Academics

Category: Academics

Annual Harrison Symposium highlights student research in the humanities, social sciences

Twenty-eight presentations on topics ranging from the performance of Indonesian shadow puppetry to the role of churches in the lives of North Korean refugees will be addressed Saturday, May 14 during Lawrence University’s 19th annual Richard A. Harrison Symposium.Harrison Symposium 2016_newsblog

The symposium highlights exceptional student research in the humanities and social sciences, beginning at 9:15 a.m. in various locations throughout Main Hall. A complete schedule of presentations, times and locations can be found here.

The symposium features series of 20-minute presentations arranged by topic or field. Each series is moderated by a Lawrence faculty member and includes a 10-minute question-and-answer session following the presentations. Symposium participants present their work in the format used for professional meetings of humanities and social sciences scholars.

First conducted in 1996, the symposium honors former Lawrence Dean of the Faculty Richard Harrison, who died unexpectedly the following year. The symposium was renamed in his honor to recognize his vision of highlighting excellent student scholarship.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College” and Fiske’s Guide to Colleges 2016. Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

Spoerl Lecture explores relationship between African-Americans and environmentalism

Carolyn-Finney_newsblog
Carolyn Finney

Carolyn Finney explores the complex relationship of African Americans to nature and environmentalism in the Lawrence University Spoerl Lecture Series address “Radical Presence: Black Faces, White Spaces & Other Stories of Possibility.” The presentation, Thursday, May 12 at 7 p.m. in Thomas Steitz Hall of Science 102, is free and open to the public.

The talk is based on Finney’s 2014 book “Black Faces, White Spaces: Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans to the Great Outdoors,” in which she held “green” conversations with black people from around the country. Using film, literature and popular culture, as well as historical moments, including the establishment of the Wilderness Act in 1964 and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Finney exposes the perceived and real ways nature and the environment are racialized in America.

Finney, assistant professor of geography at the University of Kentucky, is a member of the U.S. National Parks Advisory Board, working to assist the park service engage in relations with diverse communities.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College” and Fiske’s Guide to Colleges 2016. Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

Photography exhibition examines Cuban revolution from the inside

Photographs taken by Lawrence University Professor of Spanish Gustavo Fares during a recent trip to Cuba will be exhibited in the Warch Campus Center from May 2-18.

Cuba-exhibition_newsblogThe exhibition, “Cuba: The Revolution from the Inside,” features 10 large-scale digital prints of photographs Fares took of display cases inside the Museo de la Revolución — the Museum of the Revolution —  in Havana, which served as Cuba’s presidential palace until 1959.

In light of President Obama’s recent historic visit to the island — the first by a U.S. president in 80 years — it is clear Cuba is on the verge of change.  The exhibition, divided into 10 themes, among them agrarian reform, Guantánamo and missile crisis, examines the ways the Cuban government presents the history of the 1959 revolution and the subsequent consequences for the Cuban people. It questions the tension between history and memory, our perspective from the present on the events of the past.

“In the United States we tend to be more familiar with the Cuban revolution as seen from the outside,” said Fares. “This exhibition wants to present a Cuban perspective of the revolution from the inside.

Gustavo-Fares_newsblog
Gustavo Fares

“I did not want to take away the visual features that characterizes a visit, a ‘being there,’ with the light, the people, the heat, the warm breeze coming through the museum’s open windows,” Fares added. “I believe one of the core values of photography is precisely to remind us that a body was there, present, to take the photograph. I tried to preserve the visual clues that remind us of that fact.”

Fares was part of a 34-member Lawrence-sponsored trip that spent eight days in Cuba in mid-March of this year.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College” and Fiske’s Guide to Colleges 2016. Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

Civic Life Project community film screening May 3 in Warch Campus Center

 Jamie DeMotts began experimenting with filmmaking when she was 11 years old.Civic-Life-Project-logo_newsblog

Without any editing software, the Lawrence University senior from St. Cloud, Minn., had to settle for manipulating an old JVC tape camera, recording over old footage to shoot new scenes.

With the help of “real” equipment and some valuable guidance from Lawrence faculty, DeMotts’ skills as a filmmaker have blossomed. One of her latest efforts, “Brown Water,” which she made with classmates Taylor Dodson and Hugo Espinosa, will be one of four documentaries shown Tuesday, May 3 at 6 p.m. in the Warch Campus Center at the fourth community screening of Lawrence University’s Civic Life Project.

The screening is free and open to the public, but advance registration is requested at http://go.lawrence.edu/qdfw or by calling 920-832-7019.

“Filmmaking is a fantastic way to communicate stories,” said DeMotts, a self-designed environmental studies and film studies major. “Thanks to online videos, anyone can be a filmmaker. It’s a great way to express yourself and find your voice. I think everyone should be a filmmaker.”

Civic Life Project_brown water_newsblog
A scene from “Brown Water.”

Finding one’s voice is an important part of the mission of the Civic Life Project, which was created by award-winning filmmaker Catherine Tatge, and her husband, Dominique Lasseur. The CLP was launched at Lawrence in 2012 as an innovative educational tool to challenge students to learn about democracy in a unique way, discover more about the community in which they live and and find their own individual voice through the creation of a documentary video.

The ecologically-focused “Brown Water” explores the interaction between dairy farming and groundwater quality.

“People have heard about environmental problems so many times that it’s important to keep thinking of ways to represent them in a way that hits a target audience,” DeMotts explained of her team’s inspiration for film.

Other films featured at screening will be:

  • “Breaking the Silence: Unseen Racism” An examination of how racism goes unseen in a college town like Appleton.
  • “A Generation On Change” A local transgender student fights for not only her rights, but also for the rights of other transgender youths in the Fox Valley.
  • “Mental Health in the Prison System” A look at the value and use of mental health diagnosis and treatment in the Wisconsin criminal justice system.
Civic-Life-Project_signs_newsblog
A scene from “Breaking the Silence: Unseen Racism.”

The topics for the documentaries grew out of conversations Tatge conducted with numerous community leaders to identify issues of concern in the Fox Cities. Three-member teams of Lawrence students then shared the roles of writer, editor, producer, director and videographer in creating the documentaries.

Students will lead brief, round-table discussions related to the issues following the screening of each film.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College” and Fiske’s Guide to Colleges 2016. Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

Political fallout of Common Core standards focus of economics colloquium

The political ramifications of the adoption of the Common Core education standards will be examined in a Lawrence University economics colloquium.

Arnold-Shober_newsblog
Arnold Shober

Arnold Shober, associate professor of government at Lawrence, presents “You Wanna See Utah Become a Blue State? How the Common Core Raised Standards and Broke a Thirty-Year Truce between Republicans and Democrats” Thursday, April 28 at 4:30 p.m in Thomas Steitz Hall of Science 102.

When the Common Core State Standards were adopted in 2010 by 46 states, supporters thought they had gotten it right. After the spectacular flame-out of national standards 15 years earlier, Common Core boosters were determined to foil political opposition by applying lessons gleaned from earlier battles. The new standards touched only reading and math, were drafted by a large and diverse panel of experts and were state-led.

While supporters got what they wanted, in the process they wound up upending a long-standing, but uneasy, political peace.

Shober, a specialist on policy change and accountability in American education, is the author of the 2016 book “In Common No More: The Politics of the Common Core State Standards.” The book explores the shifting political alliances related to the Common Core State Standards Initiative, explains why initial national support has faded and considers the major debates running through the Common Core controversy.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College” and Fiske’s Guide to Colleges 2016. Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

Conservation leader details campaign for federal protection of wilderness area in environmental series address

Rick Johnson, director of the Idaho Conservation League for more than 20 years, discusses the campaign that led to Congressional protection of a 431-square mile wilderness area last August in a Lawrence University Spoerl Lecture Series address.

Rick-Johnson-newsblog
Rick Johnson

Johnson presents “Endless Pressure, Endlessly Applied: Preserving the Boulder-White Clouds Wilderness Area” Thursday, April 28 at 7 p.m. in Thomas Steitz Hall of Science 102. The event is free and open to the public.

A recognized leader in conservation strategy and organizational development, Johnson played a leadership role in a decades-long effort to obtain federal protection for a section of the Boulder and White Cloud Mountains in central Idaho.

Through old-fashioned organizing in a very conservative western state, a state of the art national campaign leveraging the Democratic administration and some well-timed good luck, Johnson was finally able to get Congress’ approval.

Johnson has called wilderness “an incredible statement of optimism.”

“All of us today are concerned about the future – whether the air will be clean to breathe, whether the water will be safe to drink, whether our climate will sustain life,” said Johnson.  “Wilderness is a truly optimistic statement that we’re going to pass on this planet for the future and pass on some of the recreation and outdoor experiences that I believe defines our way of life.”

Johnson has served on the boards of the Campaign for America’s Wilderness, Conservation Voters of Idaho, the American Wilderness Coalition, Advocates for the West and Conservation Geography.

His efforts have been recognized with the Secretary’s Honor Award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2014 and the Outstanding Conservation Leadership Award from the Wilburforce Foundation.

The Spoerl Lecture in Science and Society Series, was established in 1999 by Milwaukee-Downer College graduate Barbara Gray Spoerl and her husband, Edward. The lectureship promotes interest and discussion on the role of science and technology in societies worldwide.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College” and Fiske’s Guide to Colleges 2016. Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

5th annual Latin American and Spanish Film Festival features seven films from six countries

Seven films from six countries in four days highlight Lawrence University’s 5th annual Latin American and Spanish Film Festival April 20-23.

The festival features some of the best films from the 2014-2015 international season, including two Academy Award nominees as well as winners and nominees at some of the most prestigious international competitions and festivals.

Wild-Tale_newsblog
A scene from “Wild Tales,” the festival’s opening film.

Each film, shown in Spanish with English subtitles in the Warch Campus Center cinema, is free and open to the public. All the films are rated R, for mature audiences only.

“The goal of the festival is to bring to the Fox Cities the seven best Latin American and Spanish films of 2014 and 2015,” said Rosa Tapia, associate professor of Spanish and organizer of the festival. “Several of the films have not been commercially released yet and none have come to theaters in our area.

“As always, we are proud to present a slate of stellar regional premieres that Lawrentians, neighbors and friends can enjoy for free on the big screen,” Tapia added.

Complementing the film screenings will be a pair of presentations during the festival. Sophia McClennen, professor of international affairs and comparative literature at Penn State University and the founding director of its Center for Global Studies, presents “Latin American Cinema and Globalization” Friday, April 22 at 4:30 p.m. in Thomas Steitz Hall of Science 102.

One of the most respected intellectuals and commentators on global and political affairs and their portrayal by the media, McClennen has held a Fulbright faculty award in Peru, where she researched Peruvian cinema and has taught and conducted research around the world, including Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Germany, Guatemala and Uruguay.

Embrace-the-Serpent_newsblog
Scene from “Embrace the Serpent.”

On Saturday, April 23 at 7 p.m., Brionne Davis, the lead actor who portrays the American scientist Richard Evans Schultes in the film “Embrace of the Serpent,” will conduct a question-and-answer session about his experiences in making the film.

Two free bookend festival receptions, an opening one at 7 p.m. on April 20 and a closing one on April 23 at 7:30 p.m., will be held in the Warch Campus Center.

“The receptions are always very popular and lively components of the festival,” said Tapia. “Our audience members enjoy passionate discussions about the films, mingle with organizers and student volunteers and get to hang out with special guests.”

This year’s festival schedule:

• Wednesday, April 20, 5 p.m. “Wild Tales” directed by Damian Szifron  (Argentina, 2014): A best foreign language Academy Award nominee, this hilariously deranged satire comprises six standalone shorts revolving around extreme human behavior in times of distress.

• Wednesday, April 20, 8:30 p.m. “Magical Girl” directed by Carlos Vermut (Spain, 2014): In this neo-noir film, the father of a terminally-ill girl tries to obtain his daughter’s last wish — the official costume of the main character of a Japanese TV series. Due to the costume’s high cost, he becomes involved in a bizarre chain of blackmail schemes.

• Thursday, April 21, 6 p.m. “600 Miles” directed by Gabriel Ripstein (Mexico, 2015): ATF agent Hank Harris attempts to apprehend Mexican arms smuggler Arnulfo Rubio, but ends up getting kidnapped by him instead. During the 600-mile journey to Rubio’s bosses, the two men slowly befriend each other.

• Thursday, April 21, 8:30 p.m. “From Afar” directed by Lorenzo Vigas (Venezuela, 2015): First-time director Lorenzo Vigas won the Venice Film Festival’s prestigious Golden Lion Prize for Best Picture with this story of a middle-aged gay man who wanders the streets of Caracas searching for young companions.

• Friday, April 22, 8:30 p.m. “The Club” directed by Pablo Larrain (Chile, 2015): The Catholic Church sends a counselor to a small Chilean beach town where disgraced priests and nuns live after committing crimes ranging from child abuse to baby-snatching from single mothers.

Marshland_newsblog
Scene from “Marshland.”

• Saturday, April 23, 5 p.m. “Embrace of the Serpent” directed by Ciro Guerra (Colombia 2015): An Academy Award nominee for Best Foreign Language Film and winner of the Art Cinema Award at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, “Embrace of the Serpent” follows the relationship between Karamakate, an Amazonian shaman and last survivor of his people, and two scientists who work together over the course of 40 years to search for a sacred healing plant.

• Saturday, April 23, 8:30 p.m. “Marshland” directed by Alberto Rodriguez (Spain, 2014): Two detectives must put aside their differences to catch a serial killer who has been targeting women for years in a small town in the south of Spain.

The film festival is the final event in the year-long series “Latino Americans: 500 Years of History and Culture” a public programming initiative produced by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the American Library Association (ALA). The program is part of an NEH initiative, “The Common Good: The Humanities in the Public Square.”

The programming was supported by a pair of grants Lawrence received: a $3,000 grant from the ALA and a $7,585 grant from the Wisconsin Humanities Council with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

About Wisconsin Humanities Council
The Wisconsin Humanities Council is a leading statewide resource for librarians, teachers, museum educators and civic leaders, who drive entertaining and informative programs using history, culture and discussion to strengthen community life for everyone. The Wisconsin Humanities Council also awards more than $175,000 a year over seven rounds of grants to local organizations piloting humanities programming. For more information on Wisconsin Humanities Council, visit http://wisconsinhumanities.org or connect on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WisconsinHumanitiesCouncil or Twitter at @WiHumanities.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College” and Fiske’s Guide to Colleges 2016. Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

 

Classics Week presentation features Joe Goodkin’s folk opera “The Odyssey”

Joe Goodkin performs his folk opera "The Odyssey" April 19.
Joe Goodkin performs his folk opera “The Odyssey” April 19.

As part of Lawrence’s annual Classics Week celebration, Joe Goodkin brings his folk opera retelling of “The Odyssey” to Harper Hall Tuesday, April 19 at 8:15 p.m. Part lecture, part musical and part interactive discussion, the performance is free and open to the public.

Combining his background in writing and performing original rock music with a degree in classics, Goodkin deconstructs the story of “The Odyssey” in a 30-minute long composition featuring 24 original songs. The performance, featuring only an acoustic guitar and voice, echoes the spirit of the ancient Greek bards who originally told the epic stories of Odysseus and the heroes of the Trojan War.

Since 2003, Goodkin has performed the folk opera scores of times across the country. He is a three-time American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers award recipient for his work.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College” and Fiske’s Guide to Colleges 2016. Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

“World of Warcraft,” “South Park” soundtrack contributors visit campus for special events

Accomplished multimedia composer Jeff Kurtenacker makes a return visit to his alma mater and he’s bringing Grammy Award-nominated trumpet player Wayne Bergeron along. The two Los Angeles-based musicians will lend their respective talents to the Lawrence University community for a series of special events April 12-13, culminating with a big band concert.

A 1999 Lawrence graduate and Green Bay native, Kurtenacker has made his mark in the video game industry. After graduating from Lawrence with a self-designed major in composition, Kurtenacker landed a job with Hans Zimmer at his company, Media Ventures/Remote Control, where he honed his craft of composing for media.Jeff-Kurtenacker_newsblog

After serving as choral arranger on “Warcraft 3” for Blizzard Entertainment, Kurtenacker worked on numerous other video game titles, among them “World of Warcraft,” “Pirates of the Burning Sea,” Dreamworks’ “Igor,”  and “American Idol.”

Kurtenacker joined Carbine Studios in 2008 as a sound designer and three years later moved into the role of lead composer. In addition to that role, he also serves as Carbine’s audio department manager. He composed, orchestrated and conducted a 75-piece orchestra in recording more than nine hours of music for Carbine’s “Wild Star.”

Bergeron has established himself as one of the most sought-after musicians in the world for studio sessions, film soundtracks, international touring, jazz concerts and clinics. He is especially in demand for film and television scores, having contributed to more than 350 TV and motion picture soundtracks. His many credits include “Frozen,” “Bridge of Spies,” “Monsters University,” “Despicable Me” “Marley & Me,” “The Simpson’s Movie,” “Dreamgirls,” “Mission Impossible 3” and “South Park.”

Wayne-Bergeron_newsblog_2After working behind the scenes for many years, Bergeron released his first solo effort, “You Call This a Living?,” which earned rave reviews as well as a Grammy Award nomination in 2004. His second disc, “Plays Well With Others” released in 2007, drew similar praise. His latest project is scheduled to be released later this year.

During their residency at Lawrence, Kurtenacker and Bergeron will participate in the following events, all of which are free and open to the public.

• Tuesday, April 12, 11:10 a.m. Bergeron and Kurtenacker will lead masterclasses in trumpet and composing, respectively, in Shattuck Hall 163 and Shattuck Hall 4.

• Tuesday, April 12, 7 p.m., Shattuck Hall 163. The pair will conduct a live recording session with the Lawrence Symphony Orchestra sight reading one of Kurtenacker’s orchestral soundtracks. The session will be recorded just as his music is at Warner Bros. in Los Angeles. Bergeron will play with the LSO for the recording.

• Tuesday, April 12, 8 p.m., Shattuck Hall 163. Bergeron and Kurenacker lead a discussion on “the business of music,” providing an insider’s look at the world of composing and performing for film, television and multimedia.

• Wednesday, April 13, 8 p.m., Lawrence Memorial Chapel. Bergeron headlines a concert with the Lawrence University Jazz Ensemble and the new 19-member Lawrence Jazz Faculty Big Band. The program will feature jazz standards such as Billy Strayhorn’s “Take the A Train” as well as several selections Bergeron has personally selected from his library.

“We are so fortunate to get this opportunity to perform with Wayne Bergeron, who is really  one of the world’s most in-demand musicians,” said Patricia Darling, lecturer in music and director of the Lawrence University Jazz Ensemble. “We’ll be playing some great big band charts. This is going to be a very exciting and rewarding concert for everyone.”

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College” and Fiske’s Guide to Colleges 2016. Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

Moral psychology focus of final Lawrence brain series presentation

Duke University philosophy scholar Walter Sinnott-Armstrong explores moral psychology in the final installment of Lawrence University’s five-part Liberal Arts in the Century of the Brain series.

Walter Sinnott-Armstrong
Walter Sinnott-Armstrong

Sinnott-Armstrong, Chauncey Stillman Professor of Practical Ethics in the department of philosophy and the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke, presents “Are Psychopaths Responsible” Tuesday, April 12 at 11 a.m. in Stansbury Theatre of the Music-Drama Center. A question-and-answer session follows the presentation.

In conjunction with his talk, on Monday, April 11 at 7 p.m. in the Warch Campus Center cinema, Sinnott-Armstrong will show a filmed interview with an imprisoned psychopath and discuss the nature of psychopathy and its moral implications. Both events are free and open to the public.

Psychopaths make up less than one percent of the population, but they commit more than 40 percent of violent crimes. Some research suggests they do not understand the immorality of their acts. In his presentation, Sinnott-Armstrong will discuss whether such individuals should be held legally or morally responsible if they don’t comprehend their acts, and if not, how should society dealt with them.

Sinnott-Armstrong, whose scholarship interests include neuroethics, is the author of several books, including 2009’s “Morality Without God?” and “Moral Skepticisms.” His current research focuses on moral psychology and brain science, as well as uses of neuroscience in the legal system.

Launched last fall, the Liberal Arts in the Century of the Brain series incorporated the interdisciplinary areas of neuroscience and cognitive science to create connections with other disciplines at Lawrence.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College” and Fiske’s Guide to Colleges 2016. Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.