I managed to get a few moments to sit with the Catawba swimmer, and by the end of the interview, I was in complete awe over the success of this young college student. Owens, from Stockbridge, Georgia started swimming in middle school and attributes her motives to swimming competitively to her first coach, Judy Burdette.  Cerebral Palsy could also be another reason that prompted her to become a swimmer. Owens, similar to many other Paralympics athletes has a form of cerebral palsy known as spastic cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy is a term used to describe a group of disorders affecting body movement and muscle co-ordination.  The majority of individuals are diagnosed with cerebral palsy at a young age, and it is mostly caused during birth if an infant receives damage to its celebreum while in the mother’s womb. The severities of symptoms vary from individual to individual. Some people may just have slight awkwardness of body movement, while others may never be able to walk and remain in wheelchairs or walkers for the rest of their lives.  Fortunately, the worst did not happen to Owens. Owens claims, that “swimming at an early age actually help her with her muscle coordination, as well as get through her physical therapy sessions during her early years with cerebral palsy.” Physical therapy is a recommended treatment for those individuals with progressive forms of cerebral palsy.

However, not even cerebral palsy could stop Owens form swimming one of the largest sporting events in the world, the Paralympics. Owens competed in the 2004 Olympics in Athens at only 14 years of age.  There, she took one gold medal and one silver medal for the United States.  It is only four years later where she again claims one gold and one silver in Beijing in 2008. However, with all these moments of athletic excellence and extraordinary achievements, Ashley does not consider herself any different from an able-bodied swimmer, and does not make any excuses for her to not compete with other able-bodied swimmers.  With humorous enthusiasm, Owens remarks, “I really enjoy being on the Catawba College swim team and swimming with team members who constantly challenge me not just as an athlete but as a student. I know I am excited for this upcoming swimming season, and I know we will do well.”

As far as future swimming events and competitions are concerned, Owens is currently training for the 2012 Paralympics in London. Secondly, Owens hopes to pass the cut for the NCAA A cuts in order to qualify for nationals this year. While training and preparing for all these events, Owens is excited to be back at Catawba and plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and a master’s degree in special education.

Before I called it quits to the interview, I asked the mighty swimmer, what advice she would give to other college students, young adults, and young athletes who may be facing similar disabilities or obstacles in their lives. Owens suggests with much confidence and assurance, “No one is perfect, we are all different.  No matter what, follow your dreams, and never let people make you feel less or inadequate for your flaws. If you can dream it you can do it.”  This she has most certainly done.

This past spring, Canaan took his musicianship to the next level when he began working with producers Jimm Mosher and Alan Grossman at Hit Music Studios in Spencer, North Carolina to complete his three-song demo “Guitars and Girls.” Canaan’s country style infused with pop influence is filled with his life experiences and his lessons learned from the highs and lows of being in love.

Canaan has a long history of performing in front of crowds so its no surprise how natural it comes for him. When Canaan was eight years old, he began playing with his mother’s country/southern rock band in Hendersonville, NC where they played several festivals that sometimes contained a thousand or more audience members. Growing up, Canaan continued perfecting his skills on numerous instruments as well as in singing and performing. It wasn’t until Canaan’s freshman year of college that he began writing for his demo in hopes of propelling his music career and becoming a more self-made artist. His upbeat single “Come Here,” is his favorite so far on the demo because it was his first completed song. “Just seeing an idea come from something like garage-band and watch it transform into a fully produced song is the coolest thing about recording,” he says.

Canaan is also a member of the Catawba Singers and Chamber Ensemble. When he isn’t busy with classes or songwriting, he sometimes likes to wind down at the end of the day by sitting in Keppel Auditorium singing and playing to the 1,450 empty seats. Canaan hopes to have his full-length album completed before summer 2011 and to begin playing live shows this year to promote his music. Long term? “I want to be super duper famous!” he yells and laughs. Canaan definitely has a lot on his plate, but rest assured he is not afraid of hard work. Keep your eyes and ears open Catawba, because the sounds of Canaan Cox is sure to make its way to you soon.

“I went to a Methodist church with my parents and I started to get tired of the same thing over again and over again. My sister went to Forest Pointe Undenominational Church, in Belmont North Carolina. I was going through a bad time with family and school so I decided to go to church with her. The first Sunday I went there they mentioned the trip and it was like God told me that was where I needed to be,” said Christopher.

Forest Pointe, ran the missionary trip through a company called SIM Sports Friends. They’re motive was to teach young boys between the ages of 12 and 18, about God and help them develop good morals through sports.

Baker also ran his missionary trips through church.

“I’ve been involved with going on foreign missions since 1993. I’ve been to Cambodia eight times, the Dominican Republic three times and Russia ten times. I‘ve lead all of those to Cambodia and five of the mission trips to Russia. So I was in charge of getting air line tickets, translators and all of that,” said Baker

Unlike Baker, Christopher‘s trip to Ethiopia was her first missionary trip out of the country.

“[We the foreigners were called the ‘Farengies’] Then you had the ‘Abashas’ who were native Ethiopians, who were the camp’s counselors. Then there were the leaders who were also Abashas. Every leader was from a different part of Ethiopia and they worked with about six boys a week. The leaders and the Abashas were the ones who taught about Jesus because we could not speak the native language, so we, the Farengies, showed them God’s love, through playing with them and teaching them new things” said Christopher.

Christopher personally tried to learn the language herself so that she could talk to the campers. She would eat dinner with them and try to communicate with them the best she could to show them that she cared. Participating in mission trips generally helps everyone who is involved.

“I‘ve been to New Orleans and a few other mission trips. I love helping people and making others happy. When you are in Ethiopia no one has a lot but they will give their neighbor the clothes off their back. One of the kids in my group gave another camper food off of his plate even though he was still hungry. People in the U.S. do not always do that. That alone made me realize what true love is,” Christopher said.

Baker said that he realized the love and affection the children of Cambodia want.

“I learned that the orphans are desperate for people to show them that they care. The people who run the orphanages run them because it’s the right thing to but also because they’re Buddhists, meaning they think that the children are there because something negative happened to them in a previous life. So the orphans want to experience unconditional love because they don’t always get it.

Once Christopher got back home she was able to realize more in depth how important relationships are.

She said “I realized that I had to fix past relationships and build new ones. When you are there you feel like a whole new person. The entire time I was in Ethiopia, I had phone reception but I didn‘t want to use my phone, nor did I use a mirror. People there don‘t care what you look like, the love over there is different than the love we have back in the U.S.”

Both Christopher and Baker feel that their lives have changed drastically after their mission trips.

“I can tell by the way I treat people that I have changed. I‘m a lot closer to God and I put other people first. I no longer think twice about helping someone else.”

As for baker he adopted his son from Europe whom is now 23 years old.

Christopher then added that 35 out of 48 of the young men converted to Christianity after the trip.

This season, Catawba has a new plan to fill Shuford Stadium for home games. The Catawba Chiefs Club has decided that for each home game a different organization or group will be offered free admission into the stadium. These “themed game days” are an attempt to expose more people in the local community to Catawba football. Each person that receives free admission also gets free admission for three guests.

Below is a list of the themes for each home football game:

September 4^th, Catawba vs. St. Augustine- Police Officers, Firefighters, and Emergency Responders

September 18^th, Catawba vs. Shaw University- Youth Sports: any youth 14 and younger who wears their team shirt

October 16^th, Catawba vs. Carson-Newman- employees of Rowan Regional Hospital and Veterans Administration Hospital: employees must show ID at the gate

November 6^th, Catawba vs. Tusculum- Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts will be admitted by wearing their uniforms

Catawba hopes that each themed game day will bring more spectators to the games. We want to fill up that stadium. Let’s pack the stands!!

Students of local universities take for granted the luxury of effortlessly registering for classes from their rooms. Teachers were becoming frustrated because the majority of students were willing to skip their classes to wait in line at the Registrar’s office.

Online registration will mean great things for Catawba.  First off, it will be one more step towards a paperless campus as students will now be able to log on and sign up for classes with the click of a mouse. Catawba Junior Sarah Robinson concurred that online registration will be a step in the right direction for Catawba because “it’s a vital step in Catawba’s eco-conscious agenda. Online registration means no paper-trail, plus no one stands in line. It is a win-win for all.”

 Sarah offered a great point; students will no longer have to miss class for registration or stress over being in line. Those who face the greatest pressure during registration are the rising sophomores, as they register last. Registration starts at eight AM each morning of the week and concludes at three-thirty PM each afternoon except for the final day. Rising sophomores often flood to the doors of the Registrar’s office by as breathtakingly early as five and six AM to beat their fellow students to the best and often times most necessary classes.

One of the most important reasons that this new registration process will benefit Catawba is because classes will truly become first come, first serve. There will no longer be a class standing bias, which has frustrated students for years. Registration rules such as seniors register first, rising sophomores last and your registration time depending on your last name’s alphabetical place in line will all be gone.

Catawba College is taking a steady step into the 21^st century and I, as well as my fellow classmates are proud to be a part of it.

Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Mr. Paul Fisher, told us that the Chinese symbol for change has two meanings.  One of those meanings is danger and one opportunity.  He believes that opportunity is the child of change.  He encouraged the students of Catawba to work hard and accept change.  He also told us to step into the future boldly. 

Kendra Joyner, President of the SGA, opened her speech with a memorable quote by Ghandi.  Ghandi said “be the change you wish to see in the world.”  Kendra noted how each of the classes of students at Catawba are feeling.  She noted that freshmen are experiencing one of the biggest changes of their lives.  They have a new home and a place where strangers will become the best of friends.  Kendra said that sophomore year holds many changes and it is a year of self exploration. 

Kendra emphasized that junior year is one of the hardest because you are starting your major classes.  She notes that you must learn to balance during the junior year.  As a senior, Kendra realizes it is hard to believe that three years have already flown by at Catawba.  She says you must make the most of your time. 

One of the big themes of convocation was change.  The SGA is committed to making positive change for Catawba. 

Dr. Girelli spoke about the importance of having a childlike perceptive.  We should see everything as new and fascinating, just like a child.  He wants upper classmen to recognize freshmen worries and fears and to be understanding of these worries.  Dr. Girelli wants us to be able to see things like we would for the first time and be appreciative of those things. 

This year at Catawba will hold many things.  One thing that will inevitably happen is change.  I hope we all embrace this change with open arms and know that it will lead to opportunity.

In the Mondo’s section of the grill there has been one major change. Instead of having bags of chips, they are now offering fresh sliced potato chips. These chips are available cooked-to-order in a variety of six flavors. In the grill section they are now offering new hamburgers. These burgers are made of 80/20 meat and hand formed each morning. New chicken tenders are also being sold. They are currently trying out a few different brands of chicken tenders and are making their decision on which to keep according to students’ feedback. If you have had the chance to eat in the grill this year you will have noticed that they are also using new packaging. No longer is your food coming in a Styrofoam tray, food is wrapped in tin foil, fries in small paper trays, and meals put in paper bags. Huneycutt explains that the grill is using this packaging “to reduce waste.”

Along with changes in the menu, the grill is also offering a special “late night menu” on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This late night menu will feature “tavern foods” such as beer battered onion rings, fried pickles, and wings. On Thursdays there will be open mic nights, available to all students to participate in. Huneycutt explains that he knows that there are several talented students at Catawba and they all deserve “a chance to showcase their talents.” So, if you are interested, go by the grill to sign up for a fifteen minute slot at an open mic night. On some Tuesday nights there will also be trivia nights. Students can form teams or compete by themselves for prizes.

There are several new products that will be soon available for purchase in the grill. Starting the week after Labor Day, the grill will be offering Dunkin Donuts’ coffee. They will be offering the coffee of two sizes of cups from a drip machine in decaf, regular, and one flavor. Another product students should expect to arrive soon is Island Oasis drinks. Students will be able to order smoothies, milkshakes, and coffee blends in two different sizes.  New drinks can be seen in the coolers and there are more to come. These include: sugar-free and regular glass bottles of Cheerwine, cream soda, and root beer, along with “Naked” juices are available now. In addition to the new drinks, several flavors of Tropicana juices will soon be arriving.

 When asked about teaching in the environment of a small liberal arts college like Catawba, he mentions the “willingness of students to engage” in the learning process. He believes that this hands-on attitude leads to success, and holds the opinion that “learning is not something that is done to you.”

During his college years, Dr. Hake’s academic interests included math, philosophy and history. His interests in these fields were brought on by the same underlying curiosity that led him to study and teach economics. He sums up this curiosity by saying “I wanted to know where we come from.”

Outside of the classroom, Dr. Hake enjoys both playing and listening to music. He has been involved in music since his high school days, and his tastes are eclectic and strongly influenced by college radio. He enjoys listening to artists like Neutral Milk Hotel, Bright Eyes and Elliot Smith.

Dr. Hake intends to involve his family in the Community Music program, and looks forward to attending other campus events, including events of an academic nature as well as music performances. Dr. Hake is enthusiastic about Catawba, and is already proving to be a valuable part of the Catawba community.

According to the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) a first generation student is any student whose parents have not obtained a bachelor’s degree. By this definition this includes not only this class, but approximately 30% of the day students at Catawba. If you were to tweak that definition to the offspring of parents who have never attempted secondary education this would apply to approximately 18% of Catawba’s day student population.

The hope is that this program will provide a great experience for future First Generation Students at Catawba.  Several members of the faculty collaborated last year and applied for a grant from the Council of Independent Colleges that would help create and fund this program.

The Council of Independent Colleges Wal-Mart College Success Award offered twenty institutions awards of $100,000 and ten institutions awards of $50,000 to be used over the course of two academic years. Catawba was fortunate enough to receive the $100,000 reward thanks to the initiative of Carla Eastis, Carl Girelli, Dan Sullivan, Steve Coggin, and Maria Vandergriff-Avery.

The program that Catawba has established specifically for this year’s First Generation (First Gen) students is unique and, according to Vandergriff-Avery, could be helpful to all students starting college.

“We can’t make assumptions about First Generation Students. They don’t fit under an umbrella” remarks Vandergriff-Avery about her FYS students. “The bottom line is we are a very diverse group.”

NextGen FYS instructor Dr. Vandergriff-Avery

That’s right; Vandergriff-Avery is a First Gen herself. The program was structured around the idea of finding a group of people who would understand each other’s experiences.  This Next Gen FYS course will be taught by a faculty member who is pursuing the tenure track or is tenured and was a First Gen student themselves.

Vandergriff-Avery was very excited about being able to teach this FYS course. “My mom wanted me to go to college, but had no way to relate or identify with what I was going through. I get these students. I have been them, just because their parents don’t know doesn’t mean they don’t care. Their parents just are not able to relate.” Vandergriff-Avery remarked, then chuckles, “These are my peeps” referring to her FYS class.

NextGen FYS Alphas and Teaching Fellows Lizzle Davis and Julie Gilley

The FYS course has, in recent years, provided each class with Alphas during the orientation process.  Lizzle Davis and Julie Gilley,  are assisting with the Next Gen FYS course for this year, “First in the Family.” Both of these students helped the Next Gen FYS during orientation as their Alphas and are staying with them through the semester as their Teaching Fellows.

Dan Sullivan, Dean of Students at Catawba College remarked “The First Gen. Grant will allow us to model a program for a majority of our students.”  The purpose of the program is not to make a student stand out, or have their parents feel inadequate. It is to provide these students with a knowledge base that might not have been available at home.

“If your dad works at a bank, you are more than likely fiscally responsible in comparison to if your dad was a coach, you’d know more about sports.” Sullivan explains. If you are aware of the stories and experiences your parents had in college, you have a better foothold than those students who do not.

“We are attempting to level the field for these students” says Vandergriff-Avery. That is the purpose of this program, to develop resources and a network for these students, and their parents through every step of the college process.

When asked how helping in this project has affected her outlook as a First Gen. student, Vandergriff-Avery replied “Hearing about the numbers helped me change my perspective about our students. Our private college status appeals to more First Generation Students because of its smaller size and what we have to offer.”

Bradley Boaz, a junior history major at Catawba stated, “I’m the first Boaz to get a degree. My parents were adamant about a college education. I didn’t have a choice about going, just where I went. I chose Catawba for me. There is a lot of pressure to succeed when you are the first. This program could really help students get a good start.”

Brandi Cockerham mentions her enthusiasm, “I’m excited for this year’s First Gen. Students. I wish I could’ve been a part of it, but Catawba helped me through a lot of the things I couldn’t learn from my parents. This is just Catawba expanding on what they can help students with.”

Jake Krug, a student in the Next Gen FYS course shared his viewpoints, “I didn’t have anyone to talk to about Financial Aid, or the admissions process, my parents and I went through the whole experience together.” Krug went on to say how it is challenging to be the first to break the mold, but said that it is possible. Krug mentions that he was originally registered for J. Michael Bitzer’s FYS group before he was offered this course by Vandergriff-Avery.  He chose this particular FYS because he hopes to help his brother Jesse who is a junior in high school. “I realized this might help my experience and assist me when I need to help my brother.”

Next Gen FYS student Jake Krug

Krug is focusing on a double major in vocal performance and theatre arts. Paul Oakley, the associate director of music at Catawba, was always around his high school, and Dennis Jewitt, adjunct professor in the music department at Catawba, was choir director for 3 years. Both these men helped encourage Krug to attend at Catawba. “I’m fourth generation immigrant, of Italian and German descent; I’m the first in my family to attempt a four year degree. My cousin went to a college in New York, and I had an uncle on mom’s side who attended a state university, but this is it.”

Krug states also “I don’t feel singled out. By putting a bunch of us together who are in the same boat, we are given a family to exchange our experiences. I felt singled out at first, felt like my family was stupid, but it was a humbling experience at the same time. All the hard work is paying off, this class is a supplement to that experience.”

Sponsored by the Lilly Center for Vocation and Values, nineteen students, all comprised of students in the SGA, defined what a leader was to them, as well as how they could become a better leader. There were many types of lessons, dealing with anything from time management to what values a leader should have.

The sessions were all led by Dr. Ken Clapp, with input given by the participants. The retreat included special guest Dr. Karl Hales, a retired professor of communication arts at Catawba, led a session on parliamentary procedure.

Jana Burkhardt, candidate for Freshmen Class President said that the most important part of her goal to become a great leader was “the discussion we had about what values fuel Catawba and what we wish would fuel Catawba because I got a better understanding about what little things I could do to make small change.” She also mentioned that the session on how to talk to our peers being important because “you know what is important to them and how you can best serve your ‘people’.”

The retreat also had down time where the participants went hiking through the North Carolina Mountains, went swimming in the pool at the conference center, played basketball in Ken Clapp Gymnatorium (named after Dr. Clapp of Catawba), or just relaxed and took a chance to enjoy the cool air of the mountainside.

Short excursions were taken to The Woodlands Barbeque in Blowing Rock, and to Thunder Mountain Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway.