News

WILSON, N.C. - The Barton College Gospel Choir will present its third annual concert on Saturday, April 12, in Hardy Alumni Hall at 3 p.m. This event is open to the public at no charge, and the community is invited to attend.

The concert theme, "Great Things," is inspired by the scripture from Psalms 126:3 - "The Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with joy."

Guest performers include the First Emmanuel Sanctuary Singers from Pittsburgh, Pa., who will join the Barton College Gospel Choir for several selections. The Barton Gospel Choir met the First Emmanuel Sanctuary Singers when they traveled to Pittsburgh in October 2007, and were invited to sing during First Emmanuel Sanctuary Singers' Sunday morning service. George Mitchell, director of the First Emmanuel Sanctuary Singers, also conducted a Gospel Choir Workshop at Barton last August and attended the Gospel Choir's Robe Dedication Service in January. Barton is pleased to welcome the Pittsburgh singers to Wilson and the college campus.

The Reverend Hollie Woodruff, chaplain of Barton College and an accomplished violinist, will accompany the Gospel Choir for several selections.

The Young Adults Praise Team from Christ Temple of Praise will lead devotions for the program and the Dancers of Praise from St. John A.M.E. Zion Church will perform during the intermission. A love offering will be received during the concert to support Breast Cancer Research.

For additional information about the concert, please contact Holly Zacharias, Gospel Choir advisor, at 252-399-6366 or email: hzacharias@barton.edu.
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Questions? Please contact Kathy Daughety, director of public relations, at 252-399-6529 or email: kdaughety@barton.edu.

WILSON, N.C. — Join us Saturday, April 12, 2008, at Barton College's Sam and Marjorie Ragan Writing Center for the sixth Walking into April Poetry Day, sponsored by the North Carolina Poetry Society (NCPS), the Gilbert-Chappell Distinguished Poet Series, and Barton College. Featured poets are Pat Riviere-Seel and David Manning, with Lenard Moore as Eastern North Carolina's Gilbert-Chappell Distinguished Poet. Reading with Moore will be three student poets selected for this year's series. Registration starts at 9:15 a.m., and the program begins at 9:45.Pat Riviere-Seel, the immediate past president of the North Carolina Poetry Society, teaches in the Great Smokies Writing Program at UNC-Asheville and is an associate editor of "The Asheville Poetry Review." Her first collection of poetry, "No Turning Back Now" (2004), was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Her poems have appeared in various journals and anthologies including "The Asheville Poetry Review," "Crucible," and "Kakalak 2007: An Anthology of Carolina Poets." Riviere-Seel received her Master of Fine Arts from Queens University of Charlotte.

Like Riviere-Seel, Pushcart nominee David Manning is well known to NCPS members. Winner of the North Carolina Poetry Society's Poet Laureate Award in 1996, 1998, and 2006, Manning is current host of the Friday Noon Poets of Chapel Hill and co-editor of "Always on Friday," an anthology of that group's poems. He has published five chapbooks, most recently "Detained by the Authorities" (2007). His full-length collection, "The Flower Sermon" (2007), is available from Main Street Rag in the Editor's Select Poetry Series. Manning received his Doctor of Philosophy in chemistry at CalTech and began the serious writing of poetry after a career as an organic chemist. He lives now in Cary with his wife Doris.

Executive Chairman of the North Carolina Haiku Society and Founding Executive Director of the Carolina African American Writers' Collective, Lenard Moore is an Assistant Professor of English at Mount Olive College, where his courses include Creative Writing, Advanced Poetry Writing, and African American Literature. He directs the Mount Olive College Literary Festival and serves as faculty advisor to the literary journal "Trojan Voices." His books of poetry include "Forever Home" (1992) and "Desert Storm: A Brief History" (1993), and his work has appeared in journals such as "Viet Nam Generation" and "Pembroke Magazine." He is winner of the 2006 Sam Ragan Fine Arts Award.

The Gilbert-Chappell Distinguished Poet Series students that Moore has been mentoring are Andy Rajski from Wayne Early Middle High School, Candice Johnson from Wayne Community College (both from Goldsboro), and Sandra Ervin Adams from Jacksonville, a poet joining the series as an adult not currently enrolled in a degree program.

The afternoon will include an open mic, so bring poems to share. Participants are also welcome to bring books or CDs to sell.

The event is free. Checks for lunch should be made to Barton College in the amount of $9.00. Mail your registration and check to Rebecca Godwin, Department of English and Modern Languages, Barton College, Box 5000, Wilson, NC 27893. For more information contact her at 252-399-6364 or at rlgodwin@barton.edu.

WILSON, N.C. - Gerontology. Ask most people to define it, and they would probably describe it simply as the study of aging or the study of the elderly. To Amanda May, Kathy Greenwood, and Angela Hunter, it's a great program of study and a field that will experience increasing demand as our population ages.

The trio visited campus to participate in a panel discussion at the fifth annual Caregiver Education Conference on March 18. They took time out of the conference to discuss their experiences with Barton's gerontology program and its impact on their work in the field.

Amanda May, class of 2007, is the Alzheimer's program coordinator for the Morningview Assisted Living Facility in Greensboro. In addition to her gerontology major, she also received a minor in psychology as well as a minor in religion and philosophy.

"It centers everything that I do," said May, discussing the impact of the courses on her work. The multi-disciplinary nature of the program prepared May for ongoing challenges she faces.

"I work with those who are aging, who have dementia; that takes care of my psychology degree. My religion and philosophy plays a role because of the death and dying issues that I deal with on occasion, but gerontology encompasses all of that."

Likewise, Kathy Greenwood benefited from the multiple disciplines that she learned in the gerontology program, classes such as social work, psychology, and business.

Greenwood, in-home support coordinator for the Johnston County Council on Aging and 2007 Barton graduate, said she initially did not understand why she had to take the multiple disciplines, "but then once I got into the field, everything plays a part with what I'm doing."

In addition, she still refers to her course materials on a regular basis.

"Probably every week I pull one of my books out and my class notes, too."

Angela Hunter, regional ombudsman for Wilson County for the Upper Coastal Plain Area Agency on Aging and 2006 graduate, agreed: "Everything makes sense now."

"It might seem minor when you're in college, but when you graduate you actually get the big picture," said Hunter.

Hunter, Greenwood, and May also found Barton's small environment to be beneficial to their college experience as a whole.

"I think just by being a small college you get to know people. Your fellow students and your teachers, they know you by name," said Hunter.

Greenwood, mother of three college graduates, was exposed to the large campus environments at her children's schools but found a small environment more appealing:

"I've been exposed to all three large campuses. That's why I particularly wanted to come to a small campus, to where I felt like I didn't go to a classroom where there were 150 students. I wanted to be able to walk up to a teacher and my teacher say, ‘Oh, yes, Kathy? Do you have a problem?' Or my teacher to be able to know exactly who I am, and to have a relationship with my teachers. And that's what was the most important thing to me with Barton College."

Recalling her time at Barton, Greenwood said, "I did not have one single teacher that was not willing to work with me one on one in any of my classes I took here; and none of my children that went to any of the large campuses, they never had a relationship like that with their college experience."

"I agree with both of them. I enjoyed the small atmosphere. I enjoyed knowing my professors one on one," said May.

However, for May rediscovery was the most important aspect of Barton.

"The biggest thing for me in my years total here was the advancement of rediscovering yourself. I started out four years in the nursing program, had a year left to go, was going to be a nurse, and just decided I changed my mind; but that was because there were so many other opportunities on campus. I did take classes - business classes. I took science classes. I took classes in gerontology. I was able to kind of revisit all those different areas before I made my final decision before graduation for me. Last minute I picked up another minor and picked up a new major in gerontology and finished it all in a year," recounted May.

Barton gave her "that opportunity to kind of find myself, my niche in the world."

For Hunter, childhood interaction with the elderly gave her an appreciation for them.

"I grew up around a lot of elderly people. My mama was a nurse, and I would get off the bus to where she worked, and she worked with a lot of elderly people. I just kind of took to them, and I enjoyed it back then, and I still do. And actually I get along better with them because they appreciate you."

She has found that even a simple visit can mean a lot to an older person.

"When I go do my visits with my residents, they're glad to see me coming. They appreciate what you have to offer, and they always feel that it's good to know that people do care about them and are there for them because a lot of times if they don't have families, when we go in to visit, that's the only visit they get. So they always want you to come in and sit down."

Gerontology is all about people. Whether it is through caring for them directly or assisting those who do, gerontology offers you a way to make a difference in others' lives.

To learn more, contact Dr. Steven Fulks, dean of the School of Behavioral Sciences, at 252.399.6570 or email: sfulks@barton.edu.

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Questions? Please contact Ken Dozier, web services manager at Barton College, at 252.399.6596 or email: kdozier@barton.edu.

WILSON, N.C. - "When I left that lecture, I was just completely amazed about how much we're in debt and how much it affects us. It's not going to affect their generation; but since we're the newer generation coming along, it affects us more than anybody right now. I thought it was a good lecture, and I learned a lot."

That was how Barton freshman Cat Tippette summarized her reaction to the lecture given by 1968 Barton alumnus and United States Representative Walter Jones.

The congressman from North Carolina's 3rd District appeared on campus on March 24, to speak on "The Economic Future of America." Covering topics such as the national debt, illegal immigration, the war in Iraq, and China's imminent threat to the stability of our economy, Jones' lecture painted a bleak picture.

"We are a debtor nation. We are borrowing money everyday to pay our bills, and that is not a good situation to be in," said Jones.

Strongly stressing the economy's critical condition, he sought to involve the younger generation in seeking a solution.

"The reason I want to speak to you young people is because you can make a difference," said Jones encouraging the students to vote and email Congress.

"I felt like I was more informed as someone who can vote. I understood where he stood on the issues, and the issues were more defined for me," stated sophomore Mallory Magelli.

"It made me think. It definitely impacted my own personal life and made me realize that you've got to get a little bit more involved," said freshman Savannah Fulton.

Fulton confessed to having no intention of voting before hearing Rep. Jones: "I didn't care. I definitely do now."

Associate professor of geography, Dr. Jean Palmer-Moloney coordinated the event after Rep. Jones in a previous meeting had mentioned that he would like to speak at Barton.

"I think the more we can present people in the world who are dealing with the issues we're trying to teach in class, the more effective it is," said Palmer-Moloney.

She also recognized the unique experience the lecture provided to Barton's students:

"How incredible is it to have a United States representative in a room where he can look you in the eye and be able to take a question from you with no microphone!"

Palmer-Moloney, who sees Barton's small size as a plus, stated, "You can have the chance to build personal relationships with your professors. You can have some incredible, unique opportunities to meet these guest speakers, to actually ask them questions, to hang out with them after their formal lecture's over."

Being able to see and hear the congressman in person draws the doings of D.C. down to a more personal level; and at an institution that boasts "College on a first-name basis," that's only fitting.

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Questions? Please contact Ken Dozier, web services manager at Barton College, at 252.399.6596 or email: kdozier@barton.edu.

WILSON, N.C. - Barton College is pleased to welcome back the Readers Theater from the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. On Thursday, April 3, at 7 p.m., medical students from the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University will present a public reading and discussion of Jay Baruch's short story "Accident Room," in the Hamlin Student Center Theater at Barton College. This presentation is open to the public at no charge and the community is invited to attend.

Baruch is an Emergency Medicine physician from Rhode Island. "Accident Room" appears in Baruch's 2007 book of short stories, "Fourteen Stories: Doctors, Patients, and Other Strangers." "Accident Room" tells the story of two physicians, one just out of residency and one who has remained in practice perhaps for too many years, with differing styles of patient care, and of a family trying to deal with a life-threatening emergency while caught between the approaches of the two physicians. The story raises issues of consent, patient decision-making, prolongation of life, and differing styles of providing information to the seriously ill.

The 30-minute reading will be followed by a discussion of the story moderated by a member of the medical school's Department of Medical Humanities.

In Readers' Theater, the performers read from scripts and do only a small amount of moving about the stage. Like radio dramas, much is left to the listener's imagination. This presentation, part of an on-going Readers' Theater program sponsored by the Department of Medical Humanities at ECU's Brody School of Medicine, allows students and the general public (future physicians, potential future patients, colleagues in nursing, and other allied health professionals) to discuss together the social and ethical medical issues of common concern.

This program is sponsored by the School of Behavioral Sciences at Barton College and will last about an hour. For additional information, contact Dr. Steven Fulks, dean of the School of Behavioral Sciences at Barton College, at 252-399-6570, or contact Dr. Todd Savitt, Department of Medical Humanities at the Brody School of Medicine in Greenville, at 252-744-2797.

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Questions? Please contact Kathy Daughety, director of public relations, at 252-399-6529 or email: kdaughety@barton.edu.

WILSON, N.C. - "If you don't give back as least as much as you took, — I mean, hello! — at some point in time there's not anything here for anybody else."

For Eric Sellers, that's not just a nice idea, it's a way of life. The 1979 Barton graduate and Smithfield native serves on the Executive Committee of the Barton College Board of Trustees and chairs the Institutional Advancement Committee as well as the Black Box Theatre Committee, which is responsible for raising funds for the construction of Barton's new Lauren Kennedy and Alan Campbell Theatre. Recipient of the 2005 Barton College Alumni Achievement Award and former president of Barton's Alumni Board, Sellers now serves as president of the Barton Society.

"I have a debt here I can't repay. I mean it's that simple. I owe a debt that, no matter what I do work-wise or monetarily, I just can't repay it. Having said that, it then becomes important to create the opportunity for the next Eric Sellers …, that kid that doesn't know where he is and doesn't know why he's out there."

Sellers entered college directionless, completing his first two semesters with lackluster grade-point averages.

"I probably tried to flunk out of this place, and they wouldn't let me. I got an arm around my shoulder when I needed that, and I got a foot in my tail when I needed that," he stated candidly.

Realizing he risked failing geometry, Sellers met with math professor Dr. E. D. Winstead to discuss his grade during the last week of the term. Expecting to charm his professor, he instead discovered that Dr. Winstead had strong words for him.

"He ripped me up! I mean, he just let me have it! And I remember when we were over, he looked at me and said, ‘Young man, the bottom line's this: if you pass this exam, you pass; if you fail it by one point, you flunk this course.'"

The truth hurts sometimes, but that was what Sellers needed to hear. Of all the grades he made in college, the one he remembers is the 98 on his geometry exam.

Sellers found that Barton's small size and faculty who pushed you to succeed made a great combination.

"They took the time to understand you. And, again, I'm not saying you can't be successful somewhere else; but the environment of being able to ask and see a guy after class and do the interaction that's just darn tough to do in an environment if you got, you know, 60 or 100 or 200 students, I think, definitely gives people a leg up. I really do."

Sellers initially had declared a religion major. Although he loved his church, he discovered the study of religion as a subject was not where his talents lay. In the spring of his junior year, he took an economics class and found his calling in business.

"I had a phenomenal background in accounting! Ashton Wiggs was a great teacher! In business at that time, we had to have at least 12 hours of accounting, and I had 20. So [the business program] helped me understand the business basics, because I was a blue-collar kid — my parents never ran a business. But it gave me the look into the world, if you will, the perspective of understanding so that when I graduated I was on the same footing as everybody else."

Barton was the right place for Sellers, giving him a quality education and helping him mature as a person.

"The process I went through here was instrumental in me being successful in life. It really was. And I would not have had that opportunity in a lot of other places. So you've got to give it back."

After graduating, Sellers worked in banking and then transitioned to the computer industry, selling billing systems to medical offices. Offered the opportunity to own part of the company, Sellers accepted. This proved to be a lucrative decision as he and the other investors experienced great success and eventually sold the company to Medic Computer Systems. In May 2004, Sellers opted for early retirement.

Sellers now resides in Selma and coaches baseball there and in Smithfield. As a trustee and alumnus, he devotes a significant amount of his time and resources to Barton. Because of his experience here, he is adamant about "giving back to Barton and creating scholarships."

"You don't forget those people that made you successful, and I want somebody else to have that same opportunity."

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Questions? Please contact Ken Dozier, web services manager at Barton College, at 252.399.6596 or email: kdozier@barton.edu.

WILSON, N.C. - Please join Barton College students and faculty on Monday, March 24, as they welcome Third District Representative Walter B. Jones (R-NC) to speak on "The Economic Future of America." The lecture, sponsored by the Department of History and Social Sciences and the Political Science Honor Society, will be held in The Sam and Marjorie Ragan Writing Center from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., and a brief reception will immediately follow. This event is open to the public at no charge, and the community is invited to attend.

A native of Farmville, Rep. Jones received his Bachelor of Science degree from Atlantic Christian College in 1968. And, in 1983, he became an elected member of the North Carolina General Assembly where he served for 10 years.

Following in his father's footsteps, he pursued a career to serve at the national level. Jones was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, Third Congressional District of North Carolina in 1994, and his dedication and commitment to providing tax relief for American families, retirement security for seniors, a strong national defense and a quality education for every child has earned him respect among his colleagues on both sides of the political aisle.

Currently serving his 7th term in Congress, Rep. Jones is a member of the House Committees on Armed Services and Financial Services.

As a member of the Armed Services Committee, he has concentrated on safeguarding the well being of our nation's veterans and our men and women on active duty. His concern for Vietnam-era veterans led him to introduce the War Crimes Act of 1996, which allows prisoners of war, the opportunity to bring their persecutors to justice in U.S. courts. While only three percent of all bills introduced in the 104th Congress ever became law, the President signed Jones' War Crimes Act into law on August 21, 1996.

As a member of the Financial Services Committee, Rep. Jones has earned a reputation for fighting for small businesses, and for helping individuals gain greater access to capital and a broader array of financial services. With its jurisdiction over America's banking, insurance and securities industries, the Committee is of great importance to North Carolina's many financial services operations and their employees.

During his previous tenure on the House Resources Committee, Rep. Jones championed the rights of farmers, landowners and fishermen. He has actively voiced the need to improve water quality for current and future generations, and has fought to protect our nation's tobacco farmers and their families.

Rep. Jones has also dedicated much of his time in Congress to preserving and protecting North Carolina's unique history and culture. From preparing for the 2003 centennial anniversary of the Wright brother's first flight in Kitty Hawk, N.C., to passing legislation to protect the Shackleford Banks wild horses of Cape Lookout National Seashore, Rep. Jones has proven his dedication to preserving Eastern North Carolina's rich heritage for future generations to enjoy.

Although he spends a majority of his time in Washington, Congressman Jones still maintains a home in Farmville, where he and his wife, Joe Anne, are very active in the community and church.

For additional information, please contact Dr. Jean Palmer-Maloney, associate professor of geography, at 252-399-6444 or email: lpalmer@barton.edu.

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Questions? Please contact Kathy Daughety, director of public relations, at 252-399-6529 or email: kdaughety@barton.edu.

WILSON, N.C. - The Barton College Creative Writing Symposium presents the third annual Emerging Writers Series on Monday, March 10 and Tuesday, March 11 in The Sam and Marjorie Ragan Writing Center on campus. The event is open to the public free of charge, and the community is invited to attend.

Dr. and Mrs. William M. Batchelor of Wilson have provided a four-year sponsorship for the Emerging Writers Series in the Department of English and Modern Languages that began in spring 2006. This annual gift brings new writers to campus to speak to students and members of the community and to encourage aspiring writers.

This year's featured writers include poet Doug Van Gundy, and novelist John Williams.

"That's My Story" workshop, scheduled from 3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. on Monday, will provide an opportunity for the emerging writers to discuss their lives, inspirations, influences and craft. An evening reading, featuring the writers' work, is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. On Tuesday, from 9:30 a.m. - 11 a.m. is "Nuts and Bolts," a workshop where the writers will talk about the practical, business, and technical aspects of writing and publishing.

Van Gundy's first book of poems, "A Life above Water" (Red Hen Press, 2007), is a cycle of poems that examines both the natural and human worlds and explores the boundaries between the two. He also is an award-winning old-time fiddler and banjo player with two recordings currently available, "Born Old" with banjo player Paul Gartner, and "Two Far Gone" with fellow fiddler Jake Krack. Van Gundy received his Master of Fine Arts degree in poetry from Goddard College in Vermont, and his poems have been published in "Negative Capability," "Lullwater Review," "Kestrel," "CrossConnect," and "Coastal Forest Review" as well as in the anthologies "xconnect: Writers of the Information Age" and "Wild Sweet Notes: Fifty Years of West Virginia Poetry." He organized and hosted the Augusta Poets Gathering for five years. Van Gundy and his wife, Melissa, make their home in Elkins, W.Va., where he grew up.

Williams' first novel is "Lake Moon" (Mercer University Press, 2002), for which he won the Georgia Author of the Year Award for First Novel. Set in the 1960s and 1970s in Georgia, the novel tells the story of a band and its young members in their quest for recognition and fulfillment, exploring the relationship between music and musician, between youth and belonging, between commerce and art, and between self-loathing and self awareness. Williams, is also a musician and, with his collaborator Ken Clark, he has written four musical comedies, "Music by Choice," "Get It Off Me," "Florida," and "The Kelly's Truck Stop Bop," and released several CDs. His most recent publication is the novella "Passion," which appears in the anthology, "A Cross of Centuries,," edited by Michael Bishop. Williams is an associate professor of English at LaGrange College. He lives in LaGrange, Ga., with his wife, Erin, and their son and daughter.

This program has been planned in cooperation with the Department of English and Modern Languages and The Sam and Marjorie Ragan Writing Center. For additional information about this event, please contact Dr. Jim Clark, director of the Emerging Writers Series and the Creative Writing Symposium, at 252-399-6450 or email: jclark@barton.edu.

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Questions? Please contact Kathy Daughety, director of public relations, at 252-399-6529 or email: kdaughety@barton.edu.

Wilson, N.C. - "I love the description - caregiver," shared Dr. Joseph D. Russell of Wilson during a recent interview. "I often hear people referred to as caretakers, but these people are truly caregivers." And, caregivers are among the targeted audience for the fifth annual Caregiver Education Conference scheduled for Thursday, March 18, on the Barton College campus.The Gerontology Program of Barton College, the Eastern North Carolina Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, the Upper Coastal Plain Area Agency on Aging, the Kerr-Tar Regional Agency on Aging, Appalachian State University's graduate program in Gerontology and Joseph Russell, MD, of Wilson have teamed up to sponsor this significant series of workshops and keynote addresses.

"We are very excited about the range of professionals conducting sessions at this year's Caregiver Education Conference including, but not limited to, Dr. Ed Rosenberg of Appalachian State University, who joins us from the extreme western part of the state, and Teepa Snow, who is taking a brief break from a hectic cross-country traveling schedule to participate in this conference for the fifth straight year," said Dr. Steven Fulks, dean of the Barton College School of Behavioral Sciences and director of the Gerontology Program.

The conference will be held in Hamlin Student Center on the Barton College campus, and lunch will be provided. On-site registration for the conference will begin at 8:30 a.m., with the program running from 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Advance registration is encouraged.

"The beauty of this conference is that it brings together the family caregivers with the professionals, programs, and services providing support, resources, and advice in one centralized location," continued Dr. Fulks. "The convenience of attending the one-day conference maximizes the educational opportunities for the caregivers within their limited schedules."

The focus of this educational conference will be to explore various techniques and strategies that caregivers can use to care for themselves and persons with dementia, to identify resources for developing daily routines and programs that meet the needs of people with dementia and their caregivers, and to describe the most recent and effective assessment, treatment, and care options available for people with dementia.

Dr. Russell, a doctor of Internal Medicine in Wilson since 1975, is passionate about educating patients and their families through a host of networks, in and out of the physician's office. He chose this significant opportunity to support that passion by endowing the annual Caregiver Education Conference held at Barton College each spring. The endowment was made in memory of his mother, Lillian Hester McDaniel Russell. It also honors caregivers across the state.

"Even before I heard there was going to be a caregiver conference at Barton, I would be in conversations at the hospital concerning the need for a venue where we could discuss with families the challenges of caring for loved ones before they are abruptly faced with decisions in the hospital, ER, ICU, or office," said Dr. Russell. "I am pleased that Barton began this effort in partnership with other agencies, and I'm glad to offer my support.

Following the welcome and introductions, featured speaker Dr. Russell will open the day's sessions with the presentation "Physician and Family Collaboration in Determining Patient Care."

The morning keynote address will be "Fact vs. Fiction: The Latest in Research Treatment and Caregiver Support Strategies," presented by Melanie Bunn, Dementia Care Specialist with the Alzheimer's Association - Eastern NC Chapter. With more awareness of dementia by the general public, it is sometimes hard to know which information is reliable and up-to-date, and this session will look at the many ideas presented through the media.

Late morning workshops will include "Snoezelize Your Dementia Environment" by Lynsey A. Capone, Master of Arts degree candidate in Gerontology at Appalachian State University. She will focus on multi-sensory environments in dementia care. "Powerful Tools for Caregivers Overview" will focus on giving family caregivers the skills and confidence to care for themselves while caring for others. This workshop will be led by leaders Kim Emory, family caregiver specialist with the Upper Coastal Plain Agency on Aging, and Melissa Jones, family caregiver specialist with the Kerr-Tar Regional Agency on Aging. The third morning workshop option will be "It Came Out of Left Field," a panel discussion with a physician, family caregivers, and counselors. They will focus on "an ounce of prevention vs. "crisis management" in planning for dementia care.

Lunch will be served from noon to 1 p.m.

Afternoon workshops will include "Secure Project: Senior Adult Sensitivity Program" with leaders Kim Emory and Melissa Jones. This will focus on seeing the world through the customers' eyes. Also on tap will be "Making the Home Safe for Individuals with Alzheimer's Disease," with a focus on setting up the home environment efficiently, safely and thoughtfully for the needs of the individual with dementia. Leading this program will be Carole Netherton, Program and Family Services Coordinator with the Alzheimer's Association - Eastern NC Chapter. Rounding out the afternoon workshops will be Ed Rosenburg, Ph.D., Director of the Graduate Program in Gerontology at Appalachian State University, who will discuss "Powerful Tools for Caregivers - How Do We Know It Works?"

The afternoon keynote address will focus on "Practical Tips and Strategies for Positive Interactions and Outcomes" by Teepa Snow, Dementia Training Specialist with the Alzheimer's Association-Eastern NC Chapter.

This conference will be extremely helpful for family caregivers, and professional caregivers including nurses, direct care workers, CNAs, social workers, care managers, rehabilitation professionals, and community providers. It will also be beneficial for volunteers including clergy, day program directors, and transportation workers, church members, students in health programs or gerontology, and EMS and law enforcement personnel.

The Caregiver Education Conference is available for families and volunteers to attend for a $5 registration fee. This fee can be covered by the Alzheimer's Association upon request. Professionals desiring continuing education credits may receive five hours of CEU's for an additional $10 fee.

To register in advance or to receive additional information, please contact Kim Emory, Family Caregiver Specialist for the Upper Coastal Plain Area Agency on Aging, by calling 252-234-5960, or sending a fax to 252-234-5971 or emailing kemory@ucpcog.org.
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Questions? Please contact Kathy Daughety, director of public relations, at 252-399-6529 or email kdaughety@barton.edu.