Appalachian State University

Earth Month is a national effort focused on awareness of sustainability, conservation, and making the world a better place for future generations. Throughout the month, the university will feature programs and seminars related to these larger themes, including zero waste, climate disruption, alternative energy and technology, local food and food insecurity, conservation, and social justice.

We will explore the thermodynamics of converting solar energy into a free, zero-carbon-emission cooking fuel. Solar ovens and skillets are designed to maximize the capture of solar radiation and are a fantastic way to cook and purify water for every-day use and especially in resource-limited environments. Ten different ovens ranging from box cookers to evacuated tubes to parabolic dish reflectors will be on display.

Abigail DeWitt is the author of three novels: “LILI,” “DOGS,” and “NEWS OF OUR LOVED ONES.” Her short fiction has appeared in Five Points, Witness, the Alaska Quarterly Review, the Carolina Quarterly, and elsewhere. She has been cited in “BEST AMERICAN SHORT STORIES,” nominated for a Pushcart, and has received grants and fellowships from the North Carolina Arts Council, the Tyrone Guthrie Center, the McColl Center for the Arts, and the Michener Society.

Sustainability Ambassadors will be in the International Hallway of the Student Union to give away clothes, shoes, and accessories from the Free Store. Come check it out and get something to spruce up your look!

Dr. John Wagaman, associate professor of mathematics at Western Carolina University, will talk about a recent pilot study on the implementation of ALEKS as an indicator of mathematics preparedness for and success in college algebra. He will also illustrate ways in which the skill sets of a statistician and a volleyball coach intersect.

Support the Appalachian and High Country communities by joining us as we host a variety of local farmers, artisans and students at the Campus Farmer's Market. The market will feature an array of different produce and products grown and crafted right in Boone's backyard.

After several missions as a field doctor in Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dr. Chiara Lepora coordinated Women Health activities in Darfur, Sudan in 2004, and later occupied various emergency coordination and management positions in Liberia, Somalia, Tchad, Cameroon and South Sudan. Her book, “On Complicity and Compromise,” co-authored with Robert E. Goodin, looks at the many ways individuals and organizations, including doctors and humanitarian aid groups, can become tied up in the wrongdoing of others.

Kailash Satyarthi is a globally renowned advocate for children's rights, a master strategist against child labor and suppression of young people, and a tireless campaigner to end the global education crisis. For his extraordinary commitment to these causes, Mr. Satyarthi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.

“The Ugly Duckling” by Larry and Vivian Snipes tells the tale of six storytellers portraying the lives of the characters in Hans Christian Andersen's classic fairytale. The title character takes the audience on a grand adventure to find a place where he belongs, facing bullying waterfowl, a terrifying cat, harsh weather and much more along the way. This family-friendly production will also be performed on tour in elementary schools across the region prior to its debut on campus.

Showcase is an annual runway-style fashion show of apparel designs created by Appalachian State University students in the apparel design and merchandising program in the Department of Applied Design.

The Appalachian Chorale, a combined student and community choir led by Prof. Linda Larson, performs American composer Donald McCullough’s “Holocaust Cantata: Songs from the Camps.” The Cantata is based on materials drawn from the archives of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The performance is free of charge and no tickets are required.

On Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial Day), the Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies, along with the Temple of the High Country and Appalachian’s Hillel and AEPi chapters, organize a public reading of the names of European Jews murdered by the Germans and their allies during the Holocaust. Members of the Appalachian and Boone communities are invited to sign up and participate in the readings on campus. After the readings, a March of Commemoration will lead to the Temple, where the concluding ceremony takes place.