In the first concert of the season, the bands - conducted by Dr. John Ross and Dr. Jason Gardner - present music including Symphony No. 3 by Vittorio Giannini and LIFT-OFF! by App State faculty composer Dr. Roger Zare. Zare’s piece was written when NASA was returning the Space Shuttle to flight in 2005 and is a celebration of human space exploration. The concert features solos by App State faculty Dr. Brady Spitz (marimba) and Dr. Jimmy Stokes (trumpet).

The Hayes School of Music is celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month, which celebrates the history and culture of Hispanic and Latino Americans. National Hispanic Heritage Month began as a week-long commemoration in 1968 during the presidency of Lyndon Johnson and later expanded to a month when it was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan in 1988. We continue to celebrate the rich musical heritage of the broader Spanish speaking world — Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.

The Common Reading Program is delighted to offer “The Story of More: How We Got to Climate Change and Where to Go from Here,” from acclaimed scientist and author Hope Jahren, as the university’s common reading book for the 2024-2025 academic year. In “The Story of More,” Jahren uses her signature engaging, accessible and sensible style to expand awareness and understanding of the causes and challenges of the climate crisis.

The ninth annual Women in Educational Leadership Symposium (WIELS) will be held virtually. The symposium theme is “Advancing the Leader Within: Building Capacity.” This year, WIELS will sponsor two keynote speakers and an invited panel: Dr. Deanna Townsend-Smith, Senior Director of the Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity & Opportunity; Dr. Lisa Mitchell, Associate Dean School of Education, University of North Carolina at Pembroke; and Amy Wartham, Director of Corporate Training and Executive Education at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Open House is your opportunity to learn more about App State. Meet faculty and current students, tour campus, and learn more about financial aid, scholarships, the admissions process, and what student life at App State is really like.