This year’s events include well-known Kentucky literary figures Diane Fisher, Wendell Berry, Silas House, Bill Ellis and Bob Sloan, as well as tree-planting and month-long clean-up activities. Also on the calendar are a “5-K Run for the Planet” co-sponsored by the Bluegrass Rotary of Richmond Club and a Watershed Celebration at EKU’s Meadowbrook Farm.

All events are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted. Events and dates are subject to change. For more information, call 622-3065 or visit www.appalachianstudies.eku.edu/earthdays.htm.

The complete schedule of events:

• Monday, March 28 – “Kettle Bottom: Voices from the Coal Camp,” public reading by poet Diane Fisher, 12:30-2 p.m., Kennamer Room, Powell Building, co-sponsored by the EKU Department of English & Theatre.
• Wednesday, March 30 – Thursday, March 31 – “Earth Days D-I-Y Tie Dye,” make your own wearable art, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., outside Powell Building, bring your shirt or buy one for $5.
• April 1-30 – Madison County Road Cleanup, recognized EKU student groups and other community organizations can earn $50 per mile for cleaning up litter and other debris along county roads. Garbage bags, gloves and safety vests will be provided; groups must schedule their clean-up in advance. For more information, contact the Madison County Solid Waste Coordinator at 624-4709 or stop by 321 N. Madison Ave., Richmond.
• Thursday, April 7 – “Appalachia and the War on Poverty,” public presentation by Dr. Ron Eller, 12:30 p.m., Crabbe Library, Room 128, co-sponsored by EKU’s Center for Kentucky History & Politics, the College of Arts & Sciences, Department of History, and the Center for Appalachian Studies.
• Thursday, April 7 – “The Life and Legacy of Carl D. Perkins,” panel discussion with Judge Sara Combs, Ewell Baltrip, David Hawpe, Herb Smith, Clayton Little and Ron Dailey, co-sponsored by the Center for Kentucky History & Politics and the Center for Appalachian Studies.
• Saturday, April 9 – “5-K Run for the Planet,” 10 a.m., starting in Stratton Building Parking Lot, registration 9-9:45 a.m., co-sponsored by the Bluegrass Rotary of Richmond; for information, call 622-3065.
• Monday, April 11 – “SLUDGE,”, film and panel with federal whistleblower Jack Spadaro, Stephanie McSpirit, students and filmmaker Robert Sayler, 2:30-4:30 p.m., Crabbe Library, Room 108.
• Tuesday, April 12 – “Whither the Kentucky River: Past, Present and Future,” public presentation by Dr. Bill Ellis, 3:30 p.m., Center for Appalachian Studies, 300 Martin St., co-sponsored by the Center for Appalachian Studies and the Center for Kentucky History & Politics.
• Tuesday, April 12 – “Shaped by Water,” art reception. Dr. Bill Ellis will be signing his books on the Kentucky River and the history of EKU, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Gallery on Main.
• Thursday, April 14 – “Tyler Volk, Lessons from the Biosphere,” public presentation by EKU’s Department of Earth Sciences, 3:30 p.m., Crabbe Library, Room 108, co-sponsored by the Department of Earth Sciences and the Center for Appalachian Studies.
• Friday, April 15, and Saturday, April 16 – “Riparian Buffer Tree Planting Along Silver Creek,” 9 a.m.-3 p.m., EKU students can volunteer by calling Laren Cruz in Student Life at 622-3855, co-sponsored by Bluegrass PRIDE, the City of Richmond, the Center for Appalachian Studies, the Center or Environmental Education, and the Office of Student Life.
• Monday, April 18 – “Land and How It Gets That Way,” film and discussion with filmmaker Walter Brock, 3:30 p.m., Crabbe Library, Room 108, co-sponsored by the Center for Environmental Education.
• Wednesday, April 20 – “Valuing Kentucky Resources,” public presentation by Tom Fitzgerald, director, Kentucky Resource Council, 11:15 a.m., Jaggers Room, Powell Building, followed by lunch and discussion.
• Thursday, April 21 – “Kentucky Authors Mountain Top Removal Tour” featuring Wendell Berry, Silas House, Bill Ellis, Ed McClanahan, Bob Sloan, and Loyal Jones, among others, 1 p.m., for more details call 622-3065, co-sponsored by Kentuckians for the Commonwealth.
• Friday, April 22 – “Earth Day Environmental Fair,” information booths, music, speakers, food and fun outside the Powell Building, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., call 622-3065 for information and to reserve booth space.
• Monday, April 25 – “Exploring the True Cost of Coal with Stories from the Valleys,” public presentation by Teri Blanton, activist and former chair of KFTC, 3:30 p.m., Crabbe Library, Room 108.
• Tuesday, April 26 – “Eating Ecologically,” a dining seminar with with speakers from the Kentucky Farm Alliance and EKU’s Dr. Rob Weise, features locally grown organic foods, 6 p.m., Center for Appalachian Studies, 300 Summit St., meal is $5 ($2 for students) and seating is limited. Call 622-3065 for reservations.
• Wednesday, April 27 – “Kentucky Riverkeeper Friend/Fund Raising Golf Scramble,” 9 a.m., Arlington Golf Course, call 622-3065 for information.
• Thursday, April 28 – “Sustainable Tourism in Appalachian Kentucky,” public presentation with Dr. Alice Jones and students from her GEO 430 class, 4 p.m., Center for Appalachian Studies, 300 Summit St.
• Saturday, April 30 – “Kentucky River Watershed Watch Volunteer Monitor Training at the EKU Meadowbrook Farm,” a network of more than 199 citizen volunteers who help protect the waterways in the community, open to all who live or work within five miles of any stream in the Kentucky River watershed, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., EKU Meadowbrook Farm, register online at www.kywater.org/watch/ky.htm.

The service, at 4 p.m. in the Meditation Chapel, will include special music as well as remarks from EKU President Joanne Glasser and other University officials.

The event will honor students Darryl Madison Davis, Salisbury, N.C.; David Edward Bonn Sr., Jessie F. Huffman, Melissa Opal Mae Tackett, Peter Anthony Davy, Richmond; Yan "Irene" Gu, China; Olivia Jo Freeman, Irvine; Bonnie D. Elliott, Junction City; Jasmine Corelle Sizemore, Cutshin; Melissa “Missy” Dawn Fields, Lexington; Travis C. Simpson, Berea; Jessica Salyers, Yosemite; and faculty and staff members Dr. Shirley Byrne, Estell Caldwell Jr., Don Carr, Wayne Gregory and James R. "Jimmy" Sherrod.

Family, friends and members of the campus community are invited to attend. Anyone unable to attend may obtain a videotape of the ceremony from EKU TV Production Services by calling 622-6628.

For more information about the event, call office of the University Chaplain, 622-1723.

A foldout map in the April issue of National Geographic Traveler will feature 30 tourist sites in the Appalachian Region of eastern Kentucky and the Cave Country of south central Kentucky. The sites also will be featured as part of an interactive map at www.nationalgeographic.com.

KAHT (www.kaht.com) is a cultural heritage tourism and business development program offered through the Center for Economic Development, Entrepreneurship and Technology at EKU and supported by the Appalachian Regional Commission.

“We are very excited that EKU could assist in this collaboration,” said President Glasser. “We have such a wealth of resources and talent in our region and to be recognized by the National Geographic Society is truly a privilege.”

CEDET’s work involves using University-based resources to help economic development throughout Eastern Kentucky. “We’ve enjoyed a long-standing relationship with the ARC,” said CEDET Executive Director Cheryl Stone, “and we both believe this project will help grow our region’s economy by attracting new tourists through this marketing program.”

KAHT’s role in the project has consisted of creating a gateway portal to access photographs and information about each selected site via the Internet. Each site was mapped using Geographic Positioning Satellite (GPS) equipment and Geographic Information Software (GIS). Tourist information was gathered and placed on the KAHT website with links from National Geographic’s website to access relevant facts and images of each site.

“We are extremely honored to work with National Geographic and the ARC on such a unique project,” said KAHT Program Manager Chris Cathers. “It is a great opportunity for us to showcase the talent and beauty of our Appalachian heritage to such a highly respected publication. This is a true validation of our efforts to improve upon the cultural resources that attract tourists to Eastern Kentucky.”

The Kentucky sites range from tourists attractions such as Mammoth Cave National Park and the Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea to festivals, scenic byways, restaurants, craft shops and historic sites. The Kentucky Department of Tourism along with the help of local tourism commissions, area development districts, Southern Kentucky Tourism Development Association, Eastern Kentucky Tourism Development Association and EKU identified and recommended potential Kentucky sites. National Geographic made the final selections and, in all, 356 sites are listed across the 13-state Appalachian region.

The National Geographic Traveler magazine has more than 900,000 subscribers nationwide and is read by more than 4 million. An additional 300,000 maps will be distributed by the state tourism offices of the ARC’s 13 states to targeted traveler mailing lists, regional welcome centers and tourism trade shows. The ARC also will distribute the maps to schools, libraries and civic organizations throughout Appalachia.

Additionally, an online version of the map is available at www.nationalgeographic.com, and Kentucky sites may also be accessed through Kentucky Artisan Heritage Trails (www.kaht.com).

The selected Kentucky sites are:

American Cave Museum and Hidden River Cave and the Kentucky Repertory Theater, Horse Cave; Appalshop, Bad Branch State Nature Preserve, Cozy Corner and Pine Mountain Trail in Whitesburg; Benham School House Inn and the Kentucky Coal Mining Museum, Benham; Big South Fork Scenic Railway and Stearns Coal and Lumber Co., Stearns; Blanton Forest State Nature Preserve, Harlan; Breaks Interstate Park;

Bybee Pottery, Waco; Cave Run Storytelling and the Kentucky Folk Art Center, Morehead; Colonel Sanders Museum, Corbin; Country Music Highway; Cumberland Gap National Historic Park; Fleming County Covered Bridges; Jesse Stuart Foundation and Paramount Arts Center, Ashland; Kentucky Artisan Center; Mammoth Cave National Park;

Mountain Arts Center, Prestonsburg; Old Mulkey Meeting House State Historic Site, Tompkinsville; Pine Mountain Settlement School, Bledsoe; The Plaid Peacock, Greensburg; Red River Gorge; Renfro Valley Entertainment Center; Snug Hollow Bed and Breakfast, Irvine; and the Valley View Ferry.

For more information about KAHT, contact Chris Cathers, 622-8439, or visit www.kaht.com.

Dr. Todd Gooch, professor in EKU’s Department of Philosophy and Religion, will present “One Nation Under God? Religious Diversity in the United States” on Thursday, March 31, at 7:30 p.m. in the SSB Auditorium. The program is free and open to the public.

“I plan to describe the increase in religious diversity in the United States resulting from various waves of immigration during the past 150 years,” said Gooch, “especially during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and since the passage of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965.”

Gooch earned a bachelor’s degree in religious studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara, a master’s degree and a doctorate in religion from Claremont Graduate University.

The lecture, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, April 5, in Walnut Hall of the Keen Johnson Building. A reception at 6:30 p.m. precedes the lecture, and a question-and-answer session will follow.

“Most scientific literature has focused narrowly on explaining homosexuality and, by implication, heterosexuality,” Mitchell said. “I will present several of the main currents in scientific attempts to explain sexual orientation, with a surprising conclusion. I will propose a different approach to understanding how we eroticize people, objects and activities, and discuss the consequences of this and other scientific approaches for our thinking about human sexuality.”

The Roark Lecture, established through the generosity of an anonymous donor, is an annual recognition and presentation that showcases excellence in scholarship by an Arts & Sciences faculty member. The series is named after Ruric Roark, the University’s first president (1906-09), and his wife, Mary, who later served as acting president (1909-10) after the death of her husband.

Performances will begin at 8 p.m. nightly in the Student Services Building Auditorium with an additional matinee at 2 p.m. on April 9. Admission is $5 for students and $8 for non-students. Ticket sales begin March 28 at the Richards Alumni House, located at the junction of Lancaster Avenue and Crabbe Street. Tickets are also available by phone at 622-1260.

“It appears that the concert will be one of our most entertaining in years,” said Dr. Marianne McAdam, director of EKU’s Dance Theatre. “We have 60 dancers involved in the concert and energy is high as everyone prepares for this exciting event.”

The concert’s dance pieces include: pointe (ballet), salsa, hip-hop, modern, tap, “Bali wood,” Cabaret and a piece based on Dr. Seuss’ “Oh, The Places You Will Go.” EKU Dance Theatre members Jenn Hall and Miranda Ramsey will perform a modern dance that involves pairs of dancers dancing in one pair of pants.

The “Bali wood” dance, based on India’s musical style, is choreographed by Prageeth Hettiarachchi of Sri Lanka. The tap piece, choreographed by Betsy Grise, is influenced by the style of the African-Americans who invented rhythm tap. The Ballroom group will perform a “high-energy” salsa that McAdam says “is as fun to watch as it is to perform.”

The Steffans’ gift of $112,378 will be submitted to the Commonwealth for matching funds. With a state match, the Jean Steffan Smith Memorial Endowed Fund would total nearly $225,000.

Jean Steffan Smith joined the EKU faculty in 1991 and taught through the Fall of 1995. She died of a rare form of a cancer in 1996 at age 43.

Smith was “loved and respected as a colleague, teacher, scholar, researcher, clinician, mentor, wife, artist and friend,” said Kathy Splinter Watkins, associate professor of occupational therapy at EKU. “Jean truly epitomized living the philosophy of occupational therapy in her life. Her creativity and spark of energy stimulated lifelong learning in the lives of those she touched. The memories of Jean will be with us forever.”

The endowed fund will provide one full-tuition scholarship each year to a full-time EKU student in occupational therapy who demonstrates financial need. In the absence of qualified candidates, the scholarship may be given to a student pursuing a degree in any field of study within the College of Health Sciences. First consideration will be given to current or former residents of eastern or southeastern Kentucky.

The second priority of the fund is to provide unrestricted operational resources to be used by the Department of Occupational Therapy.

“We wanted to do something that would really make a difference in someone’s life and maybe an entire family,” said Ralph Steffan. “Even though I have no connection to EKU, I have a real respect for the job the University does.”

Shortly after her death, the Jean Steffan Smith Memorial Collection was established in the EKU Library.

“The Steffans’ commitment demonstrates their passion for educating students from eastern and southeastern Kentucky,” said Jessica Coleman Hastings, director of regional advancement with the Division of University Development. “Their gift will create opportunities for high-achieving students to have access to our nationally renowned Occupational Therapy Program.”

Moran is a double major in psychology and criminal justice with a 4.0 GPA. The Truman Scholarship pays up to $30,000 for a student to attend graduate school toward a career in public service. The winners will be announced March 29.

“I feel privileged and honored to be considered for such a prestigious award,” said Moran. “It’s an honor to represent EKU throughout this process.”

Moran is involved in numerous groups and organizations at EKU including Mock Trial, Campus Crusade for Christ, Women’s Activist Group, Women Involved in Living and Learning, Mortar Board, Barrister’s Society, Honor’s Program, Psychology Club, Gamma Beta Phi, Phi Kappa Phi and the Catholic Newman Center.

The program, sponsored by the Office of Student Life March 21-30, will conclude with the leadership luncheon on March 30 in the Board of Regents Dining Room, on the second floor of the Powell Student Center. Mayor Isaac will discuss the challenges of being a leader and politician in a male-dominated arena, as well as include tips for present and future female leaders from 11:30 a.m. to noon.

The complimentary luncheon is open to EKU students, faculty and staff members with valid EKU IDs. Participants need to sign in at the cafeteria entrance before joining the program in the dining room.

For more information, contact C.E. Huffman in the Office of Student Life at 622-3855 or ce.huffman@eku.edu.

The program includes a presentation by keynote speaker Dave Leedy, a motivational speaker who has addressed employees at Ernst & Young, John Deere, Wright Patterson Air Force Base and Telecom Publications, among others; breakout sessions featuring the College’s 2005 Distinguished Alumni; and a corporate-style luncheon where students can network with area employers and interact with successful EKU graduates.

The conference “is an opportunity for our students to hear successful men and women share their views about critical skills that new graduates will need in order to succeed as professionals,” said Dr. Janna Vice, associate dean of EKU’s College of Business & Technology.

Activities begin at 8 a.m. with registration and refreshments in Brock Auditorium. Leedy will speak at 8:30.

At 10:10 a.m., Vince Coakley, news anchor for WSOC-TV in Charlotte and the Department of Communication’s honoree, will introduce the College’s other Distinguished Alumni, who will then meet with Conference participants in breakout sessions facilitated by student leaders.

The luncheon begins at 11:45 a.m. in the Keen Johnson Ballroom.

WEKU-FM, a public radio service of EKU, recently added a new translator at 102.5 FM to better serve Middlesboro and Bell County.

“We’re excited about bringing our unique blend of NPR news and classical music to this area,” said Station Manager Tim Singleton. “We’ve had many requests from listeners in the area for our programming over the years.”

WEKU, at 88.9 FM, has served central Kentucky from Richmond since 1968. A second transmitter, broadcasting at 90.9 FM, was added later at Hazard. In 2003, WEKU began serving the Corbin-London area at 88.5 FM.

In addition to its classical music programming, the station has won more than 70 Kentucky Associated Press Awards in the past 10 years for its staff-produced news coverage, including its coverage of Kentucky’s General Assembly. WEKU also has received the Governor’s Media Award in the Arts for its promotion of the region’s art scene. The station regularly records and broadcasts the Lexington Philharmonic MasterClassics concerts.

The station also has been actively involved in the communities it serves, planting trees at Raven Run Nature Sanctuary in Fayette County and at abandoned strip mine sites in Perry and Breathitt counties.

Listener-supported WEKU broadcasts 24 hours a day from the EKU campus in Richmond. The station can be heard live on-line at www.weku.fm.

More than 200 TRiO-involved faculty, staff, middle school, high school and college students from across Kentucky braved inclement weather to march on the capitol and testify about the effectiveness of TRiO in their lives. The purpose of the event was to raise awareness about the positive impact of TRiO projects and to reinstate federal funding for two of the five TRiO projects — Educational Talent Search and Upward Bound — both recommended to be cut in President Bush’s budget.

Sarah Turley, a junior social work major at EKU, shared her testimony in the capitol rotunda with state legislators and visitors, describing how her participation in the EKU NOVA program assisted her with overcoming barriers to succeed academically and how the EKU McNair program opened the door for her to pursue a doctoral degree.

While in Frankfort, the students also had a chance to tour the Kentucky History Center and visit to the Kentucky Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial.

Shante Carney, an EKU graduate, was honored for her work as a tutor at Model Laboratory School and her organization of service projects to bring her school and the community together. Carney is the only AmeriCorps member in the Commonwealth to receive the “Service Hero” honor.

“In this wonderful program, I have the opportunity to serve the community, students and others,” said Carney. “I feel this honor is a bonus to an already fabulous job.”

Carney’s service projects include Make a Difference Day, at which she had 53 uniform-clad student-athletes from EKU read to all the classes from grade-appropriate, sports-related books before signing autographs for the children. Carney implemented a Dr. Seuss Birthday Celebration in early March and is planning a school-wide Earth Day Celebration in April.

Nancy Thames, director of EKU’s Student Service Consortium, said Carney is an “extraordinary young woman who is highly regarded by all of her excellent dedication as an AmeriCorps member. As an AmeriCorps Director for the past 11 years, I view Shante as one of the best AmeriCorps members who has served in EKU’s AmeriCorps program.”

More than 40 recruiters representing the justice and safety fields will be present. The event offers students and alumni great exposure to professional contacts from a wide variety of industries and provides employers with an opportunity to promote their job openings to qualified candidates.

Agencies and businesses at the Career Day include the Bowling Green Fire Department, Federal Air Marshal, Frankfort Police Department, Office of the Attorney General, TVA Fire and Life Safety and the U.S. Secret Service. For a complete list of exhibitors, visit www.justice.eku.edu and click on the Career Day news item.

Several demonstrations will be held in conjunction with the Career Day activities. The Fire and Safety Engineering Technology program will do a live burn from 11 a.m. to noon at the Ashland Building. The University of Kentucky Police Department will do demonstrations in the Stratton Building’s parking lot with their bomb-sniffing K-9 unit from noon to 12:30 p.m. and with their motorcycle unit from 12:30 to 1 p.m.

Susan Fister
Associate Professor and Executive Director of Bluegrass Farmworker Health Center

Where is the Center located?
MSC 509 Brockton with one clinic site in Lexington (to open a second site in North Lexington this summer).

Who do its services target?
Migrant and seasonal farmworkers and dependents; uninsured/underinsured without other access to health care services. What we do different is provide a bilingual (Spanish/English) environment for clients.We also have as a goal to provide an environment for health professionals to develop cultural and language competencies.

Why is it necessary to meet the needs of this population in this way?
An estimated 80 percent of diagnosis comes from information patient provides. Provider ability to appropriate diagnosis/plan treatment, and client's follow through will plan, are affected by language barriers. Most of the farmworkers in our service area are Hispanic who are best served by Spanish-speaking providers. All of BFHC staff speak Spanish. All but two or three are fluent in English and Spanish.

What variety of services are offered?
Preventive (family planning, vaccines for children, health education) and primary health care services (chronic such as diabetes and hypertension; acute such as respiratory infections, occupational such as lacerations and muscle injuries, screenings for HIV/AIDS and STDS, etc.). We also have an extensive outreach/case management program that provides such services as community/individual education and hooks clients up with needed resources.

How successful has the Center been meeting these needs?
Very successful. Initial funding via $300,000/year ($330,000 federal funding for migrant health centers) in 2001, we now have a $1.6 million/year budget ($900,000 from feds) with 25+ staff members. We have served thousands of patients. We are involved in many initiatives such as HIV/AIDS outreach and the National Cardiovascular Health Disparities Collaborative. We have added an electronic medical record system, which is allowing us to begin tracking health outcomes of our clients.

How are EKU students involved in the Center?
More than 70 students, from a variety of disciplines, rotated throught the Bluegrass Farmworker Health Center in 2004. Marketing students have worked on BFHC web site design; nutrition students have provided health education to clients in the clinic, marketing students developed a video of client stories and nursing students; Co-op students have worked in varying capacities (computer, office, business), nursing students have participated in community health events and have provided direct care under nursing staff supervision, and family nurse practitioner students have provided health care under the direction of one of the BFHC providers.

Biermann, Mark L., et al. “Relaxation of Packaging-Induced Strains in AlGaAs-Based High-Power Diode Laser Arrays.” Applied Physics Letters. Vol. 86, No. 10 (2005), CID #101911, 3 pgs.

Blythe, Hal, and Sweet, Charlie. “My Top Ten Tips for Creative Teaching,” SAADE Newsletter [South Atlantic Association of Departments of English], (Winter 2005), pgs. 3-6.

Farrar, Stewart S., and Miller, Jennifer M. “Southeastern Adirondack Anorthositic Sills and Dikes With Included Ultramafic Lenses,” Geological Society of America Northeastern Section Meeting, Saratoga Springs, N.Y., March 2005.

Myers, Marshall. “Feuding, Fighting, and Fidgeting During the Civil War,” Kentucky Explorer, Vol. 19, No. 6 (February 2005), pgs. 27-30.

Myers, Marshall. “From Slave to Soldier to Teacher to Preacher: A Short Biography of Elijah P. Marrs,” Ancestral News, Vol. 30, No. 1 (Spring 2005), pgs. 20-23.

Sweet, Charlie. “The Lone Ranger,” The Fifties in America, Pasadena: Salem, 2005, pg. 585.

Underwood, Elizabeth. “Challenged Identities: North American Missionaries in Korea, 1884-1934,” Seoul, Korea: Royal Asiatic Society-Korea Branch, 2004.

Underwood, Elizabeth. “Travel in Korea: Missionary Encounters at the Turn of the Twentieth Century,” Transactions [of the Royal Asiatic Society – Korea Branch], Vol. 78 (2003), pgs. 3-19.

Presentations at the Geological Society of America Southeastern Section Meeting, Biloxi, Mississippi, March 2005:

Thompson, Matthew K.; Borowski, Walter S.; et al. “Relative Concentration of Solid-Phase Sulfide Species in Marine Sediments Overlying Gas Hydrate Deposits: Recognition of the Role of Anaerobic Methane Oxidation in Authigenic Sulfide Formation.”

Lierman, Robert Thomas. “Cementation History of the Corbin Sandstone Member of the Grundy Formation (Lower Pennsylvanian) in East-Central Kentucky.”

Dodds, Stephanie Fowler, and Lierman, Robert Thomas. “An Examination of Several Paleosol Profiles Along the Mississippian/Pennsylvanian Boundary in East-Central Kentucky.”

Benker, S. Christian; White, John Charles; et al. “The Petrography and Geochemistry of the South Rim Formation, Big Bend National Park, Texas.”

A FindLaw.com poll shows that one in three Americans has no living will. Why? Three out of four say they just haven’t gotten around to it.

We resist thinking of our own annihilation, says geriatrician and RAND researcher Joanne Lynn, M.D. Lynn has written two books on end-of-life care: “The Handbook for Mortals: Guidance for People Facing Serious Illness, and Improving Care at the End of Life: A Sourcebook for Managers and Clinicians.”

What makes it harder than ever, according to Lynn, is that the deaths we face are different than the deaths of previous generations. When people used to call death the “long goodbye,” they meant it lasted a long time. Today it means that the goodbye itself goes on and on.

Now most people have a long period of fragile balance at the end of life where medical care is propping them up. There are a number of opportunities for shaping how this will happen to you that didn’t used to exist. And we have lots of time for our doctors and for our families to make decisions that aren’t our own.

There are two different legal documents that improve our odds of getting the end-of-life care we ultimately want. One is a living will, which spells out what kinds of extraordinary medical treatments we’d like used to keep us alive, in the event we become terminally ill or permanently unconscious.

The other is a health care proxy, or what some call a durable power of attorney for health care. This is the person you choose to speak for you when you’re not able to speak for yourself. Different states have different laws, but all provide a way for you to do this.

The important thing is for you to start thinking about this subject and eventually take action!