Spring 2007 Recap

The College of Liberal Arts is always teeming with events, conferences, and symposiums that are designed to entertain, inform, enlighten, and foster discussion. There will be similar things next year, but in case you missed out this past semester, the Dean’s Office has organized this recap on spring 2007.

 
Seven Weeks in Shakespeare’s Life
Jan. 19, 2007
James Shapiro, professor of English at Columbia University, presented a lecture about seven weeks in the life of William Shakespeare between Christmas 1598 and Ash Wednesday 1599. Shapiro talked about these busy seven weeks that included the completion of Henry V, England battling an Irish insurgency, and the Chamberlain’s Men dismantling The Theatre.

Arabs in America: Communities and Identities after 9/11
Feb. 9-10, 2007
This conference focused on the lives of Arab Americans in the wake of the tragic events of 9/11. Attendees were able to better understand the underrepresented community of Americans by discussing the backlash and process of self-identification. The conference was hosted by the Race and Ethnic Studies Institute, the Bush School of Government & Public Service, and the International Center at Texas A&M University.

 
The Glasscock Lectures: New Directions in U.S. History
The Department of History hosted a series of lectures designed to highlight new approaches to studying the past through new questions, new evidence, and new topics. The spring presenters and their topics included Vicki Ruiz from University of California on “Nuestra America: Latino History as U.S. History;” and Glenda Gilmore of Yale University on “The Nazis and Dixie, 1930-1940.”

The Richie Barshay Project as 2007 Rowland Visiting Artist
Feb. 22, 2007
Jazz percussionist Richie Barshay and his group, The Richie Barshay Project, spent Feb. 21 in residency with Texas A&M music students and the general public, followed by a public performance on Feb. 22.  Their performance featured their unique combination of jazz and a variety of world rhythms, including Indian tabla drumming and Afro-Latin elements.

 
Immigration and National Identity: Lessons From/For Political Theory
Feb. 23-24, 2007
Scholars from political theory and other disciplines discussed the complexities of immigration as related to legislative and policy debates. The conference brought objective, rational analysis to the topics of immigration and national identity.

French Studies Colloquium
Mar. 22-24, 2007
The French Exception was the theme of this year’s 20^th and 21^st Century French and Francophone Studies International Colloquium. The event hosted an international field of scholars whose research focuses on French and Francophone cultures.

 
Javanese Wayang Shadow Puppet and Gamelan Performance
Mar. 23, 2007
The Department of Performance Studies a Javanese shadow puppet show, called a wayang kulit, and a gamelan emsemble built around gong and percussion instruments made of tuned metal. More than 20 musicians from the Indonesian Consulate in Houston and the Gamelan Kusuma Laras performed for an audience that was allowed on stage.

 
2007 Fallon-Marshall Lecture Series
Apr. 4, 2007
Stjepan G. Mestrovic, professor of sociology and an expert witness in the trials of three soldiers involved with the Abu Ghraib scandal, presented “Professional Ethics, Honor, and the Abuse at Abu Ghraib.” Mestrovic discussed a blend of perspectives on the scandal in relation to ethics. Following an analysis of the confusing ethical codes, Mestrovic concluded with his suggestions for “fixing” the problem.

¡Justicia in Juárez! Gender Violence, Maquiladoras and Border Issues Conference
Apr. 10, 2007
The murders of more than 400 women and young girls in Juárez was the focus of this conference. The symposium applied multi-discipline, cutting-edge research to better understand the reason for such violence, featuring many noteworthy scholars. The conference concluded with a reception and dance performance by the Latin Dance Project from Los Angeles.

 
Brazos Valley Reads Typical American
Typical American was the book selection for this year’s community reading initiative called Brazos Valley Reads. The program culminated on April 10 with a public reading, discussion and book signing by author Gish Jen.

 
Min Xiao-Fen and The Blue Pipa Trio
Apr. 11-12, 2007
Department of Performance Studies and the Rothrock Chair hosted Min Xiao Fen and her Blue Pipa trio. The group features Min Xiao Fen’s pipa and voice, as well as a guitar and double bass. In addition to their evening performance, the group spent time instructing students in workshops and lectures.

Phil Gramm at the Larsen Lecture Series
Apr. 12, 2007
The Department of Economics brought former Senator Phil Gramm to Texas A&M University for the new Larsen Lecture Series. The lecture, titled “America in the World Economy” addressed the major issues facing the U.S. Economy including the housing bubble, globalization, and the trade deficit.

 
International Poetry Symposium
Apr. 12-14, 2007
Scholars and artists from around the world visited Texas A&M for “Poetry of the Americas,” with poetry readings and panel discussions conducted in Spanish and English. The symposium was the first to fuse American and Latin American poetry from a contemporary perspective.

 
Indian Film Symposium
Apr. 26-27, 2007
This symposium about the role of Indian movies in shaping national issues featured a day of movie screenings, a presentation by filmmaker Suman Mukherjee, and a panel on South Asian film and performance featuring three internationally recognized scholars.

Waxing Political: Political Personae in the Early Republic
Apr. 23, 2007
Catherine E. Kelly, a cultural historian at University of Oklahoma, delivered the 2007 American Studies Distinguished Lecture on the role of wax sculpture in political representation. Her other areas of research focus on 19th century U.S. and women and culture.

 
Religious Studies Distinguished Lecture
Apr. 26, 2007
Wendy Doniger, professor of the history of religions at the University of Chicago Divinity School, spoke on “The Tale of the Clever Wife in Ancient India, Shakespeare, and Beyond.” Doniger is the author of more than a dozen books on Hindu mythology and on literary and cultural studies, some of which have been translated into French, Italian, Portuguese, German, Spanish, Dutch, Norwegian, Korean, and Chinese.