Before she began her address to the award recipients at Southwestern Community College’s 25th annual Academic Awards Ceremony, Sylva Mayor Brenda Oliver congratulated Southwestern’s ranking as the number four community college in the nation . Vice president for instruction and student services Gene Couch introduced Oliver and presided over the program. SCC President Cecil Groves presented the awards to each recipient.

“We are so proud we have quality educational opportunities for our youth and others who may not be so young,” she told the crowd assembled in Myers Auditorium on the Jackson Campus.

As a member of the advisory board for the National League of Cities, Oliver said the group was looking at trends and predictions and how they relate to cities and towns and how best to prepare America’s cities and town for the future.

She cited a book The Long Emergency by James Howard Kunstler who claims America is “headed off the edge of a cliff.”

Beyond that cliff is an abyss of economic and political disorder on a scale that no one has ever seen before, Oliver said, adding, “He calls this coming of time the Long Emergency.”

Kunstler predicts that the national government will prove to be ineffective in managing problems that become so enormous that the United States will devolve into a set of autonomous regions.

The global oil production peak is at the point where we have extracted half of all the oil that has ever existed in the world, Kunstler writes. He believes our desperate problems with oil and gas will effectively shut down the growth of our industrial economies and our expectations for economic progress as we have known it, Oliver told the crowd.

The course of action Kunstler recommends, and which the league is studying, is comprehensive downsizing, as well as relocalizing of all of activities.

Kunstler says big box stores will wither and die as their off-shore suppliers dry up and they can’t transport goods to the stores.

“We will have to rebuild local economic interdependence,” Oliver said. Part of that will center around farming and food production. More than 100 years ago 30 percent of America was engaged in farming. Now the figure is 1.6 percent. “Americans will be compelled to radically reorganize the way food is produced or starve,” she said.

“It is not my intent to depress you with predictions of the future but to stimulate your thinking,” Oliver said. “We will have to rethink and reorganize to adjust for the oil crisis. You are some of our brightest and best-equipped students and you are our hope for tomorrow.”

Oliver left the audience with two thoughts- “Find ways to give back to your community and live in a small town and make a garden.”

Recipients of academic awards included:
Students who maintain a perfect 4.0 cumulative GPA shall receive "high honors" recognition, which is designated by an asterisk(*) beside their names.

North Carolina Community College System Academic Excellence Award
Matt Lemmens*
Emily Stroot

Southwestern Community College Students of Distinction
Wyatt Chiltoskie*
Laura J. Gardner*
Christopher C. Salerno
Duane Strain
Shane Sullivan

Who’s Who Among Students in American Junior Colleges
Anthony M. Camblor
Jill Cobb
Kimberly A. Deaton
Jami L. Fletcher
John D. Hall
Jessica P. Harpe
Charles L. Mitchell*
Kevin J. Price
Virginia T. Rice
Rebekah Wilkins
Stephanie A. Wood

Southwestern Community College Nominee All- USA Today
Community College Academic Team
Stephanie A. Wood

Arts & Sciences Division
Dr. Barbara Putman, Dean

Associate in Arts College Transfer
Trista M. Chase
Emily S. Coggins
Jordyn E. Fuller*
Tammy S. Holland
Cody N. Jones
Courtney J. Mills
Andrea D. Rich
Maggie N. Rogers
Christopher C. Salerno
Gregory A. Shuler
Marshall G. Solomon
Emily J. Stroot
Leslie D. Wilson
Cheryl A. Woodard
Roberta A. Wyatt

Associate in Arts Elementary Education
Cieara E. Gregory*

Associate in Arts Middle Grades & Special Education
James L. Leithauser*

Dual Enrolled
Corey C. Atten
Daniel E. Hall
Michelle D. Stewart

Early College High School
Savannah M. Bell
Ansley E. McAllister

Huskins Bill Students
Martha A. Hall
Amanda R. Janow
Benjamin B. Stewart

Career Technologies Division
Dr. Thom Brooks, Dean

Accounting
Sheila A. Anders

Advertising & Graphic Design
Shelby S. Blanton
Jessica P. Harpe
Clinton T. Matthews*
Hether A. Pierce
Jordan G. Stevens
Deanna G. Wagner

Automotive Systems Technology
Shane A. Sullivan

Business Administration
Deborah B. Ballew
Adam D. Guffey
Sheila F. Morgan
Megan A. Orr
Christopher S. Vendrell

Business Administration Electronic-Commerce
Laura J. Gardner*

Computer Information Technology
Wyatt E. Chiltoskie* Duane E. Strain

Criminal Justice Technology
Meghan L. Bates
Kimberly A. Deaton
Kevin J. Price
Stephanie A. Wood

Culinary Technology
Rebecca L. Hendrix
Jacob L. Sutton
Jennifer R. Wiggins

Cyber Crime Technology
Bobbi J. Mathews
Rachell M. Phillips
Sean L. Sikes

Early Childhood Education/Teacher Associate
Katherine M. Bowman
Tawn M. Bubacz
Matt R. Lemmens*
Mary M. Peterson

Hotel & Restaurant Management
Jennifer R. Wiggins

Networking Technology
William T. Jordan
David M. Sherwood

Office Systems Technology
Deborah E. Dowdle

Paralegal Technology
James S. Cohn*

Health Sciences Division
Debra M. Klavohn, Dean

Emergency Medical Science
Paul D. Curtice, II
Peter E. Privette

General Occupation Technology
Lauren M. Garrett

Health Information Technology
Tammy D. Hill*
Linda D. McCall
Patricia G. McNelly
Candace A. Ramsey*
Shanna M. Rogers
Donna D. Watts

Human Services Technology
Amber N. Clayton
Sandra L. Harris

Human Services Technology/Substance Abuse
Timothy L. Fincannon

Nursing-Associate’s Degree
Natalie E. Blanton
Anthony M. Camblor
Jill W. Cobb
Amanda L. Cowan
Katherine M. Crane
Chandler E. Jones
Jessica H. Kirby*
Kimberly A. Ludwig
Marsha J. Northrup*
Rebekah L. Wilkins
Outdoor Leadership
Caroline S. Bonds*

Physical Therapist Assistant
Brooke R. Ashe
Jennifer J. Johnston
Mary Malone

Radiography
Beverly C. Borello
Lisa A. Duvall
Megan R. Ensley
Jami L. Fletcher
John D. Hall
Austin L. Hahn
Victoria L. Hicks
Eric A. Huskey
Laurie D. Maney
Stephanie M. McCall
Hailey R. Medford
Richard J. Riley
Jessica L. Shelton
Colleen A. Ward

Respiratory Therapy
Eunice Gilbert
Charles L. Mitchell*
Virginia T. Rice
Marsha F. Smith

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