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Fall 2007 Recap
Fasken Teaching Symposium
Aug. 23, 2007
The inaugural Fasken Teaching Symposium for new faculty members was sponsored by the Murray and Celeste Fasken Chair in Distinguished Teaching in the Liberal Arts and held by Steve Daniel, professor of philosophy. The symposium included tips for dealing with the stressful first year of teaching to help assistant professors begin their careers with a positive teaching experience. From presentations made by five faculty members and three administrators, four key points arose: prepare thoroughly, be flexible, respect your students and be yourself.
Glasscock Symposium: “Troubling Truth: How Do We Keep Knowing?
Sept. 7-8, 2007
The Glasscock Center’s 2006-2007 Internal Faculty Fellows hosted a two-day symposium exploring how cultures know what they (think they) know. The symposium began on September 7, when Texas A&M’s Diego von Vacano (political science) and Joan Wolf (women’s studies) made presentations on their research. That afternoon, Eric Oliver, professor of political science at the University of Chicago, spoke on “What is Fat?” On September 8, presentations were made by Texas A&M’s Katherine Kelly (English) and Eric Rothenbuhler (communication). To conclude the symposium, Lisa Gitelman, professor of media studies at The Catholic University of America delivered her speech titled “Knowing by *.pdf.”
Glasscock Lectures: “New Directions in U.S. History”
Sept. 17, 2007
Gregory H. Nobles from Georgia Tech presented the first Glasscock lecture titled “Ornithological Gothic: John James Audubon and the Tale of the Golden Eagle.” The presentation depicted the creation of Audubon’s most dramatic work, his 1833 painting of the Golden Eagle, and discussed questions about the relationship between the appreciation and destruction of nature. The lecture was hosted by the Glasscock Chair in American History to focus attention on new and innovative ways of thinking about and analyzing the past.
Africana Studies lecture on African tradition in writing
Sept. 20, 2007
The Africana Studies program presented a lecture by Greg Thomas, assistant professor of English at Syracuse, entitled “Erotic Maroonage: Sex, Empire and Black Radical Tradition.” The talk focused on promoting African tradition in writing about the body and sexuality.
RESI 2007-2008 Colloquium
Sept. 21, 2007
The Race & Ethnic Studies Institute series “See How We Are: Representations of Race/Ethnicity and the Politics of Difference” hosted Sharmila Rudrappa, associate professor of sociology and Asian American studies at the University of Texas-Austin. Her presentation, entitled “Cultural Difference and the State: Adjudicating Filicide in American Courts,” examined how the American state deals with cultural difference in the judicial system through examining two cases in Texas, that of Andrea Yates and Sailaja Hathaway.
2007 Fall Reception
Sept. 27, 2007
The College of Liberal Arts honored six faculty members at the 2007 Fall Reception. The Association of Former Students College-Level Teaching Award went to Valerie Balester, associate professor of English; Marian Eide, associate professor of English; Andrew Kirkendall, associate professor of history and Antonio LaPastina, associate professor of communication. The College of Liberal Arts Research Award went to Political Science Professor Kim Hill and History Professor Walter Kamphoefner. The event also introduced twenty-four new faculty members and six faculty and staff members who had retired between Sept. 1, 2006 and Aug. 31, 2007.
Theatre for All in October
October 2007
The Theatre Arts Program experimented with a number of new features in its fall 2007 production. In order to provide greater audience selection, the theatre conducted two shows simultaneously. The 1989 one-act play by David Mamet, Bobby Gould in Hell, was held October 4, 6, 12, 18 and 20. The play Richard Corey, based on the famous poem by E. A. Robinson, was performed October 5, 7, 11, 13, 19 and 21.
Glasscock Lectures: “Japanese Internment in the Great Plains”
Oct. 1, 2007
Douglas Hurt from Purdue University presented his lecture entitled “Japanese Internment in the Great Plains,” discussing the war’s impact on society. The event was hosted by the Melbern G. Glasscock Chair as the second lecture in the U.S. History Lecture series, which focuses attention on new and innovative ways of thinking about and analyzing the past.
Africana Studies presentation on African movie culture
Oct. 3-4, 2007
The event began on Oct. 3 with a lecture by Director of Africana Studies Kimberly Brown entitled “Popcorn Chat on Hip-Hop” followed by a film screening of two of Oscar Micheaux’s silent films from the 1920s. On Oct. 4, Pearl Bowser from the Society of Cinema & Media Studies presented a lecture on Micheaux entitled “Oscar Micheaux and His Circle and the Birth of An African Movie Culture.”
Transatlantic Symposium: EU Constitution
Oct. 18-20, 2007
The College of Liberal Arts hosted a fall transatlantic symposium titled “Constitutional Experience in Federal Policies – Problems of Political Legitimacy in a Transatlantic Perspective.” Experts at the symposia included both United States and European scholars, addressing issues pertaining to the debate over the European Union Constitution and its political legitimacy, as well as its effect on the relationship with the United States.
Performance Studies features Central Asian music
Oct. 28-29, 2007
The “Spiritual Sounds of Central Asia: Nomads, Mystics and Troubadours” tour performed at Texas A&M, featuring 17 musicians from the culturally dynamic region of Central Asia. The tour was designed to provide North American audiences with the opportunity to hear music that showcases some of Central Asia’s finest performers in both ancient and contemporary traditions.
Glasscock Symposium: “Citizens of the World”
Nov. 10, 2007
The Glasscock Center for Humanities Research hosted a free one-day symposium exploring how ideas, texts, objects or people circulate through geographic national and cultural spaces. The event featured two panels of speakers, made of Texas A&M University speakers and other invited presenters, entitled “Seeing the World, from the comfort of Home” and “Crossed Cultures: Translated Selves.”
Africana Studies presentation on “The Cost of Change”
Nov. 28, 2007
The Africana Studies Program, the Woodson Black Awareness Committee, the Dean of Faculties Office and the Department of English hosted Nigerian author, poet and playwright Chris Abani. Abani’s lecture, “The Cost of Change,” discussed the nature of creating change and its impact on others.
Sonic Crossroads: “Caucasian Sketches”
Nov. 28, 2007
The first concert of the Sonic Crossroads music initiative, developed by Kathryn Woodard, was titled “Caucasian Sketches: Music from Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey.” It featured performances by TekSaz, a traditional Turkish ensemble of student musicians at Texas A&M along with four faculty members and a premier of a new work by Eka Chabasvili, a composer from the Republic of Georgia. The performances included both Western and traditional Turkish instruments exploring how composers represent traditional music from the region on Western instruments and how multiple styles can intersect.
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Holly Lamberthollyalyselambert@libarts.tamu.edu
979.962.4879
