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Annual Honors Convocation Features Historian Jerald Podair

Is the “life of the mind” obsolete and does a liberal arts education have any value today?

Lawrence University historian Jerald Podair examines those questions in the college’s annual Honors Convocation Thursday, May 31. Podair presents “The Only Life: Liberal Arts and the Life of the Mind at Lawrence” at 11:10 a.m. in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel. He also will conduct a question-and-answer session at 2:30 p.m. in the Warch Campus Center cinema. Both events are free and open to the public.

The Honors Convocation also will be webcast live.  Watch it here.

Professor of History Jerald Podair

Podair, professor of history and Robert S. French Professor of American Studies, will examine the value of a liberal arts education and why the hallmarks of a Lawrence education — critical thinking, deep reading, analytical reasoning and effective writing — are essential for success in a 21st-century economy as well as for a rich intellectual, emotional and spiritual life.

He was selected for the series as the third recipient of Lawrence’s annual Faculty Convocation Award. Chosen by President Jill Beck from faculty nominations, recipients are selected on the basis of the high quality of their professional work.

The annual honors convocation publicly recognizes students and faculty recipients of awards and prizes for excellence in the arts, humanities, sciences, social sciences, languages and music as well as demonstrated excellence in athletics and service to others. Students elected to honor societies also will be recognized.  The students and faculty award winners will receive their awards May 30 at the Honors Dinner.

A specialist on 20th-century American history and race relations, Podair is the author of the books “The Strike That Changed New York: Blacks, Whites, and the Ocean Hill-Brownsville Crisis” and “Bayard Rustin: American Dreamer,” a biography of the civil rights leader who planned the 1963 March on Washington.

His current scholarship includes the book “American Conversations,” a collection of transformative documents in American history scheduled for publication this fall and a baseball-themed book on the cultural implications of the Brooklyn Dodgers move to Los Angeles.

Podair joined the Lawrence faculty in 1998 as the winner of that year’s Allan Nevins Prize, an award conferred by the Society of American Historians for the best Ph. D. dissertation in history written in the country that year. He was named a fellow of the New York Academy of History in 2009 and was appointed by the governor to Wisconsin’s Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, on which he served from 2008 to 2009.

A native of New York City, Podair earned his bachelor’s degree at New York University, a law degree from Columbia University and his Ph.D. from Princeton University

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a world-class conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. Ranked among America’s best colleges by Forbes, it was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,445 students from 44 states and 35 countries. Follow us on Facebook..

Carly Roe ’13 Recognized for Research by Geology Institute

Lawrence University junior Carly Roe was recognized for her research presentation on an unusual rock unit in central Wisconsin at the recent annual meeting of the Institute on Lake Superior Geology held in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

Carly Roe '13

Roe, a geology and Russian studies major from Greenville, received second-place honors for her poster describing research on an unusual rock unit from the Baraboo area that is known only from drill cores taken in the early 20th century. Her research has implications for the oxidation state of the atmosphere in the geologic period following the initial appearance of limited amounts of free oxygen.

One of more than two dozen student presenters at the annual conference, Roe received $100 as part of her award.

The Institute on Lake Superior Geology is a non-profit professional society that provides a forum for the exchange of geological ideas and scientific data and promoting better understanding of the geology of the Lake Superior region. Its annual meeting draws geologists from the United States, Canada and throughout the world.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a world-class conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. Ranked among America’s best colleges by Forbes, it was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,445 students from 44 states and 35 countries. Follow us on Facebook.

Senior Art Exhibition Opens May 25 at Wriston Galleries

The work of 14 Lawrence University art majors will be featured in the annual Senior Art Exhibit that opens Friday, May 25 in the Wriston Art Center galleries. The exhibition, which runs through July 29, opens at 6 p.m. with a reception with the student artists.

"Wilmer," oil on canvas, Annie Raccuglia

The exhibition includes books, ceramics, drawings, paintings, photography, prints, sculpture and video. To see each artists work, please check out our LUX site on the show.

The students whose work will be featured are Suzanne Craddock, Aisha Eiger, Kaitlyn Herzog, Eli Hungerford, Kelly  Mariahazy, Katie Nelson, Sydney Pertl, Annie Raccuglia, Hillary Rogers, Alison Scattergood, Christine Lyn Seeley, Sara Sheldon-Rosson, Timeka Toussaint and Jinglei Xiao.

The Wriston Art Center galleries are free and open to the public Tuesday-Friday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday from noon – 4 p.m. The galleries are closed on Mondays. For more information on the exhibition, call 920-832-6890 or visit www.lawrence.edu/news/wriston.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a world-class conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. Ranked among America’s best colleges by Forbes, it was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,445 students from 44 states and 35 countries. Follow us on Facebook.

Conductor David Becker Leads Lawrence Symphony Orchestra Final Time Saturday May 26

Professor of Music David Becker works his baton for the last time as conductor of the 102-member Lawrence Symphony Orchestra at its concert Saturday, May 26 at 8 p.m. in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel.  The concert is free and open to the public.

Becker, who has served as director of orchestral studies at Lawrence since 2005, is retiring at the end of the current academic year.

Director of Orchestral Studies David Becker

“The time has arrived in my life for my personal and professional journeys to head in a new direction,” said Becker, who is in his second stint at conductor of the orchestra, having spent four years at Lawrence early in his career in the mid-1970s. “The distinguished faculty, administration, cherished friends and exceptional students have all made my tenure at Lawrence a most cherished highlight in my professional career.”

Becker says each time he’s taken the stage with the orchestra over the past seven years has been a career highlight for him.

“Whatever repertoire we’re doing at the moment, to me is the pinnacle and the high point, so this next concert is the pinnacle and the high point. I don’t live very much in the past. They are all very important memories, but I’m totally absorbed right now in this group and this repertoire and what we can share together. So the pinnacle for me is to share this concert with these students. It’s going to be a tremendously emotional time. I have a suspicion that I’m going to see a number of these students in the future in various places.”

Becker, recipient of Lawrence’s Award for Excellence in Teaching at the college’s 2010 commencement, plans to dedicate his post-Lawrence time to guest conducting, workshops and clinics around the country, including leading the NAfME All-International Honors Orchestra in the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. in June.

Saturday evening’s concert program will feature works by Debussy, Paulus and Tchaikovsky. Senior Daniel O’Connor, organ, the co-winner of the LSO 2011-12 Student Concerto Competition, will be the concert’s guest artist.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a world-class conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. Ranked among America’s best colleges by Forbes, it was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,445 students from 44 states and 35 countries. Follow us on Facebook.

Environmental Interests Earn Hava Blair ’13 Udall Scholarship

Hava Blair’s “green” passions have helped her earn a little “green.” The Lawrence University junior has been named one of 80 national recipients of a $5,000 Udall Scholarship.

She was selected from among 585 candidates nominated by 274 institutions from 49 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Lawrence was the only Wisconsin college or university to have a 2012 Udall Scholar.

Hava Blair '13

Presented by the Arizona-based Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation, the scholarships are awarded to students committed to careers related to the environment, tribal public policy or Native American health care.

“I’m passionate about developing sustainable food systems that incorporate the diversity of the natural world,” said Blair, a geology major from Jefferson who has been heavily involved in the Sustainable Lawrence University Garden (SLUG) since arriving on campus in 2009. “Practicing and teaching sustainable agriculture has the potential to improve not only the food we eat, but the communities we live in and the economies in which we participate.”

As a Udall Scholar, Blair will participate in a four-day orientation Aug. 8-12 in Tucson, Ariz., where she will meet with environmental policymakers and community leaders as well as other scholarship recipients and program alumni.

“I’m excited to attend the summit with fellow Udall Scholars and engage in a dialogue about current environmental challenges and solutions,” said Blair. “The funds from this scholarship will help to support the work I am doing in the Lawrence and Fox Cities community. I’m very grateful for the recognition.”

In addition to her role of manager of SLUG, Blair helped launch Lawrence’s first beekeeping operation in 2011, tending to five beehives and more than 200,000 European honeybees. Last fall, Blair harvested 110 pounds of honey — about $700 worth — half of which was sold to Lawrence’s dining service and the rest sold to faculty and staff. The sales are used to support the garden and beekeeping operation.

Beyond the campus, Blair has been an active volunteer with COTS, Inc., Appleton’s temporary, transitional housing program and its innovative Riverview community garden project.

Blair is the fourth Lawrence student to receive a Udall Scholarship in the program’s 16-year history, joining Jacob Brenner (1999), Gustavo Setrini (2001), and Stephen Rogness (2003).

Founded in 1992, the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation is one of five federal foundations established by Congress. Among the missions of the foundation is to increase awareness of the importance of the nation’s natural resources, identify critical environmental issues and provide educational outreach regarding environmental policy.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a world-class conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. Ranked among America’s best colleges by Forbes, it was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,445 students from 44 states and 35 countries. Follow us on Facebook.

Keynesian Scholar Featured in Senior Experience/Economics Colloquium

Nationally-known Keynesian scholar Bradley Bateman examines the prospects of creating a morally acceptable form of capitalism Thursday, May 17 in a Lawrence University Senior Experience/Economics Colloquium.

Economist Bradley Bateman

Bateman’s presentation, “Keynes and the Crisis of the Welfare State” at 4:30 p.m. in the Wriston Art Center auditorium, is free and open to the public.

Provost and professor of economics at Ohio’s Denison University, Bateman is one of the country’s leading scholars on the British theorist John Maynard Keynes.  He is the co-author of the 2011 book “Capitalist Revolutionary: John Maynard Keynes.”

Bateman is also the author of recent guest commentaries in the New York Times and The Guardian.

 

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a world-class conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. Ranked among America’s best colleges by Forbes, it was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,445 students from 44 states and 35 countries. Follow us on Facebook.

 

 

 

Annual Harrison Symposium Showcases Student Research in the Humanities, Social Sciences

Exceptional student research in the humanities and social sciences on topics as diverse as the history of Waldorf education and women’s changing roles in modern Chinese fiction  will be showcased Saturday, May 19 beginning at 9:15 a.m. in Main Hall during Lawrence University’s 15th annual Richard A. Harrison Symposium.

Thirty-four students will deliver presentations during two sessions arranged into panels by topic or field that are moderated by a Lawrence faculty member. Presenters are nominated by faculty and invited to submit abstracts of their research. Students are selected for the symposium based on the abstracts and present their work in the format used for professional meetings of scholars in the humanities and social sciences.

Each presentation lasts approximately 20 minutes and is followed by a 10-minute question-and-answer session. Among the topics that will be explored in this year’s symposium are the condition of education in rural Ecuador, the detrimental effects of the loss of a parent in childhood, the politics of music in Sierra Leone and the work of the late painter Thomas Kinkade.

The symposium honors former Lawrence Dean of the Faculty Richard A. Harrison, who organized the first program in 1996. Harrison died unexpectedly the following year and the symposium was renamed after him 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 world-class conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. Ranked among America’s best colleges by Forbes, it was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,445 students from 44 states and 35 countries. Follow us on Facebook.

Community Invited to “Louis XIV’s Versailles” for an Evening of Baroque Dance

The Lawrence Baroque Ensemble hosts “An Evening of Baroque Dance: Louis XIV Masque Ball” Friday, May 18 in the Warch Campus Center.

Members of the Lawrence and Fox Valley communities are invited to participate as dancers or as spectators in an “interactive performance” designed to transport everyone back to the splendor of King Louis XIV’s Versailles. The evening begins at 6:30 p.m. with hor d’oeuvres followed by a formal masque ball at 7 p.m.

Lawrence President Jill Beck and Visiting Professor of Dance Rebecca Salzer will provide instruction in two large-group French Baroque dances. No dance or music experience is necessary to participate. Etiquette tips on how to show proper reverence in the presence of a king also will also offered.

The evening will include a performance of a choreographed minuet and Lawrence music historian Sara Ceballos will provide historical context throughout the evening on the power of music at Louis’ court and the empowering effect of concealing one’s identity at a masquerade.

The Lawrence Baroque Ensemble, along with members of the Lawrence trumpet and oboe studios, will provide music throughout the evening, creating an authentic grand ball atmosphere. Complimentary masks will be provided.

The evening will culminate with the audience’s performance of the dances taught by Beck and Salzer.

Space is limited and reservations are requested online. Complete and submit the RSVP form. (Clicking “attend” will not register you.) Formal attire is requested and low-heeled shoes are recommended.

The Lawrence Baroque Ensemble was founded in 2010 by four students as part of the economics course “Entrepreneurship in the Arts & Society.” Its goal is to study, rehearse and perform baroque music that enriches students’ liberal arts experience, inspires passion for period-instrument performance, preserves tradition and celebrates individual creativity. Lawrence Baroque connects audiences to history through unique concert experiences.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a world-class conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. Ranked among America’s best colleges by Forbes, it was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,445 students from 44 states and 35 countries. Follow us on Facebook.

Lawrence University Musicians Shine in State Piano Competition

Lawrence University sophomore Thomas Lee earned first-place honors at the recent 2012 Wisconsin Music Teachers Association’s annual Badger Collegiate Piano Competition conducted at UW-Marathon County in Wausau.

Thomas Lee '14

A double-degree candidate from Chicago, Ill., majoring in  piano performance with an emphasis in pedagogy, Lee received $200 for his winning performance, which included five works: J.S. Bach’s “Prelude and Fugue 18 in G-sharp Minor”; Beethoven’s “Piano Sonata op. 31 no. 3”; Liszt’s “Sposalizio”; and Nikolai Medtner’s “Fairy Tale op. 8 no. 1”; and “Primavera op. 39 no. 3.”

Lawrence accounted for six of the eight students entered in the WMTA competition, with junior Julian Delfino, a double degree candidate from Irvine, Calif., with majors in piano performance and English, earning honorable mention honors.

Also representing Lawrence were freshman Seth King-Gengler, Waukesha, sophomores Daniel Kuzuhara, Madison, and Catherine Smith, Greenville, N.C., and junior Alex Hurlburt, Wausau.

All six students study in the piano studio of Associate Professor of Music Anthony Padilla.

The WMTA Badger Collegiate Piano Competition is open to college students under the age of 28. Participants must perform from memory a solo recital program of 20-30 minutes in length with works representing contrasting styles from three of five historical periods: Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Impressionistic, Contemporary.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a world-class conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. Ranked among America’s best colleges by Forbes, it was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,445 students from 44 states and 35 countries. Follow us on Facebook.

Emotions — Hidden and Shared — Explored in Lawrence University “Devised” Theatre Production

A collection of original, borrowed and collaboratively written scenes that explore feelings all people have, hide and sometimes share closes Lawrence University’s 2011-12 main stage theatre season with four performances May 10-12 in Cloak Theatre of the Music-Drama Center.

“Show Your Face(s): A Masque” will be staged at 8 p.m. each day, with an additional 3 p.m. matinee performance on Saturday, May 12. Tickets, at $10 for adults and $5 for senior citizens and students, are available through the Lawrence University Box Office, 920-832-6749.

Kathy Privatt, associate professor of theatre arts and James G. and Ethel M. Barber Professor of Theatre and Drama, describes the play as “as a devised theatre piece.”  The work’s designation of “A Masque” is a reference both to physical masks and the Renaissance form of entertainment that featured a collection of scenes with acting, singing and dancing.

Unlike most traditional theatrical works, “Show Your Face(s): A Masque” is not based on a pre-existing script. Instead, Privatt and the production team created a script during the rehearsal process, drawing inspiration from the set, music and sound design, costumes, movement and mask work, improvisation and texts submitted by the cast, crew, Lawrence and greater Fox Valley communities.

Mask-making activities open to the Lawrence campus over the past year also served as inspiration for the production team.

“The play has been created collaboratively by both creating materials and using materials and texts that already exist to form a whole new production,” said Privatt, who director of the production.

Inspired in Part by Suicide Prevention Training

The play is being presented in conjunction with Lawrence’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) grant for mental wellness and suicide prevention.  The production represents a year of research and preparation by Privatt.

“I was specifically inspired by some material in the suicide prevention training that I received through the SAMHSA grant,” said Privatt. “That training reaffirmed that, just as we’re all human, we all experience the same emotions and we all make decisions about when to hide those emotions and when to share them.

“The process has been one of the most collaborative I’ve ever experienced, with each element having strong impact on our choices,” Privatt added. “We started with a basic framework of episodes, each chosen to explore a range of related emotions.  We worked together, with mask expert Adam Pagdon, and movement experts Deb Loewen and Laura Murphy, to choose and create material for each episode. The performance showcases the pieces that we ultimately felt compelled to share.”

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a world-class conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. Ranked among America’s best colleges by Forbes, it was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,445 students from 44 states and 35 countries. Follow us on Facebook.