12 Students from Vanderbilt University are working on a volunteer community project on the Blue Ridge Parkway at Meadows of Dan, VA.

AN ALTERNATIVE SPRING BREAK FOR VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY STUDENTS The Rocky Knob Chapter of Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway will host a visit of 12 Vanderbilt University students, to the Parkway from March 3 to March 11, 2012. According to Ron Smith, chair of the Friends’ coordinating committee, “We are so excited about the Vanderbilt students coming to our area. They have chosen to come to our area to work on the Parkway and to learn about the Parkway and the Appalachian culture. Wow, what a testament to the students that this would be their choice for Spring break.� The students also will be involved in a community project at the Jacksonville Center for the Arts in Floyd, he noted. “In addition to working on the Parkway,� the committee chair reported, “the students will hike the Rocky Knob gorge trail, and will enjoy traditional blue grass and mountain music along with learning flat footing and clogging dance steps.� They will also hear talks on diversity in the Appalachian Mountains as well as the culture and history of mountain people and practice their skills making walking sticks. Smith said. The project chair also said the public is invited to join the students at 7 p.m. on Tuesday evening, March 6th, at the Jacksonville Center of the Arts just south of Floyd , Va. on Route 8. At that time, A. Lee Chichester, author of “FALCONS AND FOXES in the UK � and a local falconer. will introduce her hawk and falcon to the audience and share her love of this unusual sport. Also, Rick Baker, who recently retired from the Blue Ridge Parkway , will share some of his Parkway experiences with the group and will discuss how the loss of the Chestnut tree has affected the livelihood of people in the area. On Thursday evening at 7 pm, Smith said, the public is also invited to again join the Vanderbilt students at the Jacksonville Center as they hear Charlie Thompson, a Duke University professor and author of a book on moonshining, “Spirits of Just Men,� describe the history and culture of this product on people and institutions in our part of Appalachia. Also that evening, Scott Perry, a well known Floyd musician and teacher, will entertain the group with Blues music and a discussion about differences in traditional mountain music.