Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Christmas Vespers concert includes new Chamber Orchestra and poetry readings
Randolph College’s new Chamber Orchestra will join Chorale for a new twist on the annual Christmas Vespers concert this Sunday at 7:30 p.m.
The concert will feature a mixture of baroque instrumental and choral music, French Christmas carols, and a progression of readings that tell the Christmas story and set the tone for the holiday season. Randolph music faculty and members of the Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra will participate with the student orchestra members and singers.
“Christmas Vespers will be larger than it has been in the past,” said Randall Speer, a Randolph music professor who directs Chorale. This is going to be a very neat opportunity to feature our students alongside professionals. It will have lots of opportunities for student soloists. The students are going to be very well represented musically.”
The College has held Christmas Vespers every December for decades. The tradition includes a candlelight procession in Houston Memorial Chapel, followed by about 90 minutes of music and readings that tell the Christian nativity story and address other topics related to the celebration of Christmas.
The main musical pieces chosen for the 2012 Christmas Vespers are Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 by Johann Sebastian Bach and Messe de Minuit Pour Noel (Midnight Mass for Christmas) by Marc Antoine Charpentier. While neither of these musical pieces is connected directly to the Christmas story, Speer organized the program so that both pieces contribute to the Christmas Vespers tradition.
The text of Midnight Mass for Christmas is actually a regular mass, but its music incorporates the melodies of French Christmas carols. Each movement will be preceded by a student soloist singing the carol whose melody is found in the music. The carols are ordered so that their text follows a logical progression telling the Christmas story. “That allows us to have a progression of readings to support that,” Speer said.
The readings consist of poems by secular poets about Christmas. “The poems match the progression of carols,” Speer said. “Not only do they address Christmas, but every single one of them mentions music in some way.” Selected by Megan Hageman ’13, the readings will be presented by Randolph faculty and staff members.
Friday, November 23, 2012
Randolph to host producers of documentary about WW-II journalist who helped Holocaust refugees escape to America
By Tory Brown ’13College Relations Intern
A lifelong writer, journalist, photojournalist, and humanitarian, Gruber has written 19 books and recently accepted a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Overseas Press Club. Her book, Haven, which told the story of escorting Holocaust refugees to America, was made into a television mini-series starring Natasha Richardson in 2001.
Ruth’s unique perspective of the events surrounding WWII is a result of her involvement in many of those historical moments. She was chosen by the Roosevelt administration to escort 1,000 Holocaust refugees from Naples to New York in a secret wartime mission in 1944. As a journalist, she accompanied leaders to the Middle East where they studied the problems of displaced persons and Palestine. Gruber covered the Nuremberg trials in 1946 and her photos of the ship Exodus 1947 were published in Life Magazine and around the world.
With her love of adventure, fearlessness and powerful intellect, Gruber defied tradition and in the process, emerged as the eyes and conscience of the world. Today, she still has the moxie and sharp wit that propelled her career, and the film interweaves vérité footage with interviews and archival material.
“Ahead of Time” has won multiple Best Documentary awards from many different film festivals. Additional screenings of “Ahead of Time” will take place on Dec. 1 at Lynchburg College at 12:30 p.m. in the Hopwood Auditorium and The Agudath Sholom Synagogue at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Pan World Coffeehouse to highlight international cultures Saturday
By Tory Brown ’13College Relations Intern
Drawing participants from Randolph and the Lynchburg community, Pan World Coffeehosue is designed to promote cultural awareness and to provide Randolph’s international students with the opportunity to share a taste of their home countries. The event is held once each semester.
“Students have many things to look forward to when attending Pan World,” said Penny Trieu’15, the co-event chair. “Randolph has such a culturally diverse student body, and Pan World is where all these different cultures come to together to celebrate each other’s cultures.”
 |
| Pan World Coffeehouse includes fashion shows displaying the dress of other cultures. |
A big surprise awaits the end of the performances, according to Mi Dan Nguyen ’14, the publicity chair. “It’s going to be awesome,” she said. “So everyone should come, and stay until the end!”
An after party is scheduled in Smith Banquet Hall from 10 p.m.– 1 a.m.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Multimedia journalists visit campus this weekend
Two well-known multimedia journalists will visit Randolph College this weekend to teach students about the craft of online storytelling and hold a public discussion of their work.
Brad Horn, a videographer at the Washington Post, and his wife, Coburn Dukehart, the picture and multimedia editor for NPR.org, will present “Changing the World One Story at a Time” at 2 p.m. Sunday in Martin 315.
Sponsored by the Driver Lecture Series, the event offers students a valuable opportunity for students interested in journalism, said Jennifer Gauthier, a communication studies professor.
“This is the main goal of the Driver program—to give students the opportunity to interact with professionals in the film and video field, see what careers are out there, and get practical advice on breaking into the business,” Gauthier said. “Other students will certainly learn from the passion of our guests to change the world using their talents, which is what we encourage all Randolph students to do.”
For the public lecture, the Horn and Dukehart will show and discuss some of their work. Horn has worked on projects such as a short documentary about the struggles small farmers face in getting their fruits and vegetables to consumers, and a recent production marking the 10 years since the arrest of two snipers who had terrorized the Washington, D.C., area. Dukehart has worked on multimedia projects such as a story about soldiers dealing with traumatic brain injury and a profile of a composer in a desert monastery.
Earlier in the day, students interested in journalism will attend a workshop and actually film and edit a story with the presenters. This type of experience strengthens the college’s multimedia journalism minor, which was added to the curriculum last year. “This initiative was designed to meet the interests of students in journalism and prepare them for the changing world of journalism, so they have the skills they need to compete when they graduate,” Gauthier said. “It is a unique program for a liberal arts college because it pairs the history and theory of media with practical skills.”
The Sara Driver ’77 Digital Filmmaking Course and Lecture Series was funded by Martha (Lou) Miller Driver ’50 in honor of her daughter, an alumna who is renowned in the independent film industry.
Brad Horn, a videographer at the Washington Post, and his wife, Coburn Dukehart, the picture and multimedia editor for NPR.org, will present “Changing the World One Story at a Time” at 2 p.m. Sunday in Martin 315.
Sponsored by the Driver Lecture Series, the event offers students a valuable opportunity for students interested in journalism, said Jennifer Gauthier, a communication studies professor.
“This is the main goal of the Driver program—to give students the opportunity to interact with professionals in the film and video field, see what careers are out there, and get practical advice on breaking into the business,” Gauthier said. “Other students will certainly learn from the passion of our guests to change the world using their talents, which is what we encourage all Randolph students to do.”
For the public lecture, the Horn and Dukehart will show and discuss some of their work. Horn has worked on projects such as a short documentary about the struggles small farmers face in getting their fruits and vegetables to consumers, and a recent production marking the 10 years since the arrest of two snipers who had terrorized the Washington, D.C., area. Dukehart has worked on multimedia projects such as a story about soldiers dealing with traumatic brain injury and a profile of a composer in a desert monastery.
Earlier in the day, students interested in journalism will attend a workshop and actually film and edit a story with the presenters. This type of experience strengthens the college’s multimedia journalism minor, which was added to the curriculum last year. “This initiative was designed to meet the interests of students in journalism and prepare them for the changing world of journalism, so they have the skills they need to compete when they graduate,” Gauthier said. “It is a unique program for a liberal arts college because it pairs the history and theory of media with practical skills.”
The Sara Driver ’77 Digital Filmmaking Course and Lecture Series was funded by Martha (Lou) Miller Driver ’50 in honor of her daughter, an alumna who is renowned in the independent film industry.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Randolph brings classic Chekov play to Lynchburg stage
Despite the fact that Anton Chekov ranks as one of the most important playwrights in history, it has been years since a Lynchburg stage showed his work. WildCat Theatre will change that this weekend as Randolph students and faculty perform Chekov’s Uncle Vanya.
The performance will unlock the comedic aspects and humanity of the play, making it accessible to a modern audience. “There are a lot of bad Chekov productions out there, but our actors are doing well,” said director Mace Archer. “The acting will be far more sophisticated than people have seen before.”
Thoresen Theatre, Randolph College
Nov. 15–19, 7:30 p.m.
Uncle Vanya tells the story of a Russian family and the staff that cares for the family’s rural estate as one family member proposes to sell the property. “It is more or less a familial squabble about what's going to happen to the family estate,” Archer said. “Some want to continue this way of life that they’ve known forever, and others are willing to sell it all off and start afresh.” It represents Russia’s change from a rural society to a more modern society during Chekov’s time.
The story also includes interwoven and conflicting love stories. “Everybody in this house is in love with everybody else, but nobody can be with who they want to be with,” Archer said. “The thing that makes it fun is all the interpersonal dynamics in the house.”
The play features a set designed by Bulgarian designer Marina Raytchinova who, before this play, had designed every Chekov play other than Uncle Vanya. Although most Chekov productions have “hyper-realistic” sets depicting the details of Russian architecture, Raytchinova opted for a more simple setting that will allow the audience to focus more on the characters and the story. That will make the play more enjoyable for the audience, Archer said. “The way it will be staged will be different than anyone else would do it.”
The performance also will draw on the humorous subtexts and events in the play, which are often dropped. “Chekov always said that his plays were comedies. But when they’re produced, they don’t seem very funny,” Archer said. “I think ours will be highly entertaining. Some very funny things will happen.”
Archer decided to bring Uncle Vanya to the Thoresen Theatre stage because Chekov’s plays are classics— second only to Shakespeare in Archer’s opinion. The plays are not produced often because of a perception that they are thematically heavy: the characters are driven by a subtext, they don’t always say what they mean, and an audience can get lost unless the actors capture those nuances. But the Randolph cast is proving it can make Chekov interesting and enjoyable. “It’s been fun to watch the students really begin to understand how Chekov works and how deep they need to go to make the characters seem believable and real,” Archer said.
The performance will unlock the comedic aspects and humanity of the play, making it accessible to a modern audience. “There are a lot of bad Chekov productions out there, but our actors are doing well,” said director Mace Archer. “The acting will be far more sophisticated than people have seen before.”
Uncle Vanya
by Anton Chekov
Presented by Randolph CollegeThoresen Theatre, Randolph College
Nov. 15–19, 7:30 p.m.
 |
| Internationally-known theatre designer Marina Raytchinova designed the set for Uncle Vanya and has been helping students build the set this week. |
The play features a set designed by Bulgarian designer Marina Raytchinova who, before this play, had designed every Chekov play other than Uncle Vanya. Although most Chekov productions have “hyper-realistic” sets depicting the details of Russian architecture, Raytchinova opted for a more simple setting that will allow the audience to focus more on the characters and the story. That will make the play more enjoyable for the audience, Archer said. “The way it will be staged will be different than anyone else would do it.”
The performance also will draw on the humorous subtexts and events in the play, which are often dropped. “Chekov always said that his plays were comedies. But when they’re produced, they don’t seem very funny,” Archer said. “I think ours will be highly entertaining. Some very funny things will happen.”
Archer decided to bring Uncle Vanya to the Thoresen Theatre stage because Chekov’s plays are classics— second only to Shakespeare in Archer’s opinion. The plays are not produced often because of a perception that they are thematically heavy: the characters are driven by a subtext, they don’t always say what they mean, and an audience can get lost unless the actors capture those nuances. But the Randolph cast is proving it can make Chekov interesting and enjoyable. “It’s been fun to watch the students really begin to understand how Chekov works and how deep they need to go to make the characters seem believable and real,” Archer said.
Monday, November 12, 2012
College was another chapter of worldwide adventures for Danielle Robinson ’12
The news and photos of flooding and damage caused by Hurricane Sandy bring back memories for Danielle Robinson ’12. About seven years ago, she was in New Orleans slogging through knee-deep mud and trash piles in New Orleans, where she helped gut damaged homes so the rebuilding process could begin after Hurricane Katrina.
“It was really the hardest work I’d ever done, suiting up with a mask and hazmat suit and going into someone’s home to face that destruction,” Robinson said. “People’s spirits were so strong. They were fighters.”
At that time, Robinson was a high school graduate postponing college for the chance to see the world. “I was afraid that if I went to school and got a job, I would never get to travel and experience life,” Robinson said. “I decided that I would jump into what I thought was real life.”
A few years later, Robinson finally pursued college, where she learned that higher education would be another chapter of her worldwide adventures.
She studied at Tyler Junior College in Texas for two years, then her family moved to Virginia. She applied to three Virginia colleges and was accepted. Because Randolph was the closest to her family’s new home, she decided to tour here first.
“As soon as I was here and had the tour, I knew this was where I wanted to go,” she said. “I never even visited the other schools.”
Robinson majored in English with an emphasis in creative writing. She remembers her first poetry class, with three other students and professor Jim Peterson. The creative writing faculty helped her fine tune her writing in ways that could not have happened in more crowded classrooms. “They’re published authors who know what they’re doing,” Robinson said.
Robinson also worked on research outside her major. Last December, she traveled to the U.S. Virgin Islands with a group from Randolph to test for links between human-caused bacteria and the degradation of coral reefs around the island. Her task was to document the research with photos and writing, but she worked on the research, too.
“I always think it’s great to work with people in other disciplines,” she said. “They had so much to teach me, and my questions made them think of something they hadn’t thought about. Even though I wasn’t a science major, I felt like I was still valuable.”
When Robinson graduated, she was hired as an assistant for the College’s new Center for Student Research. The Center administers three programs—Summer Research, which lets students and professors work on projects together during the break; Randolph’s Innovative Student Experience (RISE), which gives students money to pursue research and creative projects; and the Symposium of Artists and Scholars, an annual event celebrating the best work among Randolph students.
Robinson also plays a role in running the American Culture Program and Passport, a new first-year experience program.
She felt like working in the new center would be a good way to contribute to the atmosphere that had helped her thrive as a student. She hopes her efforts help students become more involved in research.
“Research doesn’t have to be just in the sciences; it also can be in the arts and humanities,” Robinson said. “I want to generate that awareness that it doesn't matter what your major is, you can conduct very successful research in your field.”
 |
| Danielle Robinson ’12 helped in the cleanup following Hurricane Katrina before she came to Randolph. |
At that time, Robinson was a high school graduate postponing college for the chance to see the world. “I was afraid that if I went to school and got a job, I would never get to travel and experience life,” Robinson said. “I decided that I would jump into what I thought was real life.”
A few years later, Robinson finally pursued college, where she learned that higher education would be another chapter of her worldwide adventures.
She studied at Tyler Junior College in Texas for two years, then her family moved to Virginia. She applied to three Virginia colleges and was accepted. Because Randolph was the closest to her family’s new home, she decided to tour here first.
“As soon as I was here and had the tour, I knew this was where I wanted to go,” she said. “I never even visited the other schools.”
Robinson majored in English with an emphasis in creative writing. She remembers her first poetry class, with three other students and professor Jim Peterson. The creative writing faculty helped her fine tune her writing in ways that could not have happened in more crowded classrooms. “They’re published authors who know what they’re doing,” Robinson said.
 |
| Robinson presented some of her fiction writing during the 2012 Symposium of Artists and Scholars |
“I always think it’s great to work with people in other disciplines,” she said. “They had so much to teach me, and my questions made them think of something they hadn’t thought about. Even though I wasn’t a science major, I felt like I was still valuable.”
When Robinson graduated, she was hired as an assistant for the College’s new Center for Student Research. The Center administers three programs—Summer Research, which lets students and professors work on projects together during the break; Randolph’s Innovative Student Experience (RISE), which gives students money to pursue research and creative projects; and the Symposium of Artists and Scholars, an annual event celebrating the best work among Randolph students.
Robinson also plays a role in running the American Culture Program and Passport, a new first-year experience program.
She felt like working in the new center would be a good way to contribute to the atmosphere that had helped her thrive as a student. She hopes her efforts help students become more involved in research.
“Research doesn’t have to be just in the sciences; it also can be in the arts and humanities,” Robinson said. “I want to generate that awareness that it doesn't matter what your major is, you can conduct very successful research in your field.”
Student Center Renovation Update: November 12, 2012
Primer and lighting are just a few of the changes that are taking place in the Student Center this week. Check out the latest slideshow of the $6 million renovation project here: http://web.randolphcollege.edu/studentcenter/slideshow/nov12/index.html.
For more information or to see the comprehensive coverage of the renovation project, please go to www.randolphcollege.edu/studentcenter.
For more information or to see the comprehensive coverage of the renovation project, please go to www.randolphcollege.edu/studentcenter.
 |
| This photo shows the new dining area for the Skeller (on the bottom floor to the left) and the new Student Government wing (top floor, left) |
 |
| The Student Government wing features offices for student organizations as well as this new conference room, which overlooks the first floor. |
 |
| The view from the new cardio center features back campus and the Blue Ridge Mountains. |
 |
| The new Skeller will be located on the main floor. |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
