No doubt about it, Virginia Intermont theatre alumnus Ryan Gray loves to sing and perform.  The 2012 graduate who now works as an admissions representative for the College wanted to make a special contribution to VI’s summer fundraising campaign. He will share his talents in a benefit performance Friday, Aug. 9 at 7 p.m. in Nunn Recital Hall – Anne Worrell Fine Arts Center.

The evening of musical entertainment will include a collection of Gray’s favorites – vintage classics, spiritual songs, and Broadway tunes from shows including Bye Bye Birdie, Company, and South Pacific.  He has recruited Bristol accompanist Chris Yoder who will play piano for the evening performance, and VI graduate Rebecca Catalano ’09 will perform a duet with Gray.

“Virginia Intermont College helped me find my voice, and I am thrilled for this opportunity to use it for such a good cause,” says Gray. “I wanted to give back to the school that has made me who I am. Each song I have selected reflects many positive things that VI taught me including lessons on life, relationships, and what it means to cherish a memory. Some songs are familiar, and others may be new to some, so it’s a nice blend of musical storytelling.”

The campus community, friends of VI, and the community at large are invited to attend. Gray is asking for a minimum donation of $10 at the door, with all proceeds going to the College. For additional information, please contact ragray@vic.edu.

For several years in a row, Virginia Intermont College (VI) has been named a College of Distinction for providing students with the highest level of undergraduate education. VI joins a select group of 12 Virginia colleges honored with this recognition for 2013-14.

Colleges of Distinction is a college guide that identifies schools that are the best places to learn, grow and succeed. The organization’s new website is especially helpful for prospective students with a new school finder function, schools comparison function, optimized viewer for smart phones, and other helpful resources.

Colleges and universities are nominated by high school college counselors and then evaluated on their commitment to four distinctions: engaged students, great teaching, vibrant communities and successful outcomes.

“As a teaching-centered college, VI values and excels in the four areas defined by Colleges of Distinction, and we are very pleased to be among the select colleges recognized,” said VI Provost Dr. Cynthia Ward. “Our approach to holistic education prepares students for distinction in work and life.”

The College of Distinction designation is recognized nationally by education professionals and is revered by graduate schools and employers for its student preparation.

Virginia Intermont College announced today the appointment of Dr. Patty Graham-Thiers as director of equine studies and interim associate provost of the College. Graham-Thiers will assume both roles immediately and continue as a professor of equine studies.

Earlier this month VI announced a new organizational structure for the equestrian program with the appointment of Lisa Moosmueller-Terry as head riding coach and equestrian center director, reporting to Executive Director of Athletics Christopher Holt. With Moosmueller-Terry as head coach and Graham-Thiers as director of the equine studies academic program, VI continues to strengthen its nationally recognized equine programs.

In her 18 years on the faculty at Virginia Intermont, Graham-Thiers has been instrumental in developing the equine studies program. She established an undergraduate research program for students and the equine studies minor. Additionally, she implemented proficiency testing for seniors, established an experiential laboratory program, and created new curriculum courses.

“I am extremely pleased to be working with Patty in academic affairs, and she brings years of valuable experience in student advising and innovative program development,” said Dr. Cynthia Ward, interim provost. “Her integrative approach is demonstrated through her many initiatives and she is well accustomed to wearing many hats.”

Graham-Thiers received a doctorate in animal science from Virginia Tech, a master of science degree in animal science from the Univ. of Florida, and a bachelor of science degree in animal science from the Univ. of Massachusetts. She has presented and published research works internationally and was a 2013 finalist in the State Council for Higher Education of Virginia’s Outstanding Faculty Awards.

Virginia Intermont College President E. Clorisa Phillips is pleased to report a successful fundraising campaign that began in late June.  The goal of raising $3 million through a combination of donors and funding entities has been achieved in unprecedented time.

“There are many, many people to thank for both financial and moral support throughout this short campaign,” said Phillips. “I am thrilled that our supporters have kept the faith in our special school, and my deep appreciation extends to all in our campus community, as well as our alumni and devoted friends of VI.”

The fundraising initiative began with a challenge by a local citizen who pledged $500,000 if the College could raise $1 million in cash and garner $1.5 million in pledges from a funding entity or foundation. A $500,000 match came from another local citizen, and the remaining $500,000 was raised through donations from VI alumni, staff, and friends of the College.  VI has completed preliminary steps and due diligence expected to result in a $1.5 million gift from a major funding entity to fulfill the challenge.

VI trustee and alumna Kathleen O’Brien, president of the Tennessee Performing Arts Center in Nashville, echoed the words of President Phillips in her excitement and appreciation to donors:  “This achievement is monumental and demonstrates just how much VI means to so many people on so many levels.”

Meeting the $3 million fundraising goal will greatly bolster the College’s position in its appeal to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS).  On July 8, VI filed its intent to appeal the SACS decision to terminate the College’s membership in the organization.  On August 7, the College will file its formal appeal.  VI remains accredited throughout the appeal process.

In addition to appealing the SACS decision, President Phillips and VI’s Board of Trustees are taking all necessary actions to continue accreditation and ensure federal financial aid for students.  These include pursuing options to be covered by the accreditation of another institution with which VI would merge, or to be independently accredited by a different accreditation agency recognized by the federal government.

“Regardless of the outcome of the appeal, the completion of this recent fundraising campaign is a clear affirmation that Virginia Intermont College has broad support in forging ahead and further defining its future. It is very exciting,” said Phillips.

Jan Price ‘80 was indoctrinated into college life early, during the time when her father, William C. Allred, Jr., was the director of financial aid and dean of admissions and financial aid at Virginia Intermont from 1971-1980. Price lived in Bristol from 6th grade through her time as a college student.

The apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree. In choosing a career path, Price was deeply influenced by her late father through his work and his approach to fairness and justice that resonated with her. (*Allred passed away in June – see obituary excerpt below.)

Price finished high school after three years and decided to go to college as an “early admission” student. VI seemed the logical choice, she recalls. She began working in the financial aid office the summer before starting college, typing award letters for new students.

“I loved every minute as a student,” she says. “It’s where I learned financial aid from my dad, which I’ve practiced for many decades. I love working with students.”

Price graduated from VI after three years with a Bachelor of Arts in biology.

“My junior year I worked in the chemistry lab with Dr. Daphne Haynes, in physics/mathematics tutoring with William Buckner, and briefly, in the College’s bookstore,” she recounts. “I changed from English to biology as my major because biology had a tight-knit group of students in the department and because Dr. Martin Hamilton and William Wright were such great teachers.”

Price currently works with students at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) and was the first director of financial aid at the College’s new Spartanburg campus, now in its third year. (VCOM’s main campus is in Blacksburg, Va.) Previously, Price owned her own consulting firm in Los Angeles for 10 years, advising schools with accreditation and financial-aid-related issues. She has also held positions as campus director and interim director of admissions.

Looking back, Price says, “My biology degree has served me in good stead over the years working in health-science and health-related institutions as a consultant or as their Director of Financial Aid.”

*William Allred, Jr., died June 14, 2013. He worked for 25 years in higher education as an instructor in history and an administrator in the area of college enrollment and financial aid. A lifelong historian of racial relations, Allred was active in the Civil Rights movement of the 1960′s. In his work, he maintained the same heart for justice and fairness which motivated his civil rights work. Read full obit here.

Virginia Intermont professor of art Dr. Marvin Tadlock entered his sculpture, Altered, into the 27th Rosen Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C. Altered received first place out of 72 sculptures. Much of the VI community will recognize Altered from its usual place in front of the Fine Arts building on campus.

Dr. Marvin Tadlock

The Rosen Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition is a national juried competition presented by the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts at Appalachian State every year. The competition showcases large-scale, contemporary American sculpture. This year, ten finalists were chosen from 36 artists, and Dr. Tadlock’s sculpture landed first place. The juror was Terry Suhre, Director of Gallery 210 in St. Louis, Mo. The exhibition is from June 10, 2013 – March 31, 2014.

Tadlock’s artist statement for the competition: Creating sculpture is my passion. As a Professor of Art at Virginia Intermont College, I have made my living for the past thirty-six years teaching, making art, and helping others to discover, enjoy, and make art. My heroes are David Smith, Edward Kienholz, Claes Oldenburg (earlier work), and Lewis Grizzard. My preferences are rusty steel over bronze or marble, tee shirts and Jeans over suits, Tuesdays over Sundays, and, show me rather than tell me. I love dogs, nature, storms, humor, passion for a cause, and fire. I prefer contemporary art above art from the past, peace above war, and religion with room for human frailty.

Dr. Tadlock has been the Chair of the Art Department at VI since 1972. He received his B.F.A. and M.F.A. from University of North Carolina, Greensboro, and his Ph.D. from University of Georgia. His sculptures are in numerous indoor and outdoor collections across the Southeast.

Virginia Intermont senior Jen Weisman has branched out for her Honors Thesis project and is working with a non-profit organization, Canine Companions for Independence (CCI), for the next year. Based out of Santa Rosa, Calif., CCI is fully supported by donors and volunteers including breeders, puppy raisers, and public educators to help train and place service dogs with adults, children, and wounded veterans across the country. Generally, service dogs cost anywhere from $10,000 – $50,000, but CCI breeds, trains, and matches their dogs at no cost to those in need.

“I chose to investigate working with CCI after reading Dean Koontz’s book, A Big Little Life, a memoir of his dog, Trixie,” says Weisman. Trixie was a retired service dog from CCI, and the author was struck by the organization’s mission and funded a new campus in Oceanside, Calif., in 2001.

Weisman adds, “After reading only a handful of people’s stories, I was hooked and decided I wanted to be a part of this wonderful organization.” She contacted the company and had an interview with the “puppy manager,” who made sure that Weisman understands the difference between a service dog and a pet. She was assigned a puppy to raise and train for a year, and despite how playful Wasila might be now, it is important for Weisman’s friends and family to remember that the puppy has strict guidelines that must be followed as she goes through her training.

Wasila practices walking with Suzie as a role model while wearing her gentle leader head collar.

Service training starts immediately for CCI’s dogs. Weisman brought Wasila into her home in early July when the puppy was eight weeks old. During Wasila’s time with her new “puppy raiser,” Weisman is responsible for taking the her to obedience classes, socializing and desensitizing her to scary or loud situations, and all vet visits until the next stage of Wasila’s training starts. When she is around 18 months-old, Wasila will be transferred to another home to go through advanced training before she is paired up with someone in need.

Through this entire process, Weisman will be keeping detailed records of Wasila’s activities and health to turn over to the next CCI trainer and to use as research for her Honors Thesis at VI. Weisman is working closely with the Honors Program Director, Dr. Jessica Turner, to finish the outline for her project.

Wasila is exposed to the Budweiser Clydesdales as part of her socializing training.

Campus was abuzz as VI welcomed new and returning students last week, with new students arriving on Thursday, August 15th and returning students on August 17th. VI’s faculty, staff and students worked together to make the move-in process as easy as possible. Arriving students and their parents moved through various check points while faculty, student athletes, members of SGA and Student Activities, staff and even President Phillips carried students’ belongings to their assigned dorm rooms. Many praised VI for the streamlined process that made move-in day such a success. Thanks to all who lent a hand!

New students arriving on campus.

President Phillips was there to greet students and their families. She even carried students’ belongings to their dorms.

Arriving students drove up, dropped off their belongings and then parked while VI faculty, staff and students worked together to get their belongings to their dorm room. Many times students’ belongings were already in their dorm by the time they returned from parking.

Student athletes, already on campus, helped new students move in.

Members of VI’s Student Government Association (SGA) greeted new students and helped them move in.

Members of VI’s Student Activities were also lending a helping hand.

Parents were able to sit back and relax while students moved through the check-in process.

Even Bubbles checked in.

Virginia Intermont students and staff are in for a treat at Opening Convocation as Jason Connell, CEO of Ignited Leadership, returns to VI to kick off the fall semester with an inspiring presentation.  As part of the ceremony and the beginning of the 2013-14 convocation series, Connell will speak on “The Heart of Leadership” at Opening Convocation, 3:30 p.m. in Harrison-Jones.

Connell was keynote speaker at VI’s Opening Convocation ceremony in 2010, and very well received by the VI community.  Mutually, he said he really loved his time on campus three years ago and is excited to come back.  Connell has done his homework asking questions and learning about VI’s programs and students in order to tailor his message which will explore ways that individuals can find leadership opportunities and discover their own leadership skills.

Based in Washington, D.C., Connell is an international speaker and a foremost authority on visionary leadership for young adults, which he says did not come easy.  His bio starts out:  “At the fresh young age of 19, Jason was a content, ambitious and confident liberal arts student in sunny Florida.  And like many other young people in similarly cozy situations, he thought his future would be relatively comfortable and straightforward – graduate from college, find a good job, and generally enjoy the rather hospitable hand that destiny had dealt him. That’s when he spent a semester abroad in China. And everything changed.”

We can’t wait to hear the rest of his story at Thursday’s convocation. Following the ceremony, Connell will be a guest for dinner in the Brantley Dining Room.  Students, faculty and staff are invited to join him in the BDR for continued conversation on a space available basis.  For questions on the ceremony or dinner, contact Will Hankins at 276.466.7170.

Virginia Intermont College learned this morning that the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS) appeals committee ruled against the College and upheld the decision by the SACS board of trustees to remove the College from its membership.

VI today filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia to appeal the decision by SACS to remove VI from its membership.  Both VI and SACS have jointly asked the Court to issue a preliminary injunction which would reinstate VI to membership in SACS in the same status it was before it was removed from membership, pending further order of the Court.

Kathleen O’Brien, Chair of VI’s Board of Trustees and 1986 alumna said, “VI presented a very compelling fact-based case. Even given the challenges and stresses that came with their June decision, we continue to serve and advance our core mission of academic excellence. Students continue to thrive and stakeholders continue to invest in what we do.”

“We are disappointed by the decision and convinced that our case was not reflected in the outcome,” said VI President E. Clorisa Phillips. “The Board of Trustees, the administration and I are fully committed to moving VI forward. As we chart our future, we are thankful for the opportunity to keep our accreditation in place through an injunction. For our students, it’s ‘business as usual’ on campus with the start of an exciting new semester.”

View Dr. Phillips’ statement to the press below:

Virginia Intermont College is pleased to announce that the federal district court in Georgia today entered an order restoring the accreditation of Virginia Intermont College effective immediately.

VI President E. Clorisa Phillips said, “We are very grateful that SACS agreed to the entry of this preliminary injunction, which will permit the College to remain a member of SACS while working toward a long term resolution.”

In addition to moving in and learning where their classes meet, students had an exciting first week at VI. Welcome Week 2013 was filled with fun activities to get new students familiar with their campus home. A scavenger hunt led students down State Street and to hot spots in town including Blackbird Bakery, The Purple Loon, The Burger Bar, Macado’s, Kil’n Time, and the Bristol Public Library. After spending the afternoon racing each other in the hunt, the entire campus was invited to a Tiki Party on the quad. There was music, dancing, and—most importantly—a slip-n-slide!

A pair of freshmen took on the Burger Bar challenge.

A scavenger hunt team met up with a checkpoint Student Activities worker in Kil’n Time.

Another team raced around the Bristol Public Library to beat their competitors.

Students frantically search the Macado’s menu for the next clue.

Carefully looking around The Purple Loon’s beads and jewelry to find something…

New students are now officially welcomed to VI after soaping up and diving down the quad!

Virginia Intermont College is a proud sponsor of the Arts Array film series that features various independent, foreign and special interest films. Admission is FREE to members of the VI community with current I.D. VI students earn one convocation credit.

Join us at the Abingdon Cinemall at 4 p.m. or at 7:30 p.m for the September showings which are:

No Place on Earth – September 2 and 3
This incredible film brings to light the untold story of thirty-eight Ukrainian Jews who survived World War II by living in caves for eighteen months – the longest-recorded sustained underground survival. Built upon interviews with former cave inhabitants, as well as Chris Nicola, the caving enthusiast who unearthed the story, No Place on Earth is an extraordinary testament to resourcefulness, inventiveness, and endurance against all odds. “Astonishing,” writes John Defore of The Hollywood Reporter. (83 minutes)

In the House – September 9 and 10
A sixteen-year-old boy ingratiates himself into the home of a fellow student from his literature class and writes about it in essays for his French teacher. Faced with this gifted and unusual pupil, the teacher rediscovers his enthusiasm for his work, but the boy’s intrusive behavior unleashes a series of uncontrollable events. Based on the play The Boy in the Last Row by Juan Mayorga, the film features award-winning actress Kristin Scott Thomas. (105 minutes)

The Sapphires – September 16 and 17
An inspirational tale set in the late ‘60s about a quartet of singers from a remote Aboriginal mission, discovered and guided by a soul-loving manager. Plucked from obscurity, the spirited women with powerhouse voices are given the opportunity to entertain American troops in Vietnam. The Sapphires is an adaptation of the hugely successful Australian stage musical of the same name, and is inspired by the remarkable true story of writer Tony Briggs’ mother and three aunts. (103 minutes)

Mud – September 23 and 24
An engaging adventure about two boys, Ellis and his friend Neckbone, who find a man named Mud hiding out on an island in the Mississippi. Mud says he is planning to meet and escape with the love of his life, Juniper, who is waiting for him in town. Skeptical but intrigued, Ellis and Neckbone agree to help him. Starring Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon, the film competed for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. (130 minutes)

The Great Gatsby – September 30 and October 1
This 2013 3D romantic drama film is an adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel of the same name. The film was co-written and directed by Baz Luhrmann, and stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Elizabeth Debicki, Isla Fisher, and Jason Clarke. It follows the life and times of millionaire Jay Gatsby and his neighbor Nick Carraway, who recounts his time spent with Gatsby at the height of the Roaring Twenties. (143 minutes)

Admission is free for faculty, staff and students of Virginia Highlands Community College, Emory & Henry College, King College, Virginia Intermont College, the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center, and those members of the College of Older Adults who have purchased Arts Array passes. Members of the general community may attend all showings for $7.50. There will be a $2.75 surcharge for everyone for the 3-D experience of The Great Gatsby. For more information, contact Tommy Bryant, Arts Array Film Coordinator, at (276) 739-2451 or tbryant@vhcc.edu.

Join us for a discussion of popular Appalachian fiction at Virginia Intermont’s September convocation with speaker Emily Satterwhite, associate professor in the Department of Religion and Culture at Virginia Tech.  Dr. Satterwhite, also an author, will share her interpretation of readers’ reactions to popular fiction set in Appalachia based on her research on the topic.  Presented in Nunn Recital Hall in the Anne Worrell Fine Arts Center on Monday, Sept. 9 at 7 p.m., the event is part of Virginia Intermont’s Convocation Series and is being held in conjunction with King University’s Buechner Lecture Series.  The presentation is open to the public.

“In my work, I am interested in the ways in which Appalachia serves as a kind of ancestral, spiritual, or imaginary homeplace,” says Satterwhite. “Customer reviews at Amazon.com help illuminate shared dreams of Appalachia among readers of authors as diverse as Ron Rash, Jan Karon, Charles Frazier, and Adriana Trigiani.”

Satterwhite teaches Appalachian studies and popular culture studies and has written a book, Dear Appalachia: Readers, Identity, and Popular Fiction since 1878 (University Press of Kentucky, 2011).  Her book is the winner of the 2011 Weatherford Award, presented jointly by the Appalachian Studies Association and Berea College for the best work of non-fiction illuminating the Appalachian South. Dear Appalachia also won the 2013 Phi Beta Kappa Sturm Award for Faculty Excellence in Research at Virginia Tech, given in honor of a work’s significant contribution to liberal learning and its appeal to wider educated audiences. She earned a B.A. in English from Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky, and a Ph.D. from the Graduate Institute of the Liberal Arts at Emory University in Atlanta.

For more on Virginia Intermont College Convocation Series, click here or contact Will Hankins at 276.466.7170.

Crystal Ford, a native northeast Tennessean, returns to campus as Director of Student Activities at Virginia Intermont College.  Ford worked with the student development team at VI last summer and joined the VI family on August 1, 2013.

Since then she has hit the ground at a full sprint, getting to know the Student Activities Board (StAB), attending a Student Activities retreat, and planning Welcome Week 2013 for new students.  She has also hammered out most of the Student Activities schedule for the fall semester.

Ford brings her skills and expertise in nonprofit management, community engagement, and crisis management to VI.  She has a B.A. in Speech Communication from Berea College, a Master’s degree in Public Administration with an Arts Management concentration from the College of Charleston, and a Master’s degree in College Student Development with a Student Affairs concentration from Appalachian State University.

“I absolutely fell in love with Virginia Intermont College, the people, the students, and the Southwest Virginia region,” said Ford. “I am looking forward to continuing the VI legacy and partnering with members of the institution to chart new pathways for student involvement and leadership on VI’s campus and in the community.”

Virginia Intermont College has been selected by Virginia Living magazine as one of the Commonwealth’s top schools of 2013 in the category of Athletics.  VI’s equestrian program was recognized for excellence and innovation as one of the most outstanding educational programs in Virginia.

The magazine’s October 2013 issue with its new special bound-in supplement, Virginia Living State of Education, is available on newsstands now.  Featuring in-depth and positive coverage of news and trends in secondary and higher education, Virginia Living State of Education includes Top High Schools & Colleges 2013, a list of nearly 150 programs in public and private high schools and four-year colleges leading the way in innovation across the state.

The five categories recognized are: Arts & Humanities, Science, Math & Technology, Co-Ops & Partnerships, Athletics, and Capital Improvements. After thorough review of each school’s programs and accomplishments, Virginia Living’s editors selected schools that have instituted programs or recently begun capital improvements aimed at strengthening students’ experiences in and beyond the classroom.

Congratulations to our equestrian coaches, staff and students who contribute to the success of VI riding programs! Virginia Intermont is proud to be among the top Virginia schools recognized.

For information about VI equestrian teams and intercollegiate competition, visit VI Equine Studies and Riding.

VI English professor and department chair, Edison Jennings, recently learned that his manuscript of poetry titled Reckoning will be published by Jacar Press next month.

Jacar Press is planning a soft launch of the book in late fall prior to the holidays, then an official launch in early 2014. Reckoning is not being presold; however, Jacar Press will take reservations and ship once the books arrive. For those who reserve copies by Oct. 31, a 20% discount is given from the $11.95 cover price, and shipping is $3. If you would like to reserve a copy of Reckoning, email Richard Krawiec (jacarassist@gmail.com).  After November, Reckoning may be purchased through Jacar Press’s website.

Jennings has graciously decided to help support VI through book sales, and for every book that a member of the VI community orders, he will donate $2 to the VI Development Fund. Professor Jennings asks that VI students, alumni, friends, faculty or staff members who purchase a book email him at (edisonmarshalljennings@gmail.com) so he can keep record of how many books are ordered.

With your order of Reckoning, you will also receive a 20% discount on any other Jacar Press title, including the upcoming anthology What Matters, in which Jennings has a poem alongside Pulitzer Prize winner Claudia Emerson, Macarthur Foundation Genius Grant Award winner Thylias Moss, National Book Award finalist Alan Shapiro, and 90 other accomplished poets.

Virginia Intermont equestrian teams are set for the 2013-14 season and readying for their first competitions coming up this month.  On Sat., Sept. 14, the dressage team will face Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C., and on Sat., Sept. 21, VI equestrians will compete at the Pre-Season Tournament of Champions at Randolph College, Lynchburg, Va.  Intercollegiate Dressage Association (IDA) and Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) team members are as follows:

IDA Team

IHSA TEAM

It was a beautiful blue sky day on the Quad for the VI Community Fair on Sept. 4, organized by Crystal Ford, Director of Student Activities. The Dining Hall hosted a cook-out with burgers, slaw, beans and all the picnic goodies.

“The VI Community Fair was an effort to bring local businesses and resource centers, as well as VI student clubs and organizations, together to network with one another and spread awareness of opportunities both on and off campus,” said Ford.  “In essence, the fair was a unified approach to help get students plugged into the surrounding community and our campus activities.  It was also a chance to invite the local community to campus to get to know VI and our students.”

Representatives of various campus organizations set up tables around the Quad with information on events and ways to get involved.  Those present included SGA (Student Government), the Equine Club, Gay-Straight Alliance, Sapphire Society, and Student Activities.  Bristol businesses and resource centers present were Regions Bank, Capital Bank, Avon, Muncy Family Chiropractic & Sports Center, Electric Sun Tanning Salon, Mad Hatters Salon, the Crisis Center, Inc., and Med Express.

VI’s fine arts professors have been working hard lately. In addition to classes and advising, professors have been putting out some great work. Some recent pieces by the fine arts faculty are on display in the Anne Worrell Fine Arts Center until September 19, 2013.

Joe Champagne “2 Cones, Bristol VA” (archival pigment print)

Marvin Tadlock “Nipped in the Bud” (bronze)

Sam Morrow “Untitled” (oil on canvas)

Megan Pinch & Dan Robinson “80 Days: May 24, 2013” (archival pigment print)

Neil Staples “Untitled” (salted paper prints)