NGCSU talks leadership in America’s war Sept. 28

Lieutenant Colonel Steve Townsend, a 1982 North Georgia College & State University graduate, will speak on “Leadership in the War on Terror” at 5 to 6 p.m. on Sept. 28 at the university’s Memorial Hall gym.

In March and April 2002, Townsend led a task force on combat operations in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom.

The presentation is open to the campus community and the public. For more information, telephone (706) 864-1776.

North Georgia promotes diversity

DAHLONEGA – North Georgia College & State University featured several events on campus for its first annual Diversity Week Sept. 16-20.

A discussion panel focusing on issues facing the disabled took place Sept. 17 in the Hoag Student Center Auditorium. The topic was “Twelve Years After the ADA – the Americans with Disabilities Act: Have Attitudes Toward the Disabled Changed?” One mother of a disabled child and four other panelists with different disabilities participated in a discussion among themselves and the audience.

“I hope that discussions such as this one will increase the campus community's awareness about the disabled,” said Rodney Pennamon, coordinator of student disability resources at NGCSU and moderator for the panel discussion.

A disability fair coincided with the panel discussion in the Hoag Student Center. It featured a wide variety of literature on disabilities, facts about the ADA and posters from NGCSU students who are majoring in special education.

On Sept. 19, Jeffrey Cleghorn presented a lecture titled “Coming Out and Coming Home: A Gay NGCSU Soldier's Story.” Cleghorn answered questions from students packed into a full Hoag Auditorium.

“As a leader, you must ensure the safety of all your soldiers, including the gay ones,” he told the audience. He shared his experiences and viewpoints about gays in and outside the military.

Cleghorn is a staff attorney and Army Liaison for the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. A native of Griffin, and a distinguished military graduate of North Georgia, Cleghorn served as an officer in the U.S. Army.

NGCSU to hold auditions for madrigal dinner performers

The Music Department and the Student Theatre Guild at North Georgia College & State University will hold auditions on Sept. 28 and Sept. 29 for “Yuletyde Feaste: What a Tangled Web,” a madrigal dinner filled with song and laughter.

The auditions will take place from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Gloria Shott Auditorium in the Nix Cultural Center on campus. Auditions will consist of “cold” (unrehearsed) readings from the script; no singing will be required.

Men and women may audition for a wide range of acting parts, including roles such as Dorothy of the Wizard of Oz, a Court Jester, Lords and Ladies, and Serving Wenches.

Performance dates for “Yuletyde Feaste” will be Friday, Dec. 6 and Saturday, Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. in the Hoag Student Center Auditorium.

For more information, contact Dr. Kevin Mace at (706) 867-2760 or kmace@ngcsu.edu.

North Georgia experiences booming enrollment

DAHLONEGA – North Georgia College & State University welcomed a record number of new and returning students for the fall semester, with residence halls on campus at capacity.

Out of a total of 4,239 students, the largest enrollment in North Georgia’s 129-year history, 3,736 are enrolled in undergraduate degree programs and 503 are in master’s level or education specialist graduate programs.

“It is especially rewarding that we have increased our enrollment without sacrificing quality,” said Vice President for Academic Affairs Philip Buckhiester. “The academic credentials of this year’s freshman class are impressive.”

Freshmen total 1,268 students and the returning students or transfers include 706 sophomores, 865 juniors and 897 seniors.

Women still outnumber men at North Georgia, with 2,352 female students vs. 1,384 males at the undergraduate level, plus 379 women and 123 men seeking graduate degrees.

The university enrolls students for classes taught at four locations: the main campus in Dahlonega, the Forsyth County Board of Education Professional Development Center in Cumming, the University Center at Gainesville College, and in Cobb County, where nursing classes are taught via a televised network to Kennestone and Cobb hospitals.

On the main campus, 1,284 students fill the residence halls this fall. Lewis Hall, built in 1952 and one of the older dormitories on campus, is being renovated to add as many spaces for women as possible for fall 2003. The newest and largest dorm is John H. Owen Hall, housing 314 students. Ambling Management manages the facility, a privatized residence hall funded by and operated through the NGCSU Foundation.

The Corps of Cadets now numbers 580 cadets, including 72 women, so males still overwhelmingly outnumber females in the Corps, which has included women cadets since 1973, well before other senior military colleges in the nation. A total of 514 cadets live on campus, and 66 commute from home.

“We continue to move closer to our institutional goal of a 600-member Corps of Cadets,” Buckhiester said. “We expect to reach that goal next fall.”

The enrollment numbers will be finalized in October when official figures are sent to the Board of Regents.

New orchestra open to community

DAHLONEGA – The Fine Arts Department of North Georgia College & State University has begun a new university/community orchestra, the North Georgia Chamber Orchestra. The group rehearses on Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m. in the instrumental rehearsal room in Nix Cultural Center on the NGCSU campus in Dahlonega.

At this point, explained Lee Barrow, a professor of music, the group is limited to strings, though winds may be added at a later date. Membership is open to area residents as well as NGCSU students and faculty. Violin, viola, cello and bass players with some orchestral experience are encouraged to join the group. New members will be accepted through the month of September.

For more information, contact the Fine Arts Department at (706) 864-1423.

Homeland security expert speaks at NGCSU on Sept. 10

DAHLONEGA – Among events at North Georgia College & State University scheduled in memory of the one-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks of 2001 is a speech by a former brigadier general who is now involved with security, law enforcement and public safety at the national level.

Dr. Frank H. Akers Jr., the associate laboratory director for National Security at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and a retired brigadier general, will discuss his experiences from the past year on Sept. 10 at 12:30 p.m. in the Memorial Hall Gymnasium. The event is free and open to the public.

At ORNL, Akers manages a research and development portfolio that includes nonproliferation and threat reduction, arms and export control, homeland security and counter terrorism technologies for the U.S. National Nuclear Security Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.  He also coordinates ORNL activities with the U.S. Department of Defense and other federal agencies with missions involving national security, law enforcement and public safety.

Prior to his retirement from the Army, Akers served as chief of staff for the XVIII Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg, N.C., and as the assistant division commander, 25th Infantry Division, in Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. During his Army career, Akers’ numerous awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, three Legion of Merit awards, the Bronze Star Medal (seven times) and two Purple Hearts.

Three events at North Georgia to honor Sept. 11 victims

DAHLONEGA – Upcoming special events – a concert, a moment of silence and a candlelight vigil – at North Georgia College & State University will take place in memory of the Sept. 11 attacks last year.

On Sept. 10, the Fine Arts Department of North Georgia College & State University will present a Memorial Concert. The event, at 7:30 p.m. in the Hoag Student Center Auditorium, is free and open to the public. A representative of the American Red Cross will be present to accept donations for the Disaster Relief Fund.

The concert, featuring NGCSU music ensembles, students and faculty, will feature reflective works in memory of those who died in the attacks and patriotic selections in honor of those who served in the rescue efforts and in the war on terrorism.  For more information, contact the Fine Arts Department at (706) 864-1423.

At 9 a.m. on Sept. 11 on the Drill Field, a moment of silence, bagpipe music and a 21-gun salute will mark the anniversary hour of the terrorist attacks on U.S. soil in 2001.

On Sept. 11, a Candlelight Vigil, sponsored by the Dahlonega/Lumpkin County Ministerial Association, will take place at 7 p.m. on the Drill Field.  The public is invited to participate.

This page last modified on: Friday, 05 November 2004 15:45:32 -0500 by University Relations    

:: Disclaimer   :: Accessibility