frontier magazine vol. 2 issue 2 (spring 2013)

MagazineFrontier

The Canvas of Southeastern CultureVolume II

Issue IISpring 2013

Explore the legend of Bigfoot in modern culture pg. 12

Oldest college in Tennessee revamps appearancepg. 30

Frontier Contributors

Melissa Mauceri

Junior, journalism major

Mauceri is a junior journalism major with a creative writing minor at Tusculum College. She’s a cheer-leader and enjoys writing about and studying fashion in her spare time. Her dream is to work for a fashion magazine as a fashion journalist after graduation.

Forrest Lane

Lane currently resides in Mor-ristown, Tenn. and takes pride in the region he lives in. He works as a local photogra-pher and aims to capture the beauty of East Tennessee in every way pos-sible. Graduate of Walters State Community Col-lege, Lane plans to use his photog-raphy to express his dedication to his roots.

Tyler Miller


Miller is currently a transfer junior at Tusculum College from Charlotte, North Carolina. He is majoring in journalism and professional writing while also being a member of the Tusculum Pioneer baseball team.

Destini Wingerter


Wingerter is cur-rently a junior at Tusculum College and majoring in English with a concentration in journalism and professional writing. When she graduates she plans to pursue a career in medical writing or public relations.

Angel West

Junior,literature major

West is a junior English major with a concentra-tion in literature and a minor in creative writing. After graduating from Tusculum College, she plans on editing for a major publishing company. Aside from writing for the Frontier Magazine, she is president of Beta Sigma Phi Soror-ity on campus and enjoys reading 19th Century Brit-ish literature.

Katie Capel

Junior, digita media major

Capel is a junior from Waverly, Tenn. She majors in digital media and is minoring in journalism. Capel is also a member of Tusculum’s soccer team. She plans on attending graduate school to get a masters degree in com-munication and media.

Inside art contributions by:

Jacenta Holtsclaw

Kate Kolodi

Hilary Nowatzki

Tanner Malone

Wonderworks4Tennessee roots

Finding Bigfoot

abingdon, va

Middlesboro

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Pigeon Forge expands, offers spectacular views to the region.

Lane captures the essence of East Tennessee in photography.

Myths buried in the hills of the Smoky Mountains revealed.

History meets superstition in this small Virginia town.

West explores Kentucky’s scenic Cumberland Gap.

Obtain your free digital copy of Frontier Magazine at www.magcloud.com.Print editions also available for purchase.

Frontier Editors:Jonathan Nash, Senior Editor

Alec Cunningham, Assistant Editor

Mariah Serrano, Online EditorFront and back cover images by Alec Cunningham.

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Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/FrontierMagazine

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Regional artworkStudents creatively express the beauty of the Southeast.

ConstructionOldest college in Tennessee looks toward the future.

Frontier Magazine | Spring 2013

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The Sky’s the Limit:Pigeon Forge expands attractions

to new heights and viewsBy Melissa Mauceri

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East Tennessee’s fun-packed town of Pigeon Forge has a brand new attraction that will have you soaring high above the town. Right in the middle

of the Parkway stands a tilted and upside-down build-ing that is nestled directly in front of a giant blue and green striped hot air balloon. The Parkway is a five-mile strip that runs through the city. It is lined with businesses of all sorts. The Parkway is covered with so many res-taurants, shops, and attractions that there is something for everyone. They say that there is so much to do on the Parkway that it is not possible to do everything in an entire week. To find more information about what the Parkway holds, visit www.mypigeonforge.com. This hot air balloon will add to the allure of Pigeon Forge, which already brings in 10 million tourists every year with attractions such as Dollywood, music theaters and the Titanic museum. In Pigeon Forge, there is never any shortage of things to do to stay entertained, but if you find any spare time in your vacation schedule, there is a new and unique form of fun that will have its visitors feel-ing intrigued, enchanted, and serene all at the same time. Wonders of Flight opened Friday Sept. 21 2012 after four months of delaying opening due to a national helium shortage. They describe themselves as “An unforgettable experience for all ages!” When visiting this exciting new attraction, guests are able to fly on a giant, tethered bal-loon that soars 400 feet into the air. While riding on what is referred to as the “open air gondola,” riders feel the sensation of riding on a flying balcony. Guests board the gondola beneath the enormous helium-filled balloon. The gondola can hold up to an outrageous number of 30 guests at one time, and the ride is said to be silent and without any vibrations. This balloon ride will enchant riders with its 360 degree pan-oramic views of the Smoky Moun-tains and even be-yond that span out over 100 miles. No matter if it is day or night, there is a fantastic view to be seen. Each balloon ride typically lasts between five to ten minutes, but could last up to 15 depending on the wind and weather conditions. The 72-foot diameter balloon was manufactured by Aerophile in France, which has been the world leader in tethered gas balloons since 1993. Aerophile has sold more than 60 balloons in 27 countries, and is respon-sible for balloons such as the ones at Disneyland in

Paris, and Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. Aero-phile has operated some of its balloons in Europe and the United States for more than 18 years, and has flown more than 2 million passengers in its own balloons. According to Jérôme Giacomoni, president of Aero-phile, the Wonders of Flight balloon is environmen-tally friendly and perfectly silent thanks to its perma-nently inflated helium envelope and a hydro-electric winch. “The system consumes no more energy than an elevator and is completely noiseless,” said Giacomoni. The balloon’s designer also says the 360-degree view of the Smokies cannot be beat. “This is probably one of the best we did so far because nowhere else have we had such beauty of nature around us.” WonderWorks management says they’re excited to offer the new at-traction, one of only two of its kind in the Southeast. “They can’t get it anywhere else. It’s going to be a total-ly different view of the area,” said WonderWorks General Manager Ed Shaffer. “You see all these trees, all this green, all these mountains. It’s like you’re in a cocoon. It’s absolutely gorgeous,” Giacomoni said. The greatness of the Aerophile group can be viewed on their website, www.aerophile.com. Valda Harveston, a resident of Pigeon Forge, got the ex-citing opportunity to ride the balloon at Wonders of Flight when the company she works for had a business gathering there. Harveston described her experience riding the bal-loon as “absolutely breathtaking.” She continued to say that “the view of the mountains and of the city from up in the balloon was absolutely beautiful and took my breath away.” From the height of the balloon you will be able to take pictures of the beautiful scenery surrounding you from every angle. Houses will look like tiny dots, and people will look like the eyes of needles slowly moving across the

pavement. What makes this unique experience even better is the friendly staff that greets you upon arrival at Wonders of Flight. They will provide you with useful hints

and safety tips before you board the balloon for your ride. Wonders of Flight is located at 100 Music Road Pi-geon Forge, TN 37863, behind WonderWorks on The Parkway in Pigeon Forge. They welcome group outings and weddings, just as well as the adventurous. They of-fer daily flight opportunities year round with hours in the daytime and evening, opening at 10:00 a.m., how-

[ ]“It’s going to be a totally different view of the area,”

-Ed Shaffer


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ever, the flight times are subject to change due to in-clement weather. The only reason they cannot fly the balloon is in snow or if it is minus 10 degrees Celsius. For a single flight, rates run at $15.99 for adults and $9.99 for kids 12 and under. Children 36” and under fly free with an accompanying adult. Wonders of Flight offers group rates for pre-booked groups of 15 or more. If you are interested in taking a sky-high adven-ture unlike any other you have before, then Wonders of Flight is the attraction for you. For more informa-tion on this unique getaway, you can visit the Won-ders of Flight website at www.wondersofflight.com, or call them at 865-868-1800. You can also like Won-ders of Flight on Facebook or follow them on Twitter. After you visit Wonders of Flight, if you are still feel-ing up for more excitement, you will not have to venture far. Just in front of Wonders of Flight is another unique, and what some might call mind-altering fun attraction. WonderWorks’ slogan is “Let Your Imagination Run Wild,” which is exactly what will happen when your mind enters this whole new world of brain altering activity. WonderWorks is the completely upside-down build-ing which hosts more than 100 hands-on exhibits. It is also referred to as the upside-down “amusement park for the mind.” The building design was created by architect

Terry Nicholson to look as if it were picked up by se-vere weather and dropped upside-down on an existing building. Exhibits such as the Inversion Tunnel, Disas-ter Zone, Challenge Zone, Fun with Lights and Sound, Space Zone, Bed of Nails, Wonder Park, Wonder Coast-ers, Bubble Lab, Mind Ball, and Far Out Illusion Gallery will provide guests with fun in ways they never imagined. In the Inversion Tunnel, guest will defy gravity and have their orientation inverted in order to play with all of the upside-down exhibits inside of WonderWorks. At the Disaster Zone exhibit, guests can relive the San Francisco earthquake of 1989, and feel exactly what an earthquake of 6.0 on the Richter Scale really feels like. The Challenge Zone includes an indoor rock-climbing wall as well as 360 bikes guests can ride to the extreme. If you plan to do either activity in the Challenge zone, be sure to wear closed-toed shoes. At Fun with Lights and Sound you can experience 3-D sound in the Sound Lab, dance to colors, and play in the Wonder Dome. In addition, you can take pictures of your shadows as you pose, and play Virtual Air Hockey. In the Space Zone, you can have your photograph taken in a replica of an astronaut space suit or the Mercury Capsule. Have you ever laid on a bed of 3,500 nails? At the Bed of Nails, learn why it is possible to lay on a bed of nails without feeling any pain. At Wonder Park, you can

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pretend to be a Major League Baseball player pitching to a number of players such as Barry Bonds or Lance Berkman. The screen will display the speed of your pitch afterwards. Wonder Coasters is a virtual ride, but the best part of this ride is that you design the roller coaster yourself. At the Bubble Lab you can create your own gigantic bubble and then put yourself inside of it. Mind Ball is a challenging mental game in which two players wear a headband with electrodes and must relax their minds in order to move the ball across the table. The key is for the players to re-main calm. The technology used in Mind Ball is the same used by cadets at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Last but not least, the Far Out Illusion Gal-lery will show you how perception and perspective can help you see the world in a whole new fashion. Wonderworks holds a new and popular feature enter-tainment show called “The Wonders of Magic” featuring Terry Evanswood. Evanswood is the most awarded enter-tainer in Pigeon Forge, which is no surprise considering he has been in the area for over 14 seasons and has intrigued over a million guests with his magic tricks and illusions. In fact, I have been watching Evanswood’s magic shows since I was a child myself. I recall being astonished as I watched him saw his beautiful young assistant that he had placed in a long horizontal box clear in half, yet she emerged calm and free of injuries. I watched as Evanswood swallowed fire on the end of a torch and did not burn himself. I remem-ber watching Evanswood make doves appear out of hats and sleeves of his jacket. Most intriguing of all, I remem-ber tricks that involved both a tiger and a snake. It is clear that Evanswood not only has a way of mesmerizing people with his illusions, but he has a way with animals as well. Evanswood has been performing magic professionally since he was 10 years old. He has performed on televi-sion as well as on international stages. He has even been invited to perform at The White House twice. He attend-

ed Chavez College of Magic in California. Evanswood’s show has accrued five out of five circles on trip advisor. It is ranked second of 59 attractions rated in Pigeon Forge. If you are curious about how visitors have felt about The Wonders of Magic, just visit www.tripadvisor.com and see all of the wonderful comments that guests of the magic show have posted. You will not be disappointed. The Wonders of Magic is a 75 minute magical va-riety show for all ages that includes comedy, music, il-lusions, impersonations, Houdini style escapes and of course, magic. Evanswood holds the award for magic that is equivalent to an Oscar. It is called the Merlin Award and is presented by the International Magicians Society. Evanswood now has his own museum of magic located inside of WonderWorks called Hall of Magic. Inside Hall of Magic, you can view magic’s history and learn about the magicians of the past. You can view artifacts, costumes, autographs, and props as well as memorabilia from an intriguing collection of magicians that includes Thurston, Blackstone, and even the Great Houdini him-self. Evanswood serves as the audio tour guide through the museum. The most delightful part is that anyone may view the Hall of Magic museum free of charge. Call and order your tickets today for The Wonders of Magic at 865-868-1800. Tickets are only $14.99 plus tax for people of any age. Children 4-12 and seniors 55 and up can visit WonderWorks for just $14.99 also. Adult tickets are $22.99. Combo packages are also available. Their “Lazer Combo” includes one general admission into WonderWorks and one laser tag game. The magic combo includes the WonderWorks ticket and entry into the magic show. The ultimate combo is the full package, including WonderWorks admission as well as admission into the magic show and one laser tag game. Wonder-Works opens daily at 9:00 a.m. and closes at 12 a.m. Visit to order your tickets today. A magical trip awaits you!


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Ten

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ots

By Forrest Lane

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Finding the energy of your location: that’s what being a photographer is all about. I’ve spent my entire life here in East Tennessee, and everyone around here will tell you, “There’s no place like it,” but they are right. I’ve had the privilege since I first picked up

a camera to capture all the beautiful things that grow here. From the friends growing up and moving on to the buildings we erect and tear down; from the vibrant flowers we grow in our backyards to the plants that have been here longer than I’ve been alive, I take pride in capturing everything I find beautiful about this part of our country, and there’s so much to take in. I want to always remember my roots, and they are planted right here in East Tennessee.


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Throughout history, the general public has want-ed to believe in far-off fairy tales and ideas that have created hysteria among the masses, begin-

ning with the idea that the world is flat, and extend-ing all the way through the belief that the world would come to its demise in December 2012. When the con-versation of legends and myths is at hand, it cannot be completed without bringing up the mythical, mysteri-ous Bigfoot. It is a creature that has long been an apple of the American public eye, with hikers and explor-ers alike trying their hardest to locate the famous crea-ture. But as with all legends, Bigfoot has always been one giant footprint ahead of all his would be pursuers. Although the word “Bigfoot” itself is a relatively new term coined at around 1958, the idea and belief that we are joined on this planet by a giant hairy Sasquatch has been prevalent for centuries. Depictions of Sasquatch go as far back as the Epic of Gilgamesh in which a potter created the so-called “Wildman” out of clay. Even though it is specu-lated as to whether the story was based on reality, the idea of wild, hairy creatures with distinct human-like features and movements was a vital part in the development of the 4,000 year old story. The idea of hairy creatures of the wild appeared again around 500 B.C. when the historian, Herodotus, wrote about hairy monsters in Libya. Roman and Greek stories depict images of half man half beast crea-tures as well. These stories portray an image of several crea-tures that often times had several human-like features or actions which can easily be compared with today’s Bigfoot. Medieval Europe had its fair share of Sasquatch -like creatures come up throughout the short history in the form of illustrations. However, experts debate as to whether they can take any medieval examples and look to them as a basis for further research on Sasquatches because there is

so little evidence as to what the origin of the illustrations are. A piece of information generally accepted and shared among ‘Squatch experts is the first written account of in-teraction between man and beast. This account was writ-ten down during the expeditions made by Leif Erikson in 986 A.D. when he and his men first arrived on North American soil. It was here that the Norse men encoun-tered overly large, ugly, and hairy creatures with small beady black eyes. Some experts believed that what these Nordic explorers met was in fact Native Americans that lived in these newly discovered regions. But what stands out is the fact that the Norse were already very hairy men themselves, so why would they call Indians hairy when, comparatively, the Vikings had much more hair? As with all legends, the pieces of the puzzle do not quite fit. However, the legend of Bigfoot had been established long before the arrival of the white man to the New World. The Coastal Indian tribes of British Columbia, more spe-cifically the Kwakliutls, had long been believers of the Sasquatch legend. Many of the natives’ totem poles had carved faces of what appeared to be a hairy “man beast,” which they referred to as Bukwas, or wild man of the woods. Similarly, the Hoopa Indians of Northern Cali-fornia warn of the Omah. According to their legend, the Omah lives deep out in the mountains and never dares to come down into the valleys. The Indians have such respect for the creature that they refer to the creature as the boss of the woods, living in complete fear and awe of the fearful creature. The Shalish tribes of British Columbia originally referred to Bigfoot as “Sasquatch,” literally meaning wild man of the woods, and there are legends of wild “stick men” who lived among the mountains of Washington. As the years continued so did the number of Bigfoot sightings and encounters, with numbers skyrocketing in

The Truths Behind the

Myth ofBy Tyler Miller

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the mid to late 1900’s. In the early 1900’s there were sto-ries of loggers and huntsmen staying in cabins and being disturbed late at night by rocks being thrown at windows and giant tracks being found. One story even told of a larger group of hunters that decided to enter the woods with rifles and lanterns in hand. When a couple of hunt-ers went missing from the group, the others continued to look for them until they found themselves at a bru-tal scene of disparity. With blood still dripping from tree limbs and several trees uprooted, the hunters found their fellow comrades torn to pieces with no sign of the attacker except for giant tracks leading deeper into the woods. In 1924 came a chilling story recalling the detailed account of Albert Ostman who found himself held cap-tive by an entire family of Bigfoots. In this rather inti-mate encounter with Bigfoots, Ostman claims he was simply held captive by the mother and children while the father retrieved food for the family. He says that the creatures only ate greens and roots and never once made a move to attack him. Ostman lived in captiv-ity for a little over a week until he managed to escape. The golden years for Bigfoot occurred around the mid 1950’s with the opening of the remote Bluff Creek area of Northern California. With the opening of this large, open area for logging, Bigfoot entered into the main-stream culture of America. Each morning loggers would return to sites to find heavy equipment disturbed and big 50 gallon fuel drums tossed around as if empty. Giant tracks were found all around the sites ranging from along the roads and near actual logging sites to several miles away from any particular sites. The tracks left behind were all about 16 inches long and eight inches wide, leaving about an inch deep impression in the earth while heavy logger’s boots left barely an impression on the same soil.

Logging Foreman Jerry Crew said, “I’ve seen hundreds of these footprints in the past few weeks...Every morning we find his footprints in the fresh earth we’ve moved the day before.” Jerry Crew then made a plaster cast of one of these footprints and took it to his local newspaper. The newspaper editor commentated on it being a ‘big’ foot, and ran the story with the word ‘Bigfoot’ used for the first time. The resulting news story was picked up by the Associated Press wire, and Bigfoot was officially famous. Some nine years later the legend of Bigfoot took another twisted turn in the form of the greatest video evidence to ever be assembled for the Sasquatch. Again at Bluff Creek, two amateur hikers, Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin, captured video evidence of what they claimed to be a female Bigfoot. The video captures what certainly appears to be a Bigfoot walking through the woods, sur-prisingly close to the men, even turning around to glance at the camera. Little did they know, that this piece of film, often referred to as the Patterson Film, would be-come the most controversial piece of evidence support-ing Bigfoot. Countless books and documentaries have been made in regards to this amateur video in attempts to disprove its legitimacy. None have successfully proven its validity, but one thing that is certain; Bigfoot has eluded the public eye all across the nation for several decades. A mistake made by Bigfoot newcomers across the world is their comparison of Sasquatches to the evil step sister the Yeti, an association which is strictly forbidden in the inner circles of the Bigfoot brotherhood. Yetis, as an entire species, have come to be known as violent creatures who intimidate their prey. Much like all mammals, both Yetis and Bigfoots are territorial in nature and will get hostile when disturbed in their natural habitats. All the legends tell that Yetis live high up in the snowy mountain peaks


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of the globe and are dark cave dwellers. When mountain climbers are attacked by the treacherous Yeti, legend has it that the victim will be drug back to the hidden cave deep within the mountain. Bigfoot, though, is believed to en-joy the great outdoors and the warm sunlight. Although it is easy to imagine where a Bigfoot would set up shop - perhaps deep in the woods with trees high above - actually determining this location and finding it is another story. Experts generally agree with the fact that it is ex-tremely difficult to determine where Bigfoots call home since they have been spotted in hundreds of locations all across the United States. Sightings have varied from deep in the woods of the Pacific Northwest, to the moun-tains and foothills of the eastern coast, and all the way down to the swampy marshes of the Florida coast. Al-though difficult to track and spot, they can leave some tangible evidence behind that helps researchers to track and categorize evidence found in locations throughout Northern America. The areas in which the creatures can be found vary in distinctions and can be several thou-sands of miles apart, making research often times diffi-cult to establish and conclusions difficult to formuate. The top three states with the most recent Bigfoot sightings include Washington, 528, California, 425, and Oregon, 227, for a total of 1,180 sightings compared to the 1,467 total for the remainder of the top 15 states. The Pacific Northwest in general includes both Washing-ton and Oregon, with several counties being claimed as Bigfoot hot spots. Washington areas with Bigfoot sight-ing potential include the Olympic Peninsula, the Cas-cade Mountains, and Skamia County. These places have recorded more sightings than any other region in the country mostly due to the fact that the weather remains

constantly cool coupled with the abundance of thick, dense forests. The hills and mountains give the ‘Squatches the optimum amount of distance from human contact as well as prime coverage from the elements and hunters. The number two state in the top 15 is California, and for good reason. Not only is California extremely large in size with a wide variety of landscapes spanning from snow covered mountains to thick foothills and sandy beaches, but the climate is one of the mildest cli-mates in all of America. California is home to the self-proclaimed Bigfoot sighting capital of the world, Wil-low Creek, Calif. This sleepy old town claims to have more Bigfoot sightings in the area than any other town in America, and to prove their commitment they have a life-sized statue, a hotel, and a museum dedicated en-tirely to Bigfoot. Every year the town celebrates their love and passion for Bigfoot by having a parade with an ice cream social as well as a Fireman’s barbeque. Number five in most recent Bigfoot sightings is the beautiful southern climate of Florida with 207 recent sightings. The general consensus among legends is the fact that Sasquatches were only found in the treacher-ous terrain of the mountains and cliffs. However, that is incorrect. Many claims throughout the entire coun-try state that they saw a Sasquatch-like creature run-ning through open fields or watery marshes. These types of flat lands make it easier for the ’Squatches to locate food and fresh water sources, as well as move about from location to location. Bigfoots can sometimes be found in these flat, swampy areas because of the plenti-ful shrubbery and water sources as well as the sheer vast-ness of the swamps. This type of land makes it difficult for outsiders to make their way into the natural habitats

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of hundreds of types of animals, including the Bigfoot. Coming in at number 13 of 15 is the state of Ten-nessee. Right before Tennessee at number 12 is Ken-tucky, while number 14 is North Carolina. It is clear to see that the upper Southeast of the United States is a hot bed for Sasquatch activity. Common areas be-tween these three states include the massive amount of forests that can be found in regions throughout. Tennes-see is known for its woodlands located all through the state, including many places on and around mountains. The question between experts and enthusiasts alike is whether the creature is in fact a living, breathing mam-mal. Or is it all a myth? Both sides of the debate are strongly entrenched in their beliefs and theories, which vary greatly between sources across the world. On one hand you have your non-believers. How can it be pos-sible that something, a real living creature, actually in fact lives in the forests of America and has evaded numer-ous coaxing attempts for so many years? The hard evi-dence of footprints and other natural findings can easily be explained by discoveries made throughout the years. Disapprovers of the myth believe that there are just too many questions that do not have sufficient evidence to support the actual reality of a living, breathing Bigfoot. On the other hand, there are the supporters of Big-foot who strongly believe that the creature is in reality a real mammal. Supporters believe that these creatures are out in the wild today and can be traced and found with the proper equipment and the right skill set at hand. Devotees of Bigfoot argue that disaproving of the

hard evidence found by researchers today is impossible. When 43 Tusculum students were asked whether or not they believed Bigfoot was real, 31 of them responded with yes. One student, Nick Smiley, said that he always believed in Bigfoot. “Bigfoot fascinated me, even as a kid. I use to search around my house for footprints and spent hours in the woods searching for Bigfoot. I never did find anything, but that doesn’t stop me from believing in it. It’s crazy to think something like that is really out there.” One student who refused to believe the myth was Tony Ford. Ford said, “There is no such thing [as Bigfoot]. There is no possible way; otherwise someone would have found one by now. It is obvious that all the videos out now are just fakes and Bigfoot is not real. I don’t under-stand how people can support something or believe in it when there literally is no evidence in favor of it.” Many people have these same feelings in regards to Bigfoot and as usual, the debate continues on and gets even hotter. The legend of Bigfoot may never be resolved and the great creature of the wilderness may remain in hid-ing forever. The publicity of Bigfoots seems to increase with every new sighting, creating exciting new evidence for researchers to explore. Each sighting brings a little more hope to the Bigfoot supporters, while the naysay-ers continue to believe it to be a hoax. This is a debate that probably never will be solved and will continue to rage on over the years. Bigfoot has grabbed the atten-tion of the nation without ever having really done any-thing - nothing that anyone has ever witnessed at least.


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Old OakBy Jacenta Holtsclaw

cs.tusculum.edu/~jholtsclaw/project1/index.html

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DropletsBy Jacenta Holtsclaw

The Good Old DaysBy Tanner [email protected]


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Rural RemnantsBy Jacenta Holtsclaw

A Delicate DecayBy Kate Kolodi

[email protected]

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Cathedral at Montserrat By Hilary NowatzkiRosin Aquatint Print [email protected]


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Historical Abingdon: A Stamp in Time

Historical Abingdon: A Stamp in Time

By Destini Wingerter

Deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains lies a truly unique community where imagination flourish-es and a love for the arts is cherished all around.

You will find inspiration in the beauty of nature and from actors who shine in the spotlight at the world famous Bar-ter Theatre. Historical Abingdon, a small, elegant com-munity is tucked in the beautiful, rolling hills of south-west Virginia. Abingdon, Virginia located off of Interstate 81, near the Virginia/Tennessee border, lying between two main forks of the Holston River, and in the shadow of Mount Rodgers, Virginia’s highest peak, existed through farming and eventually retained an interesting history. Historic Abingdon has a rich and vibrant history and has long been the center of both commerce and culture. Abingdon’s culture traces its modern roots to 1750, with the first assembly to have been established and in 1776, the Assembly of Virginia created Wash-ington County in honor of General George Wash-

ington. In 1778, under the direction of Dr. Thomas Walker, the Virginia Assembly passed an act to incorpo-rate the new town, naming it Abingdon, Virginia. The name is thought to be in honor of Martha Washing-ton’s ancestral home of Abingdon Parish in England. Abingdon became the first English speaking settle-ment to be incorporated in the watershed of the Missis-sippi. Along with this, Abingdon became a major distrib-utive point for mail and supplies on “the Great Road” west. The town also became known for its love of the arts, concerts, operatic performances and theatre. These as-pects all became an important part of life in early Abing-don. That affinity for the arts still survives today as mod-ern amenities flourish alongside venerable antiquities. Despite several fires that destroyed portions of the town, Abingdon still retains buildings from each decade of its first 100 years. Many of the historic buildings still standing today are included in a walking tour of Abing-

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don’s Downtown Historic District which includes the following: The John Barr House; St. James Fields/Penn House, built in the 1830’s; St. General Francis Pres-ton House/ Martha Washington Inn, built in 1832; The Barter Theatre and Barter Stage II, formally known as the Barter Play House, built in 1831. Among these, the Barter Theatre is the highlight of the walking tour. The Barter Theatre, known as the longest-running professional resident theatre in America, is known to Abingdon residents as a shrine to uncompromising be-liefs in dreams and the importance of cultural enrich-ment. Its beginnings trace back to the bleakest of all eras for America and the theatre: the depression. During the depression, Robert Porterfield spawned the idea of a “Bar-ter Theatre.” By persuading a company of 22 unemployed and hungry New York actors to follow him to Abingdon and exchange culture and entertainment for food, Por-terfield transformed his idea into reality. On June 10, 1933, the Barter Theatre opened to a packed house. Since the success of the opening act in 1933 and the enthu-siastic support from the Abingdon community, the Bar-ter Theatre built a foundation that still remains today. As stated on the plaque in front of the Barter, the orig-inal idea of the Barter Theatre was to bring together the hungry actor and the farmer with a surplus of produce. The Barter Theatre of Virginia, Inc. serves as a non-profit,

educational and cultural experiment for the purpose of giving the people of Virginia and its many tourists an opportunity to observe some of the works of the world’s most distinguished playwrights performed by competent artists. The Barter Theatre pledges itself to combat the evils that would destroy culture and enlightenment of the world by giving the best of its strength and devotion to the cause of truth, beauty and spiritual nourishment of the human soul. Moving into its 80th year of providing valuable experience to aspiring performers, Barter is a liv-ing, growing monument and a wealth of Southern charm. The Barter Theatre consists of two main stages, both of which offer an experience you will never forget. Barter Main Stage accommodates up to 506 patrons. The pro-scenium stage offers a traditional perspective, with seating downstairs in the orchestra or upstairs in the balcony. Big musicals and more traditional works are typically pro-duced in this space. Barter’s main gift shop is featured in the lobby. Barter Stage II (formally known as the Barter Playhouse) is right across the street from Main Stage and brings the action up close. In this space, a smaller, more intimate stage is ground level, while stadium style seating allows for a viewing experience completely unique to Stage II. Newer works and edgier plays are typically produced here, as well as most of The Barter Players’ shows. Barter Stage II also houses The Barter Café and Stage II gift shop.


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The Barter Theatre (Main Stage and Stage II) presents an incredible 16-17 productions per week, year-round. The schedule ranges from as many as five shows per day. With plays such as To Kill a Mocking Bird, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Life of Patsy Cline, and Forever Plaid, it is no surprise as to why the Barter’s attendance continues to increase each year and gain a lasting legacy. Otho Ander-son, a resident of Bluff City, Tenn. said, “I have been go-ing to the Barter for over 40 years and I love every minute of it. It is hard to get reservations unless they are made early.” Anderson said that the Barter has an abundance of good actors and actresses and he enjoys a wide vari-ety of plays such as musicals and dramas. “You definitely get your money’s worth when you attend a play at the Barter,” says Anderson. “Before Bob Porterfield passed away, I had the pleasure of seeing him speak before the play and state the familiar curtain call, ‘If you like us, talk about us. If you don’t, just keep your mouth shut.’” Carol Gouge, a resident of Bristol, Tenn. said that her Pre-K class at Highland View Elementary School in Bristol, Va. visited Barter Theatre to see the play; All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth. “The staff at the Barter was very cordial and helpful with our students,” says Gouge. She also says that one of her students even shared his experience as being a favorite field trip in their published book entitled, “Pre-K Is.” Like Gouge, Amber

Hayden, a resident of Bristol, Tenn. enjoyed the staff as well as the many plays she has attended. Hayden said that she enjoyed the play I’ll Never be Hungry Again and be-cause of its popularity, the Barter is going to bring it back within the next few months. “My mom and I have season tickets and we go as often as we can” says Hayden. “We will try and go at least twice a month and if the shows are not booked, go every Friday.” She said that her and her mom also love going to the café located in the Barter Theatre. “It is such a quaint and cute place. They serve sandwiches, soups and daily specials. The Barter not only has captivat-ing plays but unique shops and eateries,” says Hayden. Among the many plays produced at the Barter, Vada Kirby, a resident of Marion, Va. said to have enjoyed com-edy. “I have attended the Barter for the past few years and one of the comedic performances was so memorable, when I still think about a particular scene, I laugh out loud,” says Kirby. Kirby says that it is unusual to find a world famous theatre located in such a small home town like Abingdon. “I would recommend the Barter to anyone wanting to intrigue themselves in great act-ing. It is a unique and enjoyable experience,” said Kirby. Aside from the distinctive experience that the Barter portrays there is also an atmosphere created in the Barter Theatre in which the supernatural thrives. Amber Bird, an employee at the Barter Theatre, said, “When Barter’s

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stage is deserted and no other surrounding activity is pres-ent, you will see on stage a standing white ghost light burning. The theory being, if any ghosts are lurking, they will be drawn to the ghost light and not bother anyone else.” Most theatres have always been notorious for ghost sightings and the Barter is no exception. Invariably since 1971, individuals have said to have had experiences con-nected with the Barter. “There have been many actresses and actors who have reported unusual occurrences and happenings while they were in the dressing room,” said Bird. Bird said that it has been reported many times that Bob Porterfield has been seen in numerous settings and attitudes throughout the theatre – the upstairs lobby, seated downstairs, backstage, and in the dressing room. Doris Stickley, a former employee of Barter Theatre said to have seen Bob Porterfield on more than one occasion. “I was working late and had just shut down the theatre,” says Stickley. “As I began to leave, the lights flickered and as I looked back I saw the drapes on the second floor move. There was a figure that raised his hand and waved goodbye. I immediately saw the face of Bob Porterfield.” Stickley said that she has also had more occurrences with Porterfield in the upstairs lobby and in the dressing room. She said that it should be noted that in the Barter The-atre itself, nothing tragic or malicious has ever been at-tributed to supernatural occurrences. Bird says that this

story is one you hear around Abingdon from a lot of people. As with most paranormal incidences, some peo-ple will always believe the Barter is haunted while others will completely shun the theory. “The ghostly encoun-ters make this historic theatre unique and spiritual. I feel safe at the Barter and I love being a part of it,” said Bird. The Barter Theatre serves as a major trademark for Abingdon and is the heart of their culture. It has sur-vived the test of time and is still shining bright. The Barter Theatre is scheduled to have many plays next fall, including Cinderella, Little House on the Prairie and one of the most loved musicals of all time, Les Miserables. Aside from the Barter Theatre, the Martha Wash-ington Inn serves as another main feature of Historical Abingdon. The Martha Washington Hotel was originally built in 1832 and served as a magnificent Southern man-sion to house General Francis Preston, his wife, Sarah Buchanan Preston, and nine children. Born in Virginia, General Preston attended law school at William and Mary College, served in Congress and was a member of the Virginia Assembly until 1797. In 1820, Preston was appointed a Brigadier General. Ten years later, construc-tion began on the Preston mansion. General Preston died in 1835, with his wife remaining in the Preston home un-til 1858. The mansion was eventually purchased from the Preston family at an incredible price of $21,000 and soon


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became an upscale college for young women called Mar-tha Washington College. The college operated for over 70 years but the Great Depression and a declining enrollment eventually took its toll. For a period of time in 1934, the facility was used to house aspiring actors who would ap-pear at the renowned Barter Theatre. Around 1935, The Martha was opened as a true hotel and throughout the years saw many renovations as well as memorable visi-

tors. Eleanor Roosevelt, President Harry Truman, Jimmy Carter, and Elizabeth Taylor were just a few of the many famous guests to have visited at the hotel. Because of this, the hotel became filled with priceless gifts and fur-nishings such as the Dutch-Baroque grandfather clock, measuring over nine feet tall, which still works today. “The Martha” is a carefully restored 63-room hos-telry that reflects the charm and history of Abingdon. From the street, the inn has an imposing facade consist-ing of a mansard-roof center block flanked on each side by tall, temple-like wings with columns and pediments in the Greek revival style. The wings, built in the early 20th century when the inn was a college, now contain the main dining room, a ballroom, and guest rooms. The center structure, which includes the re-ception area, parlors, gift shop, kitchen, and 11 guest rooms, is the oldest part of the inn, which dates back to 1832. Today, under the management of Camberley Hotel Company, The Mar-tha captivates and intrigues in legend-ary hospitality and style. Camberley’s Martha Washington Hotel and Spa is rated as a Four Diamond Hotel. It has been ranked as one of the most successful properties in the United States by “Lodging Hospitality.” The Martha is a sophisticated testimony to a flamboyant past. With a recent eight million dollar renovation, the Martha pro-vides visitors with an extraordinary excellence and still manages to preserve their treasures and captivating past. According to Hazel Louthen, a resident of Bluff City, the Martha Washington intrigues in Southern hospitality

and exquisite taste. “The Martha has an array of beauti-ful antiques, all of which portray its extensive history,” said Louthen. Louthen said that the Martha has great hospitality and offers great amenities. “I would encour-age anyone taking a trip to Abingdon to check out the Martha Washington Inn,” said Louthen. “It is a grand hotel and has a lot of unique history. It is definitely a prominent and historical feature worth attending.”

Like the Barter Theatre, the Mar-tha Washington Inn thrives with the su-pernatural. According to “Gale Cenage Learning,” the haunting music guests claim to hear coming from the third floor during the full moon suppos-edly comes from the fiddle of a young lady who nursed, and perhaps loved, a wounded Union soldier. She played for him throughout his time at the shelter

and he called for her sweet music on his death bed. She succumbed to a fever soon after and died. Both are buried in Abingdon’s Green Springs Cemetery. It has also been stated that a soldier with no leg was spotted going through the hallway on a 2 a.m. round as well as Beth, a former maid who died of typhoid fever, making appearances on the ho-tel’s third floor. Other legends surround the historic hotel but there is more tangible evidence of its historic roots. Presently if visiting the world-renowned Martha Wash-ington Inn, your attention will immediately be drawn to the “LOVE” artwork displayed in the front courtyard. Right away, it will bring to mind Virginia’s state slogan, “Virginia is for lovers.” Christopher Lowe, General Man-ager of the Martha said, “Before being placed at the Mar-

tha, the portable LOVE letters were located at the Barter Theatre.” Lowe says that there are a number of the LOVE art letters and they can be moved and relocated upon re-quest. “It definitely gets your attention and draws interest,” says Lowe. Kevin Costello, director of tourism says that the art LOVE letters were a Virginia state tourism promo-tion effort. They applied for and received a grant for the LOVE artwork and it can be moved around to different

[ ]“It definitely gets your attention and draws interest,”

-Christopher Lowe

[ ]“[The Martha] is definitely a prominent and historical feature worth attending,” -Hazel Louthen

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locations. “Abingdon, Va. is known for its love of the arts,” says Costello. “Tourism is using the LOVE artwork for rec-ognition by posting it on Facebook for viewing.” Through Costello’s doings, tourism helps bring awareness, which in turn creates interest, curiosity and the desire to learn more about the art and the town. As of today, The Mar-tha Washington Inn still remains a memorable landmark. Another place of interest to visit while in Abingdon is the Star Museum, located on 170 East Main Street. It has hundreds of original autographs, performance and estate pieces from famous people ranging from Marilyn Mon-roe, Lucille Ball, Elvis Presley, Whitney Houston, Frank Sinatra to many more. The Museum is in walking distance of the Barter Theatre, fine lodging and dining and tries to accommodate enthusiasts’ schedules with flexibility. Rob-ert Weisfield, the owner of the Star Museum, was born in Abingdon. He later moved to New York City, spent years collecting Hollywood memorabilia, then moved back home, opening the Star Museum in 2007. Even though the space is rather small, the numerous amounts of artifacts, including Janis Joplin’s hippie dress and Al-fred Hitchcock’s monogrammed tea towels, make the area feel huge and attract an abundant amount of visitors. At first glance, the Star Museum may seem cluttered, but Weisfield’s own personal tour reveals that in fact near-ly every item is carefully placed by him to pick up a theme from whatever’s nearby. Weisfield changes his displays reg-ularly, which means that the Star Museum is both a con-stantly evolving celebrity cavalcade and a window into the

connections sparking in Weisfield’s head. The biggest at-traction at the Star Museum, “Waiting for Monroe: Mari-lyn & Co,” is a new exhibition which recognizes a year of intense pop culture interest in Marilyn Monroe. The exhibit assembles a mountainous trove of rare Monroe memorabilia that analyzes her fully. The Monroe exhibit, on display through September, also includes about 30 rare items of personal effects and studio wardrobe, amidst those of her leading men, directors, friends, enemies, ri-vals, and imitators. Monroe’s merlot-stained gown will de-but in an upcoming exhibit that marks 50 years since the blonde bombshell’s death. The Star Museum is preparing to enter its fifth year. The museum observes regular hours after 1 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday but will accommodate other schedules. For tour reservations or more informa-tion, email [email protected] or visit Facebook/Star Museum. Historic Downtown Abingdon is a gem located in a small, peaceful and quaint town nestled in the beau-tiful Blue Ridge Mountains and surrounded by nature’s splendor. It is a unique town rich in the arts, heritage and filled with history brought back to life. Some of the star attractions are the unforgettable world-famous Bar-ter Theatre (The State Theatre of Virginia), the beauti-ful 19th century treasure, The Martha Washington Inn (The Martha) and the interesting Star Museum. It is understandable that Abingdon was voted the American Dream Town in 2006. Treat yourself to a memorable vis-it to Historical Downtown Abingdon and step back in time. You will be left with feelings of love and serenity.


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Middlesboro:Cumberland’s Scenic Getaway

By Angel West

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f there ever was a town signified by beauty, it would be Middlesboro, Ky. Nestled be-tween mountain ranges, Middlesboro offers views of three states in a quintessentially romantic atmosphere. Main street is filled with photogenic shops and antique markets,

and there are plenty of walking trails for both young and old. It is a getaway town for those who want to get lost in the present while taking a step into the past.

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Tusculum Puts 15-Year Plan Into Action

By Katie Capel

Just because you are the oldest college in Tennessee does not mean you have to look the part. Although it is a remarkable title to hold, many agree it is time

for a change. Tusculum College is not trying to shed its significant historical background; they are embracing it. What better way to embrace the rich history of a school than to revive its beautiful campus? The College is mov-ing forward in an effort to raise the standards of housing and academic vicinities around the campus. Over the next three years, Tusculum will be working diligently to build and renovate to help accommodate the recent growth spurt the college is going through. The school has been hard at work to fix certain areas that are in dire need of restoration. “This is wonderful for not only our incoming students, but also our existing students,” says Suzanne Richey, Tusculum’s director of college communications. “This revamping will really become an added selling point to the students interested in what Tusculum College has to offer,” says Richey. Most of the student population chose Tusculum for two primary reasons, athletics and the unique block system, allow-ing students to take one class at a time that lasts only three and a half weeks. This system is an ideal situation for student-athletes. Many athletes at other schools have

the hassle of scheduling their classes around practice or vice versa; at Tusculum, students only have to concern themselves with one class. The block system is also beneficial for the commuters to succeed in their studies, given that they have simply one class a day to attend. Many athletes attend Tusculum College for the luxury of having top-notch playing fields and courts. They are one of the main selling points for student-athletes. Athletic facilities on the college grounds are arguably some of the best in the South Atlantic Conference; it is time that the academic and residential facilities raised its standards also. Tusculum College commissioned the workings for a “road map” for the campus in 2000. This “road map” is a loose strategic plan of what the college hopes to accomplish over the years. Some of the changes in the plan include: an erection of the new math and science building, a new wing to Katherine Hall, a new Chapel, and an improvement on Shiloh Rd./Gilland Rd. One of the biggest changes that the college will see in the future is the remapping of Shiloh Rd. and Gilland St. The pro-posal is to remove the main road that runs throughout the campus and create parking on the outskirts of the grounds. The idea is to make the campus more pedes-

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[ ]“This is wonderful for not only our incoming students, but also our existing students,” -Suzanne Richey

trian-oriented to give the college more of a community feeling. This plan for Tusculum does not have a specific completion date. Also, the plans for the composition of the campus are flexible. This plan will help the col-lege evolve into the close community it aspires to be. Tusculum is wasting no time getting things done. A renovation has already taken place in the lobby of the main co-ed dorm on campus, Katherine Hall. As part of an annual upgrade, Tusculum College started their plans to refurbish the campus by restoring the dorm’s lobby. The changes were purely cosmetic, but it has helped student life in the living area thus far. These included freshly painted walls, giving the space an uplifting look. Also, to provide a more relaxing hang-out, new furniture was presented and even a new large flat screen TV was installed. These changes offer an escape for the overcrowded Katherine Hall residents. This past year has been a year of transition for incoming students. Since there has been such a rise in enrollment to Tusculum College without any additions to the campus’s residential halls, overpopulation has become an issue on the grounds. The housing directors have had to resort to putting extra students in the rooms of the predominately freshman year dorm. This has posed a problem that does not have a quick, easy fix. Tusculum has made an attempt to try to facilitate com-pensation for the less than ideal living situation. The students living in the congested dorm were given extra amenities as an attempt to compensate for the excess amount of students. Not only did the Katherine Hall residents receive a newly renovated lobby, but they were also given a generous amount of extra “Perk Points” to be used in The Perk, the lo-cal coffee shop lo-cated on campus. Many of the residents in Katherine Hall were prob-ably not expecting to have two to three other room-mates to share a normal sized dorm room with when they made the decision to become a Tusculum Pio-neer. These gratuities and attempts of a quick fix are only to temporarily ease the tight living situations in the dorm. This is why Tusculum has made it a top pri-ority for construction of more residential buildings. Tusculum College has been growing exponential-ly in recent times. With a budding number of students

comes the need to have an equal amount of progress as far as facilities and housing goes. Since living off campus is not an option unless you are a resident of Greeneville, Tenn., of a certain age, or are under special circumstances, where you live on campus is important to the students. So many of the students were happy to know two brand new residential halls were being built starting almost immediately. Construction on the two new apartment style buildings has been taking place over the 2012-2013 school year. These two buildings will be identical to the already established apartments, housing five students in the four-roomed living space (two students sharing the largest room). The new resi-dences will be located behind Apartment A and behind Charles Oliver Grey West. During the “Housing Lot-tery,” the event at which students are given their res-idence information for the following year, many stu-dents were confused as to whom would be placed in the newest apartments. Students had differing views on whether or not they would like to live in the new addi-tions to the apartments. Some argued that they would be charged with any small damages at the end of the year, whereas some students were excited to live somewhere new. Despite the hopes of the curious students, it will not be up to them where they live. Seniority is what will get students into the new apartments first. “The more seniors an apartment holds, is what will give students an opportunity to be placed into the new apartments,” says Richey. These buildings have an aggressive construc-tion plan that has an expected completion date for the

fall semester of 2013. Both of these apartments together will house 120 addi-tional students. That will help tremendously to stop the over-crowding in oth-

er areas like Katherine Hall, for at least another year. This construction will be a step in the right direction for Tusculum’s growing population. The construction company in charge of the new apartments is Burleson Construction Company, headed by Tommy Burleson. Burleson Construction Company is a family owned company out of Johnson City that has been in business for over 60 years. Their main fo-cus is on residential construction management. They have worked with Tusculum College in the past on


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the construction of the first four apartment buildings. A non-residential renovation that has not yet com-menced is planned for Tredway, the math and science building on the college grounds. “This academic build-ing has been in desperate need of a face-lift,” said Richey. “However, the building will not have anything added on, only the inside will be updated.” The math and science building is a top priority to keep up to date with labs that have many safety and health code regulations. Also, this building, which was erected in 1930, was last renovated in 1980. Students are look-ing forward to the modernization of the academic building. “The majority of my classes are in Tredway, so I spend most of my time there,” said junior biolo-gy major Katie Chadwick. “It will be so nice to have an updated building to start fresh with in the fall.” The renewal of the historic building came just in time for the approval of the new chemistry major. The subject had been offered to students as merely a minor, but now students will have a choice of either a minor or a major in the field. This major will be available starting at the

beginning of the academic semester in the fall of 2013. The acceptance of the new major was planned perfectly in line with the restoration of Tredway. The renovations will begin following Commencement in May and have an expected completion date of the beginning of fall 2013. Another major change that has taken place within this past year was the acceptance of the nursing pro-gram. The program officially started in August 2012 and their main classroom is located in the former stu-dio located in Niswonger on the third floor. This pro-duced a problem for the digital media department, which was moved out of the studio to make space for the incoming nursing program. The digital media de-partment was moved to Rankin House, which is located across the street from the campus in between the Tus-culum Eatery and the president’s house. This house is also occupied by the art department, which poses yet another overcrowding issue on campus. Likewise, Rankin House is another building on campus that is on the list to be renovated. However, there are no plans as of now for any renovations to the house. Taking

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[ ]“It will be so nice to have an updated building to start fresh with in the fall,” -Katie Chadwick

one thing at a time, Tusculum has decided to put its focus on the much-needed renovations for Tredway. Although Tredway will be getting a makeover, plans have been set to start on a new math and science building. There is a large need for academic space and this building will help provide a larger space. It will be located on the south side of campus next to the baseball field. Two of the campus residen-tial theme houses will be bulldozed to make room for this up-to-date structure. This new building will be three stories tall, about 50,000 square feet, and the estimated cost is $15 million. A $3.87 million donation was given to the college toward the building from Verna June Meen. The building will be named Dr. Ronald H. Meen and Verna June Meen Center for Science and Math. This donation was given as a gift from Verna Meen in memory of her late hus-band Ronald Meen. Ronald Meen was an accomplished chemist who worked for Eastman Chemical Company where he was very successful. The plan for the de-sign is still being worked on, but there will be at least one auditorium style classroom in the building. “Just because we will have an auditorium style classroom does not mean that we are transforming into a larger classroom style college,” said Richey. Small, intimate classes will still be a priority at this private school. With this new building dedicated specifically to math and science, Tredway will become a multi-purpose academic building similar to the classrooms located in the library. With this new building, new opportunities will also arise, not only for students, but also for teach-ers. “Professors will have more space to work in,” said Richey, “this way they can be more creative with their teaching.” With an expansion such as this, Tusculum College will be grabbing the attention of even more students who may be interested in a small, private col-lege that provides an education through a block system. The initial gift of $3.89 million was a great start to the science and math building. The rest of the build-ing will be paid through a loan provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Through restructuring finances and paying off older loans, Tus-culum College formed a relationship with Rural De-velopment. From this, Rural Development offered an

additional loan of $6 million to help pay for the new apartments. Rural Development took a personal interest in Tusculum’s situation because the college itself is lo-cated in a rural area and many of the student population come from rural areas and backgrounds. The college also makes an effort to reach out to the community and get the students involved in Greeneville’s rural develop-

ment through the classes, Theory and Practice of Citizenship and Service Learning. In the classes, the students are as-signed projects to aid in prog-ress through-

out Greene County and the surrounding area. With change comes some difficulties; this is espe-cially true for Tusculum’s makeover. Since the campus is so small, only 140 acres, there is not much room left to build. This poses a problem when construction is go-ing on right outside your window. “I am very excited about the new construction, but it has become my alarm clock every morning,” said Corrine Absher, a sopho-more living in Charles Oliver Grey West (COG). The noise of construction obviously brings both positive and negative connotations. One of the positive aspects is the construction workers getting their job done to better the college’s campus. Numerous students com-mented on how fast the apartment buildings are com-ing along. The construction workers begin each day when the sun comes up and finish around dusk each evening. In the long scheme of things this is very ben-eficial to everyone in the Tusculum community. How-ever, there is a negative side to the construction, which includes the loud noises that prevent students from get-ting their much-needed sleep and studying. Although the noise creates discomfort among many of the resi-dential students, the end product of the construction will hopefully prove worthy all of the disturbances. The noise may be disturbing a portion of the resi-dential students, but one thing that is affecting every-one who attends or works for Tusculum College is the significant loss in parking availability. “Parking has been one of the biggest things that has affected not only students, but also faculty and staff,” said Richey. Many students have been skeptical of parking situa-tions, some resorting to parking on curbs and out of designated parking areas. Nevertheless it seems that


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Tusculum’s campus security has been somewhat for-giving toward parking conditions. “We have not seen an increase in parking tickets around campus,” said Richey on the parking circumstances. However, this does not mean that students are able to park wherever they please. The campus security office has voiced that obvious parking violations will be ticketed because there are plenty of other places where one can park. Compared to other schools, Tusculum has more than enough parking for students. Approximately 120 park-ing spaces were taken by construction, some of which will be available again after construction has conclud-ed. This still leaves a plethora of vacant spaces around the campus. For example, Tusculum Baptist Church has been very lenient on both residents and commut-ers using their lot during school hours. Also, the In-door Practice Facility and the large parking lot be-hind Katherine Hall arrange for a couple hundred free spots for students. The “pit” as many call the gravel

parking lot located on either side of the maintenance building is also additional parking that can be taken ad-vantage of when one is searching for places to park. There have also been some concerns as to where students are no longer allowed to park. The gravel lot between Apartment A and Apartment B is unavailable for parking due to the construction of one of the new apartments. In addition, students have made the mis-take of parking in the maintenance faculty parking lot behind Apartment C. This space is only available for the faculty; students will be given tickets for parking here. Some students are apprehensive about these addi-tional parking areas. Parking in the “pit” makes some drivers uneasy due to the lack of paving and video sur-veillance cameras. The location and lack of cameras makes it harder to safeguard against careless drivers. Students have also had issues with parking at night. Although Tusculum is considered a secure campus, some students have felt uncomfortable parking far from

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their dorms/apartments due to lack of sufficient light-ing around the college grounds. “I have gotten a ticket for parking in a reserved parking spot because I was uneasy walking in the dark back to my room,” said ju-nior Amy Morford. “But I went to campus security’s office and they waived the ticket when I explained what happened.” Afterward though the security officers ex-plained to Morford that they would provide an escort at any time if a student were in an uncomfortable situation. If any students have complaints similar to the dim lighting around campus, Richey recommends they file a formal complaint with Student Government As-sociation (SGA) or the Student Affairs Office either of which will be more than willing to listen to any complications a student may have. “We do want stu-dents to be happy while they are here,” said Richey. Some students have a harder time seeing the light at the end of the tunnel when they will not be here to enjoy the changes Tusculum is making. Hank

Elliot, a senior digital media major feels this will be a positive change for the school, but there are some is-sues with the construction for him. “I’m glad to see ex-pansion, but it has caused major inconveniences…loss of quality parking [paved parking] and early morning wake up calls due to construction are some of the more significant setbacks,” said Elliot. “As appreciative as I am that they are addressing the living situations being overcrowded, I feel that this move is reactive, not pro-active.” Elliot is among many students who have been anticipating a transformation throughout the school. Tusculum College has high expectations for its future. Campus life is an important element for the makings of a successful college. Two new apart-ment buildings, renovations to Tredway, and a new math and science building will give the college a re-juvenated look. With all of these modifications oc-curring over the next couple of years, Tusculum will be making a new statement for an old college.

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