Warren Wilson College physics professor Dr. Don Collins loves sharing his fascination with how the disciplines of Physics and Astronomy can deepen our understanding of our campus landscape and the sights we encounter every day. He shares interesting things every week during the school year at the Physics Photo of the Week. This week’s story is on glaciating cirrus clouds — science is beautiful!
“It’s been a fantastic year for our basketball program,” Coach Walden said. “We’ve got a great group of young men who understand the importance of being successful on and off the court and have competed each and every day.” The winning season may have been especially sweet for three Owl seniors who completed their college careers with the satisfaction of knowing they contributed to the Owls’ first winning mark in more than a generation.
Over the years Warren Wilson has been fortunate to welcome many eminent individuals to campus, even aside from the College’s springtime
commencement speakers. Most recently we were privaleged to host Wendell Berry – a two-day stay that also included visits to class and around campus with his wife and daughter. As the crowd began to stream into the chapel for a reading on the night of Nov. 9, it was clear this was going to be a magical evening at Warren Wilson.
To most students, birds just fall into the background of the day-to-day, but to junior Nora Livingston and sophomore Austin Patton–self-proclaimed “bird nerds” and the only members of the College’s newly created Bird Crew–birds are so much more.
As the 80 year old Carson Hall is torn down in preparation for a new building, class of ’59 alumnus Danny Starnes shares one of the old building’s many stories.
2011 commencement speaker Sylvia Earle broke new ground when she delivered the address May 14 on Sunderland Lawn. A National Geographic Society Explorer-in-Residence, the pioneering Earle was indeed the first oceanographer to give a commencement address at Warren Wilson College. Many other fields and professions have been represented by speakers that have included writers, educators, clergy and singers/songwriters.
“There is something really incredible about our Circus. When we refer to ‘circus’ as a part of our curriculum, we refer to this production,” says Chris O’Leary, who wrote the script and theme of this year’s Circus. “It is something more than just the sum of acts; it’s a journey. If you think of the school as a community of individuals with an incredible freedom of self-expression, the Circus is a culmination of that creativity.”
When guests arrived at a casual Warren Wilson get-together at Heifer International Learning Center at Overlook Farm, in Rutland, Mass., they were greeted by Associate Admission Director Morning Naughton ’97. “I was holding a baby lamb, who we named Wilson in honor of the event and our love for WWC,” explained Morning. The group introduced themselves, took a tour of Heifer Farm, gathered for local food and conversation, and then some folks did farm chores and helped with the animals. It was a wonderful day.
Work Day is an annual spring rite at Warren Wilson. For students, it offers a nice midweek break from the usual class schedule during a very busy time of the year. Yes, there is work – or off-campus service – to be done on their regular work crews in the morning. But the afternoon brings an opportunity to work outside, a welcome assignment especially when the weather is ideal as it was again this year. And there’s even a picnic with live music as a reward at day’s end!
With March’s tempestuous moods almost behind us, April brings warm weather, and the Warren Wilson campus blossoms. Fruit trees and forsythia pepper the breeze with petals, and a veil of soft tree buds rise up the mountain slopes. It’s almost time for the event that reminds everyone at Warren Wilson of the labor necessary to keep the College beautiful and functional — Work Day. Next Wednesday, April 6th, students will take a break from classes and studying to grab tools and get out in the sun. Have a look at what Work Day was like last year!
