The inauguration of a new president is a major event in the life of a college and so it is at Warren Wilson College. Steven L. Solnick, Ph.D., was inaugurated as Warren Wilson College’s 7th president on April 27. The highlight was the terrific inaugural address he delivered. Although a light rain started falling as he began to speak, it failed to dampen the enthusiasm with which his address was received by those who had gathered on the lawn. Congratulations, Mr. President, and also to Warren Wilson College.

Rick Gaukel ’05 was one of the five snowboarders killed in an avalanche Saturday in Colorado. Rick majored in outdoor leadership and lived in Estes Park, Colo. He was MVP of the Warren Wilson mountain bike team in 2005 and received the Outdoor Leadership Graduating Senior Award, which is special recognition by the Outdoor Leadership Studies Department for outstanding achievement in academics, professional practice, service and work.

Warren Wilson and Sodexo Dining Services have signed the Real Food Challenge Commitment, partnering to become the first college in the Southeast to sign the agreement.

Ellen Ferguson, Margaret Friedline and Hannah Monroe presented original research completed for their senior theses at the annual meeting of the Southeastern Women’s Studies Association.

Congratulations to Trey Jones, Jake Soled and Stefan Trilling, students who presented original research at the Carolinas Conference for Undergraduate Psychology in Raleigh on Saturday, April 20.

Caleb Hawkins ’15 won the Regional Stihl Mid-Atlantic Qualifier Timbersports competition this weekend. He was awarded a $1000 scholarship and advances to the National Collegiate Championship on June 9.

Sage Waring ’13 and Todd Gorham ’13 represented the WWC Tree Crew at the Charlotte tree climbing competition this weekend. Competing against professional arborists, both excelled in a series of events that test climbers’ ability to set ropes, climb quickly, glide through the canopy and rescue an injured climber.

ENS/Sust. Ag. graduate Asher Wright ’08 will visit our campus on Wednesday, April 17. Asher has just completed a master’s degree program at Clemson focused on pasture-based beef production. He has won national recognition for this work and was named the American Forage and Grassland Council’s Emerging Scientist of 2013.

May 1 is the deadline for May graduates to complete 100 service hours and their Extended Service Project (ESP). For instructions on submission of the ESP, visit the Service Program webpage.

First it was Sage Cafe, seven rounds, and shibboleth. Then, a week later, the Diadasias proved their campus win was no fluke. Warren Wilson’s champion spelling bee team achieved county-wide fame last Thursday when they defeated twelve other estimable teams in the annual bee of the Literacy Council of Buncombe County. “You’d think English majors would win the bee,” one English major mused after the victory. “But botanists know so much Latin!”