WCC Foundation programs going strong
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on February 1, 2015 1:50 AM
pmoore@newsargus.com
It has been 15 years since the arts and humanities program was introduced at Wayne Community College and it "just keeps growing," said Jack Kannan, executive director of the WCC Foundation.
"We're starting to form our fall 2015 schedule already because it's become so popular," he said.
The Foundation golf tournament is perhaps the largest of its type in the state, generating scholarship money for students. And the arts and humanities effort is likewise gaining quite a reputation for its stellar lineup of events, Kannan said.
Over the years, it has offered the surrounding community added opportunities to see plays and take trips, enjoy classes and hear a wide variety of speakers on such timely topics as the Middle East and the economy.
From the outset, Bill Brettmann served in the voluntary role of director, until his recent retirement.
Kay Cooke has taken over the reins, prompted, she said, by her own avid interest in the program.
A fellow parishioner at Brettmann's church, she said she had also attended some of his lectures and classes on campus. But she has always had an appreciation for what arts and humanities represent, she said.
"I just love that whole category," she said. "That has always been an area that has had a great interest to me."
Whether it is art or literature or music or religion, she said the whole process helps clarify ideas and makes life more meaningful.
"It helps us define those questions that we all ask -- what's a good person? What is a good life? What's a good society," she said. "In little ways every day, whether you're a policymaker or just a person going through life."
The former educator, who has taught in California, Atlanta and Durham, moved to Goldsboro in 1976 with her periodontist husband, Dr. Richard Cooke, after he retired from the Navy.
Mrs. Cooke's involvement as a participant and audience member led to her becoming a volunteer with the arts and humanities program, never dreaming she would become Brettmann's successor this past spring.
"I decided that no one person could take Bill's place, so there are a group of people that might take Bill's place," she said, referencing a committee formed for that purpose. "We have been working together for really the last year and a half. We're relying on these people to have input in what they would like."
One of the biggest reasons for her interest in serving and promoting the program is the same as it should be potential audience members or patrons -- curiosity.
"I think we're never too old to learn and this is a wonderful opportunity to sample subjects and get to know people that you might never have otherwise experienced," she said. "I just think it's such a healthy thing when we're still curious."
Encouraging others to learn and to grow, providing stimulating topics and events is exciting, Mrs. Cooke said.
"That's what pulled me in in the beginning, and with this group (committee) of people that are very creative and wonderful themselves and come with a whole set of experiences and interests and enthusiasm," she said. "I certainly hope that we can live up to what has already been done."
The spring lineup boasts three women archaeologists, including Jodi Magness, whom Brettmann called a "rock star of archaeology" for her award-winning books and appearances on PBS, Discovery and other media outlets. Ms. Magness will be the first speaker in the new Bill Brettmann Lecture Series.
Other events include the annual Praxis Film Festival, the continuation of the 150th Anniversary Civil War Battle lecture series and a trip to Winston-Salem.
The variety of topics, like the arts and humanities program itself, serve another purpose, Mrs. Cooke said.
"One of the (roles) of the arts and humanities program is to give opportunities for the community to come on the campus and be able to see what goes on at WCC and benefit from the things that we offer and in turn, the college makes friends," she said.