Honors Wednesday Memo
Opportunities and Information for Honors Students
edited by Brad Rentz
Volume 3, Issue 29
April 15, 2020
Message from Dean Jeff Vahlbusch
Dear Honors College students, and Honors friends,
Like students, faculty, staff members, departments, programs across Appalachian State University, the Honors College is moving forward despite the difficulties of these days. We are finding ways to work and make progress together, collectively and collaboratively, in support of each other, of our Honors mission, and of the University. To wit:
- Honors thesis defenses by our graduating Honors College seniors are happening via Zoom right now, often more than one per day, and being attended by many Honors College students and staff, and by faculty and students from departments across the university.
- Twenty-one new Honors College Vanguard ambassadors were selected and named yesterday, and, together with more than 30 veteran Honors Vanguard ambassadors and Chancellor's Scholars, are getting ready to reach out personally and welcome the 150 new Honors College students (and their parents!) who will join us this fall.
- All continuing Honors College students are invited to become PEER MENTORS for our new Honors College students this summer and fall: help new Honors students acclimate to college life, answer their questions before they arrive in Boone, help them begin to understand how to make friends, how to succeed in their first weeks at App, how best to strive for an Honors education. Are you interested in creating a genuine relationship with one or more of our incoming students, so they have someone on their side before they even arrive? Then please reach out to Honors College Peer Mentor Program Coordinator Paige Skinner (skinnerpr@appstate.edu), or to me (vahlbuschjb@appstate.edu) or to learn more!
As I have written in this space in the past: business as usual, in these uncertain days, is both comforting and productive. Let's keep the momentum alive by getting or staying involved, energetically!
Sending thanks,
Jeff
Photo above taken from my hike last week to the summit of the Hawksbill Mountain Trail. Please remember to still go outside and take time away from our screens, it’s a great time to regather your thoughts and tackle your next task with a clear mind. Photo by Brad Rentz.
Upcoming Opportunities:
Ransom Pub CareBox Initiative
Ransom Pub is looking for volunteers for their food assistance program. Volunteers will be handing out boxes of food and provide drive-thru service at Ransom Pub located. Volunteers are needed to both assemble and hand out the CareBoxes. For more information and how to volunteer, click here.
Career Development Center Meetups
The Career Development Center is offering Career Meetups via Zoom. There are still several events left this week, hosted at 10 am and 2 pm daily. These meetups will discuss topics that will help you with your career readiness skills. To learn more about the Career Meetups and how to register, visit our website.
Don’t Pay for a Tutor!
University Tutorial Services are still here to help through virtual small group tutoring and virtual learning labs. There are several learning labs that convene each week via zoom. To find a list of available labs and how to join them, click here.
The Peel: Fundraiser
Appalachian’s student print publication is raising funds to help keep physical publication of The Peel possible. The Peel has a goal of raising $7,300 on their “gofundme” page. To learn more about The Peel and how to donate, visit our website.
Career Development Center Updates
The Career Development Center is still working to help provide you with career opportunities. On April 20, from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm, there will be a Virtual Education Career Fair. For more information, including a full list of participating schools from over 13 states, click here.
Stay in the Know:
2020 Climate Stories Showcase
The Climate Stories Collaborative invites you to follow their third annual showcase of student climate stories, taking place virtually this year, through their Instagram. The exhibition will begin today, April 15 and will feature new projects everyday for several weeks. For more information and how to find the exhibitions on Instagram, visit our website.
Counseling Center Services
The Counseling and Psychological Services Center remains committed to assisting and supporting students during this time. There are several services still available to students, like phone consultations, self-help, telemental-help, and much more. For a complete list of available services, click here.
Yom HaShoah Commemoration
On the evening of April 20 at 8 pm, the Center for Judaic, Holocaust, and Peace Studies and its partner institutions mark the beginning of this year's Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial Day) with an on-line commemoration and readings of names of European Jews murdered by the Germans during the Holocaust. For more information and how to watch commemoration, visit our website.
Fall 2020 Service-Learning Courses
Do you love service? Take a service-learning class to incorporate service as a component in your education. A complete list of service learning courses offered this fall can be found here.
Celebrate Earth Month at Home
Each day this Earth Month, the Office of Sustainability invites you to join us for a different activity geared towards enriching the planet, yourself, and our community. Daily challenges are revealed each morning on the calendar, and via Facebook and Instagram. For more on Earth Month events from the Office of Sustainability, visit our website.
In the Honors (Appalachian) Spotlight
Fall 2019 Honors Student Athletes Honored
Photo above features Honors College Dean Jeff Vahlbusch (third from left, back row) along with Deans of other colleges on the court during half-time of the women’s basketball game on Feb. 27 honoring student-athletes who made the fall 2019 academic honor roll.
Congratulations to our Fall 2019 Honors student-athletes! They manage hectic lives, heavy responsibility, maintain high GPAs, and take additional Honors requirements.
For a list and report on the Honors Student Athletes honored for making the fall 2019 academic honor roll, click here.
App State Offers cloud-based career preparation for students
Appalachian State University’s Career Development Center staff members are pictured via Zoom. Photo submitted
Appalachian State University’s Career Development Center (CDC) is working to ensure university students have virtual access to career resources — including new options created specifically in response to the shift to virtual platforms, due to COVID-19.
For the full story by Megan Bruffy in AppalachaianToday, click here.
To Stay in the Know and Learn About All Opportunities in Honors, please visit https://honors.appstate.edu/announcements
Appalachian State Honors College on Social Media!
Check us out on Instagram also! Find us by searching “Appalachian Honors College”
Don’t forget to “like” us on Facebook at Appalachian Honors: https://www.facebook.com/Appalachian-Honors-482157301971520/
Have news to share? Submissions to the Honors Wednesday Memo can be made by emailing honors@appstate.edu. Any content received by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday will be considered for the following week’s issue.