edited by Kistler Hunt
Volume 7, Issue 15
December 6, 2023
Dear Honors students,
Happy reading day! I hope you take time today to read (i.e. study) but also time to relax; both activities are important to prepare for the upcoming week of final exams. Think back through the past 15 weeks. You’ve done so much and come so far; celebrate your accomplishments. Today’s memo spotlights the Honors College Club Expo, a new welcome-week activity completely driven by our amazing student leadership team. Working with them and with the full Honors community has made my first semester as interim dean a truly fulfilling one. Don’t forget to offer each other this same great support in the busy week ahead. A small break for a walk or a dinner with friends will not only pick you up in the moment, but also help improve your ability to focus on your studies afterward. Keep up your exceptional work and support of your community for this last week of the semester. I’m sending you my best wishes for a wonderful winter break, one that is restful and full of joy.
Thank you for all that you do for each other!
-Vicky
Upcoming Opportunities:
Interim Dean Vicky is happy to help you apply; send her an email at klimavw@appstate.edu
Appalachian Scholarship Application Portal (ASAP)
Undergraduate students who will be continuing their education in the 2024-2025 academic year are eligible to apply for scholarships via the Appalachian Scholarship Application Portal (ASAP). After completing one comprehensive application, students are automatically considered for scholarships based on their major, leadership, career goals, etc. The deadline to apply is February 7th, 2024. For more information and to apply, click here.
CEL LEAD Team
The Office of Community-Engaged Leadership (CEL) is now accepting applications for its LEAD team. Those on the team facilitate leadership workshops, complete promotional events, engage in marketing the CEL Office, and more. Students selected are paid for their time. Applications are due January 5th, 2023. For more information and to apply, click here.
App Builds a Home Letter Writing Campaign
App Builds a Home (ABAH) has launched their 5th annual Give Thanks, Give Back Letter Writing Campaign, where those interested can send emails or physical letters to families, friends, and neighbors to encourage them to donate to ABAH. All donations will be matched to support the building of a home. This campaign will continue until the end of December. For any questions and to learn how to get involved, contact Esme Hernandez.
SDAP Peer Support Program
The Scholars with Diverse Abilities Program (SDAP) is seeking male students to be college life peer supports. College life peer supports provide a positive, safe, and secure residence environment for scholars with diverse abilities. They live in the residential hall with Scholars, provide friendship and mentorship, help develop independent living and social interaction skills, and are available for Scholars during most evenings and weekends. Peer supports are paid for their time. For more information and to apply, click here.
SRHC Logo Contest
The Southern Regional Honors Council (SRHC) SRHC is seeking student-made designs that will be put into consideration for the organization’s new logo. The logo may be used in a variety of media including print, promotional materials including those promoted online, and other visual collateral. Entries will be evaluated according to relevance, originality, and aesthetic quality and the winner will receive a monetary prize. The deadline for submissions is January 31st, 2024. For more information and to submit a work, click here.
Stay in the Know:
Commencement Volunteering
Volunteers are needed for all three commencement ceremonies on December 15th. In particular, volunteers are needed for the 5:00 p.m. ceremony, honoring graduates of the Reich College of Education and Walker College of Business. Volunteers will greet and assist families of graduates throughout the ceremony. For more information and to sign up, click here.
Light and Color Guest Appearance
Jim Dakin’s HON 2515: Light and Color seminar will be welcoming Jeff Carter — a renowned light expert — to present on General Electric’s popular Christmas lamp collection, looking at their color process and development. This presentation will held on December 13th at 5:00 p.m. in Appalachian Hall, Room 085. Students will see lighted examples of many of their popular Christmas lamps through the years, including a working set from 1915. For more information, contact Jim Dakin.
Honors Faculty-Led Study Abroad Trips
The Honors College will be offering four faculty-led study abroad trips in the summer of 2024 that come with 100% Honors seminar credit (HON 2515 and/or HON 3515). These are great interdisciplinary and community-building international experiences, which do meet the International Education requirement for Honors! Click here to learn about these opportunities including: Sustainability and Education in Indigenous Guatemala; Human Rights and Peacebuilding in Ireland and Northern Ireland; and Love, Sex, and Power with travel to Italy and France. The application process for the previously advertised Climate Change and Water in Nepal Himalaya study abroad trip is well underway. Contact the faculty leaders of each study abroad trip for more information or contact your Honors academic mentor with questions about how these courses will fit into your Honors requirements.
King Street Farmers’ Market
Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture has brought back its Winter Farmers’ Market, which will be going on every Saturday from 10:00 – 1:00 p.m. until March. The Farmers’ Market feature local vendors and will provide the community with ways to access local food. For more information, click here.
Leadership & Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
The Offices of Intercultural Student Affairs and Community-Engaged Leadership will jointly host a program, “Leadership & Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” on January 24th from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. The program will include a discussion of how Dr. King led and inspired the Civil Rights Movement as well as provide tangible skills to incorporate his leadership into participant’s own lives. Registration is required. For more information and to RSVP, click here.
In the Honors Spotlight
The Honors College Hosts First Ever Honors Club Expo
Photos from left to right feature Matthew Mair, Sydney McDonald, Anna Carroll, and Emerson Phillips. Photos submitted.
This past August, the Honors College successfully hosted its very first Honors College Club Expo showcasing the Chancellor’s Scholars Board, the Honors College Peer Mentor Program, the Honors College Vanguard, and the Appalachian Honors Association. The exposition was the culmination of a summer’s worth of collaborative efforts between these standing student-run organizations and the interim dean of the Honors College, Dr. Vicky Klima. This event resulted from the substantial growth of each of these organizations over the last several years. The Expo highlighted this growth, and introduced these organizations to this year’s cohort of incoming Honors College students. The Club Expo was also an opportunity to showcase distinctive Honors College student leadership. Honors College student organization representatives Matthew Mair (president of the Honors College Vanguard Leadership Board), Sydney McDonald (director of the Honors College Peer Mentor Program), Anna Carroll (president of the Appalachian Honors Association), and Emerson Phillips (Director of Communications for the Chancellor’s Scholars Board) spoke at the Honors College Convocation ceremony and participated in the Club Expo. For more information on how to get involved within Honors student-run organizations, please visit the Honors College Website.
For more information about the Activities Expo, click here to read the story by Sydney McDonald.