edited by Kistler Hunt
Volume 6, Issue 26
April 5, 2023
Dear readers,
Today's Memo offers many Honors and Appalachian opportunities! Please don't miss our Spotlight story; it celebrates the 10 extraordinary Appalachian Honors College students who presented their research, scholarship, or creative activity at last week's Southern Regional Honors Council Conference, beautifully organized this year by Honors colleagues at UNC-Charlotte.
I'm sending a special shout-out to Dr. Heather Waldroup, Associate Director of the Honors College and Professor of Art History, for her longtime service on the Southern Regional Honors Council board, and for organizing and leading our students' participation in the conference. Thank you, Heather!
Happy reading!
Jeff
Upcoming Opportunities:
Dean Jeff is happy to help you apply; send him an email at vahlbuschjb@appstate.edu
SDAP College Life Fellows
The Scholars with Diverse Abilities (SDAP) program is seeking applications for its College Life Fellows program for the 2023 – 2024 academic year. SDAP is an inclusive post-secondary program that provides an opportunity for students with an intellectual disability to audit college classes, live in a dorm, and participate in campus social activities with peers of the same age. The College Life Fellows typically live in the dorm suites with the scholars and provide social and academic support around college life during the evenings and weekends. Fellows are paid on an hourly basis. Juniors and seniors are preferred. For more information, contact Dr. Susan Hedges.
App Builds a Home Volunteer Opportunities
App Builds a Home (ABAH) has open slots for their Spring 2023 volunteering. ABAH is a campus-wide partnership between App State and Watauga County Habitat for Humanity to help local partner families build safe, affordable homes. No construction skills are needed to volunteer. Upcoming dates to volunteer include April 7, April 11, and April 12, however, opportunities extend through the end of the semester. To sign up, click here. For more information or questions, contact MaryAnn Sanders.
AsULead Student Mentor Applications
Applications for the AsULead Student Mentor program are now open. AsULead is a program for a diverse group of students who are emerging leaders in their schools and communities. Students who become part of the AsULead cohort can learn community building, get leadership development training, and benefit from overall college preparedness. Student mentors provide support to those participating in the program, facilitate discussions on leadership styles, become involved on campus, and gain a deeper understanding of the unlimited possibilities a college education. The deadline to apply is April 7 at 11:55 p.m. For more information and to apply, click here. For any questions, contact Shakinah Simeona-Lee.
Honors College Peer Mentor Program Information Sessions
The Honors College Peer Mentor Program will be hosting two informational sessions on April 11 from 2:00 - 2:45 pm and April 12 from 5:00 - 5:45 pm at Summit Hall’s Fireside lounge. The Peer Mentor program pairs current Honors College students with incoming Honors College students, seeking to help them build relationships and make the transition to Appalachian easier. Students interested in being an Honors Peer Mentor for the 2023-2024 academic year will have the opportunity to learn more about the program and what it means to be an Honors College Peer Mentor through these information sessions. The deadline to apply is May 5 at midnight. To RSVP to attend either information session, click here. For any questions or concerns, contact Sydney McDonald, Director of the Honors College Peer Mentor program.
App State Freshwater Conference
App State will be hosting its Freshwater Conference on April 15 from 8:00 – 4:30 p.m. Sponsored by the Research Institute for Environment, Energy, and Economics (RIEEE), the conference will explore the ways fresh water connects and affects us across cultures, industries, science, and art, both in Appalachia and in a broader context. The conference will feature various speakers, both internal and external to the University. For more information, click here. To register for the conference, click here.
Upcoming Thesis Defenses:
Dean Jeff urges, “Support your fellow Honors College students and faculty by attending Honors thesis defenses! You'll marvel, learn, and grow. And each defense you attend, you'll make your own easier.”
To attend a defense this semester, please write to honors@appstate.edu.
Grace Waugh
April 14, 9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
Presenting “Waste to Riches: Heated Vermicomposting Bin from a Repurposed Solar Thermal Collector”
Abby Cope
April 14, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Presenting “What Is Microlearning and How Does it Work? An Analysis of a Maternal, Child, and Family Health Microlearning Program for Health Science Students”
Sabrina Hess
April 14, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Presenting “The Canterbury Tales: Performing a Moral Lesson on Misperformance”
Stay in the Know:
Inaugural Honors Latine Studies Learning Community
The Honors College is now inviting students to join our inaugural Latine Studies Learning Community, the first of its kind at App State. This is an intentional learning experience focused on the almost 500 hundred years of Latine History, from the first settlement in St. Augustine in 1565 to today. Students enrolled in the community in the fall will be placed into the appropriate level of Spanish (Honors Beginning II, Honors Intermediate I, or Honors Intermediate II), and take a General Education course on Hispanic Literatures and Border Crossings. In the spring, students will continue with their studies in Spanish and may take a second General Education art history course. Students will have the opportunity to collaborate with students who share their interests, to get to know their professors and fellow students well, and to participate in events through the Honors College and the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures. For more information and for any questions, contact Dr. Heather Waldroup.
Recreation Management Sky Happiness Retreat
The Department of Recreation Management and Physical Education will be hosting online SKY Happiness Retreats, beginning on April 8 or May 6. The retreat offers an in-depth experience of effortless meditation, breath work, yoga, and more. SKY (Sudarshan Kriya Yoga) Meditation uses cyclical, rhythmic patterns of breath to easily bring the mind and body into a state of meditation. Both retreats will take place over multiple sessions, and participants must be able to attend all sessions provided. To register for the retreat beginning on April 8, click here. To register for the retreat beginning on May 6, click here. For any questions, contact Ritesh M. Sheth.
Biology Greenhouse Plant Sale
The Department of Biology will be hosting a house plant sale on April 15 from 7:00 – 1:30 p.m. There will be tropical plants sold from the Department of Biology’s greenhouse on Dale Street. Those interested are advised to bring their own containers to transport plants. For more information, contact Jerry Meyer.
Office of Sustainability Garden Work Day
To celebrate Earth Day on April 22, the Office of Sustainability will be hosting events throughout the month of April to increase awareness about sustainability and sustainable practices. On April 7, the Office will host a Garden Work Day at the Appalachian Roots Garden on Howard Street from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. Those interested will help with general upkeep of the garden. For more information, click here. To view the Office of Sustainability’s full programming for Earth Day, click here.
Counseling Center Let’s Talk Program
The Counseling Center has launched its Let’s Talk Program, a support program that connects students to counselor consultants without an appointment. Students will be provided a brief and confidential consultation through this program. Let’s Talk is currently available on Mondays from 10:00 – 12:00 p.m. in Room 214 of D.D. Dougherty Hall; Tuesdays from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. in Room 102 of the Plemmons Student Union; Wednesdays online from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.; and Thursdays from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. in Room 102 of the Plemmons Student Union. For more information, click here.
In the Honors Spotlight
Honors College students present at the SRHC Annual Conference 2023
Top collage of photos submitted by Dr. Heather Waldroup and Honors College senior Percy Aagon.Ten Honors College students traveled to Charlotte this past week to present at the Southern Regional Honors Council Annual Conference 2023 (SRHC), held March 30 through April 1. The SRHC promotes and advances Honors Programs and Honors Colleges in the Southern United States. The following App State Honors College students attended and presented at SRHC: Percy Aagon, James Auwn, Emma Clugsten, Sophie Columbia, Gavi Jacobson, Matthew Mair, Will O'Brien, Samantha Oleschuk, Angela Sajewicz, and Elliot Sheehan. Dr. Heather Waldroup, associate director of the Honors College, joined these students.
To learn more about the experiences of the students who attended SRHC, click here.
Have announcements to share? Submissions can be made to honors@appstate.edu. Any content received by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday will be considered for the following week’s issue.
Have a story to share? Share what you have done, what you are doing, or what you will be doing by submitting a story here.
To stay in the know, learn about opportunities, and take part in the Honors community, find us below!