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Women in the News
As the newly appointed Dean’s Fellow for Diversity and Inclusion in the College of Fine and Applied Arts at Appalachian State University, Cara Hagan, an FAA associate professor of dance, said she has ambitious plans to lead efforts to combat racism, sexism and other problems that plague society. “At some point, history is going to ask you what you did, and I don’t want to be caught scratching my head,” she said.
Hagan, who assumed her new role in July, said one of the first initiatives she has in her sights is working with FAA Interim Dean Janice T. Pope to establish an Institute for Creative Justice, with the goal of “advancing equality, one great idea at a time.”
According to Hagan, the institute will offer “sandbox sessions” to cultivate dynamic brainstorming that leads to new, shared philosophies in action; a related podcast/TV show to air on the university’s AppTV; and grants to fund projects for faculty, staff and students who are working to advance creative justice ideals and action.
Hagan will also be conducting a college-specific, qualitative inclusion study as part of the institute, which will help faculty, staff and students work toward inclusive solutions in discipline-specific ways.
“Cara Hagan doesn’t back down from a challenge, whether it’s combating systemic racism, fighting for equality or even helping her neighbors prepare for a pandemic,” Pope said. “She has a tremendous spark and passion for delving into these complex issues that our university, Appalachian State University’s Cara Hagan, associate professor of dance studies, with her Black Lives Matter artwork. Hagan is selling the art to benefit anti-racism organizations. Photo submitted community and as the High Country Agency on Aging world are facing.” and Boone’s OASIS (Opposing Abuse
Pope continued, “The Institute for with Service, Information and Shelter). Creative Justice will complement our Additionally, the group stocked a handful college’s history of creating impactful of free mask stations around the Boone projects such as the Climate Stories Col- area between April and June. laborative, the solar vehicle team and the Hagan serves as president of AppaIDEXlab that address issues related to cli- lachian’s Black Faculty and Staff Assomate change, social justice and, honestly, ciation and has taught in Appalachian’s just ways we can be better people.” Honors College. Additionally, she is an
As a community activist and organiz- author, a film festival curator and an artist. er, Hagan is the founder and driving force By selling her Black Lives Matter artwork, behind Small and Mighty Acts (SAMA), a available at Hatchet Coffee in Boone, group that recently has sewn and donated Hagan has raised $6,000 in two months to hundreds of cloth face masks to local benefit anti-racism organizations. and regional service organizations, such
In her new book, former Parkway Elementary School teacher and author Billie Hicklin remembers a day when students and staff were stuck at school due to weather. Photo submitted
Former Teacher Writes Book About Watauga Winter Event
Those who call the High Country home year-round know that at times unexpected weather can blow in without a moment’s notice. This was true on the afternoon of Jan. 26, 1996, when a dip in temperature turned roads into ice slicks, causing five accidents on U.S. 421 alone and stranding more than 600 students and staff at Parkway Elementary School for hours.
Recently, former educator Billie Hicklin detailed the events of that wintry afternoon in a book that she titled “The Long, Longer, Longest Day: How to Survive Being Stuck at School.”
During the time of the event Hicklin was a seventh-grade teacher at Parkway Elementary and was one of several individuals forced to make the best out of a bad situation once the call was made to bunker down in the school for the foreseeable future.
“I saw the buses start to leave, then I started packing up my own things. It was Friday afternoon and we were all tired and ready to go home like everyone is on a Friday,” said Hicklin. “Lo and behold, I look up and the buses are coming back into the parking lot. Pretty soon after that kids began coming back into the classroom.”
According to Hicklin, her motivation for putting this story into print was the event’s lasting memory with those involved.
“Parkway’s retired teachers get together about once a month and have lunch. And it seemed like this story would come up half the times we got together,” said Hicklin. “The stories just got really funny and I think I started to realize that this is a story that needs to be in the records of the school and if we don’t do it soon then we’re all going to be too old too remember.”
During the ordeal, students and staff passed the time by playing games, watching movies and conversing with one another. Dinner was prepared by the cafeteria staff, and the local radio station, WATA, kept parents updated on the happenings inside the school.
“For the older kids, it was like the best party ever. We had games, we had movies going on. One of the kids recalled sitting around talking to each other and that they talked with kids they weren’t normally friends with,” said Hicklin. “The radio was wonderful because that was the communication between us and all of the parents,” Hicklin said. “They kept the parents from coming and getting into a dangerous situation on icy roads.”
As the night dragged on, temperatures steadily began to rise, thawing roads and allowing parents to pick up their children. The last student left the Parkway Elementary that night at 10 p.m.
Looking back, one of the most memorable aspects of the event, according to Hicklin, was how the situation brought everyone in the school together.
“Everyone came together. The best of everybody came out during that whole event,” said Hicklin. “Everyone threw in and did what had to be done and we made it a fun and memorable experience.”
You can find Hicklin’s new book on Amazon.
- Andrew Cole
Carter Appointed App State Ombudsperson
Appalachian the ombuds role. State Univer- She is a trained sity announces the mediator who has appointment of supported numerous Tandrea Carter as individuals as they university ombud- approached worksperson. Her new based conflicts and role became effective concerns. She emSept. 15. ploys a collaborative
As ombudsper- approach, anchoring son, Carter provides her work in respect confidential, impar- for individual autontial and off-the-re- omy and a desire to cord problem-solv- understand people’s ing and dispute perspectives and resolution assistance experiences.” to App State stu- Carter, who also dents, faculty and serves as director of staff. This assistance, App State’s Counselwhich is provided at ing for Faculty and no cost, includes listening to concerns; Tandrea Carter, Appalachian State University ombudsperson and director of App State’s Counseling Staff, shared she is honored to broaden brainstorming and for Faculty and Staff. Photo by Chase Reynolds her support of the assessing options; university communiproviding coaching; helping gather ty in this new role. information about resources and referrals; “Giving someone a respectful facilitating difficult discussions; and con- audience can, itself, often be a helpful ducting informal conflict resolution. intervention and a productive step
Interim Provost and Executive Vice toward resolution. Approaching conflict Chancellor Heather Norris said, “Dr. constructively serves not only to support Carter brings a wealth of experience to individuals but also strengthens the university,” Carter said.
Carter joined App State as an adjunct lecturer in the Dr. Wiley F. Smith Department of Psychology, where she taught courses on abnormal psychology, educational psychology, psychology of personality and contemporary issues in psychology.
In 2010, she became director of Counseling for Faculty and Staff, housed in the Blue Cross NC Institute for Health and Human Services. Among her duties in this role, Carter provides clinical counseling services to faculty and staff and their immediate family members regarding a variety of mental health and work-related issues. She also offers consultation to administrators, supervisors and other employees regarding employee well-being.
She is a licensed psychologist who earned her Ph.D. in clinical psychology with a concentration in health psychology from the University of Miami. She completed her undergraduate studies at Columbia University, where she majored in history.
Prior to coming to App State, Carter worked as a clinical psychologist at the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
