Centre College

The Centre College Board of Trustees met on campus recently for its annual spring meeting, during which promotions and tenure were announced. The following faculty members were awarded tenure and promotion to associate professor: Dr. Genny Ballard, assistant professor of Spanish; Dr. Melissa Burns-Cusato, assistant professor of psychology; and Dr. Amos Tubb, assistant professor of history and Dr. Brian Cusato, associate professor of psychology....

Homecoming is under way at Centre College this weekend and a new event has been added to schedule of events. More than a dozen authors, all with Centre connections, are scheduled to be on hand from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday at the Norton Center for the Arts foyer. “It's the first time we've done (this event),” said Megan Milby, director of alumni affairs. “We opened it up to alumni to participate. ... They'll be selling books on their own ... to campus and community members.” Milby said the college is always looking for ways to highlight the accomplishments of its alumni.

What makes someone look “suspicious”? Is it what they're wearing? Is it what they're carrying? Is it how they look? A Centre College student mobilized a show of solidarity with the family of Trayvon Martin, the 17-year-old African-American male who was fatally shot Feb. 26 in Sanford, Fla. Trayvon, who at the time of his death was wearing a hoodie, was shot by George Zimmerman, a 28-year-old Hispanic-American who was the “neighborhood watchman.”...

Even if Centre College spent the millions it cost to put on last week's vice-presidential debate on advertising instead, officials say the school could never come close to the kind of attention it got from the world's media. Michael Strysick, communications director at Centre, said initial data indicates the publicity value of the attention was at least four times greater than the initial cost.  “It's going to be a really big number,” Strysick said. The school, the smallest ever to host a vice-presidential or presidential debate, reportedly spent about $3.3 million to put on the event.

Visiting glass artist Ethan Stern will give demonstrations from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at the Hot Glass Studio on Centre College's campus. Stern also will give a public lecture at 5 p.m. Thursday in Room 108 of the Jones Visual Arts Center. Pushing form beyond the expected anatomy of the vessel, Stern uses glass to investigate the emotive potential of objects. Beginning each piece by creating a blown, geometric form composed of multiple layers of color and pattern, Stern then creates patterns and textures by cutting into the surface after the piece has cooled.

For many college students, "pulling an all-nighter" is a familiar routine typically accomplished with copious amounts of caffeine. Often, the go-to option is a so-called "energy shot" drink that boasts a special blend of energy-boosting ingredients.  New research by a behavioral neuroscience professor and her students at Centre College calls the popular drink - and the extra boost it claims to provide - into question. And their preliminary findings are creating quite a buzz. According to the recent study, "The effect of energy drinks on visual attention task performance," led by Centre's KatieAnn Skogsberg, assistant professor of psychology and behavioral neuroscience, the energy drinks may be no more effective than other sources of caffeine.

Centre College students who conceived of a civility pledge when they wanted a more genial campus, will ask some high-powered leaders to follow their example during the vice presidential debate. “It was a student initiative that came out of conversations among student government and with members of the administration about what values we have in common as Centre students, what are our responsibilities and what are the principles we want to promote," said senior Patrick Cho, current president of Centre's Student Government Association, who was a member of SGA when the idea for the pledge was formalized two years ago.  The exhortation to be your best self and treat one another humanely is one Cho and others now want to share with the vice presidential candidates.

Last week's Maximum Velocity Track & Field Academy at Centre College was not just a chance for campers to get pointers from Olympians. Instead, the Centre track and field athletes who worked the camp also got a chance to get pointers from being around the all-star staff of camp clinicians that included former Olympic medal winners. Senior Nick Niehaus, who holds the Centre record in the 400-meter hurdles in 53.44 seconds, spent three days with Kevin Young, the man who has owned the world record in the 400 hurdles since 1992.

DANVILLE (AP) - Centre College has been ranked by a publication as one of the top 10 colleges in the country for alumni donors. The private college in Danville is ranked sixth nationally by U.S. News and World Report for the percentage of alumni who donate to their alma mater. The publication says nearly 55 percent of Centre alumni donate to the school, well above the national average of 13 percent. Statistics for the ranking come from data provided by more than 1,200 colleges and universities across the country.

Hope Springs, an organization in Danville and Boyle County that assists local residents who have multiple sclerosis, will hold its ninth annual Hope Springs Yard Sale from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday in the Chowan Building at Centre College. Items for sale include clothing, furniture, holiday decorations, shoes and accessories, small appliances and bedding. “This is a great way to recycle items by transferring them from one person to another,” says Ann Young, Centre's director of student life and housing.