College of Fine and Applied Arts

Jeanne Mercer-Ballard and Tim Dolan in the Interior Design program presented “Connecting Design and Community” at the 9^th Annual NC Campus Compact Service-Learning conference Feb. 21 at Elon University. 

The following is a description of their presentation: 

“Historically, architecture and interior design services have been viewed as luxuries. Through involvement with service-learning, interior design students have seen first-hand design as a connection to community.  Integrated classroom projects provide students with actual clients, programming requirements, and a professional interaction unequalled in the classroom.  Outcomes far exceed course objectives.  Quoting a participating student, ‘I like working with non-profit organizations…if we didn’t help them they wouldn’t be able to afford design services.’” 

Twenty-six out of 41 proposals were selected by a state-wide faculty committee to be presented at the conference.

Campus Compact is a coalition of nearly 1,100 college and university presidents — representing some 5 million students — who are committed to fulfilling the public purposes of higher education. As the only national association dedicated to this mission, Campus Compact is a leader in building civic engagement into campus and academic life. Through the national office and network of 31 state offices, member institutions receive the training, resources, and advocacy they need to build strong surrounding communities and teach students the skills and values of democracy.

North Carolina State House Representative Cullie M. Tarleton will give the address at the Appalachian State University College of Fine and Applied Arts Commencement Exercises at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 5, in the Holmes Convocation Center on Appalachian’s campus. 

Serving the citizens of Ashe and Watauga counties, Rep. Tarleton was born in Union County, NC. A retired broadcaster, he served as Senior Vice President & General Manager for WBTV, WBT Radio and WCCB-TV.

Rep. Tarleton’s record of service crosses North Carolina and the nation. He is a member and past session member of Rumple Memorial Presbyterian Church and served on the board of directors for the Hunger Coalition in Boone and the Blowing Rock Performing Arts Center. He also has been a member of the board of trustees for the Watauga Medical Center Foundation, the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum, the Charlotte Center for Urban Ministry, the board of advisors for the Watauga Arts Council and served as president of the Blowing Rock Stage Company and chairman of the Communication Department Executive Advisory Board at Appalachian State University.

A member of the Blowing Rock Rotary Club, Rep. Tarleton served on the board of trustees and as vice chair of the NC Zoological Park Council. He is past president of the NC Association of Broadcasters; Child Care Resources, Inc.; Carolina Opera Association; Charlotte Little Theatre; Big Brothers / Big Sisters; University of North Carolina at Charlotte Athletic Association; Charlotte Advertising Club; and the Charlotte Sertoma Club.

Rep. Tarleton also has served as chairman of the board of the Charlotte Uptown Development Corp., on the board of governors and as chairman of Fox Affiliates Board of Governors, on the Radio and TV board of directors and as chairman of the Radio board for the National Association of Broadcasters, chairman of the Board of Managers for Dowd YMCA and as chairman of the Better Business Bureau.

In honor of his contributions to the broadcasting industry and his service, Rep. Tarleton has received the 1982 Silver Medal Award from the Charlotte Advertising Club, the 1971 Distinguished Service Award from the Charlotte Jaycees and the 1982 Distinguished Service Award from the NC Association of Broadcasters. In 2004 he was inducted into the Broadcasting Hall of Fame by the NC Association of Broadcasters. He also was a 32^nd Degree Mason of the Oasis Temple Shrine.

With his wife, the former Sylvia Davis of Marshville, Rep. Tarleton resides in Blowing Rock. They have three children and six grandchildren.

 Order Your 2007 Commencement Video Now!

Orders are now being accepted for the 2007 Commencement video. Get yours now at the discounted price.

This past weekend 11 technology education students traveled to Virginia Beach to compete in the TECA Eastern Region Conference. While there, Kara Adams and LaChanda Broome placed 3rd in the Instructional Module competition. Congrats!

Brittany Hensley is also running for the office of President-Elect for TECA National, so be sure to wish her luck if you see her.

All the students did extremely well and represented ASU in a professional manner in each competition.

Listed below are the students that attended this year:

James Rodgers Jay Trumbower Ricky McDaniel Daniel Huskey Derek Ashley Jared Douglas Jordan Mitchell

Appalachian State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance presents the Appalachian Dance Ensemble Annual Spring Concert Feb. 28 through March 3 at 8 p.m. in Valborg Theatre. The concert features choreography by dance faculty, students and a guest choreographer, and includes seven new works.Tickets are $6 and $10 and can be purchased at the Valborg Theatre Box Office, or by calling 262-3063.

The seven new pieces featured in this spring’s concert include “Spatial Disconnect,” choreographed by faculty member Susan Lutz. This dance explores how difficult it is to stay in sync as our lives seem to become increasingly complicated and multifaceted. It also addresses the idea that human nature encourages us to “find our place” and “stay in step” but our creativity pushes us in other directions. “Spatial Disconnect” features 12 student dancers, theatre design and technology major Cameron Pence as lighting designer and faculty member Sue Williams as costume designer.

“Contrails” is a new work choreographed by faculty member Emily Daughtridge and performed by four male and five female students.  The dance comments on the love songs of John Denver while exploring the intersecting journeys of relationships, and the experience one accumulates along the way. Theatre design and technology major Derek Nord is designing lighting.

“Undercurrent,” choreographed by faculty member Regina James, is a pointe piece using a mix of ballet and modern techniques to express the motion and emotion of the music, written to reflect the way ocean waves reach the shore. Like a wave, the music begins slowly and builds in intensity before coming back down peacefully, until the last statement played by the violin signifies that the sea is calm once again. The dance features seven student dancers. Lighting design is by faculty member Jeromy Hopgood and costume design is by Sue Williams.

“Graceful Exit” was created directly from archetypal imagery related to guest community choreographer Hope Brawley life’s journey. During the creative process, Brawley became more aware of how these images from her dreams, conscious and sub-conscious, can be guides to a deeper understanding of self. The dance features six student dancers. Costume design is by Hope Brawley and Sue Williams, and lighting design is by Cameron Pence.

“Moments of Love,” choreographed by student Vera Woazeah, expreses love and sensuality through the art of dance. Seven student dancers participate in the piece which features Jeromy Hopgood as lighting designer.

“Indian Sunset” is a powerful piece about the strife and struggles of the Native American Indians. Choreographed by student Ashley Brooks, it features seven student dancers and the music of Elton John. Lighting design is by theatre major Thomas Painter.

Student choreographer Dani Harris’s piece, “Dreaming Seamless Dreams” is about the idiosyncrasy of dreams and the power they hold over the mind. Dreams, often impossible or unlikely to occur in physical reality, are usually outside the control of the dreamer. Theatre major Matt Backe is lighting designer for the piece.

John C. Quindry, an assistant professor in Appalachian State University’s Department of Health, Leisure and Exercise Science, will spend the next two years studying the role short-term exercise plays in protecting the heart muscle during a severe heart attack.Quindry has received an $180,000 Academic Research Enhancement Award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct the study.

“In the United States, where we have become very sedentary and our diets have become inappropriate, heart disease is the No. 1 killer,” Quindry said. “My ultimate goal is finding ways to protect against heart attack.”

Quindry is expanding research he and others conducted during his postdoctoral work at the University of Florida. That research showed that just three consecutive days of moderate exercise protects against the damaging effects of a heart attack for up to two weeks when compared to non-exercised hearts.

He now hopes to learn more precisely how exercise triggers a change in the heart muscle that protects it should a heart attack occur. “Heart cells don’t die as frequently in an exercised heart during a heart attack as a sedentary heart,” Quindry explained.

“The heart muscle cells, just like cells throughout the body, have a limit to what they can do,” he said. “During a heart attack, those cell resources are put to the test. The component I want to test is specific to the mitochondria, the power-energy generating component of the cell.”

Graduate and undergraduate students will assist Quindry with his research. The students will be able to develop biochemistry and applied physiology skills. “This research really integrates a lot of their undergraduate and graduate curriculum in one event,” he said.

Quindry said results of his research could translate rather quickly to a clinical application. “Exercise is certainly not the only way to turn on this component of the protected heart. If a physician has a patient who is likely to suffer a heart attack and is unable to exercise, the patient could be given a drug to turn on this component of the heart and preserve the heart muscle against EKG abnormalities or cell death should a heart attack occur,” he said.

“It is pretty phenomenal how much protection can be afforded with three days of exercise and how long the beneficial effects last relative to the mild physical demands of exercise,” Quindry said. “The take-home message is that everyone should exercise most days, and a little bit goes a long way for health. But we realize not everyone cares about exercise, or can exercise. Maybe we can take the knowledge from this study and apply it in some novel way that will benefit people beyond the realm of physical fitness.”