Garrison Keillor (Photo by Brian Velenchenko)

An acclaimed author, storyteller, humorist and musician, Keillor will take center stage in WCU’s Fine and Performing Arts Center at 7 p.m. Monday, March 8. Reserved seat tickets for “An Evening with Garrison Keillor” are $25.

“We are starting ticket sales much earlier than we do for most other events because we thought many of our patrons might be interested in purchasing tickets as a holiday gift for that Garrison Keillor fan in their lives,” said Paul Lormand, Fine and Performing Arts Center director.

Keillor, shown in the photo, hosted the first broadcast of “A Prairie Home Companion” in St. Paul, Minn., on July 6, 1974. The show ended in 1987, resumed in 1989 in New York as “The American Radio Company,” returned to Minnesota, and in 1993 resumed the name “A Prairie Home Companion.” More than 3 million listeners on more than 450 public radio stations now hear the show each week.

Keillor’s most recent role included playing himself in the movie adaptation of his show, “A Prairie Home Companion.” He also is the author of 12 books, including “Lake Wobegon Days,” “The Book of Guys,” “The Old Man Who Loved Cheese,” “Wobegon Boy,” “Me: By Jimmy ‘Big Boy’ Valente as Told to Garrison Keillor,” “Love Me” and “Homegrown Democrat.” His newest novel, “Pontoon,” was released in the fall of 2007.

Keillor has received numerous awards, including a Grammy Award for his recording of “Lake Wobegon Days.” He also has received two Cable ACE Awards and a George Foster Peabody Award. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and recently was presented a National Humanities Medal by the National Endowment for the Humanities. He was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame at Chicago’s Museum of Broadcast Communications in 1994.

“An Evening with Garrison Keillor” is sponsored by the Office of the Chancellor and the Lectures, Concerts and Exhibitions Series. For information or tickets, contact the FAPAC box office at (828) 227-2479 or online www.wcu.edu/fapac.

Martin DeWitt, director and curator of the art museum, and Hartwell Francis, director of the Cherokee language program, will spend through Saturday, Nov. 28, in Mexico. Also along on the trip is Luzene Hill, a WCU graduate of the fine arts program and a program associate with the Oconaluftee Institute for Cultural Arts on the Qualla Boundary. Hill, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, has illustrated three books written entirely in the Cherokee syllabary, part of a series published by the Cherokee language program. The Oconaluftee Institute and Asheville Sister Cities sponsored the trip.

The Universidad Intercultural di Chiapas is central to the visit, Francis said. “The university is hosting a conference on indigenous languages and teaching those languages,” he said. The university has a program similar to WCU’s program of training education students to deliver course content in the Cherokee language. The group also hopes to meet ceramic and fiber artists, and to invite an artist to campus this spring.

Jayne Zanglein

Zanglein recently coached Western Carolina University’s first student team at the national Intercollegiate Mediation Tournament in Chicago, and the team won awards, including third place and “Outstanding New School.” In addition to teaching at WCU, she directs the North Carolina Agricultural Mediation Program and serves on the Mountain Mediation Services board of directors.

Zanglein grew up in Stratford, Conn., and holds a law degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a bachelor’s degree in music education from the Berklee College of Music.

The Reporter: Why do you think mediation skills are so valuable for your students to learn?

Zanglein: In every job and in every relationship, we encounter conflict. Mediation skills include listening, negotiation, conflict resolution and cross-cultural communication skills that we use every day. But you have to make a conscious effort to use them.

Right after the mediation tournament, the team was struggling to navigate the Chicago public transit system, which had a weekend detour due to construction. We asked a bus driver which bus to take to get to the subway station. He told us, and when we got confused he yelled, “You are not listening to me!” We laughed, because after a weekend of intensely using active listening skills, we were tired of listening.

The Reporter: What inspired you to help develop the competitive mediation team on campus?

Zanglein: I had an excellent group of students and a very active student organization—the Campus Mediation Society. I was astonished at how much work they put into preparing for the tournament.

Western Carolina University’s award-winning mediation team members are, from left, Bob Greeson, Eric Brailsford-Cato, Mike Doherty, Jayne Zanglein (team coach), Nicholas Fracassi and Tiffani Giesy.

The Reporter: What is a common misconception about mediation?

Zanglein: One misconception is that the mediator makes a decision for the parties, or that the mediator is supposed to provide solutions for the parties. It is the parties’ decision, and the reason that mediation is generally successful is because the parties control the outcome and, therefore, the solution can be tailored to their specific needs.

The Reporter: The holidays are right around the corner, and for many that not only means good cheer and time with family, but also some stress and conflict. What strategies or advice can you share as a professional mediator that might help someone diffuse a holiday conflict?

Zanglein: When a family member starts a sentence with “You never…,” interrupt and say, “Please pass the turkey.” Sometimes diversion is the best solution.

But if you want to try active listening, reframe the offending statement, as in “I feel embarrassed when you show my new girlfriend my naked baby pictures.” Or you might try some productive feedback when there are too many cooks in the kitchen, as in “I think the dinner is coming along nicely but we are getting in each other’s way. While I am fixing the turkey, can you set the table?”

WCU student Eric Brailsford-Cato was named All American Mediator at the 10th annual Intercollegiate Mediation Tournament in Chicago.

The benefit of mediation is that it does not just resolve the immediate issue; it allows the parties to discuss the underlying issues. But mediation can be hard work and emotionally draining, so you might want to set aside time before the holidays to resolve the issues privately rather than fueling the fire at the dinner table.

The Reporter: Just wondering… Have you ever thought about setting up an emergency mediation line for the holidays?

Zanglein: We have a few ideas. The Campus Mediation Society has considered starting a matchmaking service. That way when people get in fights or break up, we would have more business mediating cases! We also thought of an airport mediation kiosk. For $20 we could mediate between the airline employees and customers. I don’t think we have enough mediators to staff the kiosk, though!

Interview by Teresa Killian Tate and printed in edited and condensed form

At the event, called Parents’ Night Out, students in the Physical Education Majors Club will organize games, provide healthy snacks and supervise participants. There will be one WCU student for each six children.

Donations to the club will be accepted. Last year, the money raised helped send students to the North Carolina Alliance for Athletics, Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance student leadership retreat and bought healthy snacks for the Cullowhee Valley School after school program (as well as not-so-healthy pizzas for club meetings).

To register, e-mail David Claxton at claxton@email.wcu.edu with the names and ages of children who will participate.

Kyle Lickteig, a junior emergency medical care student, gives a flu shot to Scott Hall freshman resident Jennifer Mitchell.

“Most of our students fit into one of the priority groups to receive the vaccine, so we tried to take the shots to them where they were by hosting clinics in residence halls and Hinds University Center,” said Pam Buchanan, director of health services. “We will have flu vaccines available in the Health Center this week and expect toward the end of the week to be able to open that up to faculty and staff.”

WCU initially received 500 doses of vaccine – 300 nasal-spray flu vaccines and 200 flu shots. A second shipment arrived soon thereafter with 400 nasal-spray flu vaccines.

“We are on the list to get more (vaccine), but we are not sure when it will arrive,” said Buchanan.

Priority groups to receive the vaccine include young adults ages 19 through 24 as well as pregnant women, health care and emergency medical services personnel, children from 6 months through 18 years of age, infant caregivers and people ages 25 though 64 who have health conditions that put them at higher risk of medical complications from influenza.

Last week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the H1N1 flu had killed an estimated 3,900 Americans from April to October, including more than 500 children, and that an estimated 22 million Americans had been infected and 98,000 hospitalized.

As of Wednesday, Nov. 11, the WCU Health Center had treated 417 patients for flu or flulike illness – a combination of fever, aching, congestion and cough – since the start of the fall semester. That’s about 411 more patients with flulike illness than usual by this time in a typical fall semester, said Buchanan.

“We probably see on average about three people a day,” said Buchanan. “At the peak at the beginning of the semester, we were seeing between 15 and 25 patients a day.”

Most recover quickly – within three to four days, and Buchanan was not aware of any students who required hospitalization because of the flu.

Whitney Shoaf, a junior majoring in emergency medical care, administers the flu vaccine.

For Will Huddleston, a designer in WCU’s publications office, what began as an allergy-like scratchy throat and cough developed into full-blown flu within 48 hours. “I felt pretty rough,” said Huddleston. “On a scale of one to 10, with 10 being death, I was maybe an eight. I told my wife I felt as if I had been in a bad wreck.” For him, the worst part of the weeklong illness was muscle aches and sinus pressure.

Buchanan said Health Center staff members typically, at a minimum, recommend flu patients get plenty of rest, drink plenty of fluids, and use over-the-counter medications to control fever.

When the H1N1 flu surfaced, university leaders reviewed WCU’s pandemic flu plan, which was developed to respond to a virulent illness with a high mortality rate, and implemented appropriate measures. A flu prevention and treatment education campaign was launched, and the WCU community was encouraged to take action:

• Wash hands frequently and for 15 seconds with soap or anti-bacterial sanitizer.
• Sneeze into a tissue or napkin, carefully covering the mouth to prevent the spread of germs, and disposing of the tissue or napkin properly.
• Avoid contact with people who are ill.
• Stay home if experiencing flulike symptoms, including fever, cough, chills, aching muscles or respiratory issues, and calling health care providers for guidance.

“I think the key really is communication,” said Buchanan. “We’ve done a good job of providing updates and information, and helping campus community members become aware of the importance of such small things as coughing in their elbow or frequently washing their hands to prevent the spread of the flu.”

Buchanan said the team will continue to post updates and information about upcoming vaccine clinics on the university’s H1N1 Flu Update Web site and through e-mail.

By Teresa Killian Tate

Tommy Wildcat performed at WCU on Nov. 4 during Native American Heritage Month.

Campus groups will dedicate this week – Nov. 15-21 – to highlighting a range of issues – the struggle for equal rights, the reality of hunger and homelessness, the importance of international education to address global needs, and the value and diversity of Native American heritage.

Click here to read more about:

• Fight for Equal Rights Week
• Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week
• International Education Week
• Native American Expo in celebration of Native American Heritage Month

Fight for Equal Rights Week

What began as a UNITY student’s idea for a music festival grew into Fight for Equal Rights Week, which will feature movies, discussions, speakers, a drag show and training designed to explore the struggles of different groups for equal rights.

“This is not a national program around the country on college campuses but grew out of the desire of our students to educate the campus about the different eras of human rights movements,” said Michelle Clonch, director of the Women’s Center, which is an event host and sponsor. “We hope students are able to critically think about and understand that these parallel human rights movements –civil rights, disabilities rights, gay rights and women’s rights – have historical and institutionalized roots but are still fresh, relevant and being fought for today by underrepresented and disenfranchised populations and allies.”

“We want our students to understand that as individuals pursuing the privilege of higher education, they have a responsibility as members of the global community to not only be aware of social injustices happening around the globe, but to also be aware of what is happening here in the United States and to affirm that they can contribute to the solution,” Clonch said.

Fight for Equal Rights Week features an exhibit on the second floor of the University Center and a range of events:

• Screening of “Hairspray” followed by civil rights discussion at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 16, in Multipurpose Room A of A.K. Hinds University Center;
• Screening of “Iron Jawed Angels” and panel discussion about the women’s suffrage movement at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17, in the University Center theater;
• Discussion titled “A Look Into the Funhouse Mirror” led by Lance Alexis, director of disability services at WCU, at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18, in the Rogers Room in the University Center;
• “Women Who Dare” speaker series event about Zora Neale Hurston and highlighting the women’s and civil rights movement at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18, in a University Center multipurpose room.
• Discussion titled “Sex & Religion” with Dan Boyd and highlighting the gay rights movement at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, in the Catamount Room of the University Center.
• Annual drag show at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, in the University Center Grandroom.
• Tear-down ceremony of the “Wall of Oppression” at 4 pm. Friday, Nov. 20, on the lawn of the University Center.
• Safe Zone Training to provide training, support, resources and a network of allies committed to enhancing gender, sexuality and orientation issues reflected in the campus and local community at 10 a.m. in the Catamount Room of the University Center.

In addition to the Women’s Center, sponsors and participating groups include the UNITY Student Organization, the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Organization of Ebony Students, Di-Ga-Li-I Native American Student Organization, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, the Philosophy and Religion Department, Residential Student Association, Disability Services and International Programs and Services. For more information, check out the Women’s Center Web site.

Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week

The Center for Service Learning is coordinating two community service projects, a film presentation, guest speakers and discussions, and a potluck dinner as part of National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week.

“Our participation in the week’s events will help us face the stark reality of hunger and homelessness across the nation and right here in our own communities,” said Glenn Bowen, director of service learning. “Furthermore, it should serve as a catalyst for concerted action to assist our neighbors who are experiencing these poverty-related conditions.”

More than 70 percent of Western North Carolina households with children among clients served by Manna FoodBank and documented by Hunger in America 2006 were “food insecure,” while 53 percent of households facing hunger must choose between paying for food and paying for utilities or heating fuel.

Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week events include:

• WCU staff members of administrative support units under the Office for Undergraduate Studies will volunteer at the Community Table in Sylva on Monday, Nov. 16. The Community Table, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in August, serves dinner free of charge four evenings a week to Jackson County residents.
• “The Pursuit of Happyness” will be screened at 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 16, in the University Center theater. During an intermission, Amy Grimes McClure, executive director of the Community Table, will discuss hunger-related issues with the audience.
• A Haywood County Meals on Wheels representative will speak to faculty member Jeanne Dulworth’s social work class at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, in the University Center theater. The presentation is open to the campus and community, and will be followed by a discussion.
• A 15-member group of service-learning faculty, administrators and students will visit MANNA FoodBank in Asheville on Thursday, Nov. 19, to spend two hours sorting and packing food items for distribution to a network of community-based nonprofit partner agencies that serves individuals and families in need throughout the 16-county Western North Carolina region.
• The Wesley Foundation will host a potluck dinner Friday, Nov. 20, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Cullowhee Methodist Church on the WCU campus. This event is free and open to the public. The event will have live entertainment featuring a WCU student brass quintet as well as speakers, testimonials and educational information.

For more information, contact Brendan Braaten, project coordinator, in the WCU Center for Service Learning, at servicelearning@wcu.edu or (828) 227-2592.

International Education Week

With the theme “Tearing Down Walls: Overcoming Barriers to Freedom,” International Education Week is a joint initiative of the U.S. departments of State and Education.

WCU has participated since the event began in 2000 and aims to highlight the importance of internationalizing the campus through the presence of international students, international research by faculty and students, and an awareness of news events and cultures worldwide, said Lois Petrovich-Mwaniki, director of International Programs and Services at WCU.

“We chose the topic this year, ‘Tearing Down Walls: Overcoming Barriers to Freedom,’ to mark the 20^th anniversary of the tearing down of the Berlin Wall on Nov. 9, 1989,” said Petrovich-Mwaniki. “In addition, we hope to highlight various other types of physical and mental walls that people build to prevent freedom of expression, like the trench built near Mt. Kenya during the Mau Mau rebellion in the 1950s, the community suppression of freedom in Bulgaria and the status of women in the world.”

The week began with a presentation by Antoinette Sithole, museum educator and curator at the Hector Pieterson Museum in Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa, on Monday, Nov. 16. Sithole is the sister of the late Hector Pieterson, who died on June 16, 1976, during the Soweto uprisings. At 12 years of age, Pieterson was the first and youngest child to be killed by the apartheid regime, and Sithole witnessed the incident.

International Education Week events also include: 

• “Trench as a Wall”in Kenya by Nyaga Mwaniki at noon Tuesday, Nov. 17, in the University Center Cardinal Room.
• “Life and Culture in Madrid as Presented by Pio Baroja” by Nancy Norris at noon Wednesday, Nov. 18, in the University Center Cardinal Room.
• “Intensive Language Program in Southern Spain” by Josie Bewsey, 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18, in the University Center Cardinal Room.
• “Never Saw Another Butterfly” by Ian Jeffress and Mary Kay Bauer, at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18, in the University Center Cardinal Room.
• “Religious Tyranny Against Modern-Day Earth Pagans” by Lianna Costantino, 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18, in the University Center Cardinal Room.
• “End of Communism in Bulgaria and the Impact on its Society,” by Teodora Krasteva, 2:30 p.m., University Center Cardinal Room.
• “The Fall of the Wall and the End of the Great War” by David Dorondo at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18, in the University Center Cardinal Room.
• “Women’s Status in the Quest for Freedom” by Claudia Bryant at 3:30 p.m. in the University Center Cardinal Room.
• “Zora Neale Hurston – Provocateur” presentation in Women Who Dare Speaker Series at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18, in the University Center Multipurpose Room.
• Presentation about the Catamount Pilgrims to Japan during summer 2009 at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, in Illusions at Hinds University Center
• “Tear Down the Wall” moment of silence at noon Friday, Nov. 20, on the lawn of Hinds University Center.

In addition, study abroad information tables will be set up at Hinds University Center throughout the week and glass cases at Hunter Library will display related literature and materials. For more information about International Education Week events at WCU, visit the Web site http://www.wcu.edu/25119.asp or call the International Programs and Services office at (828) 227-7494.

Native American Expo

Western Carolina University will host a gallery of exhibits and series of presentations that explore social issues, traditions, images and values of Native American communities as part of the Native American Heritage Expo on campus Nov. 16-19. The event will be held in the Grandroom on the third floor of A.K. Hinds University Center from 1 to 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 16, and 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. A reception will be held at the close of the expo Thursday.

“We want to foster an appreciation of Native American culture and continuously make an effort to create an inclusive community on campus,” said Yolany Gonell, assistant director of multicultural affairs at WCU. “Although our campus lies on the ancestral homeland of the Cherokee, many are unaware of the historical sites located on our campus. We hope expo participants gain a better understanding of what it means to identify as Native American and recognize that Native American culture is vast and diverse.”

Participants from Western Carolina University, the University of North Carolina at Pembroke and the University of North Carolina at Asheville will host presentations at the expo:

• “Native American Women in Society” by Sheena Bark, Morgan Davis and Lee Griffin at 1 p.m. Monday, Nov. 16;
• “Chiefing: Past and Present” by  Meghann Locklear, Patience Owl and Lashaunda Ryan at 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 16;
• “History of the Lumbee Tribe” by Mary Ann Jacobs, chair of the American Indian Studies Department at UNC Pembroke, and Rosa Winfree  at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17;
• “Native American Images in Advertisements” by Kyle Bielan, Brittany Young and Keshia Young at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17;
• “Indian in the Cupboard: Native Americans in Children’s Books” by Susan Cloer and Kristin McRorie at 1 p.m. Wednesday,
• “The Impact of Diabetes among the Pima” by UNC-Asheville students Emily Jones, Mike Small, Chris Roberts and Michelle de Ondarza at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18;
• “Native American Mascots in Sports” by Scott Allen, Caleb Chandler and Chason Stevens at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18;
• “Promoting Travel to the Qualla Boundary – Homeland of the Cherokees” by Elizabeth Hall, Eriko Ishibiki and Zara Sadler at 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19;
• “Barriers to Nursing Education for Native American High School Students” by Sheila Chapman, coordinator of the ABSN option at Western Carolina, at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19;
• Reception at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, featuring performance by flutist Hawk Brown.

The expo is sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Di-Ga-Li-I Native American Student Organization, the Cherokee Center and Cherokee Studies.

Sky Kanott, president of Di-Ga-Li-I, said she hopes attendees find the expo to be an educational experience. “This expo gives people near us a chance to see our Native American community here at WCU,” said Kanott.

For a full schedule of events, check out http://multicultural.wcu.edu or contact Gonell in the Office of Multicultural Affairs at (828) 227-2615.

Compiled by Teresa Killian Tate

A WCU athletic training group prepares for the second annual Mountain Jug Run for Research from Western Carolina University to Appalachian State University.

Nine WCU runners – including students, faculty and staff – began the 174-mile continuous relay at the WCU football stadium in Cullowhee early Saturday morning, Nov. 14, and completed it 30 hours, 14 minutes and 33 seconds later when the group reached the football stadium at Appalachian State University in Boone.

Named in honor of the annual football rivalry between WCU and ASU, the Jug Run was organized to raise funds for the National Athletic Trainers’ Association’s Research and Education Foundation, a nonprofit corporation that awards research grants and academic scholarships in the field of sports medicine.

The inaugural Jug Run in 2008 offered up single-digit temperatures and snow for much of the first 100 miles of the event, but the mild weather this year created perfect conditions for the participants as they took turns running five-mile segments, said Jay Scifers, director of WCU’s athletic training program.

Last year’s run was completed following roads that mostly run through valleys, but this year the group ran along the Blue Ridge Parkway for 150 miles, which meant the runners faced extremely long uphill and downhill sections. “Although the parkway was much more difficult to traverse than last year’s course, it provided a wonderful location for the event,” Scifers said.

The six student participants – Heather Brown, Emily Whittington, Aleesa Lennon, Jeremiah Nichols, Kris Leamon and Britton Harper – “did an excellent job handling the run and the fatigue factor,” Scifers said. When they weren’t running, participants rode in the support van. “It was difficult getting much sleep during the event because we were stuck in a vehicle for 30 hours when not running. Some participants slept as little as one hour during the trek, and trying to stay hydrated and maintain adequate nutrition was a challenge,” he said.

Scifers said the students’ performances were especially impressive considering the fact that they were anything but seasoned runners when they signed on to participate. Most had never run more than one or two miles at a time prior to beginning training in August.

Harper, a sophomore from Waxhaw, completed what was considered to be the toughest segment of the event, a 1,200-foot climb on the parkway north from Balsam. He ran a total of 25 miles over the 30-hour span and reported that he was “completely worn out” when the group arrived on ASU’s campus. Harper said the run was exhausting but satisfying.

The Jug Run participants ran through the night on the parkway, and Harper had one of the group’s more interesting encounters with wildlife around 9 p.m. Saturday, when he came upon an aggressive possum standing in the road. “The possum was about 10 feet away,” Harper said. “I looked at him, and he looked at me, and then he started coming toward me.” Harper scooted to the side of the road to avoid the animal and continued his journey.

In addition to the “attack possum,” other wildlife encounters included fox, deer, owls, bobcat and one small bear that refused to get off the road for the van to pass.

Scifers said the group encountered no other human traffic on the parkway from 10 p.m. Saturday until 5:15 a.m. Sunday. “During that time, our group ran about 40 miles. It is incredible how dark it is on the parkway at night, and also how peaceful and quiet it is,” he said. “Everyone enjoyed the evening running due to the wonderful temperatures and the peacefulness of the surroundings.”

The logistical challenges of the Jug Run included a parkway closure in the Mount Pisgah area, where the scenic road is blocked off for one mile because of the possibility of landslides. The runners proceeded to the closure gate, and then had to turn around and take a 30-mile detour by van to get to the other side of the closed section and resume their journey.

In addition to Scifers and the six students, the running group also included Associate Professor Jill Manners and staff member Emily Martin.

Jug Run participants have collected about $1,000 in donations so far to present to the NATA’s Research and Education Foundation. Their goal is $2,000, and donations are still being accepted. Donations may be made in the form of checks payable to NATA-REF and sent to Jill Manners at 134 Moore Hall, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee N.C. 28723. All donations to the foundation are tax deductible.

By Randall Holcombe

The National Science Foundation grant will fund a planning trip to Chile to develop an integrated, multidisciplinary investigation that effectively tracks the movement of trace metals from source areas, including several mine sites, through the river basin.

Previously collected data show that water and sediments within the Rio Loa are contaminated by toxic trace metals and metalloids including arsenic, copper, lithium and lead.

The headwaters of the Rio Loa are located along the western part of the Andes Mountains, where they receive considerable water from intense rains and snow, said Miller. From there, the river flows downstream across the Atacama Desert, often considered among the driest places on the planet, to the Pacific Ocean.

“The Loa essentially represents the only significant source of water in this part of the Atacama, and is therefore used for industrial, agricultural and domestic purposes,” said Miller. “Its contamination, particularly with regards to drinking water, is a significant concern.”

The projects to be planned will include a training and educational initiative focused on research experiences for undergraduate and graduate students, and the development of a multi-institutional student and faculty exchange program.

The poster is a product of a grant-funded project “Improving Speech-Language Pathology Services to Children with Severe Disabilities through Preprofessional and Professional Training,” sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. Hambrecht and Bill Ogletree and David Shapiro, professors of communication sciences and disorders, co-authored the grant proposal and are in the second year of implementing the four-year grant.

Click here to read more about the “Improving Speech-Language Pathology Services to Children with Severe Disabilities through Preprofessional and Professional Training” grant.

The program, supported by funding from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, was designed to provide a comprehensive approach to retaining early- and mid-career educators by inviting teachers to design and implement innovative approaches to addressing the achievement gap in their classrooms. Inspired to Innovate program participants meet in seminar sessions to get the professional development necessary to implement their ideas and guidance for assessing student responses.

As project evaluator, Strahan will help teachers study the results of their work and prepare a final report about the impact of the program.

The State Employees Combined Campaign provides all state employees, including employees of Western Carolina University, opportunities to support charitable causes and to help those in need. The annual campaign is the only officially sanctioned fund drive conducted on the WCU campus.

Lucy George (1897-1978) weaves honeysuckle over white oak. The Great Depression prompted George, already a young married woman, to learn the art in order to supplement her family’s income. National Archives and Records Administration photograph.

Etheyn Conseen holds a rivercane basket at the entrance to Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, an artisan cooperative founded in 1948. Photograph by Clemens Kalischer, courtesy of Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual.

Amanda Smoker weaves a basket of white oak dyed with native plants. National Archives and Records Administration photograph.

Cherokee basket maker Emma Taylor (1920-2002) quarters a white oak sapling. Like many other basket makers, Taylor learned the art by watching her mother. Indian Arts and Crafts Board photograph, courtesy of Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual Inc.

A picnic basket by Cherokee basket weaver Elsie Watty, known for large picnic baskets with dramatic color patterns. An Indian Arts and Crafts Board photograph, courtesy of Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual.

A singleweave rivercane storage basket made by Lottie Stamper (1907-1987). Learning to make a good basket “meant new clothes and shoes to wear back to school each fall of the year,” Stamper once recalled. Photograph courtesy of Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual.

Anna Fariello believes that artifacts – somewhat like windows – can act as passageways to a culture’s soul.

“Material culture can be a window onto the changes that occur in social and cultural history,” said Fariello, an associate professor and chief architect of the Craft Revival Project at Western Carolina University’s Hunter Library.

An author, editor and former research fellow at the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, Fariello most recently turned her attention to Cherokee basketry, a thousands-year-old tradition, passed from mother to daughter, that she believes is integral to Cherokee culture. Fariello’s new book, titled “Cherokee Basketry: From the Hands of our Elders,” studies Cherokee baskets and basket-makers who lived during the first half of the 20th century.

The project reinforced Fariello’s understanding that for Cherokee people, “the making of things is significant to their culture and their identity,” a concept foreign to many people in contemporary, mainstream culture, she said. The Cherokees’ use of natural resources as basket materials gave Fariello an appreciation of the environmental sustainability and ecological balance also inherent in the culture.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians played a significant role in the Craft Revival, a regional movement in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries that produced a wealth of objects, identified traditional skills, and revitalized handwork production in Western North Carolina. With a grant from the State Library of North Carolina, Fariello originally set out to expand the information available on the Craft Revival Web site, which chronicles the movement and its impact on Western North Carolina through text and images. Fariello worked with Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual and the Museum of the Cherokee Indian in Cherokee with the purpose of making their collections available online. A grant of $47,000 from the Cherokee Preservation Foundation added a second element to the project: to research and more fully document basketry in those collections.

While the project “did not start out as a book at all,” Fariello said, it seemed the logical conclusion. “The book takes scattered elements and arranges them for a more complete picture,” she said.

“Cherokee Basketry” joins a handful of texts dedicated to Cherokee basketry, but is alone in its approach to “drill down” and examine specifics about the basket makers themselves, how baskets were made, and what they were used for, Fariello said.  

The seven-chapter book begins with an overview of the Cherokees and their baskets. It then explores the forms and functions of different types of woven objects: burden baskets, typically used to carry food crops, nuts, firewood and bedding; fish baskets, dunked into the river to scoop up fish trapped at the mouth of a weir; baskets to store food, clothing and other domestic goods; baskets for carrying items; baskets for storing items; lidded and nested baskets; trays; mats; and decorative baskets.

One chapter documents basket-making materials – rivercane, white oak and honeysuckle – and the processes of preparing the materials for weaving. Another chapter examines basket patterns and the evolution of their descriptive names, such as chief’s daughter, cross-on-a-hill, man-in-a-coffin, noon day sun, and peace pipe.

A chapter about the availability of artisan resources includes the efforts of the Revitalization of Traditional Cherokee Artisan Resources, or RTCAR, an initiative operated through Western Carolina University’s Cherokee studies program. The final chapter, arguably its richest, offers intimate biographies of 14 basket makers, all but two of whom are deceased.

Archival photographs illustrate “Cherokee Basketry,” published by The History Press of Charleston, S.C. The book’s footnotes and bibliography are extensive, and chapter titles are printed in English and the Cherokee syllabary.

“I hope that this book has a broad audience,” Fariello said. “I think it can serve as a classroom text for Cherokee studies or the visual arts, and I also think it will have a broad public appeal for anyone interested in regional culture, especially the influence of the Cherokees on Western North Carolina.”

Fariello credits the book’s creation to a team of people. Jason Woolf, who holds a master’s degree in history from WCU, and Kate Cater wrote captions, checked facts and verified sources. Project staffer Lucas Rogers photographed the contemporary baskets that appear in the book. James “Bo” Taylor, archivist for the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, opened the museum’s archives for research. And members of WCU’s Cherokee studies program – Tom Belt, Robert Conley, Andrew Denson, Jane Eastman and Hartwell Francis – shared their expertise.

Dana Sally, dean of Hunter Library, and Vicki Cruz, manager of the Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual cooperative, deserve special thanks, Fariello said. “Ever since Dean Sally arrived, he has recognized the importance of preserving the region’s cultural heritage through documentation and offering wide access to the information via digitization,” she said.

Fariello and Sally agree that projects such as the Craft Revival site fulfill the mandate of UNC Tomorrow – an initiative for the state’s institutions of higher learning to respond to current and future challenges facing North Carolina – to “apply, translate, and communicate research and scholarship to broader audiences.” In particular, the site and library projects follow the UNC Tomorrow recommendation to “create a mechanism for applying research and scholarship to addressing significant regional and statewide issues.”

Cruz’s help was so steady and unwavering that Fariello didn’t realize its extent until the project was complete. “Vicki was there every step of the way,” Fariello said. “She made sure that Cherokee families had a chance to review what I wrote about their relatives.”

The project was of great service to the arts and crafts mutual, whose permanent collection has more than 100 baskets and continues to grow. Before the archive organization, Cruz said, “The only recorded information in our permanent collection was a handwritten line about each item.” Now the co-op’s archives are digitized and include contemporary photos, as well as information about dimensions, materials and patterns, and the artists themselves. Fariello also worked with co-op employees on the care and display of the baskets, and about recordkeeping when a new piece enters the collections.

The project helped Cruz gain an appreciation of the baskets as pieces of history. “We need to have their information on record, written and photographed,” she said. The enhanced archives increase the permanent collection’s value and are a valuable resource for individuals who want to learn more about their own basket collections. “The baskets are as individual as the artists,” Cruz said.

“Cherokee Basketry: From the Hands of our Elders” by WCU Associate Professor Anna Fariello was recently released by The History Press of Charleston, S.C.

She eventually plans to use her new knowledge to document the work of contemporary basket makers. “The daughters of basket makers Agnes Welch and Eva Wolfe, they’re basket makers too, and now their daughters are starting to weave,” Cruz said.

The basketry book is the first in the “From the Hands of our Elders” series, a three-year project to document Cherokee arts.  The next book, funded with $87,770 from the Cherokee Preservation Foundation, will focus on Cherokee potters and pottery during the first part of the 20th century. A book on Cherokee woodcarving and mask making is scheduled to follow.

On Nov. 5, Fariello presented books to Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Chief Michell Hicks and the Tribal Council. On Nov. 20, Fariello and Sally will give 200 copies of the book to Cherokee School Superintendent Joyce Dugan for teachers to use in the Eastern Band’s new K-12 school.  Funds for the book donation came from the Cherokee Preservation Foundation and Hunter Library.

For more information about the “From the Hands of our Elders” series or the Craft Revival Web site, contact Fariello at (828) 227-2499 or fariello@wcu.edu.

By Jill Ingram

Don Connelly

Admission is $5 to a one-time-only re-creation of a live recording of “Command Performance, USA!” – the most popular Armed Forces Radio show among GIs during World War II. The weekly variety-style radio show featured music, comedy and the most popular radio and movie stars in Hollywood, and often fulfilled the requests of a GI to hear sounds from home.

Connelly spent more than 25 years in managerial and on-air roles before coming to WCU from Clear Channel of Orlando.

The Reporter:  What sparked your interest in the original Armed Forces Radio shows?

Connelly: While working in Florida for 17 years, I met many veterans. I got to interview people such as Chaplain Bill Downey, who was on the flight line and asked a blessing for the crew of the Enola Gay before their takeoff on the atomic mission to Hiroshima, and the fire control officer on the USS Tennessee at Pearl Harbor.

What I noticed was that they were more than happy to share the good times and very rarely talked about the war itself, and one of the things that came up several times was Armed Forces Radio. I’ve been addicted to radio since I was 12, and the more I learned about Armed Forces Radio, the more impressed I was with the men and women based in Hollywood who didn’t get medals or a whole lot of recognition, yet were responsible for boosting morale of our men and women overseas.

So the idea for “On the Home Front” was, “Let’s do something for veterans that’s not just about the rough and the bad times. Let’s look back at the good times.”

A photo from the personal war-time scrapbook of Lt. Vern Carstensen, 5th Army Mobile Radio Station, depicts a GI operating a homemade field radio built to listen to broadcasts like the one being re-created at WCU. (Photo courtesy of James Carstensen )

The Reporter: When did you hear Armed Forces Radio for the first time?

Connelly: I’ve listened to so many “Command Performance” shows that I don’t remember the first one. They turned out hundreds – basically once a week with only three to four days to write and score the show and then rehearse. They did it on the fly. Some are just off-the-charts, stellar – good. I only heard a few clunkers.

The Reporter: Where did you find old recordings for your research for “On the Home Front?”

Connelly: They are scattered all over the place – the Department of Defense and national archives records. You can go online and search and find MP3s of them.

The Reporter: What were some of the most humorous moments you encountered while listening to the old recordings?

Connelly: Some are times when, say, Bing Crosby and Bob Hope were doing a bit, and the joke didn’t work. It was their reaction to it not working that was hysterical. And, there were a lot of jokes they got away with on “Command Performance” that they could not do on regular radio. In one, Bob Hope joked about Jane Russell, the most popular pin-up girl in World War II. He said soldiers would think as she was getting out of the airplane in Algiers that they were in for more training – learning how to handle those “booby traps.” They could never have done it at the time on commercial radio.

Cast members of “On The Home Front, Nov. ‘44” practice lines and music cues with Bruce H. Frazier (seated) the conductor of and arranger for the Home Front Radio Orchestra. Standing, from left, is Don Connelly, the show's producer; Steve Carlisle, the show’s director; Melody Huddleston, who is playing the role of G.I. Jill; and Terry Nienhuis, who is playing the role of Private Jimmy “Sad-Sack” Walters, the show’s comic relief character.

The Reporter: What were some of the most poignant moments?

Connelly: GIs would make requests, and some were very simple. They wanted to hear the hot dog vendors at Yankee Stadium or the street sounds from their hometown. One guy said the biggest thing was the dinner his wife fixed him before he shipped out and asked GI Jill, the most popular woman on all of Armed Forces Radio, because she sounded like his wife, “Would you please call me to dinner?”

The Reporter: Did she call out “Dinner’s ready?””

Connelly: I think it was, “Honey, the mashed potatoes are ready. It’s time to come to dinner.” You have to keep in mind the idea was to boost morale, and so there were some touching moments but it never got deep or maudlin.

The Reporter: Did you have any family who served in the war?

Connelly: Yes, my grandfather was a typesetter and printer and photographer. He was drafted when he was 37. His ship was the USS Yorktown, and he served in the South Pacific from late 1943 to the end of the war. I was 13 years old when he passed away. Interestingly, I have obtained his service records, and he was stationed at New Caledonia when the first Armed Forces Radio station went on the air in the South Pacific. That was one of those, “Ooh, wow,” moments.

The Reporter: The show is on Wednesday. What do you hope those who attend take home from the experience?

Connelly: Respect and honor for the veterans – all veterans from all wars. The truly incredible thing about it is we have people from all different departments coming together and students engaging with faculty to do this for our veterans. The scary part for the audience may be that I’m singing in one of the songs.

The Reporter: Are you already working on another radio show?

Connelly: My wife (Debra Connelly, visiting assistant professor of communication at WCU) says that under no circumstances am I permitted to discuss the next project. There is one, but I’m not allowed to discuss it until this one’s finished.

Interview by Teresa Killian Tate and printed in edited and condensed form

Britt Cline reflects on leisure activities during a hike in Pinnacle Park.

Students lend each other a hand at a stream crossing.

Students check their heart rates during a hike.

Students get a close look at Schoolhouse Falls in Panthertown Valley.

Bill Papin (center) hikes with students Nick Sottile and Joshua Sims.

Snow begins to fall during a hike.

Students enjoy a beach on a hiking trip in Panthertown Valley.

Bill Papin was mountain biking when the idea that evolved into a class hiking assignment was born. Papin, who teaches Health 123 “Health and Wellness,” was pedaling and pondering how to better teach students this semester about cardiovascular training zones and differentiating between muscular strength, muscular endurance and cardiovascular endurance when it hit him.

“While I was riding, I was working all three types of fitness,” said Papin. “There is a long, slow uphill that trains the cardiovascular system. Next is a section that requires short but very intense burst that improves muscular strength. And then there are a bunch of in-between hills that take about two to five minutes of serious grunt-work, but not all out effort. That section tests and trains your muscular endurance.”

The next day Papin diagrammed the route on the board as the basis for a lesson and a student commented it was the best lecture of the year. “Consequently, I wanted to take all of my Health 123 students out mountain biking.”

Instead, he considered an alternative activity – hiking. He discussed the idea with Bob Beaudet, head of the health, physical education and recreation department, and collaborated with Robert Crow and others at the Coulter Faculty Center to analyze the project and identify ways to directly link its aspects to achieve outcomes identified in Western Carolina’s Quality Enhancement Plan, “Synthesis: A Pathway to Intentional Learning.”

Students would be required, while hiking, to periodically calculate their heart rates, estimate the number of calories they burned and also, specifically, determine how many 160-calorie Taco Bell Fresco grilled steak tacos it would take to replace the calories burned on the hike.

In addition, students were required to rate their stress and mood levels during the hike and a sedentary leisure activity, such as watching TV. Other aspects of the project included reflecting on what their use of free time says about their values, and creating a video about the experience to help them achieve a QEP learning outcome centered on communicating effectively and responsibly.

“Bill honed the project in an intentional way to maximize QEP outcomes,” said Crow.

The final hurdle was liability, and Papin contacted Josh Whitmore, director of Base Camp Cullowhee, for help. Base Camp staff offered to facilitate the trips, leading groups of students on hiking trips at Pinnacle Park near Sylva and to Schoolhouse Falls in Panthertown Valley.

“Base Camp is always looking for ways to bridge the classroom and co-curricular experiences – one of the principles of the QEP,” said Whitmore. “The class could have accomplished the same goals on a treadmill or by walking around the track, but this experience introduced students to some of the great outdoor recreational opportunities that make our location unique. Before this, I think many hadn’t taken the opportunity to explore the area, as is it so easy to just get caught up with life on campus. Lots of students hiked farther than they thought they could, and several made strong connections that this kind of exercise can be fun and good for their health.”

On one Saturday expedition, students ascended into snow.  Some reflected on discovering how hiking helped them feel peaceful, or how they did not want to go, but were glad they did. One student, Erica Long, said initially she was frustrated on the hike and with the mud, but ultimately found the experience to be very rewarding. “I love to workout, but I prefer the gym,” Long said. “I would do another hike if it was shorter. Overall though, it was a great experience and gave me a great workout for the day.”

Papin is excited about the results and responses, and has begun planning how to adapt the requirement next semester. “Not only does it illustrate physical fitness, but also it’s a great tie-in with weight management and stress management,” he said. “One of the liberal studies objectives for this course is that ‘Students will understand the important contribution of leisure activity to the overall balance of lifelong health.’ How do you teach that? You don’t. All you can do is give students the opportunity to reflect on it. That’s what we did.”

By Teresa Killian Tate

Training will be provided to prepare employees for the changes, which will affect some pay schedules, deadlines and methods for submitting paperwork.  Effective Jan. 4, students or temporary employees paid on an hourly basis will move from a monthly payroll to a bi-weekly payroll and receive paychecks every other Friday. Permanent employees will continue to be paid monthly and will receive their first paychecks via the new system on April 30, 2010. Students or temporary employees paid a flat monthly amount will continue to be paid monthly, with the date of payment shifting in June  from mid-month to the end of the month.

When the transition is complete, employees will be able to utilize the self-service portal in MYCAT to view their pay stubs, W-2’s, benefits and deductions online.

Click here to read the full announcement.

For more information, e-mail Diana Catley at dcatley@wcu.edu.

Hurston, who lived from 1891 to 1960, authored “Their Eyes Were Watching God” among numerous other books, plays, essays and articles. Johnson will explore in her presentation how Hurston’s writing could be described in contemporary terms as “politically incorrect,” pushing the boundaries of long-held ideas and timely trends in the gender, race and cultural politics of her time. She also will share how Hurston’s essays not only offer a look at Hurston’s take on historical events such as Brown vs. Board of Education, but also provide insights relevant today.

For more information, contact WCU’s  Women’s Center and Women’s Programs.

Employees with Western Caroilna University's electric department honored with a safety award include, from left, Keith Dills, John Freeman, Travis Taylor, Terry Watson, and Brandon Green.

“ElectriCities is proud of the Western Carolina University electric department for achieving this recognition,” said Jim Shill, ElectriCities manager of safety programs. “Electric power line work can be very hazardous when working in and around high voltage energized conductors. Western Carolina University’s well-trained workforce is always ready to meet the challenge.”

The National Safety Council has reported that every lost-day work injury costs an average of $28,000. Achieving an entire year of no lost-day work injuries can positively affect worker’s compensation insurance rates.

While the financial impact is important, Shill emphasizes the impact of safety on employees. Shill says the real reward of an effective safety program is that employees are able to work in a safe environment and return home to enjoy life with their families.

“This award is also a credit to supervisors and workers, demonstrating that they can work as a team and look out for each other,” he said. “Safety first really does pay both financial rewards and in human value.”

Bennett has received the American National Flute Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award and recently was awarded the Chicago Flute Club’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

He serves on the faculty of the Royal Academy of Music in London and teaches around the world. He has been principal flute with the London Symphony, Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields and the English Chamber Orchestra.

In addition, Bennett has helped make acoustical improvements to the design of the modern flute, which have been adopted by virtually every flute maker on the planet, said Spell.

“The result is that modern students and professionals have a much easier time playing the flute, particularly as regards intonation,” said Spell.

From left, Burgess Jenkins and WCU alumnus Keith Harris act out a scene in "Wesley" the movie while then-WCU student Aaron Putnam and WCU faculty member Arledge Armenaki operate the cameras. (Photo by Matthew Skala)

First, he thought of his students and the hands-on experience they could get. With coaching from Armenaki on filming locations in and around Winston-Salem and Morganton, 16 students served as a unit production manager, assistant directors, construction coordinators, set dressers, carpenters, boom operators, grips, camera assistants, wardrobe managers, an office manager and a script supervisor. Their assistance was critically important, said Jackman. “We couldn’t have done the movie without them,” he said. “We were trying to accomplish a very ambitious picture while operating on a very restricted budget, and their help was just invaluable.”

For two months in 2007 and two weeks in 2008, the students worked closely with Jackman and Armenaki to help find, manage and build sets fitting for the 18^th century and in line with the storybook feel the director and cinematographer wanted to create. Some even helped build a re-creation of the HMS Simmonds ship inside an old gymnasium at Methodist Children’s Home in Winston-Salem, and a 50-by-20-foot blue screen, which required a lot of sewing and lighting, to hang behind it. “Getting everything ready for a scene was quite a production in itself – like dressing a museum diorama,” said Armenaki.

John Jackman, far left, and Arledge Armenaki, center back, celebrate the crew of the movie "Wesley," which included 16 Western Carolina University students. (Photo by Matthew Skala)

Kristen Philyaw, a 2008 WCU graduate with a degree in motion picture and television production, can attest to that. She helped coordinate props for “Wesley.” “It was incredibly stressful because we had no budget to work with, and it often felt like we did not have enough hands among us or hours in the day to get the sets dressed, props made or pieces coordinated,” said Philyaw, who works at a financial institution in Charlotte and just co-founded a small production company with her fiance, Robert Cassidy, a WCU alumnus who also worked on “Wesley.” “Looking back, I have some great memories of working alongside my fellow classmates and Professor Arledge.”

The movie not only created opportunities for students but also for faculty. Armenaki coordinated auditions on Western Carolina’s campus that led to roles for Terry Nienhuis, retired professor of English, and Peter Savage, visiting lecturer of theater. Nienhuis was cast as John Locke, Wesley’s gardener, and Savage as Mr. Williamson, the scoundrel who is betrothed to and mistreats the woman Wesley loves.

WCU faculty member Peter Savage played "Mr. Williamson."

Terry Nienhuis of WCU was cast as gardener James Locke.

Both said the audition was challenging and the experience rewarding. Savage said he nervously overacted the first time he met with Jackman and didn’t get offered the role until after a second, more relaxed audition with him at WCU. Nienhuis wondered if the film was too sophisticated for him when Jackman stressed the importance of authentic dialects and asked Nienhuis to try reading with an 18th-century sea captain dialect. “I did something that may have sounded like a pirate,” said Nienhuis. When cast as the gardener and advised to use a rough country Yorkshire dialect, “I did some research and found a recording of a Yorkshire farmer and then called Henry Mainwaring from the biology department (and from England) for help,” said Nienhuis. “He said, ‘It’s funny you should ask because I have a friend visiting from that area.’ I brought a tape recorder over, asked his friend to read my lines and then studied the recording.”

In addition, WCU alumnus Keith Harris played a leading role, Wesley’s brother Charles; three students had small on-screen parts; and two business professors, Stephen Jarrell and Paul Jacques, volunteered as extras in the film. They played churchgoers in one scene. In another, filmed on a different day, Jarrell was in several scenes, including one shot in a vineyard at sunset. “If I survived the final editing cuts, you may see one two-second shot of me, and if you stopped the frame, there might be 10 or more of me on the screen if they used technology to enhance the crowd,” said Jarrell. “But if I don’t show up in the movie, it was still worth it. I had such a great time and especially enjoyed seeing our students behind the cameras, working in costumes, doing hair and makeup, and hearing (student) Alex (Dillard) yell, ‘Quiet on the set.’” Savage also was impressed with the students. “Everyone acted so professionally, and it was exciting to see students using what we are teaching and to begin to work with them as colleagues,” he said.

The efforts of many, including the contingent from Western Carolina, come together Saturday, Nov. 14, when the film will celebrate its world premiere in Winston-Salem. Attendees will see how Wesley and his brother became revolutionary champions for the poor and how Wesley struggled to find the spiritual peace and faith for which he is known. “It’s quite a beautiful film with really powerful performances,” said Armenaki. “I am moved by Wesley’s journey and his wrestling with his faith. I think many of us have our own spiritual journey during the course of our own lives. It’s such a great story, and we – the actors, the set carpenters, costume-makers, electricians, camera operators, editors, the composer and special effects crew-members – all did our very best to make it into a wonderful film.”

Alex Dillard was a student at WCU when he worked as first assistant director.

WCU alumnus Keith Harris plays Charles Wesley in "Wesley," the movie.

WCU professor Arledge Armenaki, second from right, was director of photography for "Wesley," the movie.

John Wesley, played by Burgess Jenkins, preaches to a crowd at Epworth. (Photo courtesy Foundery Pictures)

From left, Arledge Armenaki, director of photography, and WCU student Alex Dillard listen to director John Jackman discuss a scene in "Wesley," the movie.

Bishop Ryder, played by Kevin McCarthy, defends Wesley against a move to defrock and discredit him. (Photo courtesy Foundery Pictures)

From left, WCU alumnus Keith Harris, who is playing Charles Wesley, and Burgess Jenkins, who is portraying John Wesley, speak with director John Jackman. (Photo by Matthew Skala)

WCU student Ian Vigstedt, left, was script supervisor for "Wesley," the movie.

WCU students, from left, Ian Vigstedt and Aaron Putnam, take a break from working as a script supervisor and grip for "Wesley," the movie. (Photo by Matthew Skala)

WCU students worked on the crew of the movie "Wesley."

Click here to read more about “Wesley,” the movie. Screenings will be posted on the movie’s Web site as schedules become available.

By Teresa Killian Tate