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Chat with the Chair Dr. Doris Sikora	As I watch students taking their last exams and packing their cars for the trip home for the holiday break, I am reminded how quickly time passes. We have successfully finished another fall semester. It has been very productive, and we have a number of success stories to share. Please plan to join us for an exciting event on February 21st at “Coming Home.” I hope that you will enjoy this fall newsletter. Our programs are strong and we are experiencing the largest enrollment ever for spring semester. I am excited to report that after a busy year last year we have a new major – Child Life Specialist, a new minor in Child Studies and a new certificate program in Family Home Visiting. We will soon be adding a minor in Meeting, Convention, and Exposition Planning, and upon approval, this minor will be available for enrollment in the Spring 2009 semester. We have just received documentation to start working toward accreditation for the Big Red Early Childhood Center from NAEYC organization. These exciting additions to our current programs will give students more career options as they advance in their education. Thank you for your generous financial support, whether it is in the form of student scholarships or donations to the Foundation. Students who received support to attend professional conferences and field trip experiences have shared their gratitude. Have a Very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Doris
Nevada Governor Gibbons and Joe Micatrotto, Jr.	Prestigious awards highlight outstanding individuals within Nevada Restaurant Industry Governor Gibbons presented awards at the 2008 Culinary Excellence Awards Gala to outstanding individuals in three categories: Restaurateur of the Year, Joseph P. Micatrotto Jr., Micatrotto Restaurant; Allied Member of the Year, *Chef Kitti Sanderson, U.S. Foodservice; and Employee of the Year, Jeff Ecker*, Paymon's Mediterranean Café and Lounge. The faculty of the Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management program congratulate Joe Micatrotto, who received his hospitality education at WKU. For more on this story.....
	In November, WKU faculty, staff, and students were able to participate in a student engagement project in conjunction with the local Fashion, Inc. chapter and the International Textile Apparel Association (ITAA). The WKU community was asked to donate any new or gently used jewelry or accessories that would be appropriate for career dress. Several items were collected at WKU and Dr. Devona Dixon delivered them to the ITAA annual conference in Chicago, Illinois. ITAA holds this event annually to furnish clothing for women who need to go on job interviews, but cannot afford career wear. All the donations are given to the Chicago area women's shelters, to help women be more able to gain employment.
	On September 25-27, 2008, several WKU faculty, students, and alumni travelled to Minneapolis, Minnesota for the Phi Upsilon Omicron national Conclave. Those attending were Ms. Cindy Jones (Region 2 Counselor and Coordinator), Dr. Karen Mason (Beta Delta financial advisor), student Emily Waites (Beta Delta Chapter President), student Kristen Dugan (1st Vice President), and Dr. Martha Jenkins, CFS faculty emeritus and WKU alum. One of the highlights of this trip included working on the Professional Project "Kids Against Hunger". According to the Phi Upsilon Omicron website, "'Kids Against Hunger' has partnered with companies with extensive knowledge in manufacturing and distribution such as Cargill, Pillsbury, General Mills and Archer Daniels Midland to find a viable solution to feed the world's starving children.....A $10.00 donation will fund 100 meals." The participants donned plastic hats and gloves to pack over 8,000 meals in food bags for starving children in Haiti.
	If you want to make an end-of-the-year, tax-deductible donation to a good cause, please consider making that donation to the CFS department. In these times of budget cuts and economic turmoil, we are still providing a good quality education to students and can use funding for study abroad trips, scholarships, and student professional development opportunities. We have a few specific needs as well, such as: 18 drafting chairs for students to use at the new drafting tables the university will be providing in Spring 2009; two commercial refrigerators to replace the original referigerators that were installed in the early 1970s; and eight new faucets for the sinks in the food science laboratory. To make a donation, click the Make a Gift logo at the left of this box and fill in the form. Without gifts from alumni and friends of the university, less can be provided for the current and future students. Please remember to give, so that quality equipment and materials can be available to future CFS students so that can continue to participate in student engagement and become the next generation of successul WKU graduates.
Mark Your Calendars for Coming Home!	February 21 will the the Coming Home celebration here at WKU. The Hilltoppers will be taking on Florida International at 5:00 that evening, BUT CFS is making plans for alumni that same day as well. Please mark your calendars to come back to WKU and meet with your fellow CFS alum and then attend the game to Support our Tops!
Consumer & Family Sciences 1906 College Heights Blvd Bldg. #11037 Western Kentucky Univ. Bowling Green, KY 42101 270-745-4352 phone 270-745-3999 fax CFS@wku.edu e-mail Editor: Lauri Warden	If you would like to be notified by e-mail when new editions of the CFS online newsletter is published, please send an e-mail to Lauri Warden at CFS@wku.edu and request to be added to the e-mail list. If you have alumni news to share, you may send it to CFS@wku.edu to be included in future editions of the newsletter.