Lawrence University News

Lawrence Honoring Two Fox Valley Educators with State Teaching Awards

A pair of Fox Valley educators, including a 2012 Lawrence University graduate, have been named the first recipients of two new annual awards from the Wisconsin Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (WACTE).

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Eli Grover ’12

Eli Grover will receive the Early Career Educator Award. He is a second-year band and exploratory music teacher at Einstein Middle School and the Classical Charter School in the Appleton Area School District. Margaret Engman, a social studies teacher at Kaukauna High School, will receive the Pre-Service Educator Mentor Award.

The awards will be presented May 4 at the home of Lawrence University President Mark Burstein.

Grover and Engman were selected for the awards by the faculty of Lawrence’s college and conservatory teacher education program. Every college or university that belongs to WACTE was invited to select a recipient for each award.

A Passion for Music

The Early Career Educator Award honors an outstanding educator within the first three years of his/her professional career.

Grover earned a bachelor of music degree in instrumental/general music education from Lawrence in 2012 and joined the Appleton School District that same year. Lawrence cited him for his advocacy of music education both in and outside the classroom.

“Eli spreads passion for music wherever he goes,” said Stewart Purkey, associate professor of education and Bee Connell Mielke Professor of Education at Lawrence. “His students create music of all kinds in the school and community, including concert band, body percussion, Balinese Gamelan and bucket band. His advocacy for music education includes leading outreach activities at the Mile of Music Festival and The Building for Kids Children’s Museum.”

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Margaret Engman

Encouraging, Nurturing, Inspiring

The Mentor Award recognizes an outstanding educator who has demonstrated a sustained pattern of mentoring pre-service educators for at least five years. Engman joined the Kaukauna High School faculty in 1990.

In selecting her for the award, Lawrence cited Engman for her enthusiasm for the subject material, consummate teaching skills and dedication to the intellectual and emotional well being of her students.

“Without question, Margaret would be on anyone’s list of ‘best teachers,’” said Purkey. “As a methods instructor in Lawrence’s teacher education program, Margaret provides aspiring K-12 teachers with the knowledge and skills they need to become effective practitioners.  Perhaps more important, she encourages them, nurtures them, inspires them so that they leave her classroom as passionate about the art, the craft and the profession of teaching as she has been throughout her career.

“Lawrence is pleased and honored to recognize and celebrate the work of these two exceptional educators,” Purkey added.

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 Fiske Guide to Colleges 2014 and 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 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

Student Kaleidoscope Concert Featured in Public Television Broadcast, Global Simulstream

If you missed the live performance of Lawrence University’s spectacular Kaleidoscope4 concert last October, Wisconsin Public Television is providing an opportunity to catch a recorded encore performance.

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The Lawrence Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of conductor Octavio Mas Arocas, is one of the ensembles featured in the WPT broadcast of last October’s Kaleidoscope concert.

WPT will broadcast “Kaleidoscope: Live from Lawrence University” Monday, March 31 at 8 p.m. CDT. It will rebroadcast the program Sunday, April 6 at 5 p.m. CDT.

In conjunction with the first television broadcast, “Kaleidoscope: Live from Lawrence University” also will be available to anyone in the world via an online simulstream Monday, March 31 at 8 p.m. CDT.

The concert also will be shown several additional times on the Wisconsin Channel, one of WPT’s digital broadcast channels, on the following dates (all times CDT):
•  Monday, April 7,  6 p.m.
•  Friday, April 11, 7 p.m.
•  Saturday, April 12,  2 a.m.
•  Saturday, April 12,  5 p.m.
•  Sunday, April 13  12 noon

A global online webcast of the concert also will be available on the above five days and times.

“I am thrilled that the depth and breadth of our conservatory’s amazing student musicians will be featured on Wisconsin Public Television’s broadcast of our Kaleidoscope concert,” said Brian Pertl, dean of the Lawrence Conservatory of Music. “In 60 minutes of non-stop music-making, audiences across the country will be treated to Lawrence’s unique brand of breathtaking musicianship.

WPT-logo-250x105“I am deeply thankful to Wisconsin Public Television and their team of dedicated artists for partnering with us to create such a beautiful show,” Pertl added.

The fourth edition of Kaleidoscope showcased the musical talents of more than 300 Lawrence students in a sold-out performance at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center. The concert spotlighted both large ensembles (symphony orchestra, concert choir, Gamelan Cahaya Asri, wind ensemble, opera, jazz ensemble) and chamber groups (bassoon ensemble, voice/cello ensemble, string quartet, piano/oboe/viola, saxophone/marimba, piano duet).

An excerpt from the finale of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony provided the performance’s exclamation mark.

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 Fiske Guide to Colleges 2014 and 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 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

New Wriston Art Center Galleries Exhibition Features “Cosmogony 2.0,” Pop-up Books and Masculine Archetypes

Carol Emmons‘ “Cosmogony 2.0,” a large-scale, site-specific and participatory installation in the Kohler Gallery, is among three new works in the latest Lawrence University Wriston Art Center galleries exhibition opening Friday, March 28. The exhibition runs through May 4.

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Shawn Sheehy’s “Snapdragon” from “Beyond the 6th Extinction: A Fifth Millennium Bestiary”, 2007. Handmade paper, construction, letterpress printing.

A professor of communication and the arts at UW-Green Bay, Emmons discusses her work in a free presentation Friday, April 4 at 6 p.m. in the Wriston Art Center auditorium. A reception with Emmons follows her talk.

“Cosmogony 2.0” highlights Emmons’ interest in how humans negotiate their relation to the world, particularly at the intersections of dualities, including the individual and collective, private and public, past, present and future.

The Hoffmaster Gallery features Chicago-based book artist Shawn Sheehy‘s work “2D. 3D. 4D. 5D?” A specialist in pop-up books with intricate movable parts, handmade paper and handset text, Sheehy draws upon biology, ecology and environmental studies in his art. His books include “Welcome to the NeighborWood: A Pop-Up Book of Animal Architecture,” “A Pop-Up Field Guide to North American Wildflowers” and “Counting on the Marsh.” Sheehy discusses his work in an April 10 lecture at 4:30 p.m. in the Wriston Art Center auditorium.

“Man Up! Masculine Archetypes in Visual Art” will be displayed in the Leech Gallery. The exhibition examines archetypes of masculinity as represented in the Wriston Art Gallery’s permanent collection and is presented in conjunction with the Lawrence history course “Reel Men: Masculinity in American Film, 1945-2000.”

Wriston Art Center hours are Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Saturday-Sunday noon – 4 p.m. The galleries are closed on Mondays. 920-832-6621 for more information.

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 Fiske Guide to Colleges 2014 and 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 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

Lawrence Honoring Broadcast Journalist Charles Gibson at June Commencement

Charles Gibson, award-winning broadcast journalist and former anchor of ABC’s “World News” and co-anchor of “Good Morning, America,” will be recognized by Lawrence University with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree June 15 at the college’s 164th commencement.

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Former ABC News anchor Charles Gibson will be recognized with an honorary degree June 15 at Lawrence University’s 2014 commencement.

Gibson, whose distinguished television career spanned more than 40 years, including 33 years at ABC News, also will serve as Lawrence’s principal commencement speaker.

He joined ABC News in 1975 and held all of the network’s highest profile anchor positions during his three-plus decade career there, including 18 years at “Good Morning, America,” (1987-98; 1999-2006), six at “Primetime” (1998-2004) and three-and-one-half (2006-09) at the anchor desk of “World News.”

“Like Lawrence’s senior class, Charlie has thought deeply about the problems that face the world and about the ways a liberal arts education prepares one to find solutions,” said Lawrence President Mark Burstein. “I look forward to welcoming him to Appleton and to celebrating the many accomplishments of our largest class of graduates.”

Upon Gibson’s retirement in December, 2009, ABC News President David Westin said, “The first rough draft of history over this generation has been seen by an entire nation through the eyes of Charlie Gibson.”

His career is a road map dotted with reports of virtually every major news event spanning more than a quarter century and a veritable “who’s who” of newsmakers. In addition to interviewing seven sitting presidents, as “World News” anchor he moderated two presidential debates in 2008 and covered both the Republican and Democratic conventions.

Among his many important career reporting assignments:

• the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing of the Murrah Federal Building and the execution of convicted bomber Timothy McVeigh six years later.

• the 2005 death and funeral of Pope John Paul II from Vatican City

• the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon

• the Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy, earning an Emmy Award for his “Primetime Thursday”  investigation “Columbia Final Mission”

• the tragic school shooting on the campus of Virginia Tech

• the resignation of President Nixon and the subsequent Watergate trials

• interviews with world leaders ranging from U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan and British Prime Minister Tony Blair to the late Yasir Arafat and Nelson Mandela, among others

Charlie-Gibson_newblog2A native of Evanston, Ill., Gibson grew up in Washington, D.C. and earned a bachelor’s degree in 1965 from Princeton University, where be launched his journalism career as the news director for the university’s campus radio station.

Prior to joining ABC, Gibson worked for Television News Inc., a syndicated news service. He began his professional career as a Washington, D.C.-based producer for the RKO Network and later held reporter and anchor positions with several television stations in Virginia and Washington, D.C.

In addition to his Emmy Award in 2004, Gibson was recognized by the New York State Broadcasters Association with its 2010 Broadcaster of the Year award.  He received a National Journalism Fellowship in 1973 from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the 2006 Paul White Award from the Radio and Television News Directors of America. Quinnipiac University honored him with the Fred Friendly First Amendment Award in 2008.

A member of the Board of Trustees at Princeton, Gibson has previously delivered commencement speeches at New York’s Vassar (1989) and Union colleges and New Jersey’s Monmouth University. Union (2007) and Monmouth (2006) also have awarded Gibson honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees.

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 Fiske Guide to Colleges 2014 and 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 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

 

Flutist Leo Sussman Qualifies for National Woodwinds Competition

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Leo Sussman ’15

Lawrence University junior Leo Sussman has qualified for the 2014 National Society of Arts and Letters national performing arts competition for woodwinds (flute, oboe, clarinet) after winning the recent (March 15) three-state regional competition in Champaign, Ill.

A flute performance and physics major from San Francisco, Calif., Sussman earned top honors among 14 finalists from Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa at the regional competition, earning $1,000 for his winning performance. He advances to the NSAL’s national competition May 13-17 at the West Virginia Cultural Center in Charleston, W.V., where he’ll compete for a $10,000 first-place prize.

In winning the regional competition, Sussman performed “Landscape with Birds” by Peteris Vasks, “Ballade” by Frank Martin and “Sonata for Solo Flute in A minor” by CPE Bach. He studies in the flute studio of music professor Erin Lesser.

Lawrence senior Heather Jost, a flute performance and anthropology major from Pewaukee, also qualified as a finalist for the NSAL’s regional competition.

The National Society of Arts and Letters is an organization dedicated to helping promising young artists through competitions, financial assistance, master classes, and career introductions. Each year the NSAL sponsors a competition for one specific medium rotating among the visual arts, performing arts and literature. This year marked the first time the performing arts competition featured woodwind players.

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 Fiske Guide to Colleges 2014 and 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 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

 

Lawrence Concert Choir, Cantala, Showcase Their Talents at Regional Choral Conference

More than 90 Lawrence University students will showcase their voices when the Lawrence Concert Choir and Cantala women’s choir perform at the 2014 American Choral Directors Association North Central Regional Conference March 19-20 in Des Moines, Iowa.  This is the second time since 2006 Concert Choir and Cantala both were selected to perform at the ACDA’s regional conference.

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Lawrence University Concert Choir with accompanist Tony Capparelli.

Each choir will be in the spotlight Thursday, March 20 at St. Ambrose Church, with the 45-member Cantala singing at 10:30 a.m. and the 48-member Concert Choir performing at 2 p.m. Both choirs sing under the direction of co-choir directors Phillip Swan and Stephen Sieck.

Choirs are invited to perform at ACDA regional and national conferences through a rigorous, blind-auditioned, peer-reviewed process based on submitted concert recordings from the last three years.

“It is unusual for two choirs from the same institution to be invited to perform at the same conference,” said Swan, who directed Cantala at the 2006 ACDA regional conference in Omaha, Neb., and the 2011 national conference in Chicago. “It’s gratifying to know that consistent quality continues to be evident in our choral program and is recognized by our peers. It’s especially exciting to know that although we have undertaken major changes in our program (a new conducting team and a new co-directing model), our vibrant, retooled choral program continues to be recognized for its quality and creativity.”

For Sieck, who joined the conservatory of music faculty in 2010, his first invitation to perform at this level was especially gratifying.

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Lawrence University Cantala women’s choir

“This shows that Lawrence has not just one outstanding choir, but an outstanding choral program,” said Sieck. “Having both advanced ensembles featured is a real celebration that our students sing at the highest level. I’m also excited because this shows that Lawrence’s co-directing model is not just innovative, but also effective. Phillip and I have each worked with each of these choirs over the past three years, so having them both selected is a great honor to the team-teaching approach we bring.”

The program for both choirs celebrates the spirit of worship in the Hindu, Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Protestant traditions, covering five centuries of music from 11 countries in nine languages. The performances will feature genres ranging from opera to children’s play-songs, from dance to prayer.

“Many schools have an outstanding mixed choir, which is usually considered the flagship ensemble in the choral department,” said Swan, who has worked with the Lawrence choral program since 2002. “But, to also have a nationally recognized women’s choir, with completely different personnel, that performs at the same musical level as the top mixed-voice ensemble, demonstrates depth of quality in our choral program. I feel extremely blessed to work with such talented students and am also thankful to work with colleagues who have a shared vision for teaching and inspiring these young adults to achieve their highest musical potential.”

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 Fiske Guide to Colleges 2014 and 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 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

$28,000 Watson Fellowship Sending Tony Capparelli on Wanderjahr of Celtic, Scandinavian Music and Myth

Tony Capparelli’s plans for graduate school suddenly have been put on hold.

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Tony Capparelli ’14

The Lawrence University senior piano performance major from River Falls will have to wait at least until the fall of 2015 before pursuing his doctorate thanks to the Rhode Island-based Thomas J. Watson Foundation.

Capparelli has been named one of 43 national recipients of a $28,000 Watson Fellowship for a wanderjahr of independent travel and exploration outside the United States on a topic of his choosing.

Beginning in August, Capparelli will embark on a 12-month immersion in Celtic and Scandinavian music and folklore, spending time in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Finland, Norway and Sweden.

His proposal, “A Light in the Brugh: Finding Warmth and Magic in the Folk Music of Northern Europe,” was selected from 150 finalists representing students from 40 of the nation’s premier private liberal arts colleges and universities. More than 700 students applied for this year’s Watson Fellowship.

Capparelli experienced an epiphany of sorts the first time he encountered a ceilidh — a Gaelic term for an informal performance of traditional music and folklore — at a mixed gathering of tourists and locals in a small, warm room on a rainy night in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

“Everyone was clapping, singing along, some dancing to the sound of Cape Breton fiddle tunes, pipes and the beat of a bodhran, the Celtic frame drum,” recalled Capparelli. “I never felt more joyous and ‘light-filled’ in my life.”

A Musical Explorer of the First Order

Capparelli’s Watson fellowship will take him to similar close-knit communities in Ireland, the Scottish Isles, Lapland and Scandinavia where he will explore the musical traditions of the Celtic, Nordic, Sami, and Karelian cultures and learn how they create this sense of joy and magical light, bringing people together in the harsh weather and dark winters of Northern Europe.

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A Finnish zither is one of the folk instruments Tony Capparelli plays and hopes to learn more about during his Watson Fellowship.

“I want to immerse myself in every aspect of Celtic and Scandinavian music making, from the teaching, the playing, and the ancestry of their songs and stories, to the crafting of native instruments,” said Capparelli, who, other than a 2012 Spring Break trip to France with members of the Lawrence organ studio, has not previously traveled abroad. “In each location, I want to explore not just one, but many instruments and styles of music.”

Brian Pertl, dean of the conservatory of music and Lawrence’s campus liaison to the Watson Foundation, calls Capparelli “a musical explorer of the first order.”

“Tony is the rare musician who is equally at home on a concert stage playing Chopin, or playing his frame drum at the weekly Irish music session down at McGuinesses in downtown Appleton,” said Pertl. “The Watson Fellowship will allow him to explore his passion for Celtic music and myth for an entire year. It is safe to say it will be a life-changing experience.”

Music professor Catherine Kautsky, in whose piano studio Capparelli studies, hailed Capparelli as “a delightfully imaginative, multi-talented piano student.”

“His fascinating proposal to follow the trail of Celtic music should introduce him to people and places he might otherwise never encounter,” said Kautsky. “What he learns will no doubt have a life-long impact on how he hears classical music as well.”

As for Capparelli himself, he’s looking forward to a transformative journey.

“While I currently look at this world from a distance, learning and exploring what I can on my own, to immerse myself in the places where the Celtic and Scandinavian music began will allow me to discover new magic in what has already been an important part of my life,” said Capparelli. “I expect my musical ear will be opened to new sounds and colors, and my sense of the importance of this music and its magical light will blossom and grow.”

Capparelli is Lawrence’s 70th Watson Fellowship recipient since the program’s inception in 1969. It was established by the children of Thomas J. Watson, Sr., the founder of International Business Machines Corp., and his wife, Jeannette, to honor their parents’ long-standing interest in education and world affairs.

Watson Fellows are selected on the basis of the nominee’s character, academic record, leadership potential, willingness to delve into another culture and the personal significance of the project proposal. Since its founding, nearly 2,600 fellowships have been awarded.

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 Fiske Guide to Colleges 2014 and 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 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

Lawrence Student Musicians Earn Top Honors at State Flute Competition

Lawrence University student musicians captured the top two places at the recent (3/8) 2014 Wisconsin Flute Festival Collegiate Competition hosted by UW-Oshkosh.

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Caitlynn Winkler ’15

Juniors Caitlynn Winkler, a flute performance and music education major from Sheboygan, and Sam Rolfe, a flute performance major from Boscobel, earned first- and second-place honors, respectively. They were among three finalists selected from an initial pool of nine entries. The competition is open to undergraduates enrolled in a Wisconsin college or university.

Each presented a 15-minute program in the finals. Winkler performed “Among Fireflies” by Elainie Lillios, “Image” by Eugene Bozza, and Movement III from Eldin Burton’s “Sonatina.”

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Sam Rolfe ’15

Rolfe performed “Cinq Incantacions pour Flute Seule” by Andre Jolivet, “Sonata for Flute and Piano in E Major” by Johann Sebastian Bach and the world premiere of “Clockwork Koan” a piece written by Lawrence senior Chris Harrity as part of the flute and composition studio flutist/composer collaboration project.

Winkler received $250 for her winning performance while Rolfe was awarded $100. Both study in the flute studio of Assistant Professor of Music Erin Lesser.

As part of the festival, senior Schuyler Thornton was selected to play a masterclass with guest artist Stephanie Mortimer. The Lawrence Flute Ensemble was one of three groups selected to open the day-long festival as part of a flute ensemble showcase, performing three works, including a new work by Lawrence Associate Professor of Music Joanne Metcalf.

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 Fiske Guide to Colleges 2014 and 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 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

No Selfies! Free Photos Help Students Put Best Face Forward

Resume tips, job search tools and strategies, mock interviews and career counseling are among the staples Lawrence Career Services provides to assist students with their post-graduation plans.

But in this social media crazy, LinkedIn-driven global marketplace, the Lawrence Communications Office has launched a free service to further enhance students’ successful transition to “the real world”: free headshots.

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Photographer Rachel Crowl works to capture senior Valerie Kessie at her best as part of a free student headshot service the Lawrence communications department has launched.

Forget the ubiquitous “selfie,” these are high-quality, appropriately lit, color-corrected photos designed to allow each student to present a professional appearance.

Open to all students, not just seniors, nearly 100 students have beaten a path to the second floor of Brokaw Hall and Rachel Crowl’s office/mini portrait studio for a personalized sitting since the photo service was launched in early March.

The free photo idea grew out of a presentation Crowl gave to the LinkedIn and social media module of the Career Services program, “Seniors: Support, Strategies and Success (S4).” Geared specifically toward seniors (it relaunches April 1), it focuses on the benefits of being visible on social media sites. Since one of the first things a viewer sees on any profile is a headshot, Crowl knew there was a need that she could easily fill.

“Who would have thought that a free headshot would make me feel smarter and ever ready for my life after college,” said Valerie Kessie, a senior from Accra, Ghana majoring in environmental studies and French.

“As a senior, I jumped on this opportunity to get my own photos taken and be able to present myself more professionally as I enter the workforce,” said Lisa Nikolau, a psychology and Spanish major from Milwaukee. “Having access to convenient and generous services like this reminds me that the faculty and staff are here to support and help me succeed after Lawrence.”

A necessity

For Lawrence’s conservatory of music students pursuing performance careers, the photo service has proven to be especially popular.

“As a performer, headshots are a necessity and are not cheap, either,” said senior Jon Stombres, a voice performance and choral/general music education major from St. Charles, Ill. “These photos were free and it was very gracious of Rachel to provide her talents to so many students. It’s nice to know that the staff and faculty at Lawrence are continuously thinking about the students beyond graduation and how to help us out in preparation for life beyond our undergraduate years.”

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Rachel Crowl fine tunes each of the student headshots she shoots to provide them the best possible photo.

The service has even caught the attention of alumni who see its value from afar.

“Lawrence is providing one of the most important professional development services possible,” said Sam Golter, a 2013 Lawrence graduate currently pursuing graduate studies at the University of Oregon. “The first thing most employers or admissions counselors do sometimes before they even look at the transcript or work history, is Google you. These photos say ‘I am someone who not only has a great education, but I take myself seriously and pay attention to my public image, please hire/accept me!’”

Mary Meany, dean of career services at Lawrence, says she is encouraged that so many students have taken advantage of having a professional head shot done.

“With future employers paying close attention to applicants’ social media presence, we are excited about this ‘perk’ that our students get — right here on campus —  free of charge,” said Meany, a 1983 Lawrence graduate. “It’s one less thing the students have to worry about as they prepare for life after 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 Fiske Guide to Colleges 2014 and 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 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

Jazz Legend Pat Metheny Plays Lawrence Memorial Chapel March 15

Nearly 30 years after his first appearance at Lawrence University, legendary jazz guitarist Pat Metheny returns to campus — with his touring band Unity Group — Saturday, March 15 for an 8 p.m. Lawrence Jazz Series concert in the Memorial Chapel.

Tickets for Pat Metheny Unity Group, at $30 adults, $15 students, are available through the Lawrence Box Office, 920-832-6749 or online.

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Chris Potter, saxophone; Giulio Carmassi, multi-instrumentalist; Ben Williams, bassist; Antonio Sanchez, percussion; Pat Metheny, guitar.

Metheny first performed at Lawrence in the fall of 1984, two years after he won the first of his 20 Grammy Awards. His most recent Grammy was awarded in 2013 for best jazz instrumental album with Unity Band. During a four-decade career, Metheny has enjoyed near unparalleled success. His impressive resume includes:

• 35 Grammy award nominations in 12 different categories.

• 20 Grammy Awards, with wins in an amazing 10 different categories, the only musician ever to earn a Grammy in that many categories. He also won an unprecedented seven Grammys in a row for seven consecutive Pat Metheny Group recordings. Founded in 1977, the Pat Metheny Group has won a total of 10 Grammy Awards.

• 3 Gold Records — “Secret Story,” 1992;  “Letter From Home,” 1989; and “Still Life (Talking)” 1987.

• 42 recordings totaling with 20 million records sold worldwide.

• Three-time “Guitarist of the Year” Award winner (2009, ’10 and ’11) in DownBeat Magazine’s Readers Poll.

• Inducted into the DownBeat Hall of Fame in November, 2013.

• 2014 Goya Award — Spain’s equivalent of the Academy Awards — for Best Soundtrack for the film “Living is Easy with Eyes Closed.”

“One of the greatest musicians on the planet”

“I have always loved the music of Pat Metheny, which has always simultaneously surprised me and left me with a feeling of familiarity,” said Steve Peplin, adjunct professor of jazz guitar in the Lawrence Conservatory of Music. “Pat has taught us that the true medium of the musician/composer isn’t just sound, but the human spirit. Aside from being the heavyweight champ of jazz guitar, he has changed the sound of the guitar several times as a sound innovator.

“Pat is a great composer who always manages to create the thing we really want: the feeling. I have never once heard Pat without being moved,” Peplin added. “To hear Pat with the masters in the Unity band is…should be…illegal.”

The Unity Band, which will join Metheny on the Chapel stage, features its own line-up of stellar musicians:  saxophonist Chris Potter, bassist Ben Williams; percussionist Antonio Sanchez, and multi-instrumentalist Giulio Carmassi, who plays everything from piano and keyboards to woodwinds and brass, guitar, bass and drums.

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Pat Metheny

Metheny has called his collaborations with Unity Band “life changing.”

“With Guilio added to the core four of us,” said Metheny, “with Chris Potter, in addition to being one of the most exciting soloists in jazz on any instrument and one of the most versatile woodwind players in history, he also happens to be a killer piano player and very good guitarist, with Ben Williams being equally great on both acoustic and electric basses, and with Antonio Sanchez, one of the greatest drummers in the world right now, just about anything will be possible.”

Internationally renowned musician and composer John Zorn calls Metheny “a living legend—one of those rare lights in the universe. His incredible facility and dedication, indefatigable energy and focus, imagination, and never-ending curiosity have distinguished him as truly one of the greatest musicians on the planet.”

In 2013, Metheny collaborated with Zorn on “Tap: The Book of Angels, Volume 20,” for Zorn’s ambitious project “Masada Book Two.” The album, a tour de force showcase of Metheny’s versatility, features him playing guitars, bass, bandoneón, electronics, flugelhorn, keyboards, orchestrionics, percussion, sitar, tiples and others.

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 Fiske Guide to Colleges 2014 and 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 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.