Mortar Board inducts members

Mon Mar 30 2009

The Lenoir-Rhyne University Arktos Chapter of Mortar Board inducted 19 student members and three honorary members at a recent ceremony at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church of Hickory. Arktos is Greek for “bear,” the university’s mascot.

The society recognizes senior college students for outstanding achievement in scholarship, leadership and service.

The honorary members inducted this year are Anita Johnson Gwin, vice president for student affairs and dean of students; Dr. Katherine Pasour, dean of the College of Health Sciences; and Dr. Jeffrey Wright, economics professor.

The rising seniors who were inducted are as follows: Christy Ann Coates of Hickory; Renee Michelle Diener of Charlotte; Sarah Elizabeth Drake of Davidson; Robert Michael Duncan of Atlanta; Sarah Kateland Embry of Greensboro; Kathryn Lucile Gaither of Statesville; Glenn Paul Goorsky of Peachtree City, Ga.; Amanda Kathryn Huber of Misenheimer; Amanda Brooke Kiziah of Hickory; Nichole Ashley Laher of Auburn, Ind.; Kelly Anne Moss of Hickory; Bradley Alan Setzer of Conover.

Also: Kayli Virginia Shelton of Olin; Mary Ellen Stephens of Greensboro; George Jon Troesch of Granite Falls; Brittany Leigh Wietbrock of Salisbury; Amanda Renee Withers of Stanley; Kathy Lee Witker of Bradner, Ohio; and Lindsay Claire Yount of West Jefferson.

Mortar Board members who conducted the ceremony included Emily Horne, president; Katherine Novacek; Malorie Potts, secretary; Abigail Smith; Katherine Miles, vice president; Linda Maack, membership chair; and Catherine Covert. Dr. Larry Hall, L-R provost and Mortar Board member, was the guest speaker.

Mortar Board provides opportunities for continued leadership development, promotes service to colleges and universities and encourages lifelong contributions to the global community. Some notable Mortar Board members include former President Jimmy Carter, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Lance Armstrong and former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.

Event to showcase students’ talent

Fri Mar 27 2009

The public is invited to attend Lenoir-Rhyne University’s first Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE).

The event will begin at 3 p.m. April 7 in the Belk Centrum, located at 628 Seventh Avenue Place, Hickory. Reservations are not required.

The keynote address will be given by Dr. Mark Harvey, associate professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina-Asheville. Presentations by Lenoir-Rhyne undergraduate and graduate students from many different majors will follow at 4:15 p.m. The event will conclude with a reception and awards ceremony at 6:30 p.m.

The keynote speaker is co-director of UNC-A’s Undergraduate Research Program and has mentored 18 undergraduate students on their research. Seven of those students graduated with University Research Scholar honors.

Harvey’s research interests include informal science learning and environmental psychology. They have an interdisciplinary flavor and appeal to a broad audience. He has published numerous papers on his research, has presented at many professional conferences and has received a number of grants for his work.

L-R to offer new liberal studies degree

Fri Mar 27 2009

Lenoir-Rhyne University will offer a new bachelor of arts degree in liberal studies beginning in the fall of 2009.

This major is designed for lifelong learners who wish to complete a bachelor’s degree with an emphasis on the liberal arts. Students entering the program will typically have earned a college transfer associate of arts or associate of science degree, or a comparable number of transferrable college credits. Students and their advisers will draw up individualized programs of study, which will be approved by the Liberal Studies Committee.

Students will take a number of interdisciplinary seminars that investigate life’s major questions from the viewpoint of different fields of study. The program also includes an experiential/service learning component in which the student will participate in a community activity. The structure of the program is flexible enough to meet the personal and professional goals of adult learners.

“Educational researchers and employers alike are increasingly realizing the value of liberal learning in making both a life and a living,” said Larry Hall, provost. “Liberal education is the ideal academic preparation for today’s ever-transitioning world. Our new liberal studies major exemplifies Lenoir-Rhyne’s mission to integrate the development of the whole person, mind, body, and spirit, with exceptional professional preparation. We believe this program will be an excellent option for adult learners who want the benefits needed in this ever-changing and global context.” (more…)

LRU students win math tee-shirt contest

Thu Mar 26 2009

Six Lenoir-Rhyne University math majors recently won the tee-shirt design competition at the Mathematical Association of America Southeastern Section annual meeting.

The conference was held March 12-14 at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. March 14 is “National Pi Day,” so called because the number “pi” is approximately 3.14.

Almost 100 colleges were represented at this year’s conference, which included undergraduate, graduate and professional members. The L-R students participated in math-related games and activities and listened to the presentation of math papers. The L-R group made it to the finals in a “Math Jeopardy” game and also participated in a Treasure Hunt.

The winning tee-shirt design features the symbol for “pi” on the front. On the back is the mathematical formula for “the square root of -1″ plus a heart symbol and the word “math.” The students explained that the square root of -1 is “i.” So the message is “I love math.”

The L-R students who attended are Andrew Talian of Lynchburg, Va.; Madison Shope of Raleigh; Amanda Kiziah of Hickory; Stephanie Hays of Hickory; Katie Novacek of Raleigh; and Kevin Hathcock of Oakboro.

Little Read author to visit campus

Thu Mar 26 2009

The finale of this year’s Little Read program at Lenoir-Rhyne University will be held on campus Saturday, April 4. This event is free and open to the public. Reservations are not needed.

The Little Read is a community-wide program to encourage children to develop a love of reading. This school year, all second-graders in Catawba County’s three school systems have been studying “If Pigs Could Fly and Other Deep Thoughts” by Bruce Lansky, the “King of Giggle Poetry.”

The program is presented by the Lenoir-Rhyne University’s Visiting Writers Series and L-R Education Program in conjunction with the Catawba County School System, Hickory Public Schools and Newton-Conover Schools. The professors and students in the university’s Education Program have written and compiled teaching materials related to Lansky’s books and have made these materials available to teachers in the local school systems.

On April 4, the author will visit Hickory to talk about his work. He will sign copies of his books starting at noon in the P.E. Monroe Auditorium on campus. Books will be available for purchase.

Lansky will talk about his work beginning at 1 p.m. Immediately after his talk, 180 students from the three school districts will be recognized for the poetry and artwork that they created after studying Lansky’s books.

Three second-graders from each participating school were selected for their outstanding poems and art. (more…)

Physician to exhibit photographs at L-R

Wed Mar 25 2009

Dr. James Hodges, a family practice physician from Hickory, will exhibit his nature photographs at Lenoir-Rhyne University April 2-16 at the Visual Arts Center, located at 643  Eighth Ave. N.E. in Hickory.

The public may view the free exhibit between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays. There will a public reception for the photographer at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 8.

Hodges’ interest in the natural environment has led him to explore photography over the years. His photos range from close-up shots of insects to landscapes.

Hodges and his wife, Kathryn, have lived in Hickory for more than 30 years. They have three grown sons, Tyler, Vance and Todd. In addition to photography, Hodges’ hobbies include gardening, literature, golf, hiking and travel.

Students help others during spring break

Tue Mar 24 2009

A group of Lenoir-Rhyne University students spent their spring break in Florida. But unlike most other students, they were there to help build houses for area residents in need.

The 17 students, one N.C. Campus Compact Americorps/VISTA volunteer, and one faculty member traveled to Green Cove Springs near Jacksonville, Fla., during spring break March 15-21. While there, they helped frame two new houses for Habitat for Humanity.

Brandon Ostwalt of Campus Compact and a 2008 graduate of Lenoir-Rhyne, helped organize the trip. “The purpose of the trip was to allow students to have a hand in making a difference in the world during their time off for spring break,” he said. “These students willingly gave of their time and energy to help a struggling family.” The students were also accompanied on the trip by Joyce Davis, an L-R education professor.

The group’s expenses were paid for by Richard Rathgeber, a philanthropist from Austin, Texas. “It was a sincere privilege of mine to work with the 2009 Rathgeber Challenge group,” Ostwalt said. “I have never seen a more driven, focused and hardworking group of students. They were all unified in a common purpose and worked tirelessly to achieve it.”

Stephanie Watts, one of the student volunteers, said, “It was a great time to help others, build new relationships, strengthen old ones, learn new skills, see Florida, get a tan/sunburn, get sweating for a cause, and even discover things about myself!”

At the work site, she found herself doing a lot of things she had never tried before, such as drilling holes in the foundation for anchors, using a miter saw and replicating saw, and climbing on roof beams. She added, “I helped to lend a hand whenever and where ever it was needed and, of course, nailed hundreds of nails and possibly pulled out just as many!” (more…)

LRU brochure wins top honors

Tue Mar 24 2009

Lenoir-Rhyne University has won a first-place award in the Annual Admissions Advertising Awards sponsored by the Higher Education Marketing Report.

The university earned first place in the brochure category for schools with fewer than 2,000 students. The brochure was created by Mindpower Inc. of Atlanta and is titled “101 Ways to Rise Up at Lenoir-Rhyne.” It lists 101 ways that students can “rise up” or develop their potential. These include such activities as “Raise your voice with the A Cappella Choir,” “Learn more about Martin Luther King Jr.,” “Head to China for an International Business field trip,” and “Cheer on your favorite L-R team.”

Mike Langford, director of marketing at LRU, worked with the agency to develop the brochure. “When we changed our name last August from Lenoir-Rhyne College to Lenoir-Rhyne University, we asked ourselves and our students to rise up,” he explained. “This brochure points out to our prospective students that there are many different ways to do that at L-R.”

To obtain a free copy of the winning brochure, contact the Lenoir-Rhyne Office of Enrollment Management at admissions@lr.edu or 1-800-277-5721.

How should Lutherans interpret the Bible?

Mon Mar 23 2009

Dr. Esther Menn, professor of old testament and director of advanced studies at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, will present a lecture at 3 p.m. April 3 at Lenoir-Rhyne University’s Belk Centrum, located at 628 Seventh Avenue Place N.E., Hickory.

Her address, which is free and open to the public, is part of the Hein-Fry Lecture Series of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, which this year has the theme “Hearing the Word: Lutheran Perspectives on Biblical Interpretation.”

Menn will speak on the biblical passage “Like a Tree Planted by Water” (Jer. 17:8). She believes there are Lutheran ways of reading the Bible that can be celebrated, and others that might be challenged. Whatever the case, engagement with the church’s book of faith makes a difference for ordinary lives in these extraordinary and daunting times. Dialogue with passages from Genesis, Psalms, and Jeremiah illustrate the promise of the scriptures as a source of wisdom, courage, and hope.

This lecture series is a part of The Book of Faith initiative of the ELCA. This initiative invites church members to become more fluent in reading and interpreting the Bible. A similar resolution was adopted by the 2005 N.C. Synod Assembly and co-authored by Dr. Larry Yoder, a religion professor at L-R.

Menn holds a bachelor of arts degree from Luther College, a master of arts from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and the University of Chicago Divinity School, and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago Divinity School. She joined the faculty of the LSTC in 2001-2002. She taught previously in the department of religious studies at the University of Virginia (1995-2001). While at the University of Virginia, she spent a sabbatical year as a visiting scholar at Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a W.F. Albright associate fellow, supported by an American Council of Learned Societies Fellowship.

She has been an adjunct faculty member at McCormick Theology Seminary (1995), a lecturer at the University of Chicago Divinity School (1994-95), and instructor at California Lutheran University, Department of Religion (1988-90). In addition to her work at LSTC, she also teaches occasional courses in Hebrew Bible at the University of Chicago Divinity School. (more…)

Alumni Weekend planned

Fri Mar 13 2009

Lenoir-Rhyne University alumni and friends are encouraged to make their reservations now for any or all of the following events taking place during Alumni Weekend 2009, April 2-5.

Most events require reservation notification for head-count purposes. Some events have a ticket price included. Please call the telephone numbers listed with each event for more information or to reserve your spot.

Thursday, April 2
2 p.m.
Men’s and Women’s Tennis, LRU vs. Mars Hill. Home games at Hickory High School. For more information, call (828) 328-7503.

6:30 p.m.
Career Center’s Spring Schmoozefest 2009 in Mauney Hall.
For more information, call (828) 328-7252

Friday, April 3
9:20 a.m.
Convocation, “Nature Deficit Disorder” in the Belk Centrum. For more information, call (828) 328-7373

Noon – 2 p.m.
1949 Class Reunion Luncheon at the Home of L-R President Wayne B. Powell. For more information, call (828) 328-7171

1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
Campus Tours. Begin and end at the Alumni House. For more information, call (828) 328-7171

3 p.m.
Hein-Fry Lecture Series in the Belk Centrum. For more information, call (828) 328-7183

6-10 p.m.
1959 Class Reunion – at Lake Hickory Country Club, Hickory, N.C. The Crewnecks will be the musical guests for this event. $45 per person. For more information, call (828) 328-7171

6:30 -10 p.m.
1969 Class Reunion – at Catawba Country Club, Newton. Casual event considered the classmates’ “Spring Fling!” $40 per person. For more information, call (828) 328-7171

7 p.m.
Baseball, LRU vs. Mars Hill. home game at the Moretz Sports – Athletic Complex. For more information, call (828) 328-7136. (more…)