Join Martha Barnette, host of the Public Radio show "A Way with Words"; alumna speaker Tammy Wood
'94, elementary educator, Meadows of Dan Elementary School; a panel
discussion of gaming and human relationships to include Lynn Salsi; a
staged reading of Caryl Churchill's play "A Number," and a host of
others in exploring leadership, creative wisdom, and the College’s theme
for 2011-12, Transformations of Human Identity in the 21st Century.
There is no cost to attend the conference. We just ask that you register by our deadline of March 5, 2012.
The 2012 Women's Leadership Conference is dedicated to the memory of Franki Patton Rutherford '10 (1949-2011), keynote speaker in 2006, and passionate social justice activist who inspired community members, students and faculty throughout her beloved Appalachia and beyond.
Keynote Speaker: Martha Barnette
Martha Barnette is co-host of the public radio show and podcast "A
Way with Words," heard on stations across North America. The show is
about words and how we use them - word and phrase origins, slang,
regional dialects, grammar, writing well, books and reading, and that
weird thing Grandma used to
say. Martha is a longtime journalist who's passionate about language
and learning. She holds an undergraduate degree in English from Vassar
College, did graduate
work in classical languages at the University of Kentucky, and studied
Spanish in Costa Rica at ILISA. Before radio, Martha worked as a
reporter for The Washington Post and an editorial writer for the Louisville Courier-Journal. She's the author of three books on word origins, including Ladyfingers & Nun's Tummies: A Lighthearted Look at How Foods Got Their Names.
A Kentucky native, she now lives in San Diego, where she is a popular
public speaker, and frequently performs with the improv comedy troupe
"Thunderprov!" Martha joined "A Way with Words" in 2004. She is now
president of Wayword, Inc., the small, educational nonprofit that
produces and distributes the radio program to more than 160 cities and
worldwide via podcast. You can learn more about "A Way with Words" at
waywordradio.org. and find A Way with Words on Facebook. The show is heard in Ferrum on Saturday afternoons on
Radio IQ, and is available by podcast on iTunes.
Alumna Address: Tammy Wood '94
Those of us that live here in Virginia are well aware of the fire that destroyed the main building of Meadows of Dan Elementary School last fall. They had been in school just two days. Ferrum Alumna Tammy Wood is a kindergarten teacher there.
Tammy completed her BA in Liberal Arts at Ferrum in 1994 and an MA in Children's Literature at Hollins University in 2000. She has been teaching for 18 years with 13 of those years being in a kindergarten classroom. She lives in Meadows of Dan with her husband Troy. They have 2 daughters and 3 granddaughters.
Meadows of Dan Elementary School was built in 1938 and burned in August of 2011. The staff has had to go from a modern teaching situation with computers and active boards to a situation that recalls the old one-room schoolhouse. Immediately following the fire the community rallied and provided all the students with the supplies they needed. Teachers set up temporary classrooms in the still usable gym for about a month as room was made on the grounds for 12 Educational Mobile Units to serve as the school until a new facility can be built. In this technological age we take so much of our technology for granted. Thus it is hard to imagine the challenges faced by this school and its faculty as they try to keep up with this year's curriculum with limited resources. Tammy will give us some insight into the challenges they have faced.
Performance and Lecture: AFTER JACK
After Jack may be a "new band with an old soul," but they have already achieved a great deal since their debut last fall. Mary Allison, Rachel Blankenship and Emily Rose Tucker met while working as professional actor/musicians. Inspired by bluegrass, rock, gospel, blues, folk, country and everything in between, this Virginia-based lady trio joined forces to create a sound driven by tight harmonies, eclectic musicianship and a certain je ne sais quoi, leading to a fusion of genres that provides a fresh take on the multifaceted music of the mountains.
So join us for an evening exploring how these ladies use modern musical technology to delve into the history of the music of these mountains, preserve and interpret traditional genres, and create their own unique sound.
To learn more about After Jack please visit:
http://afterjack.weebly.com/index.html