Lawrence University News

APPLETON, WIS. -- The Lawrence University "Performing Arts at Lawrence" concert series continues on Saturday, February 24 with jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard live in concert at 8:00 p.m. in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel. Tickets are $22 and $20 for adults, $19 and $17 for senior citizens, and $17 and $15 for students. Tickets are available at the Lawrence University Box Office, or by phone at 920-832-6749. Tickets, if available, will also be sold at the box office beginning one hour before the show.

Born in 1962 in New Orleans, Blanchard started his trumpet career in elementary school while being coached at home by his opera-singing father. Blanchard came under the guidance of Ellis Marsalis during high school and after graduating, he attended Rutgers University. While at Rutgers Blanchard impressed one of his professors so much that he was brokered a touring gig with Lionel Hampton's band. In 1983, Wynton Marsalis recommended Blanchard as his replacement in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. Two years later, Blanchard and fellow Messenger Donald Harrison formed their own quintet. In 1990, Blanchard departed the quintet to pursue a solo career where the trumpeter/composer gained acclaim as a bandleader and scorer of movie and television soundtracks.

Blanchard won a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group in 2005 for McCoy Tyner's Illuminations with Gary Bartz, Blanchard, Christian McBride, and Lewis Nash. He was nominated for several other Grammy Awards in 2002, 2001, 1996, and 1990. Blanchard has also been nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Original Score for The 25th Hour in 2003, and for an Emmy in 1995 for Best Original Score for a Documentary for "The Promised Land." Blanchard won the Grand Prix du Disque, the French equivalent of the Grammy Award, for the album New York Second Line in 1984.

Blanchard's discography includes his newest release, Flow, which was release on Blue Note in 2005, McCoy Tyner's Illuminations, Bounce, Let's Get Lost, Wandering Moon, Jazz in Film, The Heart Speaks, and many more. Blanchard's soundtracks and scores including She Hate Me, People I Know, 25th Hour, and Original Sin, among many others.

The final Jazz Series concert of the 2006-07 "Performing Arts at Lawrence" concert series takes place on Friday, June 1 at 8:00 p.m. with Maria Schneider, composer and conductor, who will conduct her composition, performed by the Lawrence University Jazz Ensemble (LUJE). For more information on this and other upcoming "Performing Arts at Lawrence" concerts, visit www.lawrence.edu/news/performingartsseries.

APPLETON, WIS. -- V-Day Lawrence University is once again helping to stop violence against women and girls with its production of Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues. Performances of The Vagina Monologues take place at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Saturday, February 24 and at 8:00 p.m. Sunday, February 25 in Cloak Theatre. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and may be purchased at the Lawrence University Box Office, located in the Music-Drama Center, or by phone at 920-832-6749.

Directing V-Day Lawrence University's sixth production of The Vagina Monologues is David Hanzal '08. New for the 2007 performance at Lawrence is local folk/pop group, Love, Claire, who will be playing throughout each performance.

The Vagina Monologues has been performed in cities all across the nation and at hundreds of college campuses. It has inspired a dynamic grassroots movement--V-Day--to stop violence against women and girls. In 2007, over 2,000 V-Day benefits will take place in over 950 communities and on college campuses around the world. Money raised during show at Lawrence will be donated to local, national, and international charities.

Ensler's The Vagina Monologues has been translated into over 45 languages and is running in theatres all over the world, including sold-out runs at both Off-Broadway's Westside Theater and on London's West End. The Vagina Monologues is based on Ensler's interviews with more than 200 women, which with humor and grace celebrates women's sexuality and strength. For more information on V-Day and Ensler, visit www.vday.org.

APPLETON, WIS. -- The Lawrence University Jazz Ensemble (LUJE) and Jazz Band present "Miles Ahead: 50th Anniversary Celebration" at 8:00 p.m. Friday, March 2 in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel.

Under the direction of Fred Sturm, director of jazz and improvisational music at Lawrence, the Jazz Ensemble recreates the historic 1957 Miles Davis recording Miles Ahead: Miles + 19, regaled as one of the landmark large ensemble recordings of the 20th century. Lawrence trumpet professor John Daniel appears as guest soloist and performs the Davis solo role on the 10 selections from the album. Nick Keelan, associate professor of music at Lawrence, conducts the Jazz Band's opening set of six renowned Davis compositions.

"Jazz historians point to three great collaborations between jazz and popular music artists and arrangers: Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, Frank Sinatra and Nelson Riddle, and Miles Davis and Gil Evans," Sturm noted. "Between 1957 and 1960, trumpeter Davis and arranger Evans collaborated in the creation of three remarkable jazz recordings, and Miles Ahead is the finest."

"Evans was Davis' closest friend and musical mentor, and Davis was the ideal artistic interpreter of Evans' finest works," said Sturm. "Though Ellington had composed works to feature specific soloists, Miles Ahead was the first concept album developed around the sound and character of the soloist, not the composer."

"The colors in this music are extraordinary," Sturm explained. "In contrast to the five-saxophone front line of the swing era big band, Evans employed a mixture of flute, clarinet, and bass clarinet in the reed section. Two French horns and tuba were added to the brass section. The two-piece rhythm section of drums and bass eliminated piano and guitar from the arrangements. New York's finest jazz studio players were engaged to record the original sessions, providing us with great performance models."

"I've conducted Miles Ahead with pro bands in New York, Germany, and Denmark," said Sturm, "and every occasion has generated new discoveries in these magnificent scores. Miles Ahead represents the pinnacle in the art of jazz composition and arranging."

The two-set performance is free and open to the public.

APPLETON, WIS. -- Lawrence University's traditionally talented and diverse student body will grow even more so this September when the college welcomes its first "posse" to campus.

Ten "Posse Scholars" recently were selected for admission from an applicant pool of more than 2,000 students developed by the Posse Foundation. The scholars -- three men and seven women, all from New York City -- were chosen following an in-person visit by a six-member committee of Lawrence faculty and staff. Plans call to enroll 10 additional scholars each of the next three years for a total of 40 Posse students by the fall of 2010.

Founded in 1989, the New York-based Posse Foundation identifies, assesses and develops students who have demonstrated the strongest leadership skills in small group activities and those who are able to offer creative solutions to a variety of problems. Students selected as scholars form multicultural cohorts of 10 called "posses." These 10-member cohorts are then prepared, through an intensive eight-month pre-collegiate training program, for enrollment at top-tier universities nationwide to pursue their academics and to contribute to the enrichment of campus cultural perspectives.

Each posse acts as a traveling support system to ensure that each individual Posse Scholar succeeds and graduates. Posse Scholars receive four-year, full-tuition leadership scholarships from their posse-partner college or university.

Lawrence formed a partnership with the Posse Foundation in 2006, joining an elite group of 26 colleges and universities around the country associated with the program. Lawrence is the first private institution in Wisconsin to partner with the Posse Foundation. UW-Madison is also affiliated with it. Other notable partner institutions include Carleton, Dickinson, Grinnell, Hamilton, Middlebury and Pomona colleges.

"Although we enroll students from virtually every state, we typically have not had many from New York, where our first posse will come from, so in addition to adding to the ethnic and cultural diversity on campus, this program also will increase our geographical diversity," said Steve Syverson, dean of admission and financial aid at Lawrence.

Michael Kim, associate professor of music, was a member of the delegation that traveled to New York to meet with potential members of Lawrence's first posse. He called the experience "enlightening."

"I was immediately struck by the enormous dedication and commitment of the Posse staff to help these students succeed and realize their dreams of attending college," said Kim. "I was moved by the adversity and circumstances they had overcome in their lives. Their personal stories varied from having spent most of their life in different homeless shelters, to having family members overdose on heroin to working nights as a waitress to help pay their family's rent.

"They are all very driven, determined and hungry to succeed in their chosen academic environments," Kim added. "These students truly appreciated the opportunities that Posse and Lawrence offered them."

Once on campus, the posse students are expected not only to provide support for each other, but also engage the campus community and assume leadership roles individually in the classroom and in campus groups and organizations.

One aspect of the program Syverson finds particularly attractive is the Posse Plus Retreat, in which Posse Scholars plan a weekend retreat around a particular theme -- often focused on campus diversity issues -- that involves about 80 other members of the campus community. Lawrence will hold its retreat at Bjorklunden in Door County.

"Through the retreat process, the impact of the Posse students becomes far greater than simply having a multiethnic group of 10 students from New York City on campus," said Syverson.

"Our first Posse will bring a significant added dimension of racial and socioeconomic diversity to Lawrence," Kim added. "These are charismatic student leaders who will help facilitate increased interaction and exchange of ideas between the student and administrative bodies, especially with regard to complex social issues relevant to a multicultural society. And they will serve as a catalyst for increased individual and community engagement through the formation of student organizations and volunteer work."

In addition to New York City, the Posse Foundation maintains student programs in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Since its inception, the Posse Foundation has placed more than 1,500 students who have been awarded more than $142 million in scholarships from partner universities. Posse Scholars have a four-year graduation rate of 90 percent, which ranks well above the national average of 35% for all institutions and 50% for private colleges and universities.

Beyond participation in the Posse program, Lawrence will undertake a research study on the program's impact on the campus culture broadly.

APPLETON, WIS. -- A national touring exhibition of photographs documenting the devastation caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita as well as the cleanup and rebuilding efforts taking place along the Gulf Coast will make a two-week stop at Lawrence University beginning Friday, Feb. 16.

Members of Lawrence's student chapter of Habitat for Humanity will host a reception to open the exhibition, "Operation Home Delivery: Habitat for Humanity Responds to the Gulf Coast Hurricanes," at 7 p.m. on Feb. 16 in Science Hall atrium. The reception will include refreshments, a silent auction and brief remarks by senior Kristi Sandven, president of the Lawrence chapter of HFH, and Steve Syverson, president of the Great Fox Cities HFH affiliate. The event is free and open to the public.

The exhibition, featuring a series of large, color images shot by professional Habitat staff photographers, will be on display in the atrium until March 2.

"As other issues capture our attention, it is easy to forget that people affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita are still struggling to recover," said Syverson. "This exhibit is a vivid and compelling reminder, not only of the terrible loss, but of the amazing resilience of those affected and the incredible work of Habitat for Humanity volunteers to rebuild.

Lawrence is one of 10 stops at college and high school chapters of Habitat for Humanity on the exhibition's tour, which began last December and runs through May.

Lawrence's chapter of HFH will be sponsoring its annual volunteer mission during spring break (March 17-25) this year to New Orleans to assist with on-going reconstructive efforts.

APPLETON, WIS. -- Joseph Sebarenzi knows too well the horrors of genocide, having lost both parents, seven brothers and many members of his extended family during the violence that engulfed Rwanda in 1994, when Hutu extremists slaughtered more than 800,000 Tutsis.

The former speaker of the Rwanda parliament, who sought asylum in the United States, shares his dramatic story and discusses the role of forgiveness as a moral response to injustice in the second installment of Lawrence University's Povolny International Studies Lecture Series "Africa Today: Problems and Solutions."

Sebarenzi presents "A Message of Peace and Reconciliation" Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. in Lawrence's Wriston Art Center auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.

Growing up as a Tutsi in Rwanda, Sebarenzi witnessed glimpses of the tribal violence that later would plunge his country into chaos. He and his immediate family were safely out of the country when the Hutus went on their killing spree, which claimed the lives of many members of his extended family.

After returning to Rwanda, Sebarenzi entered politics and rose through the ranks of the parliament. In 1997, he became Speaker of the National Assembly, where he spoke out against government corruption and worked for legislative autonomy.
In December, 1999, Sebarenzi was poised to be elected president of Rwanda's Liberal Party, but the vote was postponed, preventing him from improving his status as a contender for the Rwanda presidency.

A month later, amid charges brought by the National Assembly majority members of misconduct and other offenses, including organizing the survivors of genocide against the government, Sebarenzi was forced to resign his post as parliament speaker. Fearing assassination, he fled to Uganda before finding exile in the United States.

A frequent guest on BBC and Voice of America broadcasts to Africa, Sebarenzi is one of 12 peacebuilding associates of the Karuna Center for Peacebuilding in Amherst, Mass., where he helps in the develop programs to address ethnic, religious and political conflicts around the world.

Sebarenzi also teaches conflict transformation at the School for International Training (SIT) in Vermont, where he earned master's degree in international and intercultural management in 2002. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the department of peace studies at the University of Bradford in England.

Remaining speakers in the series include:

• April 3, Michael Fosdal, a specialist on British politics, "Britain's Role in Aid and Development."


• April 10, Jacqueline Klopp, assistant professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University, "Violence, Land and Dispossession: The Problems of Internal Displacement in Africa."


• May 14, John Roome, operations director with the World Bank, "The World Bank's Role in Development."

The "Africa Today: Problems and Solutions" lecture series is sponsored by the Mojmir Povolny Lectureship in International Studies. Named in honor of long-time Lawrence government professor Mojmir Povolny, the lectureship promotes interest and discussion on issues of moral significance and ethical dimensions.

APPLETON, WIS. -- Eric Seidel, a 2003 Lawrence graduate and a former software engineer for Apple Computer, shares insights on how a liberal arts and science degree helped him launch his own web-based company in a Science Hall Colloquium.

Seidel presents "Entrepreneurship: The Calculus of Starting Your Own Company after Lawrence," Thursday, Feb. 15 at 4:15 p.m. in Science Hall, Room 202. The event is free and open to the public.

After earning his bachelor's degree cum laude in mathematics, Seidel spent three years working for Apple Computer before launching his own start-up company, Shoutfit.com, last May. The fashion-focused, Internet-based company allows users from around the world to discuss fashion and share fashion photographs.

In his address, Seidel will discuss the importance of problem-solving skills in starting a company, how software development differs for start-up companies, the challenges of raising necessary capital to start a new company and the process of delivering a product to the marketplace.

Shoutfit.com received venture capital funding from the Boston, Mass., firm Y-Combinator and is currently in the process of raising additional capital. The company opened to the public in January, 2007

APPLETON, WIS. -- Lawrence University has the distinct privilege and honor to host the United States Navy Band live in concert on Tuesday, March 6 at 7:30 p.m. in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel. Free tickets are required and can be obtained beginning Monday, February 19 at the Lawrence University Box Office, located in the Music-Drama Center, or by phone at 920-832-6749.

The United States Navy Band has been the Navy's premier musical organization since 1925. Directed by Capt. Ralph M. Gambone, the band features some of the nation's top musicians performing a wide variety of music ranging from classical orchestral works to original arrangements of current popular favorites, as well as traditional marches and patriotic fare.

The band has played for a variety of events stateside, including in the Washington and New York parades honoring "Operation Desert Storm" troops in 1991 and at the arrival ceremonies honoring Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev in 1990. They performed in 1981 for the 52 American hostages returning to Andrews Air Force Base following captivity in Iran; during the State Funeral of President Ronald W. Reagan in 2004; and for the 2003 Space Shuttle Columbia Memorial Service. Internationally they have performed at such events as the 300th Anniversary of the Russian Fleet in St. Petersburg and at the Baltic International Festival of the Fleets in Kaliningrad, Russia.

Gambone, the 11th officer to hold the position of director, has been leading the Navy Band since August 1998. A native of Annapolis, Md., Gambone, has served in the Navy since 1969. He received a bachelor's degree in music from Towson State College in Maryland and a master's degree in music from Catholic University in Washington, D.C. In April 2001, he was inducted into the prestigious American Bandmasters Association, the professional association of master conductors and musicians.

APPLETON, WIS. --The Lawrence Conservatory of Music and Theatre Department are staging two of Puccini's one-act operas, Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi, at 8:00 p.m. Thursday and Friday, March 1 and 2 and at 3:00 p.m. Sunday, March 4 in Stansbury Theatre, located in the Music-Drama Center. Tickets for the opera are $10 for adults and $5 for senior citizens and students. Tickets are available beginning Monday, February 19 at the box office, located in the Music-Drama Center, or by phone at 920-832-6749. If tickets remain, they will be on sale beginning one hour before each performance at the box office.

Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi are two of the three one-act operas featured in Puccini's Il Trittico. Written as an operatic answer to Dante's Divine Comedy, Il Trittico features the tales of three separate lives, each headed either towards heaven, hell, or purgatory.

Suor Angelica is a tale of loss and repentance. After bearing an illegitimate child in late 17th century Italy, Angelica is sent to a convent by her family, where she stays for seven years before learning the news that her child has died. Devastated, she sings the lament, "Senza mamma" ("Without mamma"), mixes poison, and resolves to kill herself. After taking her deadly drink, Sister Angelica realizes that her suicide is a mortal sin, and therefore she will not go to heaven. As she dies, Sister Angelica prays for forgiveness, and in her last moments, has a vision of the Virgin Mary bringing her lost child to her. The Lawrence production of Suor Angelica will be sung in Italian, a first for the Lawrence Conservatory Opera, according to director Timothy X. Troy, associate professor of theatre arts. "The music in Suor is so soaring and soulful, we hope that retaining the original language will help the students have a good experience with Italian, and that the audience will get a first-hand 'view' of the opera," Troy said. This production will include supertitles in English.

Gianni Schicchi's setting is originally in Florence, Italy in 1299, however, for the Lawrence production, it is set in a 1980s New Jersey suburb of New York City. "We've decided to change the setting and era for this production (Gianni Schicchi). We are singing it in English and setting it in a way that we imagine the action taking place in about 1980 in a New Jersey suburb of New York City. What would happen if the Donait family were low-level mobsters, and Schicchi tricked them in order to take over their 'action'," muses Troy. "None of this, of course, changes the beauty and drive of Puccini's score."

Conducting the orchestra for the opera is David Becker, professor of music and the vocal coach is Bonnie Koestner, associate professor of music. Playing the part of Sister Angelica is Cami Bowers '07, and playing Gianni Schicchi is Aram Monisoff '07.

APPLETON, WIS. -- One-time leftist ideologue turned conservative political activist David Horowitz discusses student rights and the importance of intellectual diversity on college campuses in an address at Lawrence University.

Horowitz presents "Academic Freedom and the War on Terror," Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. in Youngchild Hall, Room 121. The event is free and open to the public.

An outspoken opponent of censorship and racial preferences, Horowitz was one of the founders of the "New Left" in the 1960s and served as the editor of "Ramparts," the movement's largest magazine. Disillusionment with the leftist movement led Horowitz to embrace a conservative philosophy.

In 1988, he created the Center for the Study of Popular Culture, renamed the David Horowitz Freedom Center last July. The center promotes the principles of individual freedom, limited government and academic freedom in American schools. It also publishes "FrontPageMagazine.com," an online journal featuring conservative columnists Ann Coulter and Andrew Sullivan and libertarian talk show host Larry Elder.

Four years ago, Horowitz turned his attention to American college campuses, founding Students for Academic Freedom (SAF), which has grown to 200 college chapters nationwide, He also wrote a piece of model legislation he called the "Academic Bill of Rights," which outlined ways to protect students from partisan politics and broaden academic freedom in the classroom." In July, 2006, Temple University became the country's first university to adopt a policy ensuring students with academic freedom rights.

Horowitz has written more than a dozen books, including his 1997 autobiography "Radical Son," which chronicles his own political journey from "red-diaper baby" to conservative activist, "Uncivil Wars," which explores intolerance and racial McCarthyism on college campuses and "The Art of Political War" in 2000, which Republican political strategist Karl Rove hailed as "the perfect guide to winning on the political battlefield."

Earlier in his career, Howowitz teamed with Peter Collier to write a series of best-selling biographies on several iconic American families, including the Rockefellers, Kennedys, Fords and Roosevelts. Horowitz and Collier also co-wrote the 1989 book "Destructive Generation: Second Thoughts About the Sixties."

A recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1978, Horowitz was recognized by President Reagan in 1990 with the Teach Freedom Award.

He earned a bachelor's degree in English from Columbia University and a master's degree from the University of California, Berkeley.

Horowitz appearance is sponsored by the student organization Viking Conservatives and the Young America's Foundation.

APPLETON, WIS. -- The Lawrence University "Performing Arts at Lawrence" Artist Series continues Saturday, March 3 with cellist David Finckel and pianist Wu Han. The duo takes the stage of the Lawrence Memorial Chapel at 8:00 p.m.

Finckel leads a multifaceted career as a concert performer, recording artist, educator, arts administrator, and cultural entrepreneur. He is the co-artistic director of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, teaches during the summer at the Aspen Music Festival and School, and has served as a regular faculty member of the Issac Stern Chamber Music Workshops in New York, Jerusalem, Paris, and Japan.

Born into a family of cellists, Finckel began his music studies with his father. At the age of 15, he made his debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra and at 17 he played for Mstislav Rostropovich, and soon after became the great cellist's first American pupil. Finckel has been hailed as a "world class soloist" by the Denver Post and "one of the top 10, if not top five, cellist in the world today" by the Nordwest Zeitung in Germany. Recent engagements include performances at the Aspen Music Festival, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, and Chamber Music Northwest. He has played throughout the world, including in Mexico, Canada, the Far East, Scandinavia, and continental Europe. As cellist of the Emerson String Quartet, Finckel has won six Grammy Awards including two unprecedented honors for Best Classical Album, three Gramophone magazine awards, and the prestigious Avery Fisher Prize.

Han has performed at many of the world's most prestigious venues including Wigmore Hall in London, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the 92nd Street Y in New York. She has given performances in England, Germany, Austria, Spain, Denmark, Japan, and Taiwan, along with engagements in the United States. Han maintains an active teaching schedule at the Aspen Music Festival and has been a regular faculty member of the Isaac Stern International Chamber Music Workshops at Carnegie Hall and the Jerusalem Music Center.

In August 2003, Finckel and Han launched Music@Menlo, a new chamber music festival at Silicon Valley that has attracted widespread attention and international acclaim. Han and Finckel's wide-ranging musical activities also include the founding of ArtistLed, classical music's first musician-directed and Internet-based recording company.

Tickets for this concert are $22 and $20 for adults, $19 and $17 for senior citizens, and $17 and $15 for students. Tickets are on sale at the Lawrence University Box Office, located in the Music-Drama Center, or by phone at 920-832-6749. Tickets, if available, will be sold beginning one hour before the concert at the box office.

The final concert of the 2006-07 Artist Series takes place at 8:00 p.m. Saturday, April 21 with Lawrence alum Peter Kolkay '98, on bassoon. For more information on this concert, visit: www.lawrence.edu/news/performingartsseries

APPLETON, WIS. -- Lawrence University has been named one of 15 national winners of a $60,000 Merck/AAAS Undergraduate Science Research Program grant. The program is sponsored by the Merck Institute for Science Education (MISE) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The grants were announced during the AAAS's annual meeting (Feb. 15-19) in San Francisco.

The grant, paid out over a three-year period, will support student-faculty research focused on collaborations between biology and chemistry. It is the second time in five years (2002) that Lawrence has been recognized with a USRP award.

"The intersection of biology and chemistry is one of the most vital areas of science education," said David Burrows, Lawrence provost and dean of the faculty. "It is critical that we continue to provide high quality educational and collaborative research opportunities in this area for our students or risk falling behind the curve. Support from the Merck/AAAS program has been an integral component in helping Lawrence provide these kind of opportunities and fostering a productive interdisciplinary environment."

Launched in 2000 as a national competition, the goal of the program is to advance undergraduate research training and enhance education through research experiences that emphasize the interrelationship between chemistry and biology sciences.

The 10-year, $9 million initiative is funded by MISE, a private foundation established in 1993 to improve science education and is administered by AAAS, the world's largest general scientific society and the publisher of the journal Science.

Joining Lawrence as 2007 USRP recipients were Augustana College, Calvin College, Davidson College, Pomona College, Rhodes College, St. Lawrence University, The College of New Jersey, Truman State University, University of Dayton, University of Evansville, University of Richmond, University of St. Thomas, UW-Oshkosh and Wellesley College.

APPLETON, WIS. -- Michael Beaderstadt and Asher Perlman earned invitations to the 2008 Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Competition following exceptional performances in Lawrence University's recent production of Jeffrey Hatcher's social satire "Smash." The Ryan scholarship competition is part of the annual American College Theatre Festival.

Beaderstadt, a senior from McHenry, Ill., and Perlman, a junior from Madison, will be among more than 300 student actors vying for a $500 scholarship next January at the five-state regional competition in Milwaukee co-hosted by Marquette University and Cardinal Stritch College.

Winners at next year's eight regional competitions will advance to the ACTF's national auditions at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. in April, 2008.

In Lawrence's four-show production of the high-style British comedy staged Feb. 15-18, Beaderstadt portrayed Chichester Erskine, a romantic poet with less-than-polished social skills. Perlman played the leading role of Sidney Trefusis, a millionaire who, shortly after taking his wedding vows, embarks on a quest to bring a socialist revolution to England.

Kathy Privatt, associate professor of theatre arts, directed the production.

"Smash" stage manager Brianna Stapleton, a sophomore from Pardeeville, also earned ACTF recognition. She was nominated to serve as stage manager of the 10 minute play festival at next January's regional competition. Winners for the stage managing competition will be announced in December.

The ACTF was founded in 1969 to recognize and celebrate the finest and most exciting work produced in college theatre programs and provide opportunities for participants to develop their theatre skills. Conducted since 1972, the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship was established in the will of the late actress, best known for her role as the lovable and feisty 'Granny Clampett' on the TV hit show "The Beverly Hillbillies."

APPLETON, WIS. -- Lawrence University will play host to two choir events this weekend, Friday, February 23 and Saturday, February 24.
The Lawrence University choirs present "A Century Apart" at 8:00 p.m. Friday, February 23 in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel. This concert is free and open to the public.

The concert features music that discusses the same topic some centuries apart, such as the sun and its rebirth, praising God with instruments, love lost and hoped for, and more. The concert includes selections sung by the Viking Chorale, Cantala, and the Concert Choir under the direction of Richard Bjella and Phillip A. Swan. The program includes "Exultate justi in Domino" by Viadana, "Amor" ("Lamento della ninfa") by Monteverdi, "Sing a New Song to the Lord" by Paul Basler, "When David Heard" by Norman Dinerstein, "Effortlessly Love Flows" by Aaron Jay Kernis, "Hymne du Soleil" ("Hymn to the Sun") by Lili Boulanger, and more.

In addition to the Friday night concert, the Viking Choral Festival will be held on Friday and Saturday, culminating in a free concert Saturday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church Sanctuary, 325 E. Franklin St., Appleton.

Five high school choirs have been selected to participate in the Viking Choral Festival based on their excellence and reputation as outstanding choir programs throughout Wisconsin. The choirs selected to participate in this year's Festival include Fond du Lac High School Concert Choir conducted by Cory Schneider; Middleton High School Concert Choir conducted by Thomas Mielke; Oshkosh West High School Chorale conducted by Herb Berendsen; Manitowoc Lincoln Chamber Choir conducted by David Bowman; and Hartford Union High School Concert Choir conducted by Stephanie Klockow. The choirs will participate in clinics and workshops throughout Friday and Saturday.

The concert Saturday afternoon includes works by Brahms, Stroope, Martini, Tchaikovsky, Handel, and more. All five schools will perform in the Viking Festival Choir and perform the finale under the direction of Paul Nesheim, assistant professor and director of choral activities at Minnesota State University-Moorhead. Nesheim is a frequent clinician and guest conductor for high school festival and honor clinics, including the 2004-05 Minnesota All-Men's Choir.

APPLETON, WIS. -- Composer Christopher Burns has been invited to do a composer-in-residence program at Lawrence University Sunday, February 25 through Tuesday, February 27. Burns, an assistant professor of composition and technology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, gives several free and open to the public concerts during his time at Lawrence.

New Music at Lawrence takes place at 8:00 p.m. Sunday in Harper Hall. This concert features music by Burns, Feyertag, Fitkin, Karner, and more. On Monday, an open rehearsal with the Improvisation Group at Lawrence University (IGLU) and Burns takes place at 1:45 p.m. in the jazz room, located in room 46 of the Music-Drama Center. At 8:00 p.m. Monday evening, Burns presents "Drones and Monsters," an electronic music concert featuring Burns' compositions, in the Wriston Auditorium. Finally, on Tuesday Burns presents a composition seminar at 2:30 p.m. in room 142 of the Music-Drama Center.

Burns, a composer of chamber and electroacoustic music, teaches composition and technology at UW-Milwaukee. Previously, he served as the technical director of the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics at Stanford University. Burns is also an active concert producer. He co-founded and produced the strictly Ballroom series at Stanford, presenting 37 programs of contemporary music from 2000-04. He is currently a co-director of the San Francisco-based sfSoundSeries, which presents new chamber music, improvisation, music theatre, and electroacoustic music.

For more information on any of these events, please call 920-832-6612.

APPLETON, WIS. -- Developmental psychologist Colleen Conley returns to her alma mater to discuss her recent research on the factors that contribute to the different rates of depression in adolescent males and females in a Lawrence University Science Hall Colloquium.

Conley, assistant professor of psychology at Knox College and a 1997 Lawrence graduate, presents "The Emerging Sex Difference in Adolescent Depression: Interacting Contributions of Puberty and Peer Stress" Monday, Feb. 26 at 3:15 p.m. in Science Hall Room 102. The event is free and open to the public.

Females, both in adolescence and as adults, tend to experience higher incidences of depression. Conley will examine when those different rates between boys and girls first begin to emerge. She also will discuss the factors that trigger that response, such as the quality of, and stress levels within, peer relationships.

A member of the Knox faculty since 2005, Conley's research focuses on the characteristics, contexts and mechanisms that place adolescent girls and young women at elevated risk for internalizing problems, including depression, anxiety, self-injurious behavior, body image and eating disorders.

After earning a bachelor's degree summa cum laude in psychology and Spanish from Lawrence, Conley earned a master's and a doctorate degree in psychology from the University of Illinois.

APPLETON, WIS. -- Philosopher, moralist and gay rights advocate John Corvino explores the ways sexual orientation fits into the broader discussion of diversity in an address at Lawrence University.

Corvino, an assistant professor of philosophy at Wayne State University, presents "Homosexuality, Morality and Diversity" Tuesday, Feb. 27 at 8 p.m. in Riverview Lounge of the Lawrence Memorial Union. The event is free and open to the public.

The presentation will focus on ways of fostering respect for diverse social relationships while also respecting an individual's moral and religious convictions. Corvino also will examine the prospects and pitfalls of analogies between sexual orientation and race, religion and other diversity issues.

A specialist in ethical theory and applied ethics, Corvino has been speaking and writing on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) issues for more than a decade. He wrote the introduction for, and served as editor of, the 1997 book "Same Sex: Debating the Ethics, Science and Culture of Homosexuality."

He has written for a variety of regional and national print publications and is the author of more than a dozen articles published in various scholarly anthologies, among them "Do We Need Minority Rights?," "Ethics in Practice" and "The Philosophy of Sex."

In 2004, the Detroit City Council recognized Corvino for his work on behalf of GLBT rights with its Spirit of Detroit Award.

Corvino has taught in the philosophy department at Wayne State since 1998. He earned a bachelor's degree from St. John's University and holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Texas.

His appearance is co-sponsored by SOUP (Student Organization for University Programming) and the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Diversity Center.

APPLETON, WIS. -- The Lawrence University student organization ¡VIVA! presents "Muevelo," an evening of Hispanic heritage and culture Saturday, March 3 from 8:30 p.m. - 11:30 p.m. at Harmony Cafe, 124 N. Oneida St. in downtown Appleton. The event is free and open to the public.

"Muevelo," Spanish for "move it," an outreach event sponsored in part by the Lawrence Spanish department, is designed to promote community interaction and raise awareness about and celebrate Hispanic culture. The event will feature a variety of Latin music, including bachata, reggaeton, merengue, cumbia and salsa. Beginning at 9 p.m., Latin dance lessons will be taught by Lawrence students. Chips and salsa also will be provided.

Families are encouraged to attend and bring their children. Student volunteers from Lawrence's chapter of Circle K will provide entertainment and activities for the children in a safe environment separate from the adults.

"Muevelo" is a follow-up to last year's similar "Salupiesdes" program, which drew a packed house.

"We weren't quite sure what to expect when we held our event last year, but we had such an outstanding response from campus and the community that it movitated us to try it again this year," said ¡VIVA! secretary Marissa Vallette. "We certainly hope to repeat that success this year with Muevelo. It's an opportunity for Lawrence students and members of the broader Fox Cities communities to interact with each other in a fun and entertaining atmosphere."

¡VIVA! is a student organization dedicated to promoting cultural discourse and Hispanic awareness within the Lawrence campus and the greater community through programming, special events, speakers, field trips and community service projects.

APPLETON, WIS. -- The Lawrence Academy of Music String Orchestra (ASTRO) along with the Fox Valley Symphony Philharmonia Strings present their spring concert at 3:00 p.m. Sunday, March 18 in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel. Tickets are $6, and will be available beginning Monday, March 5 at the Lawrence University Box Office or by phone at 920-832-6749.

This concert features a varied and appealing program for the young and old alike. Of note on the program for ASTRO is "Follow the Drinking Gourd" arranged by Carrie Lane Gruselle, the lead teacher of the Academy's String Project. A composer and arranger of international reputation, Gruselle's compositions have been featured in national conventions and played by honors orchestras across the nation. The Fox Valley Symphony Philharmonia Strings program includes music by Franz Joseph Haydn, Johann Sebastian Bach, Johannes Brahms, and Duke Ellington.

ASTRO, an auditioned ensemble for talented and highly motivated string players, includes 63 young musicians in grades four though eight. The ensemble is conducted by Linda Calhan, who currently teaches orchestra at Madison Middle School in Appleton, teaches strings techniques classes at the Lawrence Conservatory of Music, and has a private cello studio.

The Fox Valley Symphony Philharmonia Strings are conducted by Greg Austin, who teaches orchestra at Roosevelt Middle School, and Edison, Columbus, and Franklin elementary schools in Appleton. The Fox Valley Symphony Philharmonia Strings provide music education for children in grades seven through 10. The group offers young musicians the opportunity to perform with other top players from the Fox Cities area, such as ASTRO.

APPLETON, WIS. -- The Lawrence Academy of Music Honors Band and Wind Ensemble premier Academy Festival March, a work composed by Lawrence Academy of Music instructor Jon Meyer, at their spring concert. The concert takes place at 7:00 p.m. Sunday, March 18 in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel. Tickets are $6, and go on sale Monday, March 5 at the Lawrence University Box Office or by phone at 920-832-6749.

The Honors Band, conducted by Meyer, performs Suite from Bohemia by Vaclav Nelhybel, a lovely folk tune suite by the Czech composer who was very popular in the 1960-70s, but is rarely heard today; The Little Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin and arranged by Frank Campbell-Watson, who did the standard symphonic arrangements of Gershwin; and one of the standard band transcriptions of Bach that is rarely heard today, Prelude and Fugue in G Minor, arranged by R. Moehlmann.

The Wind Ensemble's portion of the program includes the seafaring theme Of Sailors and Whales by W. Francis-McBeth, a five-movement work based on five scenes from Herman Melville's "Moby Dick." Songs to be performed include "The Rakes of Mallow," a fun Irish jig that begins fast and gets faster throughout; "Danza Final," from the ballet suite Estancia, a very bright, lively, and energetic work that features the dance, Malambo; and Samuel Ward's "America the Beautiful," arranged by Carman Dragon.

The Honors Band and Wind Ensemble come together for the final piece, Academy Festival March, composed by Meyer, for the Honors Band and Wind Ensemble to perform together.

The Honors Band provides experience with advanced music for middle school band students. It is open by audition to seventh, eighth, and ninth grade band students from the Fox Valley area. The band is conducted by Meyer, who also conducts the New Horizons Band and coordinates the Academy's residential summer Music Camp.

The Wind Ensemble is conducted by Michael J. Ross, who is also director of bands at Appleton West High School, and was recently appointed conductor of the Green Bay Symphony Youth Orchestra. The ensemble provides advanced high school band students with opportunities to become acquainted with music specifically composed and arranged for the soloistic possibilities of wind ensembles. It is open by audition to talented wind, brass, and percussion players in grades 9-12 from throughout Northeastern Wisconsin.

The Honors Band and Wind Ensemble will hold auditions for the 2007-08 season on April 29. For more information, call the Academy at 920-993-6278.

APPLETON, WIS. -- Three new exhibitions are coming to Lawrence University's Wriston Art Center in March. The exhibits open on Saturday, March 24 in the Leech, Hoffmaster, and Kohler galleries. An opening lecture and reception by Julie Anand is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Thursday, April 5 in the Wriston Auditorium. The exhibits will be on display through May 6.

Fin, Fur, and Feathers in the Permanent Collection, an exhibition selected by Lawrence junior Katherine Elchert, will be featured in the Leech Gallery. All the works exhibited in this show are from the permanent collection and feature a variety of images of plants and animals spanning a number of decades.

The Kohler Gallery features photography by Julie Anand and Damon Sauer. Much photography depends on the idea of discrete things in nature, objects and individuals defined by shapes and fixed contour. Photographers Anand and Sauer investigate the edges of individuals and relationships. The artists cut aluminum sheets into shapes derived from tracings of couples embracing and interacting. Hung on the wall, the pieces at first appear to be abstract but further study reveals hands, hair, and arms interlocking. Challenging not only the boundaries between photography and sculpture but also the boundaries of individuals and personal space the artists critique the notion of fixity of self and of objects and make subtle reference to scientific photography, phrenology, and other familiar forms of documentation.

School Days Cafeteria Plan is scheduled for exhibition in the Hoffmaster Gallery. For this exhibit, 24 artists and educators were invited to create a print depicting one of his or her most vivid experiences as a student or teacher. The resulting works range from humorous to poignant. Organized by Benjamin Rinehart, assistant professor of art at Lawrence, School Days offers a wide variety of printmaking technique styles.

Gallery hours are 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and noon-4:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The galleries are closed on Monday.

Contact: Andrea Ebeling, Public Relations Assistant, 920-832-6585 or andrea.ebeling@lawrence.edu