Catawba Valley Ski Club Sponsoring Premier of Movie

The Catawba Valley Ski Club is sponsoring the North Carolina Premier of Match Stick Productions newest ski movie for the a second year. "Attack of La Nina" will be shown on Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at the Carolina Theater in downtown Hickory at 7:00 PM. The title comes from the "la nina" weather pattern that was responsible for the massive snow storms North America experienced last winter. Tickets are only $5.00 and are available in advance or at the door on the evening of the show. The $5.00 ticket will also be applied to your annual membership to the Catawba Valley Ski Club, if people decide to join. It will also make you eligable for door prizes on the night of the show. Door prizes will include a new pair of skis and a snowboard, along with some other great prizes. You do not have to be a member to attend or win the door prizes. To purchase tickets in advance, email Tom Rigsby at tarigsby@charter.net. We will be projecting in High Definition this year! This should be a great event and a fantastic way to get excited about the upcoming winter sports season.

We look forward to seeing all the Western North Carolina winter sports enthusiasts on Tuesday, November 8th!

The Catawba Valley Ski Club is a non-profit club, affiliated with the Crescent Ski Council. As a member of the club, people are able to access all the trips and local activities, including ski/snowboard racing, that the Crescent Ski Council provides. Crescent is a group of more than 20 clubs from all over the Southeast. For more information contact Tom Rigsby
President, Catawba Valley Ski Club at 828-381-4842 or via Email: tarigsby@charter.net.

Lenoir-Rhyne to Hold High School Scholars Academy Information Session

The 2011-2012 L-R High School Scholars Academy
pose in front of the "charge". Photo credit: LRU

Lenoir-Rhyne University will hold an information session at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 20, for high school juniors and their parents interested in the university’s High School Scholars Academy. The session will be held in room 213 of the McCrorie Center on the L-R campus.

The High School Scholars Academy, which began in 2007, is designed for high school students who wish to pursue a more advanced academic program for their senior year of high school. Students selected for the program will have the opportunity to enroll in English IV Honors plus three college classes in the fall and AP English (or an approved online class) plus three college classes in the spring.

Applications for the 2012-2013 school year are due Feb. 21, 2012. First preference for admission will be given to students enrolled in the Catawba County, Hickory Public, or Newton-Conover school systems. If space is available, the university will also consider students from private schools, home schools, and other school systems.

Factors considered for admission include high school GPA, courses taken in high school, SAT, ACT, PSAT or PLAN scores, and high school or community involvement.

The information sessions do not require advance registration. If you have questions, please contact Mary Ann Gosnell at maryann.gosnell@lr.edu or 828-328-7300. Additional information about the High School Scholars Academy can be found online at <www.lr.edu/admissions/high-school-scholars-academy>.

Visting Writer Series Continues: Life Experiences Pepper Author’s Stories

The Visiting Writers Series at Lenoir-Rhyne University continues on Thursday, November 3 with “An Evening with Edward P. Jones.” The event will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the Belk Centrum on the L-R campus. The event is free and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required.

"There's an old chestnut about how when you ask a Southerner a question, you don't get an answer—you get a story." So the Washington Post describes Pulitzer Prize winning author Edward P. Jones. Jones' stories, prompted by questions from his enigmatic and often tragic life experiences, mold his publications: New York Times bestselling novel The Known World (2003) and his short-story collections Lost in the City (2004) and All Aunt Hagar's Children (2006).

The literary acclamations awarded to Jones mirror the profound nature of his writing. His life, however, reflects the habits of a recluse more so than one of the most celebrated authors of this generation. Nonetheless, Jones' extraordinary writing has the ability, as novelist Dave Eggers writes, to "stun on every page; there are too many breathtaking lines to count" with "its sweep, its humanity, the unvarnished perfection of its prose."

Jones, a MacArthur fellow, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2004, which added to his other distinctions including the Hemingway Foundation's 1993 PEN Award, 2003 National Book Critics Award, the 2005 International Dublin Literary Award, and several National Book Award nominations.

Other authors in the series include Isaac Anderson, Judy Goldman, Sandra Cisneros, Lynne Cherry, and Alexander McCall Smith. The series continues through April 2012.

The Lenoir-Rhyne University Visiting Writers Series is free to the public thanks to the support of sponsors. This year’s sponsors include Our State, WDAV 89.9 FM: Classical Public Radio, Catawba Science Center, North Carolina Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, Catawba Valley Community Foundation, Hickory Public Library, United Arts Council of Catawba County, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Crowne Plaza Hotel of Hickory, WFAE 90.7 FM: Your NPR News Source, City of Hickory Community Relations Council, Catawba Valley Medical Center, and Rotary International.

For more information about the Visiting Writers Series at Lenoir-Rhyne University, go to http://visitingwriters.lr.edu or call 828-328-7077.

Muggles and Wizards Converge on Lenoir-Rhyne University

Lenoir-Rhyne University is pleased to announce the second annual Harry Potter Fest on Friday, Oct. 28 on campus. A variety of activities are scheduled throughout the day and are open to the community.

Harry Potter Fest will kick off at 10:00 a.m. with a presentation by Travis Prinzi, Harry Potter scholar and researcher. Prinzi runs a popular website and podcast called, “The Hog’s Head,” named after a pub in the Harry Potter series. The event will take place in the Belk Centrum on campus. Tickets are not required but seating is limited. A Q&A with Prinzi will follow later in the day at 12:00 p.m. in the Bear’s Lair on campus.

All Harry Potter fans are invited to participate in the “Insufferable Know-It-Alls” Harry Potter trivia contest beginning at 1:00 p.m. Assemble a team of up to three people and prepare to earn your O.W.L.s. Enjoy some butterbeer and cauldron cakes while you play the game. Preregistration is required at library.lr.edu/hptrivia.

Today’s students don’t have to bring their pet owl to school with them but in the spirit of Harry Potter, the Carolina Raptor Center will have live owls on hand. Learn about these beautiful creatures from 2-5 p.m. on Shaw Plaza.

LRU students and the public alike are invited to attend the quidditch match to be held 3:30-5:30 p.m. on the Russell House lawn. Quidditch is a sport that was developed by Rowling for the Harry Potter book series. Whether you are a Seeker, Snitch, or just an observer, you are sure to have a great time watching and participating in this fun sport.

At 6:30 p.m. a community costume contest for school age children K-12 will be held. Students can come dressed in their best Hermione, Harry Potter, Albus Dumbledore or Hagrid costumes, just to name a few, to wow and impress the judges. Prizes will be awarded for the best costumes.

The evening will wrap up with a Wizard Rock concert with “Hawthorn & Holly” from 7-8:30 p.m. at Shaw Plaza. Hawthorn & Holly are the wands of Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter in the books, but in this band they stand for the joining of light and dark to create music that appeals to the Slytherin in us all, but also shows that nothing is greater than the power of friendship!

"American Brass Quintet" Comes to Lenoir-Rhyne University

The Concert Series at Lenoir-Rhyne University will kick off the 2011-12 season with a free performance by the American Brass Quintet on Friday, October 7 at 7:30 p.m. in the P.E. Monroe Auditorium on campus. Tickets are not required and the L-R Friends of Music invite the entire community to experience this group.

Founded in 1960, the American Brass Quintet seeks to promote brass chamber music as a serious chamber music medium. Now in its 51st season, the American Brass Quintet has been internationally recognized as one of the premier chamber music ensembles of our time and an icon in the brass world. The ABQ's rich history includes performances in Europe, Central and South America, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, and all fifty of the United States; a discography of over fifty recordings; the premieres of over one-hundred contemporary brass works, and in the last decade, mini-residencies that have brought the ABQ's chamber music expertise to countless young musicians and institutions worldwide. ABQ commissions by Samuel Adler, Bruce Adolphe, Daniel Asia, Jan Bach, Robert Beaser, William Bolcom, Elliott Carter, Jacob Druckman, Eric Ewazen, Anthony Plog, Huang Ruo, Steven Sacco, David Sampson, Gunther Schuller, William Schuman, Joan Tower, Melinda Wagner, and Charles Whittenberg, are considered among the most significant contributions to the modern brass quintet repertoire.

Premieres in the last three seasons include works by Gordon Beeferman, Nolan Gasser, Trevor Gureckis, Justin Dello Joio, Shafer Mahoney, Anthony Plog and David Sampson. In commemoration of the 50th anniversary last year, the ABQ released its ninth recording on the Summit label-a double CD of new works written for the ABQ in the last decade called State of the Art: The ABQ at 50.

Through its acclaimed performances, diverse programming, commissioning, extensive discography, and educational mission, the ABQ has created a legacy unparalleled in the brass field. Hailed as "the high priests of brass" by Newsweek, "positively breathtaking" by the New York Times, and "of all the brass quintets, the most distinguished" by the American Record Guide, the American Brass Quintet has clearly defined itself among the elite chamber music ensembles of our time.

For additional information on the Concert Series, please visit [mus.lr.edu] or check the Lenoir-Rhyne University Concert Series Facebook page.

Family Weekend Scheduled for September 16-17

On September 16 and 17 we will welcome parents of families of LRU students to campus for the Annual Family Weekend-Best of LRU. Many events are planned throughout the weekend and all are welcome and encouraged to come take part. Detailed event information and registration can be found online.

Institute for Faith and Learning to Host Speaker

The LRU Institute for Faith and Learning will host speaker Mark Yaconelli who will present "Wonder, Fear, and Longing: The Life of the Soul." Using story and humor, and drawing on his work in Christian spiritual formation, Yaconelli will discuss how our everyday experience invites us into greater freedom and transparency with God, others, and ourselves.

The event will be held on Thursday, September 15th at 7:00 p.m. in the Belk Centrum. No tickets are needed.

Commemoration of the 10th Anniversary of 9/11 Attacks

The Lenoir-Rhyne University Sacred Music Program will sponsor a Service of Commemoration on the tenth anniversary of 9/11. The service will be held at 4 p.m. on Sunday, September 11, at First Baptist Church in Hickory. Participants will include the L-R Youth Chorus, the LRU Brass Ensemble and the LRU A Cappella Choir. This event is free and open to the public.

Aspects of Leadership

The LRU Business Council and the Alex Lee Foundation will sponsor a series of discussions on leadership throughout the next few weeks. This on-going event began last week with LRU President Wayne Powell and will continue this week on Wednesday, September 7 with Boyd George, President of Alex Lee Inc.

Next week's discussion will be lead by Tony Rose, Catawba Valley Medical Center President and will be on Wednesday, September 14. This program will continue until October 26th and is meant to help participants reach a better understanding of leadership so that we may practice it more effectively.

Each event will begin at 6:15 p.m. in the McCrorie Center, Fintel classroom. The series is free and open to the community.

LRU Partners with High School to Develop Outstanding Programs & Students

UCHS students Troy Barker, Lisa Emerson, and Alec Hass look on as UCHS board
chairman David Reitzel and L-R provost Larry Hall sign the partnership agreement

Lenoir-Rhyne University has entered into a formal partnership with University Christian High School in order to further develop a high quality faith-based high school curriculum for students in the greater Hickory area.

Established in 2009, University Christian High School’s (UCHS) mission is to provide a Christ-centered education that inspires students to excellence in academics, moral character, and servant leadership.

UCHS offers an advanced and highly academic curriculum in partnership with L-R. Students at UCHS have the opportunity to take a greater variety of advanced classes than any high school, public or private, in the area. Through dual enrollment opportunities, UCHS students have the opportunity to graduate with up to 30 college credit hours, which is included in the tuition cost of the school.

This partnership allows Lenoir-Rhyne to provide greater opportunities to high school students and to better prepare them to succeed at a four-year institution after graduation. L-R has dedicated a classroom/lab area for UCHS science classes to ensure update-to-date resources are available to the students in their education.

Beginning with this school year, UCHS will be located at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, across the street from L-R. The proximity of the high school to Lenoir-Rhyne allows for easy access to the college classes that juniors and seniors take.

More information about University Christian High School can be found on their website at www.uchigh.com. The high school is still accepting applications for the 2011-12 academic year.