ommunity onnections CLARION UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA FALL 20122014 Dear friends, Mary L. Seifert Cultural Series Change is essential to growing stronger and ensuring we continue Mary L. Seifert, whose rich family history with Clarion to live our university mission of University can be traced to 1907, loved music and the arts. providing transformative, lifelong As an investment in young people, she endowed a culture and learning opportunities through lecture series at Clarion University to ignite the passion for innovative, nationally recognized learning that she encouraged. Through that endowment, the programs delivered in inclusive, Mary L. Seifert Cultural Series Endowment of the Clarion student-centered environments. University Foundation, Inc., was established to provide our On the next few pages, you’ll read community with cultural experiences that inspire learning about many exciting changes through thoughtful discussions. happening at Clarion University Past series explored the themes “Realities of Race” and and in the Clarion area. “In God We Trust?” and brought to Clarion the late Dr. Maya One of the most promising partnerships is with the Clarion Angelou, Spike Lee and a week-long visit by Tibetan monks. Borough in the “Blueprint Communities” initiative, the goal of which During the 2014-15 academic year, the Mary L. Seifert Cultural is to commercially revitalize Clarion’s Main Street. A strong and Series will explore “Beauty Matters,” a theme that encourages vibrant Main Street is important to our community and to the us to explore beauty and the ways in which it matters. The university. As I have said many times, “We are in this together – theme is expansive, with the potential to include topics as university and community.” diverse as the environment, the body, the arts or the social Most visibly, you will see in many ways that Clarion University is context. It opens up questions of values, of choices, of under construction. We are changing physically by renovating the perceptions and of critiques. historic Becht Hall and the beloved Tippin Gymnasium, and by Visitors will include a troupe of Chinese acrobats; Syracuse replacing our deteriorating student residences with modern, suite- University professor, author and poet Stephen Kuusisto, who style housing. As we pursue these projects, Clarion area residents speaks widely on topics of diversity, disability, education and are at the forefront of our minds. We are striving for maximum public policy; and Stacy Nadeau, one of six women who, in benefit with minimum disruption as construction proceeds. the summer of 2005, made national news Main Street will be completed by the summer 2016, and there will when they appeared on a Times be services, programs and experiences that all will be able to enjoy Square billboard, dressed only in and will help build a stronger Main Street. their underwear. While other I look forward to seeing you on campus; enjoy the Eagletastic work nearby billboards featured of our students, faculty, staff and alumni who will be offering a wide actresses and supermodels, variety of engaging cultural, entertaining, inspiring and informative this one, promoting Dove events throughout the year. brand products, promoted “real women with real Go Eagles! curves.” For the full schedule of “Beauty Matters” programs, visit www.clarion.edu/ Karen M. Whitney seifertseries. President MARY L. SEIFERT ArtsArts and Culture and Culture Clarion University offers an array of artistic, cultural and musical events each semester. From plays and visiting poets to musicians and variety acts, the university provides events that are entertaining or thought provoking. The following events are scheduled for fall 2014 and spring 2015 at the Clarion campus and at Venango campus in Oil City. DAVID COLE showcasing the couple’s life together and the fallout from Bridegroom’s death, while exploring WHEELER 7:30 p.m. Sept. 15 the ramifications of marriage bans. The documen- tary has won audience awards at every film festival Robert W. Rhoades Center at which it has been screened, including Tribeca Venango Campus, Film Festival and Los Angeles’ Outfest Film Festival. Oil City David Cole Wheeler’s son, Benjamin Andrew Wheeler, was one of 20 first- graders murdered WORKING ARTISTS Dec. 14, 2012, at Sept. 24 to Dec. 12 Sandy Hook Elemen- University Gallery, Carlson Library, Level A tary School. Wheeler’s gift is his willingness to Faculty and alumni exhibition. For gallery hours, call share his journey of grief and his effort to make 814-393-2291. sense of a tragedy that seems senseless. His talk offers a sharp and thoughtful analysis, helping his CHARLIE CHAPLIN LECTURE SERIES audience to pull back the frame and see how 7:30 p.m. Sept. 25 cultural and societal change must be the driving DAWN OF ASTRONOMY Robert W. Rhoades Center force to protect future generations of children 7 p.m. Sept. 19 and 20 Venango Campus, Oil City from the threat of gun violence. Wheeler was Peirce Planetarium recently included in articles published in The New Dr. Patrick Adam Trimble, Penn State professor Grunenwald Center for Science and Technology York Times and New York Magazine, and in June of acting, theatre history and media studies, 2014 he addressed the United Nations’ Fifth Clarion University Department of Physics will discusses “Chaplin as the Humanist and Artist” – Biennial Meeting of States on behalf of the present “Dawn of Astronomy,” a fascinating, the humanity and warmth of his films, the pathos International Action Network on Small Arms 50-minute show tracing the origins of modern he generated for the plight of the common man, in support of their Programme of Action. astronomy in ancient Egypt, ancient Babylon and and the irony he brought to comedy as an ancient Britain. Free admission. instrument of social change. This will be a summary SHANE BITNEY CRONE of his best work, with clips from films such as 7:30 p.m. Sept. 17 ENGLISH DEPARTMENT SPOKEN ARTS “The Circus,” “City Lights” and “Limelight.” We will Robert W. Rhoades Center SERIES: JANE MCCAFERTY discuss his legacy, who has followed in his footsteps Venango Campus, Oil City Sept. 24, Time and location TBA and what this icon means today. Shane Bitney Crone is an activist, speaker, writer Jane McCaferty, creative writing teacher at *This event is part of Venango College and Oil and filmmaker. He grew up in small, conservative Carnegie-Mellon University, is the author of four City Arts Council’s “A Year of Chaplin” celebration. Kalispell, Mont., where he struggled to fit in but fell books: “Director of the World and other stories,” victim to years of homophobic bullying and severe which won the Drue Heinz prize; “One Heart,” a PASOFINO SOCIAL CLUB depression. After high school, he packed up his novel; “Thank You for the Music,” a second book 7:30 p.m. Sept. 26 belongings and trekked to Los Angeles to pursue of stories; and “First You Try Everything,” another Robert W. Rhoades Center his dream of working in the entertainment novel. Her fiction and non-fiction have been Venango Campus, Oil City industry. In 2005 Crone met Tom Bridegroom, who awarded Pushcarts and an NEA. Her work The Pasofino Social Club performs Caribbean/ changed his life and heart. Together they dreamed explores the relationship between the verbal tropical, Boleros, Musica del Ayer, merengue, Latin of starting a business, buying a home and getting and visual, taking on topics such as mental illness jazz, Puerto Rican roots, Puerto Rican folk and married. Bridegroom died in 2011. Linda Blood- and the transformation of the old steel town, original compositions. Wanting to explore more worth Thomason, creator of “Designing Women” Homestead. traditional styles of Latin music, Rick Reyes put and director/producer of “Man from Hope, “ together some of the most renowned and together with Crone, produced “Bridegroom: experienced Latin players in the New England and A Love Story, Unequaled,” a documentary New York areas, each bringing a different expertise in Latin rhythm. Listen to the beat and let your feet alcoholics and recovery. Handron, described as SENIOR RECITAL: DANIEL CONRAD, guide you on the dance floor as Reyes narrates “dynamic and damn near fearless” and “skilled at EUPHONIUM a trip back in time when boleros mended hearts packing humor and theatricality into sociological 7 p.m. Nov. 1 and Cuban song uplifted your soul. observations,” performs the play in 60 minutes or Marwick-Boyd Auditorium less, followed by a question and answer portion to STARS OVER CLARION address why she developed the play, her research, 7 p.m. Oct. 2, Peirce Planetarium alcoholism, recovery, recovery resources and more. Grunenwald Center for Science and Technology Clarion University Department of Physics leads an ENGLISH DEPARTMENT SPOKEN ARTS exploration of the stars in the October sky. Free SERIES: TOM NOYES admission. Oct. 16 Time and location TBA Tom Noyes’ third fiction collection, “Come by Here: A Novella and Stories,” won the 2013 Autumn House Prize in Fiction. His previous STARS OVER CLARION books, “Spooky Action at a Distance and Other 7 p.m. Nov. 6 Stories” (2008) and “Behold Faith and Other Peirce Planetarium Stories” (2003), both appeared with Dufour Grunenwald Center for Science and Technology Editions. Noyes’ work has been named a finalist for the Breadloaf Prize, the Flannery O’Connor Clarion University Department of Physics leads Award, the Grace Paley Prize and the Richard an exploration of the stars in the November sky. Sullivan Prize, and Saroyan Prize. Free admission. DAWN OF ASTRONOMY ENGLISH 7 p.m. Oct. 17 and 18 Peirce Planetarium DEPARTMENT Grunenwald Center for Science and Technology SPOKEN ARTS ERIES Clarion University Department of Physics will S : present “Dawn of Astronomy,” a fascinating, CHRISTINE 50-minute show tracing the origins of modern STROUD astronomy in ancient Egypt, ancient Babylon Nov.