Lawrence University Lux Alumni Magazines Communications Summer 2000 Lawrence Today, Volume 80, Number 4, Summer 2000 Lawrence University Follow this and additional works at: http://lux.lawrence.edu/alumni_magazines Part of the Liberal Studies Commons © Copyright is owned by the author of this document. Recommended Citation Lawrence University, "Lawrence Today, Volume 80, Number 4, Summer 2000" (2000). Alumni Magazines. Book 11. http://lux.lawrence.edu/alumni_magazines/11 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Communications at Lux. It has been accepted for inclusion in Alumni Magazines by an authorized administrator of Lux. For more information, please contact [email protected]. -n T 0 D A y Summer 2000 The Magazine of Lawrence University Vol. 80, No. 4 Lawrence T 0 D A Y Editor Gordon E. Brown 920-832-6593 gord on. e. [email protected] Art Director Marsha Tucbsc herer Director of Publ ic Affairs Steven Bl odgett Associate Director of Public Affairs an d News Service Manager Rick Peterso n Sports Information Director Joe Vand en Acker Production Coordinator Debbie Gibbons Address correspondence to: Lawrwce T oda y Lawrence University P.O . Box 599 Appleton, WI 54912-0599 920-832-6586 Family Weekend Fax: 920-832-6783 Office of Alumni Relations (address as above) October 27-29 920-832-6549 Fax: 920-832-6784 The annual tradition of Family W eekend continues when parents and [email protected] extended family m embers are invited to visit campus and participate in a http:/ / www.lawrence.edu variety of ac tivities . The spotlight will be on current students as Family Special th anks to I mage Studios for W eekend showcases students in the classroom, lab, and studio as w ell in ath­ providing photograph y for this iss ue. letic com.p etition and musical perform.ances. This special w eekend offers activities and entertainm.ent for fa mily members of all ages. La wrence T oday (U PS 012-683) is published quarte rly in March, June, On Friday, O ctober 27, parents are encouraged to attend classes with Septe mber, and December by Lawrence their students to see a Lawrence education in action. That evening, Unive rsity, Office of Public Affa irs, " ~ro und th e World in 50 Minutes" will be performed by the C oncert Appl eton, Wisconsin 54911 . Peri odi cal 1 C hoir and C horale. postage paid at Appleton, Wisconsi n, and Saturday, O ctober 28, w ill begin with an address by President W arch, additional mailing offices. foll owed by a question-and-answer session that has become a favorite opportunity for parents and other family members to hea r an update on POST MASTER: Send address changes to L<lll;rence T oday, campus life. Parents will be encouraged to attend mini-courses and infor­ Lawrence University, 115 South Drew mati onal panels offered by Lawrence fac ul ty members, w hile siblings partic­ Street, Appleton, W T 54911-5798. ipate in age-appropriate activities such as a ca rtoon breakfas t, H alloween mask-making, R ecrea tion Center gam es, or ca mpus tours. The Lawrence Articles are expressly the opinions of the authors and do not necessaril y represent Vikings football tea m will ho t the Fighting Scots of M onmouth College at official university policy. W e reserve th e the Banta Bowl on Saturday afternoon. right to edit correspondence fo r length Scheduled event fo r Sa turday evening include a Wind Ensemble and accuracy. concert, a comedian/ musician for younger fa mily members, and recrea tion­ Lawrence University promotes equal al activities fo r older siblings. opportunity for all. M ore information on Farnily Weekend is availabl e fi-om. the D ea n of Students Office at 920-832-6596. lC0 NT EN T S SPRING 2000 VOL. 80, NO. 4 FEATURES Intellects abroad 8 Lawrence's Watson Fellows Havana on a song 15 The Cuba journal of Professor Michaels Bedi Librarians are teachers, too 19 Mudd Library today and tomorrow An unscientific, sentimental history of chapelorgans 23 The oldest is the newest Drawn with the sword - and the pen 28 James McPherson, Civil War historian From Lawrence blue to Union blue 31 Lawrentians in the Civil War Figaro! Figaro! 34 ~L:J' / 7 .1 ~ / /. (tJ / d A splendid season of opera and theatre Trading shores for chores 37 { 1- . I t / ~ z:~, /{t!_, Spring Break service projects From thin air 39 Remembering teacher/ author Warren Beck Happy to be here 41 Igor Frankovic, '01 Wet and mild 43 Daniel Hurley, '02 DEPARTMENTS Inside Lawrence 3 On the cover Sports 43 Dedicated in April, the John G. Strange Student Conu11ons in Main Hall provides a place for Alumni Today 46 students and faculty members (including Professor Lawrence Authors 51 of History Michael Hittle, center left) to gather for conversation, study, or relaxation. See page 3 for the Lawrence Yesterday 56 story and another photo. _c _o_ R_R_ E_ S_P_ O_N_ D_ E_N_ c_ E_) n April 30, Professor Uncanny perception Quick response Gladys Ives Brainard I have heard stories of Brainard's It was at one of my regular lessons was honored by a harshness with conservatory students, that I had one of many extraordinary pecial piano recital specifically her ability to reduce both meetings with "Gladie," as I pri­ performed by Michael boys and girls to tears. Perhaps that vately called her. I noticed she was Kim, assistant professor happened. I can only say she never having a bit of difficulty with the of music, at which a new Steinway did that to me. She could scold, and scarves that covered her upper torso. piano, gift ofRobert A. Dickens, '63, did, but it was never vicious. Evidently they were not fitting com­ was dedicated in her name. In our ... [O]ur sessions were usually fortably around her neck. Suddenly Fall 1999 issue, Lawrence Today pleasant, though her sometimes they dropped to her waist. There she solicited reminiscences and memories uncanny perception could be was, bare as a newborn babe from of Professor Brainard, who taught unnerving. Like the time she wan­ the waist up. Now what was I to piano in the Conservatory of Music dered out of the room while I was do? Her black jacket wouldn't cover from 1919 to 1951 and continued as playing and suddenly called to me her adequately. I surely couldn't pre­ a private tutor until 1961. Following fi·om the living room (25 feet tend I hadn't noticed the situation, · are some of the com.ments from distant): "You played that A-flat not did I feel I should mention the alumni and others that were received with your third finger instead of obvious. However, someone should in response to that call: your fourth." I had. say something. Bp. Michael Bent I shouldn't have feared. My Appleton, Wisconsin august teacher was at the ready. Cardboard keyboard Without hesitation, she looked It would appear that Miss Brainard directly at me and shouted out, ''I'm wanted to demonstrate that piano Intense concentration not a virgin, you know." Where­ could be taught to very young Although eccentric, Miss Brainard upon she tied the loose ends students. When this opportunity was the finest teacher I have ever together, tucked the scarves under presented itself, my parents, who had in any subject and, while easily her skirt, and continued the lesson. were both products of the Lawrence irritated by people she did not like, George Larsen, C '49 Conservatory of Music, signed me she had great patience with her Sister Bay, Wisconsin up. This was in the mid-1920s, pupils - even me, though it was when I was probably in the first, necessary for me to relearn the piano second, or third grade. from scratch. The intensity of her Teaching and tirades I was taken to the recital hall in commitment to teaching is illustrated Gladys Brainard did more for me the old conservatory building, along by the many times my lesson, com­ than any other music teacher I ever with a number of other young mencing in the middle of the after­ had, and I have many memories of hopefuls, for group piano lessons. noon, would continue for three or the excellent instruction she gave me We were each issued a cardboard four hours. Miss Brainard would be as well as the tirades I received when keyboard on which we were to so involved in teaching that she I didn't practice enough. It was the practice until our turn came, when would be oblivious to the growing three best years of piano instruction we mounted the stage and sat at the darkness. One didn't want to inter­ I ever received. Thanks to her, I huge Steinway grand. That card­ rupt her concentration by asking that continue to teach in her m~mory. board keyboard resided in the bot­ a lamp be turned on so you could James H. Westerhouse tom of our piano bench until a few see the music - after all, you were Manassas, Virginia years ago, when we sold the piano. supposed to be memorizing every­ Clark E. Nixon, '3 9 thing. Sanibel, Florida Stephen]. Rohde, C '63 Milwaukee, Wisconsin 2 S ummer 2000 (_I_N_ S_ I _o_ E_ L_ A_ w__ R_ E_ N_ C_E New humanities commons named for John G. Strange A common room by dictionary definition, i "a room, especially in a school or college, where students or teachers can sit together and talk when they are not working." Lawrence has a new one, and it is located just inside the north door of Main Hall,' in what until recently was called the Alumni Room.