Honors Wednesday Memo
Opportunities and Information for Honors Students
edited by Brad Rentz
Volume 3, Issue 30
April 22, 2020
Message from Dean Jeff Vahlbusch
Dear Honors students, friends, colleagues,
Remembering Professor Emory Maiden
It is our privilege and duty to remember and honor those whose talents, hard work, and dedication to students nurtured the culture that we thrive in at Appalachian and in the Honors College, and built the foundations that we stand on.
Dr. Lynn Moss Sanders, professor of English and Folklore and director of the ASU University Honors Program (now the Honors College) from 2004 to 2008, has contributed a brief eulogy for an extraordinary Honors faculty member, teacher, and human being: Dr. Emory Maiden, Jr.:
ASU professor emeritus and the 2012 Honors College "Teacher of the Year," Dr. Emory Maiden, passed away on April 13, 2020. Dr. Maiden began his teaching career at Appalachian in 1973; even after his retirement in 2012, he continued to teach one course each academic year until his death. In addition to the Honors College Award, Dr. Maiden received the University of North Carolina Board of Governors Teaching Award in 1997.
Dr. Maiden’s academic specialty was 19th century American literature, and he regularly taught a Sophomore Honors Seminar in the English department. Over the years Dr. Maiden also developed an expertise in speculative fiction that was often the topic for his Honors College courses, including a favorite for several years: "From Hairy Beasts to Harry Potter."
This past week, many former honors students have shared their memories of Dr. Maiden, including Dr. Meredith McCarroll (class of 1998), who writes that Dr. Maiden “modeled a life of the mind” with “laughter and ease.” Other students who wish to submit a testimonial about Dr. Maiden may send them to Dr. Leo Flores, chair of the ASU English department.
Thank you, Dr. Maiden. We will remember you, and will strive to emulate you.
Jeff Vahlbusch
Congratulations to these four Honors Students who have successfully defended their Honors theses! Featured Honors students include: Tristan Pike (top left), Faith Showler (top right) Makayla Wood (bottom left), and Taylor Gibbs (bottom right).
Upcoming Opportunities:
Service Year from ACT and Career Talk
Students facing job uncertainty can consider a service year. ACT and Career Development invite you to learn about several service year programs on April 24 from 11 to 12 p.m. For more information and to register, click here.
Library Research Help Workshops
There are several workshops to help you with library research being hosted through the end of the semester. All workshops are recorded and available for you to view afterwards. For more information and how to register, visit our website.
Publication on Disability Life within Institutions
Institutional Model is an online publication designed to be an archive of writing, images, media, and other documentation relating to disability within institutional spaces. Students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to submit their experiences through writing, photography, fine art, or any other form of expression. To learn more about Institutional Model, click here.
Career Development Events
The Career Development Center has online events scheduled to help students make connections and gather ideas about life after college. The next event, an exploration of careers in humanities, will be Today, Wednesday April 22 at 5. For more information and a look at other events, visit our website.
Is Studying a Struggle?
If you're concerned about your academics, time management, or career choices, maybe it's time you consider taking a class! Academic Strategy Instruction offers a variety of elective classes to help. If a 1-time consultation is all you need, this is available as well! Students can request an appointment by clicking here.
Stay in the Know:
Explaining the Holocaust: Student Research Presentations
Eight ASU students (many with a minor in Judaic, Holocaust, and Peace Studies) had the opportunity to participate in a Center-supported research excursion to Washington, D.C. The students will present their research on Thursday, April 23 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m via Zoom. For more information on their research and how to watch their presentation, visit our website.
Faculty Staff Award Nominations
The Student Government Association has opened nominations for this year's Faculty Staff Awards. Nominations will remain open until April 24th at 11:45 pm. Click here to submit your nominations and help us recognize our faculty and staff members this year.
Arts and Cultural Programs Update
The Office of Cultural Programs at App State has gathered a collection of various content ranging from free streaming sites, videos, and social media posts, from musicians, dancers and actors. To view this collection, visit our website.
Weekly Trivia
Wellness and Prevention Services is still offering trivia every Monday at 8 pm. Students, faculty, and staff can join in the fun via Zoom. For more information and to learn about the categories for next week’s trivia night, click here.
The Smith Gallery features Graduating Seniors
The Art Department’s teaching gallery, The Smith, is pleased to announce the launch of Stay at Home Smith, a public programming series that will take place through its Instagram @smithgallery from Monday, April 13 through Thursday, May 7, 2020. To learn more about the featured works, visit our website.
In the Honors (Appalachian) Spotlight
Shauna Caldwell ’18 co-creates Little Free Art Pantry
Pictured here are free bundles of art supplies that were available in the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts’ Little Free Art Pantry. Each bundle had a theme and included instructions. Themes included “Paint Night,” “Watercolor,” “Visual Journaling” and “Collage.” Photo by Shauna Caldwell.
Departmental Honors alumnae and former student-worker in the Honors College, Shauna Caldwell ’18, co-created a Little Free Art Pantry for Appalachian State University’s Turchin Center for the Visual Arts (TCVA), which provided bundles of free art supplies to the local community. Christy Chenausky and Shauna Caldwell, director and assistant director, respectively, of arts education and outreach at TCVA developed this idea as an initial response to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Click here to learn more.
Zoom a Doctor Remains Open
Appalachian State University’s M.S. Shook Student Health Service began offering virtual visits for students March 31. Family nurse practitioner Jerrica Smith, left, and staff physician Dr. Leigh Beasley, are visible on the pictured laptop screen. Photo by Marie Freeman
A trip to the doctor for Appalachian State University students is as easy as logging on to a computer. On March 31, Appalachian’s M.S. Shook Student Health Service began offering virtual visits through Zoom to remain available.
For the full story by Jan Todd 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.