A national first: On January 31, 2008 WCU took another step forward in its initiative for energy management with over 900 students joining faculty, staff and the community to participate in Focus the Nation, a nationwide dialogue on global warming. This unprecedented initiative is the first of its kind on a national level.

Local events, global focus:  Focus the Nation seeks to wake America up to the potential problem of global warming by involving people across the country, and teaching them about causes and solutions. The Jan. 31 initiative took place at more than 1,900 universities and colleges in all 50 states.

Campuses hold “teach-ins”: Campuses across the country held “teach-ins”: symposiums designed to inform and engage students about the necessity to find solutions to global warming. These symposiums included video, music, roundtable discussions and debates.

Close to home: On the WCU campus, seminars were directed at a local level, focusing on the conservation and preservation of the Carolina coastline and our own Tuckaseegee watershed, and biotechnology. Throughout the day, professors addressed the need for sustainability in their classrooms and students and student organizations participated in an Eco Film Festival, roundtable discussions concerning the future of WNC climate change, and a multi-party debate.

A collaborative success: For WCU event coordinators Lauren Bishop, campus energy manager, and Jane Nichols, assistant professor of interior design, the day was a success.  “It truly was a collaborative effort that made it a dynamic and triumphant program, the first of its kind at Western Carolina University,” said Bishop.