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Congratulations, Kay
Cullowhee’s Kay Byer was named Poet Laureate of North Carolina last week by Gov. Mike Easley, and we’re so very proud to claim her.
Kay’s haunting poems have been an inspiration to many, including novelist Lee Smith, who included Kay’s “Weep Willow” to open “Fair and Tender Ladies” and composer Harold Schiffman, who has written a cantata, “Alma,” based on Kay’s second volume of poetry, “Wildwood Flower.”
She has been a local champion of the arts, helping publish a poetry anthology, judging writing contests and speaking in schools.
As the Tar Heel State’s poet laureate, Byer can now take her vision and lyricism across the state, spreading beauty and sharing her gift of language.
Making a difference
March 7-11 will be NIE Week, and that means it’s been a year since we allied ourselves with the Newspapers in Education initiative. We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished so far in terms of encouraging students and providing strategies for parents.
NIE was inspired by the words of legendary journalist Joseph Pulitzer, who said a newspaper should be the “schoolmaster of the people and its students should be everyone who opens its pages.”
Pick up any good newspaper and see what you can learn. Look at this week’s Herald.
Leading off is the resignation of the county’s top elected official, who also happens to be a teacher and coach. Turns out he’s leaving politics to devote more time to coaching.
When kids complain that lessons are boring, a newspaper can be a teacher’s best friend. It brings the information in civics textbooks to life through descriptions of lively meetings where citizens debate issues of real impact in their lives.
To aid in that mission, we’ve included lots of great NIE information. From last year’s “Parents’ Corner” that shared tips for parents, to “Summer Specials” that gave kids the scoop on everything from ice cream to fireworks, to fall’s “Kids Voting,” our pages have been filled with features to keep kids interested. We’ll continue to run “Extras” that expand articles with helpful facts and diagrams, and we have lots more NIE features are in the works.
On a deeper level, students who see local issues unfold in print may be more likely to become a part of that cycle. Keeping those kids around and interested is what keeps a small town like ours alive through the years.
Our county’s future depends on its students. We hope to be part of their scrapbooks – and part of their future.
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