents cellist Astrid Schween (above) this method of prayer is what Catholic writer Th omas Merton called “active and pianist Gary Hammond at 7:30 contemplation,” and is a unique form of working with one’s hands while focus- University’s board of regents set an- nual tuition and fees for incoming p.m., (today), Friday, Jan. 20, at Guerry ing on internal work. Welcome back, Auditorium. For more information or to In describing his project’s mission, Th ompson said, “In the Benedictine spirit students at $44,630, according to the announcement on Jan. 17. purchase tickets, call 598-1770 or go to of ora et labora (prayer and work), the Organic Prayer Project seeks to heighten students! <www.sewanee.edu/performingarts>. spiritual awareness through a direct connection with the soil. Cultivating both “Sewanee’s tuition guarantee rep- the soil and the soul, OPP is an intentional and spiritual approach to gardening resents a considerable savings over and farming through the ongoing development of and care for biodynamic what families might have expected P.O. Box 296 gardens, vineyards and orchards.” to pay across four years, based on the Sewanee, TN 37375 Th e OPP is a program for the University’s Center for Religion and Environ- national trend of ever-increasing col- ment. Th ompson said the project is “a practical way for students to discover lege costs,” said John M. McCardell Jr., nature and creation with their hands.” vice-chancellor and president. Students from both the college and School of Th eology come three to four “Yearly tuition increases make it times a year to help out on the farm. Th e organic prayer gardens will also be used diffi cult for families to plan. By lock- for the Benedictine Garden Retreats off ered by the Sisters of St. Mary’s. ing in the tuition cost for four years, “Others who participate in the Benedictine group gatherings with the Sisters Sewanee is off ering an element of cer- on Saturday evenings will help with the gardens and berries, along with the tainty to students and their families,” students and other volunteers in the community,” Th ompson said. he said. All left over products will be donated to the Community Action Committ ee According to the College Board in Sewanee. (Continued on page 8) 2 • Friday, January 20, 2012 • Th e Sewanee Mountain MESSENGER THE SEWANEE MOUNTAIN MESSENGER Letter 418 St. Mary’s Ln. P.O. Box 296 MOUNTAIN TOP WRESTLING Sewanee, Tennessee 37375 A SUCCESS Phone (931) 598-9949 To the Editor: St.