edited by Kistler Hunt
Volume 6, Issue 31
May 10, 2023
Dear Honors students, faculty, friends across the university,
True confession: in 48 years in higher education, I have always loved finals.
As a student, I loved the challenge of holding a whole semester's learning in my ample head and marshalling it anew, and under time limits, in response to new questions.
As a faculty member, I came to love the blessings of completing the semester, and then getting to start over, fresh, again.
As dean, I love that everyone I talk with during finals week knows exactly when they'll be "done," and exactly what tasks stand between them and the glorious chance to do not much for a while.
To all, I'm sending my best wishes for good conclusions!
Jeff
Upcoming Opportunities:
Dean Jeff is happy to help you apply; send him an email at vahlbuschjb@appstate.edu
Victory Junction Camp Counselor Positions
Victory Junction, a summer camp for children with serious medical conditions, is accepting applications for various positions for their camp taking place from June 11 – August 3 in Randleman, North Carolina. They have open positions for cabin counselors, program counselors, lifeguards, and adventure counselors. Students who are interested will also be paid for the duration of their time with Victory Junction. For more information and to apply, click here.
Population Health Coordinator Position
High Country Community Health, a federally qualified health center that serves Watauga County, is currently accepting applications for the position of population health coordinator. The population health coordinator will gather and organize patient data, identify patient needs, engage patients in their own care, gather summary information for treatment interventions, and enhance ongoing communication between the patient and their care team. This position is open to students studying public health and/or healthcare management and is part-time. For any questions, contact Abby Cope.
Summer URA Application
The Office of Student Research is currently accepting URA applications for the Summer 2023 semester. URAs offer highly motivated undergraduate students the opportunity to work closely with App State faculty on their research, scholarship, or creative activity. In consultation with their selected undergraduate student, the faculty member is encouraged to apply. The URA Program is open to all disciplines at Appalachian State, but students must be enrolled in at least one summer course to apply. The deadline to apply is May 15. For more information and to apply, click here.
Neurodiversity in Action Presentation
University Libraries will be hosting a presentation about the neurodivergent experience in education. Titled “Neurodiversity in action: An Autistic Student and a Neurotypical Teacher's Search for More Effective Communication,” the presentation will feature App State alumnus Colin Ozeki, a neurodivergent student, and Aaron Lanou, Ozeki’s teacher, and will focus on how educators can better understand and interact with neurodivergent students. The virtual presentation will be hosted on May 16 from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m., with a Q&A session from 5:00 – 5:30 p.m. Registration is required. For more information and to register, click here. For any questions, contact Amy Love and Rebekah Cummings.
North Carolina Honors Association Conference
The Whitehurst Family Honors Program at Barton College will be hosting the 2023 North Carolina Honors Association (NCHA) conference held virtually from November 3 – 4. In the future, presentation applications will be open for the conference, themed “Infinite Possibilities: Sharing Innovations in Honors Education.” For more information, click here.
Stay in the Know:
Recreation Management Sky Happiness Retreat
The Department of Recreation Management and Physical Education will be hosting online SKY Happiness Retreats, beginning on May 12 or June 2. The retreat offers an in-depth experience of effortless meditation, breathwork, 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 May 12, click here. To register for the retreat beginning on June 2, click here. For any questions, contact Ritesh M. Sheth.
Hunger and Health Coalition Summer Volunteering
Hunger and Health Coalition, a local food pantry in Boone, is in need of volunteers for the summer. Volunteers can assist with organizing the food pantry, food preparation for their food recovery kitchen, creating food boxes for clients, and aiding the pharmacy in cleaning medication bottles. Hunger and Health Coalition is open Monday – Friday, 9:00 – 4:00 p.m. To apply to be a volunteer, click here. For any questions, contact Kayla Lasure.
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 prior construction skills are needed to volunteer. Upcoming dates to volunteer include May 12, May 13, and May 16, however, opportunities extend throughout the summer. To sign up, click here. For more information or questions, contact MaryAnn Sanders.
Ackland Art Museum Exhibit
The Ackland Art Museum at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill will be featuring a Japanese art exhibit until June 11. The exhibit, “Lotus Moon and Nandina Staff: The Art of Ōtagaki Rengetsu and Nakahara Nantenbō,” presents and contrasts the work of two major Japanese artists of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, taking its title from translations of their names. For more information, click here.
Graduate School Applications
The Cratis D. Williams School of Graduate Studies is accepting applications for non-degree seeking and degree seeking programs, starting in the Fall of 2023. These programs allow students to advance their education, learn new skills, and advance their careers. The deadline for degree-seeking programs is July 1, although different programs may have different deadlines. The deadline for non-degree-seeking programs is August 7. For more information and questions, contact Graduate Admissions.
In the Honors Spotlight
Three Honors College Students Present at the DLLC Symposium
Top photo features Emily Horvath (third from left) with Dr. Worley (far left) and the rest of the students on the DLLC Student Research Roundtable at the DLLC 2023 Symposium held in the Plemmons Student Union. Photo submitted.
Three Honors College students — Emily Horvath, Ella Mayfield, and Lauren Perrone — presented at the Department of Languages, Literature and Culture’s (DLLC) 2023 Spring Symposium — Diversity and (Dis)Connections in the Contemporary Context held on March 23-24 in the Plemmons Student Union. Emily Horvath, a second-year middle grades education major with a concentration in language arts and social studies and a minor in English, presented "Making Ancient Texts Accessible Through Art” in the DLLC Student Research Roundtable, chaired and moderated by Dr. Paul Worley, professor and chair in the DLLC. Ella Mayfield and Lauren Perrone presented in the Intersections of Native Nations and Latinx Literatures session, chaired and moderated by Dr. Melissa Birkhofer, visiting assistant professor in the Department of English. Mayfield, a first-year physics major with a concentration in astronomy and a minor in English, presented “Ways of Belonging: Varying Native Experiences with the Concepts of Home and Homeland." Perrone, a second-year sociology major with a concentration in criminology presented, "Mental Colonization: A Tool of White Supremacy." In their presentations, all three students expanded on their work in first- or second-year general education courses. Each student is only in the beginning stages of thinking towards and planning their Honors thesis, and the DLLC Spring Symposium provided an important first-step learning experience for presenting research.
To learn more about the DLLC symposium and the experiences of the three students, 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!