Hiram College music events for April include major spring concerts

This week, the Hiram College concert band and choir will present their spring concerts. The concert band performs Wednesday, April 2 at 7:30 p.m.; the college choir performs on Friday, April 4 at 7:30 p.m. Both events are in Hayden Auditorium in Bates Hall on State Route 700.

The concert band program includes The Marriage of Figaro Overture (W.A. Mozart/Earl Slocum), Carmina Burana I. O Fortuna, velut luna II. Fortune plango vulnera, XIII. Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi (Carl Orff/John Krance), Trombone King (Karl L. King), The Barber of Seville Goes to the Devil (Gordon Jacob/Robert O’Brien), Seventeen Come Sunday (R. Vaughan Williams), The Caves in the Mountains (Barry E. Kopetz), Sky is Waiting (Samuel R. Hazo), Irish Tune from County Derry (Percy Aldridge Grainger), and Stars and Stripes Forever (John Philip Sousa).

The college choir performance on Friday will include Madrigal Singers and two quartets, The Purr-fect Ladies, and Save the Goats.

The Madrigal Singers will open the program with selections they sang on their recent tour of Florida, including: Heilig (Mendelssohn), Charm Me To Sleep (Leslie) and a most unusual musical setting of newspaper advertisements called Auction Cries. They will conclude with their popular rendition of the William Tell Overture arranged for voices.

The second portion of the program features two vocal quartets singing barbershop tunes, do-wop, and classic pop tunes.

The third part of the program is devoted to one work, Mendelssohn’s Hymn Of Praise (Lobgesang). Student soloists will include Rachel Inks, soprano; Chandra Fixel, soprano; Camille Campanaro, soprano; Maryam Abdul-Qawiyy, alto; Daniel Berman, tenor; Bryan Klinzing, tenor and David Bridenstine, tenor. The cantata is accompanied by Professor Randal Fusco and conducted by John Drotleff.

The work is part of a larger choral/symphonic work called Symphony No. 2. The college choir does the complete work with the West Shore Chorale and Orchestra on Sunday, May 4 at the Magnificat Center for the Performing Arts in Rocky River. Information regarding tickets and directions to this concert is at www.westshorechorale.org. Drotleff will also conduct this performance.

The Hiram College jazz ensemble and African ensemble will present their spring concert Saturday, April 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the Frohring Recital Hall in the Frohring Music Building. Featured on the program will be works by George Shearing, Bart Howard, Thad Jones, Cole Porter, Arturo Sandoval, and Allen Toussaint.

Other upcoming music events include:

Traditional Irish Session
Informal playing
Special guest, fiddler Liz Carroll
Sunday, April 6 at 2 p.m.
Frohring Recital Hall

Opera/Musical Theatre Workshop
Scenes from The Magic Flute (Mozart)
Monday & Tuesday, April 7 and 8 at 7:30 p.m.
Frohring Recital Hall

Second Annual John M. Watson Memorial Concert and Reception
Greg Banaszak, jazz saxophone
Friday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m.
Hayden Auditorium

Honors Recital
Outstanding Student Performers
Monday, April 28 at 8 p.m.
Hayden Auditorium

All Hiram College music events are free and open to the public. For information, contact Lisa Miller at 330.569.5294 or music@hiram.edu.

Hiram College offers free summer academies for high school students

Hiram College will offer four different summer academies for high school students. All summer academies offer a residential experience and are free for participants. School teachers and guidance counselors are encouraged to nominate their students for one of these academies:

Emerging Writers Workshop in Creative Nonfiction

Promising young authors will develop their voice and hone their writing skills in the expanding genre of creative nonfiction. Students with a passion for writing will work closely with Hiram faculty to create new work, revise existing pieces, and use research creatively to enhance their writing. The workshop is June 20-22, 2008.

The Hiram Genomics Academy

The Genomics Academy will involve young scientists in cutting-edge biological research where they learn and use microbiology, molecular biology, and genomics concepts and skills. The objective of the academy is to excite students about scientific questions and encourage them to make research part of their college training. Session I is June 25-28, 2008, and session II is July 9-12, 2008.

The High School Leadership Conference

The High School Leadership Conference engages up-and-coming leaders in a variety of activities designed to expand comfort zones and foster leadership skills. Student leaders will participate in sessions on team building, creative problem solving, group dynamics, small group discussion, diversity education, and a low-ropes course. The conference is July 18-20, 2008.

Hiram Institute of Theatre

This workshop will immerse students in the world of performance. Sessions will include movement, dance, vocal quality, improvisational technique, and character study. The institute is July 23-26, 2008.

For information about any of these summer academies, visit the website or contact Lisa Schneider at 330.569.5986 or schneiderlh@hiram.edu.

Friends of the Library hosts talk about intellectual freedom and privacy

Carrie Davis, staff attorney for the ACLU of Ohio and lobbyist, will deliver remarks titled “Intellectual Freedom, Privacy, and the Future of the Patriot Act” on March 27 at 7 p.m. at the Hiram College Library.

The 2001 passage and 2006 renewal of the USA PATRIOT Act have created a climate of hostility towards intellectual freedom and privacy, especially in our libraries. The American Library Association and the American Civil Liberties Union have been two of the Patriot Act’s most vocal critics in Congress and in the courts.

Davis will lead a discussion on the Patriot Act, what it means for libraries, and what role the next U.S. president will play in changing those policies.

Davis’s areas of interest include education, civil rights, and internet law. She has worked for two special education law practices and as a legal intern with the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education. Davis published several articles on First and Fourth Amendment rights online through The Internet Law Journal, serving as editor-in-chief.

Prior to pursuing her law degree, Davis spent time as a Congressional Aide and Outreach Coordinator to former U.S. Representative and now Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan and interned as a lobbyist with the Feminist Majority in Washington, D.C.

Davis has a B.A. in philosophy and public policy from Albion College (MI) and a J.D. from Case Western Reserve University.

The program, sponsored by the Friends of the Hiram College Library, is free and open to the public. The Library is located at 11694 Hayden Street in Hiram.

Eighth Annual Bissell Symposium to be held March 24-25

Dr. Stephen G. Post, author of Why Good Things Happen to Good People, will deliver the keynote address on March 24 at 7:30 p.m.

The eighth annual Bissell Symposium will be held March 24 and 25 on the Hiram College campus. The symposium’s keynote speaker is Case Western Reserve University professor and co-author of Why Good Things Happen to Good People: The Exciting New Research that Proves the Link Between Doing Good and Living a Longer, Healthier, Happier Life, Dr. Stephen G. Post.

Post’s “ten ways of giving” from Why Good Things Happen to Good People are the topic of this year’s Bissell Symposium. The “ten ways” are: celebration, generativity, forgiveness, courage and confrontation, humor, respect, compassion, loyalty, listening, and creativity. All Hiram students, faculty, and staff received free copies of Post’s book to prepare to engage in dialogue during the symposium.

The convocation featuring Post’s keynote is Monday, March 24 at 7:30 p.m. Post’s remarks are followed by a dessert reception and book signing. On Tuesday, March 25, Hiram faculty and students will respond to Post’s keynote at 12:30 p.m. Both events are in the Kennedy Center Ballroom on State Route 700 on the Hiram campus, and are open to the public.

Post is professor, Department of Bioethics, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, as well as senior research scholar at the Becket Institute at St. Hugh’s College, Oxford University. Post is serving as president of the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love, which focuses on the scientific study of phenomena such as altruism, compassion, and service. He received his Ph.D. in philosophical and religious ethics from the University of Chicago (1983), where he was an elected university fellow, a fellow in the Institute for the Advanced Study of Religion, and a co-preceptor in the Pritzker School of Medicine.

The Howard S. Bissell Chair in Liberal Studies and Professor of Communication Linda Rea is responsible for organizing the annual symposium. For more information, contact her at 330.569.5216 or reall@hiram.edu.

The Garfield Institute for Public Leadership Presents “Immigration: Contemporary Politics and Future Prospects”

Hiram College will host a seminar examining the economic, political, and ethical issues associated with immigration. Doris Meissner, former commissioner of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, will deliver the keynote address.
The Garfield Institute for Public Leadership at Hiram College will present a seminar on March 3 titled “Immigration: Contemporary Politics and Future Prospects.”

The seminar includes a panel discussion examining economic, political, and ethical issues pertaining to immigration across the Mexican border. The panel discussion will be followed by a keynote address by Doris Meissner. Former commissioner of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), Meissner is a senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute (MPI). She is director of MPI’s Independent Task Force on Immigration and America’s Future.

The panelists, in addition to Meissner, include James Creagan, Allert Brown-Gort, and Craig L. Moser. Creagan is former ambassador to Honduras; director of the Center for International Studies, University of the Incarnate Word; and Hiram College Trustee. Mr. Creagan is a career diplomat with over 30 years of experience.

Brown-Gort is associate director, Institute for Latino Studies, University of Notre Dame. Mr. Brown-Gort is a native of Mexico, and has taught in the international relations department of the Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico (ITAM). Prior to his tenure in Mexico, Mr. Brown-Gort was in charge of the Latin American Initiative of the Conservation Education Programs at Columbia University.

Moser is professor of economics at Hiram College. Mr. Moser has over three decades of experience as a professor, department chair, and academic administrator. He has lead several study-abroad trips to England and Russia, is the recipient of many academic honors and recognitions, and has presented numerous papers on economics, both domestic and international.

The panel discussion starts at 4:15 p.m., and is followed by a reception, dinner, and keynote address at 6:30 p.m., to be held in the Kennedy Center. The panel discussion, reception, and keynote address are free and open to the public. Reservations are required for the dinner. For further information and reservations, contact Kathy Luschek, luschekk@hiram.edu or 330.569.6118.

Hiram political science professor is expert on Ohio politics

Experienced campaign manager and campaign strategy researcher provides regular commentary about Ohio politics.

Jason Johnson, a faculty member in the political science and communication departments at Hiram College, is an expert on Ohio politics.

Johnson has been active in politics, making him a valuable commentator for many occasions. He has worked as a campaign manager and assistant slate director in house and senate races in Virginia, Maryland, and South Carolina. Johnson’s political expertise extends beyond the United States. He worked on the 2001 mayoral race in London, England, was an international election observer during Mexico’s turbulent presidential election in 2006, and was an honored guest of the Independent Electoral Commission in Johannesburg, South Africa during their parliamentary elections in 2007. His research focuses on campaign strategy and communications and the differences between how political science theory suggests that political campaigns should be run, and how consultants actually run campaigns.

Johnson is a regular political commentator for radio, television, and newspaper outlets. He has appeared on National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition,” the Jesse Lee Peterson Show, and the “Sound of Ideas” program on a Cleveland NPR affiliate. Johnson has appeared on the O’Reilly Factor, frequently appears on both ABC and CBS affiliates in Youngstown, Ohio, and has appeared in the online edition of Essence magazine, the North Carolina Political Review, the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Akron Beacon Journal, and the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Johnson is a graduate of the University of Virginia and a doctoral candidate in political science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has extensive media and speaking experience on topics ranging from pop culture to electoral politics. More information and contact information is available online at www.hiram.edu/jasonjohnson.

Hiram College Juried Student Art Show debuts March 18

Hiram College will open its annual Juried Student Art Show with a public reception and awards presentation at the Gelbke Fine Arts Center, 12000 Winrock Road, on Tuesday, March 18 at 5 p.m. The show will continue through April 4. The show is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served at the reception.

All art work in the show is judged by this year’s juror, Kent State University artist and Associate Professor Michael Loderstedt. Student works will be for sale at the show. Students from all academic disciplines are eligible to participate.

Gallery hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, or by appointment. For more information, contact Martha Meyer at art@hiram.edu or 330.569.5304.

Chamberlain/Hopkins Symposium on Alcohol and Culture: A Call to Action

The Second Annual Chamberlain/Hopkins Symposium on Alcohol and Culture was held at Hiram College on Thursday, February 28 and Friday, February 29. The College community organized the Chamberlain/Hopkins Symposium on Alcohol and Culture in response to a March 2006 automobile accident that ended the lives of Hiram students Grace Chamberlain and Andy Hopkins and severely injured fellow classmate Evan DaSilva. A truck driven by a man who was under the influence of alcohol struck the students’ car. The impaired driver, James Cline, had 11 previous drunken driving convictions. In September 2006, Mr. Cline received the maximum sentence for his crime, 38 years in prison. His girlfriend, who knew he did not have a license but gave him her truck to drive anyway, was also sentenced to jail time.

On Thursday, Ohio Senator Timothy Grendell addressed the College regarding facts and figures about alcohol use, about drinking on college campuses, and about Senate Bill 17, developed in direct response to the drunk driving accident that killed Grace and Andy. Senate Bill 17 enacts stricter penalties regarding impaired operation. Specifically, it targets repeat offenders by enforcing compliance with federal penalties, addresses wrongful entrustment issues, closes the loophole for test refusal by lengthening administrative penalty, and puts together a register of repeat offenders. Already passed by the Senate, Senate Bill 17 is currently sitting in the House waiting for review and approval. If Senate Bill 17 isn’t passed by the House this year, the entire process will need to start from scratch.

To help ensure that this does not happen, Senator Grendell put forth a call to action. First, he urged, write to Speaker of the House Jon Husted and Criminal Justice Committee Chair John White and explain how important the Senate Bill 17 is, and how important it is that it becomes law.

Second, Senator Grendell, talked about binge drinking on college campuses. He challenged students in the audience to actively assume roles of public leadership, and be the voices of responsible and legal drinking for their peers. He encouraged students to take active steps to change the image and perception of excessive intoxication from fun and harmless to irresponsible and dangerous. Students must embrace accountability for the legal and ethical issues related to their own drinking – and that of their peers.

On Friday, the Save A Life Tour was on campus providing first-hand experience with driving under the influence – without actually endangering anyone – using the most realistic drunk driving simulator in the world. The National “Save A Life” Tour has been developed to provide a state-of-the-art, interactive driving experience that simulates driving under the influence of alcohol. Participants experience this while they are sober and are forced to face the influence that alcohol has on their driving skills.

Many students took advantage of the opportunity to try out the simulator, and many discovered how profoundly impaired their ability to control the vehicle became as the simulator increased their alcohol-impairment. For many, it was a sobering experience. And that is exactly the goal.

 

Hiram College’s Garfield Institute for Public Leadership presents “Focus on the Media”

On Tuesday, April 22, 2008, the Garfield Institute for Public Leadership will present its spring seminar. Keynote speaker Geneva Overholser, a journalism professor at the School of Journalism at the University of Missouri, will examine issues faced by today’s media.

Overholser’s talk raises tough questions for contemporary journalism. Does the contemporary news media profession contribute to the quality of our democracy? Does it encourage us to become better informed, more sober, and responsible? Does the news media foster more hysterical, shallow, impatient, ideological mindsets? What are journalistic moral, ethical, and educational responsibilities?

Overholser, Professor of Journalism Studies, Curtis B. Hurley Chair in Public Affairs Reporting, Missouri School of Journalism, is former editor of the Des Moines Register, which won a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service under her direction. She wrote national-security editorials for The New York Times and served as ombudsman for The Washington Post. She spent five years overseas, freelancing from Kinshasa of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Paris. A former Nieman fellow, she chaired the Pulitzer Prize Board and was an officer of the American Society of Newspaper Editors. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and of the Society of Professional Journalists, and serves on the boards of the Committee of Concerned Journalists, the Knight Fellowships at Stanford and the American Academy of Poets. She chairs the board of the Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit investigative journalism organization in Washington.

Panelists will include Jason Johnson, assistant professor of political science and communication, Hiram College; Gerald Austin, president, Gerald J. Austin & Associates, Inc.; Elizabeth Sullivan, associate editor and columnist, the Cleveland Plain Dealer; and Stephen Brooks, associate director, the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics, and associate professor of political science, University of Akron.

Schedule of events:
4:15 p.m. – 6:15 p.m. Panel discussion, Kennedy Center Ballroom
6:30 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. Reception, Kennedy Center
7:15 p.m. – 9 p.m. Dinner and keynote address, Kennedy Center, Dix Dining Hall

Register by April 17 to Kathy Luschek, luschekk@hiram.edu or 330.569.6118. The Garfield Institute is one of six Centers of Excellence in which teaching and learning occur collaboratively, capitalizing on Hiram College’s longstanding strength of applying interdisciplinary approaches to complex, multi-faceted questions that do not lend themselves to straightforward solutions.

President Chema talks about his five years as president

In a recent interview with Hiram Magazine, Hiram College President Thomas V. Chema reflected upon his five years as president and his top priorities for Hiram’s next five years.

The interview is in four parts and lasts approximately 20 minutes. Click here to view the video

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