Randolph will help launch the first Virginia Urban Agriculture Summit with a screening of the documentary Growing Cities on Monday, April 14.
The summit will bring more than 100 people from around Virginia to Lynchburg to learn about ways to foster sustainable urban farms. Michael Van Ness, the executive director of the local, nonprofit farm Lynchburg Grows, asked Randolph College to host a viewing of Growing Cities to provide a national perspective on the issues the summit will address.
The College’s ongoing work in the field of sustainable food—including the growth of the Randolph College Organic Garden and student/faculty research on the topic—made him want to hold the film viewing here, Van Ness said. “Randolph has been going in this direction for a number of years, and we just thought it was a natural fit,” he said.
Growing Cities is a documentary about urban farming across the United States. It follows two filmmakers around the country as they interview people and show the ways urban agriculture promotes economic development and improves nutrition.
“It’s an inspiring film,” said John Abell, a Randolph College economics professor whose research focuses on the economics of sustainable food supplies. “It lets you know what the possibilities are. It shows lots of youthful enthusiasm for the whole farm-to-table movement.”
The screening will be held at 6:30 p.m. Monday in Smith Hall Theatre. Hor d’oeuvres, including some local produce, will be served in the Alice Ashley Jack Room on the second floor of Smith Memorial Building beginning at 5:30 p.m. Abell will lead a discussion about the documentary.
For more information about the Virginia Urban Agriculture Summit, visit http://www.vaco.org/event/virginia-urban-agriculture-summit/
Showing posts with label events. Show all posts
Showing posts with label events. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Monday, November 25, 2013
Edward Hopper and Walker Evans discussed in documentary viewing and lecture at the Maier
Two upcoming events at the Maier Museum of Art at Randolph College will focus on two American artists who realistically documented the lives of everyday in the 20th century, even as many of their peers modern European styles of art.
At 1 p.m. on December 2, the Maier will screen the documentary Edward Hopper: A National Gallery of Art Film which discusses the painter and printmaker’s works and influences, The documentary combines archival photographs and film with current footage of locations that he painted. Actor and art collector Steve Martin narrates the film.
One week later, on December 9 at 1 p.m., audiences can return to the Maier to learn more about Edward Hopper as well as Walker Evans, a photographer who documented life during the Great Depression, when Jeffrey Allison presents “An American Silence: Walker Evans & Edward Hopper.” Allison, the Paul Mellon Collection educator and statewide programs coordinator for the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, will discuss the works of both artists, who distinguished themselves from many of their peers at the beginning of the 20th century by not following the fads towards a European influence, but rather staying true to their own style.
The Maier collection includes works by both Hopper and Evans. In fact, Hopper’s Mrs. Scott’s House was it was the first purchase made possible by the Louise Jordan Smith Fund in 1936.
Allison’s lecture is made possible because the Maier’s is an educational partner with the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Earlier this semester, this educational partnership brought Carolyn Kreiter-Foronda to discuss ekphrastic poetry at the Maier.
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| Mrs. Scott's House by Edward Hopper is part of the collection at the Maier Museum of Art at Randolph College. |
One week later, on December 9 at 1 p.m., audiences can return to the Maier to learn more about Edward Hopper as well as Walker Evans, a photographer who documented life during the Great Depression, when Jeffrey Allison presents “An American Silence: Walker Evans & Edward Hopper.” Allison, the Paul Mellon Collection educator and statewide programs coordinator for the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, will discuss the works of both artists, who distinguished themselves from many of their peers at the beginning of the 20th century by not following the fads towards a European influence, but rather staying true to their own style.
The Maier collection includes works by both Hopper and Evans. In fact, Hopper’s Mrs. Scott’s House was it was the first purchase made possible by the Louise Jordan Smith Fund in 1936.
Allison’s lecture is made possible because the Maier’s is an educational partner with the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Earlier this semester, this educational partnership brought Carolyn Kreiter-Foronda to discuss ekphrastic poetry at the Maier.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Pearl S. Buck centennial graduation anniversary celebration begins with Anchee Min lecture
Speaking at Randolph College allowed Anchee Min to answer some long-held questions about Pearl S. Buck, one of her literary inspirations who graduated in the Class of 1914.
“I said yes to this invitation because I was very curious about this College,” said Min. “I wanted to know what kind of school had prepared and shaped Pearl Buck’s mind at the critical thinking level and also at the global level.”
Min, a novelist and memoirist, visited Randolph this week to begin a celebration of Buck’s centennial graduation anniversary. Tuesday afternoon, she attended a combined session of two writing classes and talked about the process of writing, her life in China, and her respect for Buck. She shared her story during a public lecture.
As a child, Min spent her summers not far from the region of China where Buck grew up. She first heard of Buck, though, when she was in middle school, and students were assigned to write essays denouncing Buck and her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Good Earth, which teachers and communist leaders claimed was insulting to Chinese peasants.
Decades later, Min was given a copy of The Good Earth while on a book tour in the United States. Reading the novel she had once denounced was an awakening experience. “I have never read any authors who portrayed our peasants with such love, affection, and compassion,” she said. She decided right then she would someday write a book about Buck.
Min told the audience at Randolph how she set out to learn more about Buck, visiting Buck’s home and interviewing many people who knew her. She wrote Pearl of China, a novel that portrays Buck as the friend of a young Chinese girl. Central to the book is her depiction of Buck as a loving and compassionate person. “Pearl Buck never lost her love and her faith in China,” Min said.
“I said yes to this invitation because I was very curious about this College,” said Min. “I wanted to know what kind of school had prepared and shaped Pearl Buck’s mind at the critical thinking level and also at the global level.”
 |
| Anchee Min signs books after her lecture at Randolph College. |
Min, a novelist and memoirist, visited Randolph this week to begin a celebration of Buck’s centennial graduation anniversary. Tuesday afternoon, she attended a combined session of two writing classes and talked about the process of writing, her life in China, and her respect for Buck. She shared her story during a public lecture.
As a child, Min spent her summers not far from the region of China where Buck grew up. She first heard of Buck, though, when she was in middle school, and students were assigned to write essays denouncing Buck and her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Good Earth, which teachers and communist leaders claimed was insulting to Chinese peasants.
Decades later, Min was given a copy of The Good Earth while on a book tour in the United States. Reading the novel she had once denounced was an awakening experience. “I have never read any authors who portrayed our peasants with such love, affection, and compassion,” she said. She decided right then she would someday write a book about Buck.
Min told the audience at Randolph how she set out to learn more about Buck, visiting Buck’s home and interviewing many people who knew her. She wrote Pearl of China, a novel that portrays Buck as the friend of a young Chinese girl. Central to the book is her depiction of Buck as a loving and compassionate person. “Pearl Buck never lost her love and her faith in China,” Min said.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Prize-winning poet begins Visiting Writer series on Wednesday
Smith will open Randolph’s 2013-2014 Visiting Writer Series with a public reading at 8 p.m. Wednesday in the Jack Lounge in Smith Memorial Hall.
“Patricia Smith is a force of nature, as a writer, as a teacher, as a performer,” said Laura-Gray Street, an English professor and the director of the Visiting Writer Series. “Her mojo is artistic precision and profundity with a Motown jive, making her the perfect opener for the fall Visiting Writers Series.”
Smith is the author of six books of poetry, including Shoulda Been Jimi Savannah, which won the Lenore Marshall Prize last week. She is the most successful poet in the history of the National Poetry Slam, winning that poetry performance contest four times.
The Randolph College English department also will take some time Wednesday to celebrate the College’s partnership with the Anne Spencer House and Garden Museum. Shaun Spencer-Hester, the granddaughter of Harlem Renaissance poet Anne Spencer and president of the museum, will attend the event.
“Spencer’s poetry and presence left a vital legacy both in Lynchburg and in national history,” Street said. “Bringing together these two energies—Patricia Smith and Anne Spencer—for Wednesday’s reading and celebration will be powerful.”
The Visiting Writer Series brings authors to campus throughout the year to talk about their craft with students and give public readings. All visiting writer readings are free and open to the public.
Monday, September 16, 2013
Brazilian music concert set for Sept. 20
Brazilian rhythms and melodies will energize the Presser Hall this Friday when Musica Brasileira comes to Randolph College.
Three local college professors who have lived and taught in Brazil will present an eclectic program featuring various genres of Brazilian music and the works of some of the best-known Brazilian composers. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Wimberly Recital Hall.
“We are blessed to have these extraordinarily talented musicians bring us the music and culture of Brazil,” said Chad Beck, a communication studies professor and coordinator of Randolph’s new Latin American studies minor. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for cultural and intellectual exchange between the communities of Randolph, Sweet Briar, and Liberty, as well as the greater Lynchburg community.”
The performers have amassed decades of experience with Brazilian music. Armenio Suzano, who became the youngest member of the Rio de Janeiro Opera House Symphony Orchestra at the age of 15, is now director of the Liberty University (LU) Symphony Orchestra.
Leon Neto, another LU faculty member, has worked with on almost 100 different albums of Brazilian music as a producer, musician, and arranger.
Carol Hill, a professor at Sweet Briar College, rounds out the trio. She has spent many years serving as a missionary in Brazil, where she coordinated the music department at the Equatorial Baptist Theological Seminary and later taught at the Carlos Gomes Conservatory of Music.
The music Friday night will include genres such as Samba, Bossa Nova, and Baiâo, as well as several classical pieces from celebrated Brazilian composers. The performance will highlight works from Noel Rosa, Pixinguinha, Heitor Villa-Lobos, and Tom Jobim. The musicians will provide introductions to each piece, informing the listeners of the genre, instrumentation, and translation of lyrics, as necessary.
Musica Brasileira is sponsored by the Ernie Duff Latin American Studies Fund and the Diversity Enrichment Program Committee.
Three local college professors who have lived and taught in Brazil will present an eclectic program featuring various genres of Brazilian music and the works of some of the best-known Brazilian composers. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Wimberly Recital Hall.
 |
| Armenio Suzano, left, Carol Hill, and Leon Neto will perform Musica Brasileira on Sept. 20. |
The performers have amassed decades of experience with Brazilian music. Armenio Suzano, who became the youngest member of the Rio de Janeiro Opera House Symphony Orchestra at the age of 15, is now director of the Liberty University (LU) Symphony Orchestra.
Leon Neto, another LU faculty member, has worked with on almost 100 different albums of Brazilian music as a producer, musician, and arranger.
Carol Hill, a professor at Sweet Briar College, rounds out the trio. She has spent many years serving as a missionary in Brazil, where she coordinated the music department at the Equatorial Baptist Theological Seminary and later taught at the Carlos Gomes Conservatory of Music.
The music Friday night will include genres such as Samba, Bossa Nova, and Baiâo, as well as several classical pieces from celebrated Brazilian composers. The performance will highlight works from Noel Rosa, Pixinguinha, Heitor Villa-Lobos, and Tom Jobim. The musicians will provide introductions to each piece, informing the listeners of the genre, instrumentation, and translation of lyrics, as necessary.
Musica Brasileira is sponsored by the Ernie Duff Latin American Studies Fund and the Diversity Enrichment Program Committee.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Speaker describes how to prevent academic cheating
The best way to prevent academic cheating has nothing to do with ensuring students do not use their cell phones during tests or cleverly detecting plagiarism in a paper, Eric Anderman said at Randolph College Tuesday. Instead, cheating is best prevented when students value learning more than they value grades.
“Statistically, the student in the classroom where they’re just focused on the grade is much more likely to cheat,” said Anderman, one of the country’s foremost scholars on the subject of why people cheat. “If the take-home message is learning, you’re not going to have a lot of cheating in your class.”
Anderman spoke at Randolph to share insight gained from his years of research about cheating. Academic dishonesty is extremely common, he said, with 86 percent of high school students admitting to cheating at least once. That is a low estimate, Anderman said.
Students engage in cheating by sending text messages to notify friends of test content, making copies of tests using a smartphone, plagiarizing published articles, buying term papers, and even hiring others to take college readiness tests for them, he said. Meanwhile, some teachers have been caught cheating to garner higher standardized test scores for their schools.
Although students in some demographics are more likely to cheat than others, cheating crosses cultural, ethnic, economic, and religious lines. “Whether you do it and whether you think it’s right or wrong are not the same thing,” he said. “There are people who think cheating is wrong, who still do it.”
Anderman shared quotes from high school students who have been interviewed by him and his graduate students at The Ohio State University. Asked about their motivations for cheating, all cited extrinsic motivations: qualifying for a scholarship, getting admitted to a good college that would lead to high-paying jobs, and garnering grades that would please the students’ parents.
He said one way to decrease cheating is to focus more on intrinsic values such as mastery of a topic or the desire to learn more about it, and focus less on testing and grades. Students are less likely to cheat when they are given the opportunity to re-do assignments until they master the material, he said.
Another way to reduce cheating is to create a culture that discourages cheating. Honor codes help create that atmosphere, he said. “The evidence is pretty positive that they do work,” he said.
Anderman learned about Randolph’s honor code while touring the campus on Tuesday and while having dinner with Randolph College’s student judiciary committee, which administers the honor code. He praised Randolph’s honor code for how involved students are in it and how important it was to each student he met. “Honor codes communicate core values to students about the institutions, but in some institutions, people are not aware of them,” he said.
 |
| Randolph College's student judiciary committee met with Eric Anderman for dinner and a discussion about promoting academic honesty and integrity. |
Anderman spoke at Randolph to share insight gained from his years of research about cheating. Academic dishonesty is extremely common, he said, with 86 percent of high school students admitting to cheating at least once. That is a low estimate, Anderman said.
Students engage in cheating by sending text messages to notify friends of test content, making copies of tests using a smartphone, plagiarizing published articles, buying term papers, and even hiring others to take college readiness tests for them, he said. Meanwhile, some teachers have been caught cheating to garner higher standardized test scores for their schools.
Although students in some demographics are more likely to cheat than others, cheating crosses cultural, ethnic, economic, and religious lines. “Whether you do it and whether you think it’s right or wrong are not the same thing,” he said. “There are people who think cheating is wrong, who still do it.”
He said one way to decrease cheating is to focus more on intrinsic values such as mastery of a topic or the desire to learn more about it, and focus less on testing and grades. Students are less likely to cheat when they are given the opportunity to re-do assignments until they master the material, he said.
Another way to reduce cheating is to create a culture that discourages cheating. Honor codes help create that atmosphere, he said. “The evidence is pretty positive that they do work,” he said.
Anderman learned about Randolph’s honor code while touring the campus on Tuesday and while having dinner with Randolph College’s student judiciary committee, which administers the honor code. He praised Randolph’s honor code for how involved students are in it and how important it was to each student he met. “Honor codes communicate core values to students about the institutions, but in some institutions, people are not aware of them,” he said.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Maya Angelou inspires at Randolph College
Maya Angelou encouraged more than 1,000 listeners at Randolph College to discover poetry and see how “it has kept us alive.”
Angelou, a famous poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist, spent about an hour Tuesday night telling stories from her life and reciting poems that are meaningful to her. The audience laughed and cried as she shared stories of humor, despair, and hope.
“You need to know the poetry. You need to have it in your hands,” she said. “The poetry you read has been written for you—each of you.”
The College hosted Angelou Tuesday, January 29, so Randolph students and others from the community could learn from the experiences and wisdom she would share. Smith Memorial Hall was packed with Randolph students, faculty, and staff; students from area schools, and the greater Lynchburg community as well as visitors from outside of Lynchburg.
Angelou encouraged them to go to a library and find a book of poetry, particularly poetry by African Americans. She specifically recommended Paul Laurence Dunbar, and she recited his poem “Sympathy,” from whose lines she drew the titles for several books, including I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings.
She told the humorous story behind her lighthearted poem “The Health Food Diner,” and she talked of her love for the works of William Shakespeare and Edgar Allan Poe. The audience cheered with delight and laughter as she demonstrated how Poe’s “The Raven” should be recited like a rap lyric.
Angelou reflected on the privilege of being able to give hope and knowledge to others through her writing. “When you know, you can teach. When you get, you can give,” Angelou said. “I used to think I’m a writer who can teach; I've found I’m a teacher who can write.”
Randolph students were delighted to see and hear Angelou. Cameron Hall ’13 was impressed with the friendliness and graciousness Angelou exhibited. “My favorite part was the general feeling that Maya Angelou was as happy and excited to see us as we were to see her,” he said.
Grace Gardiner ’15 enjoyed hearing Angelou recite poetry. “To hear her able to recall powerful words and images from memory, as well as boom out these words and images in a voice so deep and thoughtful as her own, was a true treat,” she said.
Katie West-Hazlewood ’13 appreciated how Angelou tailored her comments towards College students and other young members of the audience. “She recognized that we are going through struggles, but assured us that others have, too; therefore we would be able to get through it as well,” she said. “We are at such a transitional point in our lives and hearing that was very inspiring.”
Angelou, a famous poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist, spent about an hour Tuesday night telling stories from her life and reciting poems that are meaningful to her. The audience laughed and cried as she shared stories of humor, despair, and hope.
“You need to know the poetry. You need to have it in your hands,” she said. “The poetry you read has been written for you—each of you.”
 |
| John E. Klein, president of Randolph College, gives Maya Angelou a copy of a book about the garden of Anne Spencer, a well-known African American poet who lived not far from the College. |
Angelou encouraged them to go to a library and find a book of poetry, particularly poetry by African Americans. She specifically recommended Paul Laurence Dunbar, and she recited his poem “Sympathy,” from whose lines she drew the titles for several books, including I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings.
She told the humorous story behind her lighthearted poem “The Health Food Diner,” and she talked of her love for the works of William Shakespeare and Edgar Allan Poe. The audience cheered with delight and laughter as she demonstrated how Poe’s “The Raven” should be recited like a rap lyric.
Angelou reflected on the privilege of being able to give hope and knowledge to others through her writing. “When you know, you can teach. When you get, you can give,” Angelou said. “I used to think I’m a writer who can teach; I've found I’m a teacher who can write.”
Randolph students were delighted to see and hear Angelou. Cameron Hall ’13 was impressed with the friendliness and graciousness Angelou exhibited. “My favorite part was the general feeling that Maya Angelou was as happy and excited to see us as we were to see her,” he said.
Grace Gardiner ’15 enjoyed hearing Angelou recite poetry. “To hear her able to recall powerful words and images from memory, as well as boom out these words and images in a voice so deep and thoughtful as her own, was a true treat,” she said.
Katie West-Hazlewood ’13 appreciated how Angelou tailored her comments towards College students and other young members of the audience. “She recognized that we are going through struggles, but assured us that others have, too; therefore we would be able to get through it as well,” she said. “We are at such a transitional point in our lives and hearing that was very inspiring.”
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Maya Angelou, acclaimed poet and memoirist, to speak at Randolph
Randolph College will welcome Dr. Maya Angelou for a speaking engagement in January.
Angelou has inspired millions with her words and her wisdom. Her memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings drew international acclaim. In 1993 she read her poem “On the Pulse of Morning” at the inauguration of U.S. President Bill Clinton. The list of her published verse, non-fiction, and fiction includes more than 30 bestselling titles.
At Randolph, she will speak about poetry, courage, her childhood memories, as well as provide insight on how to follow in the footsteps of ancestors in order to pave the way for future generations.
The event is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required, but seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
She will speak in Smith Memorial Hall at 7 p.m. on January 29. For more information on Angelou’s accomplishments and the event read this news release and visit the event page.
At Randolph, she will speak about poetry, courage, her childhood memories, as well as provide insight on how to follow in the footsteps of ancestors in order to pave the way for future generations.
The event is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required, but seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
She will speak in Smith Memorial Hall at 7 p.m. on January 29. For more information on Angelou’s accomplishments and the event read this news release and visit the event page.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Shakespeare meets Carnival in WildCat Theatre production of A Midsummer Night's Dream
Shakespeare’s comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream has made its rounds through the Lynchburg area, but this weekend Randolph College students will present production that promises a new spin on the classic tale.
7:30 p.m. (2 p.m. on Feb. 26)
Tickets: $10 general admission, $8 faculty/staff/seniors, $5 students
“Our version will be markedly different. It is inspired by Brazilian Carnival,” said Mace Archer, a Randolph theatre professor directing the show. “It's set during the festival during our production.” It takes place aboard a Carnival float with samba dancers and other celebrators. “It’s like you’re watching Carnival,” Archer said.
The fairy royalty Oberon (portrayed by Matt Cornpropst ’14) and Titania (Marian van Noppen ’12) become the king and queen of the Carnival festival. Puck (Emily Perry ’12) is more of a snappy, snazzy Vegas showgirl than the natural woodsprite of most Midsummer productions, but she plays the same tricks that cause mayhem and disrupt the course of the young lovers who have left the nearby city.
Other leading cast members include Brian Yarger ’15 as Lysander, Anne Morris ’12 as Hermia, Erin Sudol ’12 as Helena, Tory Brown ’13 as Demetrius, and Robert Santmyer ’15 as Bottom. The cast consists of 30 students, including about 10 from the Randolph College Dance program. Isabelle Dom ’12 choreographed the dances for the show.
“We have all the right actors to fit the parts of this play,” Archer said. “The energy they bring to it is phenomenal. This is the third time I've worked on Midsummer, and it’s the most energetic.”
This is also the third time A Midsummer Night’s Dream has been performed in Lynchburg in the past year, after having a round of several performances two years ago. But the story will not be old, partly because of the Carnival setting, and partly because of the fun versatility of the story. “You could do Midsummer every year, because there are so many different ways you can do it," Archer said.
The language and storyline of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is also very accessible, allowing actors and audience members to enjoy the humor. “It’s getting really funny,” Archer said.
Producing a play in a short time period while also keeping up with demanding academic programs at the College is no easy feat, but Archer said it is preparing students for careers on stage. “Figuring out how you can do really good quality work in a compressed amount of time is part of the profession now,” he said. “They’re learning how to do that.”
Randolph College presents
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Feb. 23-27, 20127:30 p.m. (2 p.m. on Feb. 26)
Tickets: $10 general admission, $8 faculty/staff/seniors, $5 students
The fairy royalty Oberon (portrayed by Matt Cornpropst ’14) and Titania (Marian van Noppen ’12) become the king and queen of the Carnival festival. Puck (Emily Perry ’12) is more of a snappy, snazzy Vegas showgirl than the natural woodsprite of most Midsummer productions, but she plays the same tricks that cause mayhem and disrupt the course of the young lovers who have left the nearby city.
 |
| Student actors rehearse a scene from A Midsummer Night's Dream on the Thoresen Theatre stage in early February. |
“We have all the right actors to fit the parts of this play,” Archer said. “The energy they bring to it is phenomenal. This is the third time I've worked on Midsummer, and it’s the most energetic.”
 |
| Emily Perry '12, right, portrays the role of Puck in an original way, combining Shakespeare with Carnival. |
The language and storyline of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is also very accessible, allowing actors and audience members to enjoy the humor. “It’s getting really funny,” Archer said.
Producing a play in a short time period while also keeping up with demanding academic programs at the College is no easy feat, but Archer said it is preparing students for careers on stage. “Figuring out how you can do really good quality work in a compressed amount of time is part of the profession now,” he said. “They’re learning how to do that.”
Monday, February 13, 2012
Local author, acclaimed historical preservationist to speak about Anne Spencer
One advantage of being located in Lynchburg is our proximity to many important historical sites, which means we also have connections to many local history makers—such as Anne Spencer, the well-known Harlem Renaissance poet who made her home just a few miles from the Randolph College campus.
Lessons Learned from a Poet's Garden
Featuring Jane Baber White
Date: Wednesday, Feb. 15Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Alice Ashley Jack Room, Smith Memorial Hall
The restoration process also unearthed many remarkable connections between Spencer and R-MWC. For example, Randolph College’s campus is surrounded by a red brick wall, which replaced a wrought iron gate—and that gate is now found in Spencer’s garden. White will discuss those connections and other lessons learned in the restoration process.
White is a lifelong resident of Lynchburg and has a passion for gardens and historic sites. She has led a number of restoration projects and received local, regional, and national recognition for her work at the Old City Cemetery, where she was director for 27 years.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Astronomy and literature meet in English professor's upcoming talk
On a clear, cold night in 1847, a shy young Quakeress named Maria
Mitchell peaked through a telescope on the bank of Nantucket, Massachusetts. When
she discovered a comet that night, she made scientific history—and also sparked
an international controversy.
“Her sex, science, and celebrity combined to make a powerful
statement, a statement that made its way into the American cultural expression
of her time,” writes Heidi Kunz, an English professor at Randolph College.
On
Thursday, Kunz will give a talk about the way contemporary literature reacted
to the discovery of Miss Mitchell’s Comet.
She will present “Miss Mitchell’s Comet and the Nineteenth
Century American Novel” at 4 p.m. Feb. 16 in the Alice Ashley Jack Room in Smith
Memorial Hall. The presentation is part of the Works in Progress Series sponsored
by the Randolph College Chapter of the American Association of University
Professors and the Office of the Dean of the College.
While Kunz teaches courses in American literature and 18th
century British literature, she also enjoys literary exploration of science,
such as Mitchell’s scientific accomplishment that rocked common perceptions of
gender roles in her time (and set her on course to be America’s first female professional
astronomer). She also researches and writes extensively about F. Scott
Fitzgerald, and was recently appointed to the editorial board of The F. Scott Fitzgerald Review.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Karl Rove talks political strategy at Randolph College
Rove, who served as senior adviser to President George W. Bush, visited Randolph College for a day and spent time talking with local media, students, faculty, staff, and community members. He analyzed the Republican Primary race and discussed factors that will affect the general election. He taught students about the reasoning behind political strategy and made a few predictions, too.
Here are some topics he addressed:
Virginia’s importance in the general election:“I don't see how the republican candidate is going to get 270 Electoral College votes without bringing Virginia back into the republican column,” Rove said. The state has usually cast its electoral votes for Republican presidential candidates, but President Obama won the state in 2008.
Rove said Virginia will become a battleground in the general election, meaning Randolph College students could witness some heavy campaigning. He named Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell as one wise vice president pick for the eventual Republican nominee.
Vice Presidential Picks
Rove listed several Republican leaders who he thinks would be good vice presidential running mates for any of the Republican presidential hopefuls, including Marco Rubio, Mitch Daniels, and McDonnell.
Rove then explained the George W. Bush’s selection of Dick Cheyney as his running mate. Rove tried to talk him out of it, he said.
At Bush’s request, Rove recited a long list of problems that would arise from choosing Cheyney, including public scrutiny about Cheyney’s health and criticism that Bush was leaning on his father’s reputation and administration.
Bush called him the next day with his response: “You’re right, every one of them is a problem,” Bush said. “Now go solve them.”
Religion in Politics:
“We are a nation that is very religious, compared to other nations in the world,” Rove said. “I think Americans generally want a person of faith, who believes in a greater being.”
However, Rove believes it is offensive to pick apart the details of a candidate’s religious beliefs. Particularly, he said media coverage Mitt Romney’s race for the nomination has focused too much on dissecting the details of Romney’s Mormon theology, he said.
“I think it has no place in American politics,” he said.
Rove defended the capital gains tax rate of 15 percent because capital gains paid to investors have already been taxed at the corporate tax rate. The lower tax rates encourage saving and investing to create jobs, he said. He also pointed out that the Bush tax cuts, which have been extended during President Obama’s administration, lowered tax rates for all income earners, not just the wealthy.
People who create new products and services deserve to keep the fruits of their labors, he said. He specifically mentioned Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates for their technological innovations. “The country’s better because they did that. Because they had the courage and the dream to go do it, they deserve their reward. That’s what the essence of the American system is about,” Rove said.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Randolph College to Host Congressional Election Debate
Congressman Tom Perriello (D) and state Senator Robert Hurt (R) will debate at 4:30 p.m. on October 27, 2010 in the Smith Hall Theatre at Randolph College.A panel will direct questions to the candidates focusing their questions on issues concerning business and the economy.
Perriello and Hurt are campaigning for the Virginia 5th District seat to the United States House of Representatives.
This event is sponsored by the Lynchburg Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce and Randolph College.
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