This Watercress Wallhanging was made for a Demon Deacon alumna. The client (the recipient’s spouse who also is an alum) provided 4 shirts but there were 9 motifs all together so we were able to create a 3 x 3 grid quilt.

Wake Forest’s colors are Black and Old Gold. I used a gold paisley to size up the tiny motif blocks, a fabulous black/dark gold floral (Alexander Henry) for the sashing, and a classic gold and white toile (Windham Fabrics) for the backing. The client also wanted a hanging sleeve and a personalized label on the back.

Interesting Factoid:

Wake Forest has an unusual tradition of tp’ing themselves when they win a basketball game…the bigger the win, the more festooned the campus will be.  http://www.wfu.edu/athletics/traditions/

These days, building a corporate culture that thirsts for innovation is at the top of every CEOs to do list. This is especially the case in large, mature companies, where for too long risk taking leaders were persona non grata.

So how do you take any staid, complacent, risk adverse work environment and transform it into a mecca for innovative thought and practice? You podcast (or lesson capture, or skype, etc…).

The University of Wisconsin-Madison did just that. They launched a program aimed at training faculty to podcast. Guess what? The podcast program led instructors to new ways of learning.

In an article on the program entitled Podcasting: a Stepping Stone to Pedagogical Innovation the benefits were clear.

The impact of the podcasting program on instructors exceeded our expectations. Two to three years following their participation in the program, over 40% of instructors indicated that they were still using podcasting and that it had changed the way they teach.  These transformations included allowing them to shift from lectures to more participatory formats during class, to create new types of assignments, and to use other types of technology more effectively.

For further proof look at Duke University, Stanford, and UC Berkley, each early adopters of the podcast movement, including being on the ground floor when Apple unveiled iTunes U in May 2007.

In my opinion it is no coincidence that Stanford is now a pioneer in the open access learning space (Stanford Engineering Everywhere), Duke leads in digital learning (Duke Digital Initiative) and UC Berkle’s iTunes U implementation is being credited with laying the groundwork for their next generation learning environment (Apple-UCBerkley case study).

Ok, so I give. Jumping into podcasting is not the secret. Jumping in is. Using the most inspirational words of the past decade – Just do it.

Each of these institutions made a choice. They jumped into what at the time was the innovation deep end. They were early adopters of not all technologies but rather one or two. Innovative risk takers in at least one area with the effects being contagious.

Others universities and colleges are making similar pushes in other areas including West Virgina University with Twitter, Abilene Christian University with the iPhone and Wake Forest’s use of Skype.

Will my Algonquin College learn from these leaders. Stay tuned.

I know that I don’t want to end up in the red after the holiday season is over. I also know that by making greener choices, I might save some green in the process. That’s why I’m giving you a quick refresher course with 6 tips on how having an eco-friendly Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa or general holiday season can add up to some cha-ching for you.

1. Use sustainable gift wrap.
My grandmother would be so proud of how I’ve gotten into the habit of saving and re-using holiday wrapping paper. Not only does this cut down on trash, but it saves me money, too. “In my family, we re-gift gift bags again and again,” adds Wake Forest University Director of Sustainability Dedee DeLongpre Johnston. “Pillowcases can also make pretty gift wraps if done right.” If you can’t reuse gift wrap this year, keep this notion in the back of your mind as you clean up so you have a stash of sustainable gift wrap for next year.

2. Decorate with energy-efficient lighting.
I just wrote a post about green holiday lighting, but it’s a tip worth repeated. If you’re looking to replace your holiday lights, go with LED lights. Like CFLs, they may cost more upfront but, also like CFLs, they have a longer lifespan than standard lights, and LEDs also reduce fire risks because they stay cool to the touch. Want to be even greener? Use light-sensor timers to turn your lights on and off.

3. Give consumable gifts.
I know that around these parts, sometimes baking a batch of homemade cookies or banana chocolate chip bread to give as a gift is the quickest, easiest and most affordable gift to give. If money is tight for you this year, you can make a similar choice–especially if you present your gift in a reusable container. This way you’re not just giving “stuff” that will end up in the trash.

4. Choose a gift that benefits a good cause.
If someone has a passion in life, giving to an organization that supports their cause can be very meaningful. Whether you donate a flock of chicks to support a hungry family through Heifer International or fund the planting of trees through American Forest, you will be giving a gift that gives back and helps preserve the environment at the same time. In addition, consider doing some of your shopping at a local Goodwill store, which supports Goodwill International. Despite the stigma of thrift stores, it is possible to find brand-new, still-with-the-tags-on-them gifts at Goodwill and other resale shops.

5. Give the gift of time.
Schedule time to get together with friends and family for cookie exchanges or other meaningful holiday events. Or if you can swing it, give a gift of a service, such as a manicure or pedicure.

6. Recycle your cut tree.
If you have a cut tree, check with your local municipality to find out when they will pick it up for recycling. (You can also log onto Earth 911 to find out this tree-recycling information, sometimes called treecycling.) More than 30 million real Christmas trees are sold in the United States each year, but more than 90 percent are being recycled for mulch or chipped and used in parks and other public spaces. OK, so this last tip isn’t as much a money saver as the others, but if you get a live tree, the best way to dispose of it is to have it recycled–not toss it in the trash.

Let us know what other green-saves-green ideas you’ll be using this holiday season.

Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou

On December 2, 1992, Dr. Maya Angelou Was Asked To Compose A Poem For William Jefferson Clinton’s Presidential Inauguration.

Dr. Angelou Is Probably Best-Known For Her Five Autobiographies. The First And Most Famous Of These Is “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings”, Published In 1970.

“On The Pulse Of Morning”
Inaugural Poem
Maya Angelou
20 January 1993

“In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It.” — Hubert Gaddy, Jr.

Hugh Gaddy

Create Your Badge

Mark Weber of DARTON GROUP attended the 2nd Charlotte CFO Alliance Breakfast Roundtable meeting today at Carmel Country Club.

The topic of discussion?

“A ‘Risky’ Balancing Act: How To Control Risks While Still Meeting Increasing Performance Standards”

The meeting was facilitated by Jon Duchac, Professor of Accounting, at Wake Forest University.  With a cross-section of CFOs from companies across the greater Charlotte region participating, today’s “risk-centric” discussion centered on the concept of how to manage “downside risk” with “upside reward”.

Some interesting discussion points to consider…

1. The biggest risk is the one you don’t know about.
2. Companies typically manage “hazard” risk exceptionally well.
3. Better management of “strategic” risk represents a tremendous opportunity for most companies (strategic risk includes:  customer demand shortfall, competitive pressures, M&A integration problems, customer pricing, loss of a key customer, etc.).
4. There is considerable opportunity for most companies to better manage “operational” risk (to include:  cost overruns, accounting irregularities, management issues, supply chain issues, foreign macro-economic issues, etc.).

Interestingly enough, 3 of the 6 roundtable discussions today addressed the issue of  “brand risk” tied to social media trends across the world.

Learn more about the Charlotte chapter of The CFO Alliance at http://thecfoalliance.org/charlotte/.

This month’s featured alumna is Lauren Pressley! Lauren currently serves as the Instructional Design Librarian at Wake Forest University. Since graduating from UNCG in 2007, Lauren has stayed extremely busy. In addition to maintaining a popular library blog, she has written a book for aspiring librarians and given numerous presentations on instruction and emerging technologies at various conferences. Earlier this year, Lauren was selected as one of Library Journal’s “Movers and Shakers.” She took some time to share with the alumni about her memories of UNCG and what she’s doing now.

1. What do you remember most about your time in the UNCG LIS program?

I remember the people most. I loved that the faculty had such different experiences; it gave me a better feel of the field as a whole. I loved that my classmates came from such diverse backgrounds and experience levels in libraries; I felt that we were able to learn a lot from each other. I was a part-time, commuter student and even though I wasn’t there all the time, I really felt like I was part of the community, and still feel like I’m part of it even though I come by less often now.

2. What was your first library job? Had you worked in other areas before entering library school?

It depends on how you count it. My first library job was as a library helper in fifth grade. My first paying library job was as a student assistant in college for the Interlibrary Loan department at NCSU. My first full time library job was as a support staff member at Wake Forest University in the Microtext Department (that job no longer exists).

That microtext job was my first full time position. In college I really thought I’d go into student affairs and spent a lot of time preparing for residence life work. I even took a class in a master’s program while an undergrad to test that field out. Luckily, I found librarianship before pursuing that any further. This is a much better fit.

3. What is your current position and what does it entail?

I am currently the Instructional Design Librarian at Wake Forest University. Part of this is a traditional librarian role: I liaise with three departments (Philosophy, Women’s and Gender Studies, and the Teaching and Learning Center) which means I teach library instruction sessions, help faculty with whatever they need, and purchase books for their collections. I teach a one-credit information literacy class at least once a semester. I also sit one or two hours on the reference desk per week, just to keep a toe in that part of the field.

A large part of my job is helping others teach.  In this role I started and co-facilitate (with another UNCG alum, Roz Tedford) a “Teaching Teaching” course for the teaching library faculty and staff. We treated this like a one-credit class the first semester, with lectures and group work. This semester I’m facilitating the workshop rather than teaching the class. The group came up with topics and each week I line up people to share examples and facilitate the discussion. If you’re interested, we have a blog for the class. I sometimes consult with new librarian teachers to help them with their classes. I also often work with academic faculty looking at incorporating educational technology into their courses.

Another part of my job is paying attention to emerging technologies. I teach a monthly emerging tech talk on new things on the horizon and I answer questions for anyone at WFU on emerging technology issues. I have this focus largely to find tools that can help us provide better service and instruction, but it’s also nice to play the role of filter for my colleagues. This way they don’t have to spend all their time learning about everything. I make sure we’re familiar with the things that will make the biggest impact and everyone saves some time.

The last part of what I do is committee work. I chair the library’s staff development committee. I serve on the assessment and web committees for the library. I also serve on the university committee that is looking at transitioning students to Gmail and the college strategic planning committee for innovation in technology and information.  Little taskforces pop up all the time, too. Most of this work is tied in some way to my roles with instruction and technology.

4. How did you get interested in instruction and emerging technologies?

I’ve always had an interest in emerging technology. I like forecasting for the future, and have a knack for figuring out which tools might really grab people. I suspect my interest in instruction comes from having both really amazing teachers and really terrible teachers as far back as elementary school. I know my interest in online education comes from the fact that both my best class and worst class that I ever took were distance education courses.

5. Do you have an accomplishment in your library career that you are most proud of?

I am really proud to have written a book. I am especially proud that the book is one that could help recruit good people to our field, and help new people in the field find their place. But I’m also very proud to have been on the Library Journal’s Movers and Shakers list. Every year I wait for the list, knowing that I’ll be inspired by the people on it and what they do. It never occurred to me that I might be included on that list as well.

6. I know you’ve just published your first book – congratulations! Can you tell us a little about it?

Thanks!! The book is So You Want To Be A Librarian, published by Library Juice Press. It’s a book aimed at college students considering the field as well as new library school students who are trying to find their niche within it. While I was writing it, I thought of the book as a “foundations” type of book but with a more conversational tone. It includes tips about grad school as well as the jobs and issues that people may encounter in the field.

Writing the book was a far bigger project than I realized it would be. I took a few weeks of Paid Time Off to write it, and still it seemed to consume every moment of free time I had for that year. However, it’s really satisfying to have completed it and I have heard really kind and positive comments about it, which helps me feel better about all the time that went into it. J And though I’m a techy librarian, it’s still really fun to have a book with my name on it and a Library of Congress authority record!

7. Do you have any other projects coming up that you’re really excited about?

I just participated in the Library 101 project, by writing a little essay. I enjoy the fun videos that David Lee King and Michael Porter put out, and how they’re trying to keep things fun while pointing out new things for people to try. I appreciated the many facets of this project, so of course I jumped to participate when I had the chance.

I also have another book coming out around the holidays: Wikis for Libraries, part of the Tech Set that Neal Schuman is putting out. The books are all written by a great group of librarians. The Tech Set is designed for folks who are interested in a bunch of different technologies, but might not have looked into them in great detail yet. It’s a fabulous project. I am really excited about it. We’ll have podcasts and a wiki out to explain the project in greater detail soon.

8. What would you like to accomplish in the next five years?

In terms of scholarship, I’m hoping to focus my message a little more clearly on the role of libraries and librarians in academic technology. At this point I’m hoping to write more articles and give presentations (and less books) over the next five years. In terms of service, I’m running for ALA Council, and would love to influence the discussion there.  I’m also focusing most of my professional involvement in LITA, an association within ALA focused on technology. In terms of my day-to-day work, I’d love to be involved a little more in management in the next five years as well. But mostly, my plan is to keep learning as things change and adapting to whatever our users’ newest needs and interests are.

9. Anything else you’d like to say to the UNCG Alumni:

UNCG is a great place. The network of people you meet is phenomenal, and is easy to keep up with after graduation with a little bit of time on Facebook. North Carolina is a great place for graduate school, too, as there are so many different libraries for internships and shadowing opportunities.

Professional uses of Facebook, Twitter, and blogging can help you find your place in the profession. Blogging opened doors for me that I never imagined would be open at this point in my career, so don’t be afraid to get out there and try things!

Let me know if you have any questions! I’d be happy to chat!

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We have a new favorite in the Best Name in College Sports competition, meet red-shirted sophomore Gelo Orange from Wake Forest. A linebacker by trade, Orange has several blocked punts on his resume, once of which was integral in the Demon Deacon’s victory over Boston College last November. Originally from Haiti, Orange moved to Florida in 2004 to live with his father, and that is when he took up football.

[Wake Forest Sports]

For the past couple of days, in efforts to get back to TV-Free(dom), I have been listening to Pandora. . . . Sometimes I think she reads my mind.

I heard “In Repair” this morning. (I must first admit that I’ve always thought that John Mayer writes his songs specifically for me. Have you ever run across an artist who seems to be singing all the words that lie deep in your soul?) And at 6:30am, with barely 4 hours of sleep, hearing it brought me to tears. Memories of years long gone flooded my mind and heart. The soft golden glow of dawn reminded me of this place and the comforting feeling I got from it’s warm red brick, lush green lawns and majestic magnolias.

It’s not so much Wake Forest that I miss-there was a lot of good and a lot of bad. But you know how sometimes you’re spiritually connected to a place? For some reason it just feels right? I got that feeling there the moment I drove through the gates. It felt like home. A home, that for those short 18 years of my life, I was desperately searching for.

Anyway, as I work through The Artist’s Way, I’ve realized that there a lot of things from my past that I never allowed myself to heal from. I suppressed a lot. I didn’t feel. I didn’t grieve. (I don’t know how to grieve.) And now 10 years later I’m trying to figure out how to deal with heartache that I endured so long ago, with wounds that still feel so fresh.

Well, I gotta get back to the present. There is breakfast to be made, games to be played, coffee to be drank, diapers to be changed, laundry to be folded, floors to be swept. . . . Oh my, where does it end?

I’m in repair
I’m not together, but I’m getting there

The CFO Alliance http://thecfoalliance.org held its inaugural Charlotte meeting yesterday at Carmel Country Club.

The meeting was attended by CFOs from leading companies and organizations across the greater Charlotte area including National Gypsum, EnPro Industries, Comporium Communications, United Way of Central Carolinas and more. 

The event featured an interactive breakfast roundtable that was effectively facilitated by Professor Tom Canace of Wake Forest University. 

The topic?

“The Strategic Role of the CFO:  Becoming a Business Partner”.

Tom focused on two central themes for consideration by the CFOs:

1. Rethink your processes (“frees you up to ________”).
2. See yourself (and your team) as “partner”.

Tom cited the following value in the CFO transforming into the role of “Strategic Business Partner” including:

1. Fosters ability to lead change
2. Enables the organization to speak with one voice
3. Allows the CFO to become a “business integrator”
4. Aligns accountability
5. Fosters healthy tension in the business

Team DARTON suggests the following resources that address the role of CFO as “Strategic Business Partner”:

• The CFO as Business Integrator  http://www.amazon.com/CFO-Business-Integrator-Cedric-Read/dp/047085149X
• Deloitte’s “Four Faces of the CFO” http://www.deloitte.com/view/en_US/us/Insights/browse-by-role/Chief-Financial-Officer-CFO/index.htm
• CFO:  Architect of the Corporation’s Future  http://www.amazon.com/PricewaterhouseCoopers-Financial-Cost-Management-Team/dp/0471975990
• The CFO as Analyst and Advisor  http://harvardbusiness.org/product/the-cfo-as-analyst-and-adviser/an/4095BC-HCB-ENG?Ntt=finance+and+accounting

Several years ago, Greg Mankiw posted on a column by Robert Whaples in which he “surveys PhD members of the American Economic Association and finds substantial agreement on a wide range of policy issues” from free trade to educational vouchers.

The information below shows his findings:

• 87.5 percent agree that “the U.S. should eliminate remaining tariffs and other barriers to trade.”
• 85.2 percent agree that “the U.S. should eliminate agricultural subsidies.”
• 85.3 percent agree that “the gap between Social Security funds and expenditures will become unsustainably large within the next fifty years if current policies remain unchanged.”
• 77.2 percent agree that “the best way to deal with Social Security’s long-term funding gap is to increase the normal retirement age.”
• 67.1 percent agree that “parents should be given educational vouchers which can be used at government-run or privately-run schools.”
• 65.0 percent agree that “the U.S. should increase energy taxes.”

And, finally, the topic that generates the most consensus:

• 90.1 percent disagree with the position that “the U.S. should restrict employers from outsourcing work to foreign countries.

Click here to view the original article.

Click here to view the data.

JAZBA.COM: Too much calcium in the bloodstream may signal increased risk of fatal prostate cancer, according to a new analysis from Wake Forest University and University of Wisconsin. READ MORE>

With a collection of handmade books, prints and objects created by 13 Cuban artists and writers, a Wake Forest University professor and more than 40 students provide a window into the complexities of modern Cuba. “Cuban Artists Books and Prints: 1985-2008” opened at the Charlotte and Philip Hanes Art Gallery on the Wake Forest campus Aug. 26 and runs through Oct. 6. It was first shown at the Grolier Club in New York City this spring with a related symposium hosted by the Museum of Modern Art. The show features about 120 pieces, including handmade books and other objects created by contemporary Cuban painters, sculptors, photographers and printmakers.

The 50th anniversary of the Cuban revolution is a good time to reflect on what has transpired historically and culturally and to observe how Cuba’s legacy is interpreted, says Linda Howe, the professor of Romance languages who led the project that has brought together artists, a small Cuban press called Ediciones Vigía, and dozens of Wake Forest faculty, staff and students. “It is also an occasion to celebrate a vibrant culture,” Howe said.  “These artists have survived cultural politics, difficult living conditions, and, at times, resource shortages that limited their access to the most basic materials, like paper.”

Designed to provide an inside look at Cuban culture and to go beyond stereotypes, the bilingual show is the result of a multi-year, multi-faceted project.  Wake Forest students have developed a documentary film, business plans, a traveling exhibition, a Web site (www.wfu.edu/cubaproject/), a symposium on Cuban history and culture, and lesson plans for K-12 teachers around the country. Students enrolled in the class “Entrepreneurship in Art Education and Educational Outreach” worked with Howe and other faculty and staff to organize the exhibit’s content and coordinate its installation and travel.  Other students wrote descriptions for all the books in the show and helped prepare a bilingual exhibition catalogue. “My goal for this project was to convert my students into travelers rather than tourists, people who see beyond the headlines and make a sincere effort to understand another culture,” Howe said. 

Many of the books in the show were designed for Ediciones Vigía, a collaborative artists’ press founded in 1985 in Matanzas, Cuba. The only press of its kind in Cuba, it began with a mimeograph machine and a borrowed typewriter. Its handmade limited editions of works by leading Cuban and foreign authors are designed and illustrated primarily by Rolando Estévez.  Several of these unique books are collages with cloth, leaves, sand, craft paper and wood scraps. 

Though most of the artists still live in Cuba, some of their work is critical of the system.  Inside a book-sized matchbox, René Bravo Quintana’s matchstick character Spark comments on the 1990s “Special Period,” when the government required energy-saving practices to avoid economic collapse.  With a touch of humor, the book suggests the revolution may have lost some of its spark. An umbrella, a large kite-shaped print, and a dress are among the works of art that provide clues about Cuban culture and insight into the artistic imagination. Some pieces present routine Cuban activities in a fanciful way.  For example, in Sandra Ramos’s Alice’s Last Trip, Alice in Wonderland and friends join Cubans to wait in long lines for endless hours to catch a bus. In “I Spent Most of the Winter in Rhineland Writing These Boleros:  A Fully Illustrated Winter Book,” Antonio Eligio (Tonel), reveals his trials and tribulations as a Cuban artist living abroad in the 1990s. Carlos Estevez, who now lives in Miami, created a doll with a set of clothes covered with elaborate philosophical writings.  “The doll is my favorite work in the show,” said Lauren Gray, a 2009 Wake Forest graduate who worked on the project last year.  “It made me search for the details of each piece to find the realities, complexities, and ties to Cuba that I knew were present in every work. It made me think about what was important in my life, how my life was different from many of the artists’ involved in the exhibition, and how experiences shape us all and affect our perceptions.”

The exhibit will travel to The Fleming Museum in Vermont and then to Latino Arts, Inc. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, after the conclusion of the Wake Forest show. The project is sponsored by Wake Forest University; The Museum of Modern Art; The Grolier Club; InterAmericas/Society of Arts and Letters of the Americas, a program of The Reed Foundation; and The Cuban Artists Fund.

For the complete press release go to http://www.wfu.edu/news/release/2009.08.28.c.php

Art of Sky, Art of Earth:  Maya Cosmic Imagery, a new permanent exhibit, will open Sept. 1 at Wake Forest University’s Museum of Anthropology. Curated by museum director Stephen Whittington, in collaboration with the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts at St. Bonaventure University in Olean, N.Y., the exhibit focuses on St. Bonaventure’s collection of ancient pottery from the Maya civilization dating from A.D. 250 through 900, commonly called the Classic period.  The Maya culture flourished in what are now areas of southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, western Honduras and western El Salvador.

“The exhibit centers on a collection of objects from western New York state unknown to Maya scholars before I started working with it,” Whittington said.  “As an archaeologist and student of Maya civilization, my goals were to make the collection known to other Mayanists and also to provide students and the general public with an introduction to Maya beliefs about the structure of the universe through an engaging exhibit.”

Grants from Wake Forest allowed Whittington to have the collection professionally conserved, photographed and published on the Maya Vase Database, an important resource for international scholars studying Maya iconography on ceramics. The Mary Reynolds Babcock Cultural Improvement Fund and the J.C. Tise Fund of the Winston-Salem Foundation supported installation of the exhibit at Wake Forest University.

The collection is supplemented by additional artifacts on loan from the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, as well as contemporary Maya objects from the museum’s own collection and images of ancient murals on loan from the Bonampak Documentation Project at Yale University.

The Museum of Anthropology is open 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and admission is free.

For more information, call (336) 758-5282, e-mail moa@wfu.edu or visit the museum Web site at www.wfu.edu/moa.

In the top of the 7th, in a seven inning game, Chris J.’s towering fly ball just barely clears the Green Monster in left field. Our team, the Jackson 4, rejoices. His dramatic grand slam provides a comfortable, and ultimately insurmountable, three-run lead over The Big Mistakes.

We wrap up the best-of-three series at Donato Memorial Field. With dimensions suitable for wiffle ball, the replica Fenway Park especially delights newcomers. When a particularly nasty curve ball led to one guest’s injured knee a couple years prior, the arriving EMT’s took their time with the patient while they marveled at the field.

Our gracious hosts Anthony and Brian built this park themselves seven years ago. They have made continuous improvements since, adding bleachers this year. Similarly, their grandfather and father built to last, with their own hands, the welcoming Cape Cod House nearly 50 years ago. Though the five formal Cape House rules (e.g. #1: If you love her, you gotta tell her and #5: If you don’t remember it, it didn’t happen) set the tone, the informal code among the group of friends tells more.

We have come together for Nick and Elena’s wedding. Nick has the honesty of Abe Lincoln in confessional. He retains an utter sincerity I find nearly only in children. When Nick told our group of college friends that he and Elena were getting married, we were ecstatic for them and almost equally for the Cape Cod location. While most of the wedding party would stay at the designated hotel, the Donatos rolled out the red carpet to those interested. Their hospitality is legendary amongst us; Bill K. and Colin E. would both eventually ask, isn’t there somebody I have to pay for this? Most arrived Thursday in ample time for the Saturday night wedding.

Tell me when we are going to start having fun, frequently repeats Chris, shaking his head while he says it. I understand the sentiment. I savor every moment because I will not see these friends again for at least a year. Once the full weight of the cameraderie of this company, the weather’s perfection,and the idyllic setting reaches me, I enjoy myself with thorough melody.

On the side of the dock, I dangle my feet in the water as Anthony and Chris toss me Quahogs I drop in a salt-water bucket. Anthony gathers with his feet while Chris collects with his hands. Quahogs are tasty little neck-less clams that require only a short period of steaming. These add variety yet to the cornucopia of dips, salads, snacks, desserts, and grilled meats. The availability of veggie substitutes and the breakfast brought to me in bed represent signature Anthony. He shrugs off my gratitude.

After the wiffleball series, we tear off our Quahog League t-shirts and jump off the same dock into the warm salt water of the Little River in Mashpee, MA. We successfully lure Jack but not Ollie into the water with us. Jack is the younger, more rambunctious, and more athletic of the two personable Donato bulldogs. Brody, Anthony’s sweet girlfriend Kelly’s dog, gets by fine in their company while registering an air of disbelief.

I observed last weekend at my sister’s house that the coexistence of three minivans in her driveway indicates the stage our family life has entered. Wives outnumbering girlfriends, conversation with Todd O. about impending first home ownership in Atlanta, and the presence of tiny adorable Alexander Robert Charecky, with that new person smell, are likewise telling of novel waters. The whole body soreness I suffer from wiffleball, which I wouldn’t have thought possible, tells more.

Elena’s family hosts a wonderful wedding. Chris F., Nick’s brother and Best Man, gives a funny, poignant toast. I tell Nick at the reception that I am uncertain I’ve seen a bigger or more unshakeable smile on his face. He simplifies for my sake. I would have hit 16 homers if I played with you guys today.

The biggest controversy all weekend is a wiffleball rules disagreement over which an “integrity chair” presides. I experience the weekend joyously and with nostalgia, already missing them, the ridiculous stories, and the trash talk. Since graduation, we have grown in different directions and settled in different cities. But the friendship we share has been generously accommodating. Anthony openly receives my lobby for a Labor Day 2010 get-together here. The three day weekend will be at the end of my first full week back in the United States of America.

Lee Norris first worked his way into the hearts of young viewers as Stewart Minkus on the ABC hit Boy Meets World.  Exactly 10 years after BMW’s debut, Norris took on the role of Marvin “Mouth” McFadden on One Tree Hill.  Nearly six years later, Norris is still going strong as OTH goes into its seventh season.

In an exclusive interview for TDW, Norris reflected on his favorite storylines,  traveling for the show and who he wants to be Mrs. McFadden…

TeenDramaWhore: I recently rewatched the early season 1 episodes of One Tree Hill and it was amazing to see Mouth’s origins compared to where he is now.  He had such a small role in the beginning.  Did you have any idea how the role and character would evolve?

Lee Norris: I really had no idea.  During the pilot and Season 1, I was still a full-time college student at Wake Forest University.  I would get these scripts Fed-Ex’d to my dorm room and each time I got one delivered, it was a surprise.  I wasn’t under any sort of contract at that point, so I never knew how many episodes I’d be involved in.

I had a few conversations with Mark Schwahn, our creator, and he told me that he really believed in the character and thought it added an interesting element to the show.  I think the big turning point was when Mouth did the cheerleading routine in the first season [ed. note: Episode 1.17, Spirit in the Night].  It was so quirky and different and it got a great response from the fans… and then Mark started building the character from there.  I was so grateful that there were fans out there who identified with Mouth — girls and guys — that were the kids in high school who floated between all the different social cliques.  To be made a series regular was really rewarding for me, but also felt very natural since my character had been there since the Pilot episode.  So no, I had no idea what was in store for me, but I’ve been extremely grateful.

TDW: Do you and Mouth share any similarities?  Do you have any interest in sports or journalism?

Norris: Sure, we have some similarities.  He’s kind of spontaneous in that “Baby Got Back”-at-karaoke-night kind of way, haha, [ed. note: Episode 2.5, I Will Dare] and I like to have fun like that.  Don’t be looking for me at karaoke joints, but I do like to have fun.  I think he is a fiercely loyal friend, and that’s something I try to mirror in my life.  But he’s also done some really dumb things relationship wise, haha, so I’d like to think we’re not similar in that respect.

I love sports… when I auditioned for the role, I wore my Wake Forest basketball t-shirt to the audition, and Mark gave me a little grief because he went to Maryland (an ACC rival).  And in terms of journalism, I was an English major in school and I wrote for the school newspaper in high-school, so that’s sort of a natural fit as well.

TDW: Do you have a favorite episode, storyline or scene?

Norris: My favorite episode is still the school shooting episode [ed. note: Episode 3.16, With Tired Eyes, Tired Minds, Tired Souls, We Slept] .  But I also love any of the scenes where it’s basically the whole cast together.  When you get all of us in the same scene, it’s crazy!  Usually it involves a late night of shooting and everyone gets kind of loopy, and those are the most fun.  I also liked the storyline dealing with Mouth’s grandpa [ed. note: Episode 3.7, Champagne for My Real Friends, Real Pain for My Sham Friends].  It was nice to see someone in his family, and I also got to interact with Hilarie [Burton, Peyton] in that storyline and we had never gotten to do much together before.

TDW: I recently interviewed Allison Scagliotti (Abby) about the school shooting storyline, which is a fan favorite.  What do you remember from the filming of those episodes?  How did you initially react when you found out about the storyline?

Norris: As I said, that is my favorite episode.  When I heard about it, I just thought it was really smart.  Mark took this old character in Jimmy Edwards [Colin Fickes], who hadn’t been around in seasons, and used his re-emergence to tell this amazingly powerful story about life in high-school as an outsider.  It was really controversial and he had to fight really hard to get the episode made, but it was definitely worth it.  All of the actors and crew put in the longest hours on that episode and everyone really stepped up their game.

Those of us who were locked in the tutor center would file into this little room day after day and film these emotionally draining scenes, and I remember doing this part where Mouth sort of breaks down.  And I was really drained afterwards and [Bethany Joy Galeotti, Haley] looked at me and gave me some really encouraging words.  Little things like that stick in my memory.  This is random, but I remember listening to “Fix You,” by Coldplay the whole time I filmed that episode.  I’m really proud of the work we did, and I think it really set us apart from some other teen shows in that it had a lot of heart.

TDW: Do you have a favorite memory from the set?

Norris: It’s tough to pick just one after 6 1/2 years.  Two of my favorite memories involve episodes where the entire company traveled.  Early on we went to Myrtle Beach to film, and more recently we went to Honey Grove, Texas.  On the Myrtle Beach trip, we were all staying in the same hotel and it was like summer camp.  We all snuck down to the pool after hours and went swimming, so that was pretty fun.

And then in Texas, we got to watch an episode of the show with the kids who won the contest to bring our show to their town.  We literally sat in one of their living rooms and watched an episode with them, and it was so surreal to see them look at the TV screen and then look at us sitting in the room with them.  During certain parts of the episode, they would cry, laugh, etc., and it was just awesome to see our little show affect people that we had never even met before.

TDW: Mouth has had several relationships on the show but also very strong friendships with Brooke (Sophia Bush) and Rachel (Danneel Harris).  Why do you think that is?

Norris: I honestly don’t know why he’s had so many relationships.  As an actor, it’s not really my place to question the storylines, though.  Our writers have gotten us to 7 seasons, so I trust them even if I don’t always understand something.  Mouth was never a jock or a pretty-boy, so-to-speak, so it’s not surprising that his romantic aspirations with Brooke and Rachel didn’t really pan out.  But I think he had good friendships with them because he truly liked them as people, and not just because of how ‘hot’ they were.

TDW: Mouth and Millicent have hit several bumps in their relationship, whether it be Gigi, Owen or job opportunities.  Do you think they’ll last?  Do you want them to?

Norris: I think they will last, and I’d be happy to see that.  Lisa Goldstein, who plays Millie, is so awesome and we have the best time working together.  We both went to school in North Carolina and we have a lot of similar interests, so it’s very easy chemistry with her.  Gigi and Owen are just two obstacles that they had to overcome.  I think any great relationship that is worthwhile will always be tested.

TDW: What was your reaction when you found out they were bringing Gigi back?

Norris: On a personal level, Kelsey Chow who plays Gigi is the sweetest girl, so I was happy to work with her again.  On the storyline side, again, it’s not really important what I think.  No matter what I’m given to do, I just try and commit to it and make the most out of it.  There are people out there who passionately love my character and those who can’t stand him.  You’re never going to make everyone happy, but for those out there who watch our show with an open mind, and for those who identify with my character, they are the reasons that I work so hard.  I’m so grateful for my job and my fans, and they deserve nothing but the absolute best from me, no matter how I might feel about a particular storyline.

TDW: In season 5, the show jumped ahead four years and now there will be another jump.  Where do you think Mouth will be in another 5 years?

Norris: At the end of last season, Mouth made it pretty clear that he was happy with his job and with his girl, so hopefully he’ll still be involved with both in 5 years, although it might be nice if Millie was Mrs. McFadden at that point!

TDW: What can you tell us about the upcoming season and your storylines?  Will you be a regular and on for the whole season?

Norris: Yes, I’m signed on for this season.  I mentioned in another interview that I had to do some naked scenes, and the interviewer incorrectly assumed that it meant love scenes between me and Millie [ed. note: I think he's referring to this]. My naked stuff is actually funny stuff, not romantic.  I read a comment from a girl who is apparently horrified about seeing me partially naked; that made me laugh!  I love how passionate our fans are.  Don’t worry girls, if I’m not your cup of tea there will be plenty of nakedness from the other guys on the show.  But on a more serious note, I really like where Mouth is headed this year.  Nothing is drastically different, but he’s going to face some tough dilemmas where he has to choose between his career and personal life.  And Millie has a really interesting arc this season, so we’ll see how Mouth deals with that.

TDW: Which role are you recognized for more: Mouth or Stewart Minkus on Boy Meets World?

Norris: It used to be Minkus all the time, but now that OTH is re-running everyday on SoapNet, it’s kind of a toss up.  Older fans tend to know me as Minkus, or even Chuckie Lee from ‘The Torkelsons,’ but OTH is popular with all age groups… I’ve had grandmas come up to me.  One lady kept calling me “Mouse,” I didn’t have the heart to correct her, haha.

TDW: Are you still in touch with any of the BMW cast?

Norris: Not really, unfortunately.  Most of them live on the West coast and it’s been so many years.  I hope they’re all well, it would be fun to reconnect sometime.

TDW: What is your upcoming movie, Blood Done Sign My Name, about? Does it have a release date yet?

Norris: It’s a true story about a racial murder in North Carolina that happened in the Vietnam War era.  I played one of the accused murderers, so it was completely different for me.  It’s an independent film and it deals with such a controversial subject, so I believe they’re still trying to figure out the best way and time to release it.  It was a great experience and I hope people get to see it.

TDW: Lastly, there are a lot of people on Twitter claiming to be One Tree Hill actors but are actually impostors.  Have you thought about getting your own account?

Norris: There are people that pretend to be me on Twitter, Facebook, etc.  It’s flattering in one respect, but at the same time it’s kind of a drag because they’ll write things I’d never write, or deny friend requests, etc.  I don’t think I’ll be doing any of that.  I occasionally post messages on OTHForums.com and I like that medium for interacting with the fans.  Also, I have some amazingly talented fans that started lee-norris.net and leemichaelnorris.com, so if anyone wants to know what’s going on in my career, they can always check those out.

Click here to see a picture of Norris and me from last year!

Come back next Sunday for another exclusive interview!

TDW Interview Index

I grew up in a Christian home and joined a moderate Baptist church at 9 years of age. That environmnet completely shaped my understanding of God and Spirit until I began exploring other religions and religious philosophies in divinity school and beyond. The divinity school I attended at Wake Forest University taught me to openly and critically examine my own concepts and perceptions of religion and spirituality, as well as those of which I was unfamiliar. This exploration provided key insights which helped me deepen spiritually. Fear and suffering have almost dissappeared in this life… as well as desire. Nothing is wanted. There is joy in what is.

My religious upbringing eventually led to a robust prayer life. In the most difficult parts of life, I was on my knees a lot. And… as time went on, instead of praying specific short prayers, I became more and more open. Open to the point of being constantly in touch with God. No longer was there communication in words… there was just a very tangible, constant openness to the Spirit.

Later, as I studied Eastern spirituality, I learned about the witness. The witness state is one in which the body, the mind, and the world are all observed with a sense of detachment. This state is very close to what many would describe as enlightened… especially when the sense of identity moves from the body and even mind into the witness itself. When you realize that the body and even the mind with all its stories, concepts, and thoughts are not who you are, that you are beyond all that, fear and suffering begin to drop away.

Some have suggested that this very intense inquiry into self, to discover who it is you really are, might be the essence of selfishness and selfcenteredness. But that is really a misunderstanding. Once you detach from the concepts and stories that actually build the ego’s identity, the self-center moves from the little body and mind… to all of existence! Everyone and everything is embraced in unconditional love.

The reason I started this blog is to help those of a Christian background open and deepen to the point that they grow beyond all suffering, all fear, all desire, and enter the natural state… a state beyond ego… a state that is the essence of unconditional love. If one opens and deepens in this way there comes a realization that most of Jesus’s teachings, depending on the translation and interpretation, point to this state of being.

With the launch of WinstonSalemRent.com, HomeTownRent hopes to provide a valuable service to this town of over 200,000 people. As the 4^th largest city in North Carolina, Winston Salem is central to the furniture industry and has a diverse economy including biomed and nanotech with the Piedmont Triad Research Park.  Winston Salem is home to over 16,000 students at Wake Forest University, Salem College and Winston Salem State University.

The local site is built to be a resource for renters in “The Twin City” searching for a place to live and as an effective place for property managers and landlords to list their properties. The goal: quality renters for quality places. Out of the gate, this site has gained several property managers and individual landlords and the site is poised to climb in Google rank.

When you travel you should always let the photo editors you work with know where you’re going.  You never know where an editor might need someone for an assignment.  I let the editors of ESPN RISE know that I would be in the Cape Cod/Boston/New England area to see if they had any location-specific assignments.  It turns out they did.  They hired me to shoot for their ESPN RISE Boston edition.

Here is a ridiculous test shot of me wearing the guys high school basketball uniform to make sure the red came out correctly against the blue background before the actual shoot took place.

For the story and photo shoot, ESPN RISE featured two high school basketball players, Katie Zenevitch, the best girls player in the state, and Carson Desrosiers, the top center in Massachusetts.  Both players are  from Central Catholic High School, in Lawrence, Massachusetts.  Katie will be playing for Boston College in 2010.  Carson was signed to Wake Forest for their 2010 season.  For this shoot, I decided to set up in the auditorium which doubled as their gymnasium.  The curtain on the stage was used as my backdrop.  I had the players jump off the stage onto a gymnastics mat.  You can view the tearsheets below.  To see more images from the shoot, click here.

Steve Boyle Photo