2011-2012 Series of Events

Artists and Lecturers Series includes a variety of events throughout the school year. For 2011-2012 events include:

• Constitution Day 2011 was observed at the Macon Campus from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 15, in the Arts Complex Theater. The Warner Robins Campus hosted the Constitution Day event on Wednesday, Sept. 14 from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. in the Academic Services Building Auditorium. For more information, visit the Constitution Day website.

• Adam Mansbach, author of "Go the F*** to Sleep," one of the most talked-about books of the decade, made two appearances at Macon State College on Thursday, September 29. He discussed his work at 3 p.m. in the Warner Robins Campus Auditorium, and at 6 p.m. in the Arts Complex Theater rehearsal hall on the Macon Campus.

• Poet and essayist Marianne Boruch, author of several collections of poetry, read her work on Monday, November 7 at 11 a.m. in the Arts Complex Theatre.

• Poet Tony Barnstone (his father Willis Barnstone was unable to attend) read from his works at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 31, in the Arts Complex Theater.

• Faculty at Macon State, Mercer and Wesleyan team up each year to sponsor the CollegeTown Film Series, shown at the historic Douglass Theater in downtown Macon. Faculty members and students discuss the movies after the screenings. This popular event is also open to the general public.

This year's CollegeTown Film Series theme was "Coming of Age." The film lineup was:

"Repo Man," 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, with discussion led by Tom Ellington of Wesleyan College. Released in 1984, "Repo Man," is about Otto, a young punk who aids in auto theft then becomes a repo man, which shifts his world into wackiness.

"Kung Fu Hustle," 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, with discussion led by Craig Coleman of Mercer University. "Kung Fu Hustle," is the story of a wannabe gangster in 1940s Shanghai who wants to become part of the notorious Axe Gang.

"The Lookout," 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, with discussion led by Macon State's Patrick Brennan. In "The Lookout," Chris, a former high school athlete, experiences a tragic accident that changes his life. He tries to return to normality, taking job a as a bank janitor, where he ends up taking part in a heist.

Visit the CollegeTown Film Series web site at http://www.maconstate.edu/studentlife/collegetownfilmseries.aspx.

• The Atlanta Chapter of the Buffalo Soldiers gave a presentation called "A History of the Buffalo Soldiers" on Thursday, Feb. 16 at 12:30p.m. in the Arts Complex Theater. Poet Roger Bonair-Agard gave a reading and lecture on Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 11 a.m. in the Arts Complex Theaterand at 5:45 p.m. in Walker Auditorium. For more information visit the Black History Month website.

• On Monday, April 2, poet Todd Boss gave two poetry readings. The first was in the Arts Complex Theatre at 11 a.m.; the second was in the Walker Auditorium at 5:30 p.m.

2010-2011 Series of Events

Artists and Lecturers Series includes a variety of events throughout the school year. For 2010-2011 events include:

• The Office of Student Life presented Constitution Day 2010. Events were 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 15, in Walker Auditorium on the Warner Robins Campus, and from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 16, in the Arts Complex Theater on the Macon Campus. The event on each campus featured games, including "Political Jeopardy," to help participants learn more about the U.S. Constitution. Pocket-sized copies of the Constitution were distributed and voter registration forms were available. Free and open to the public. For more information, e-mail Dr. Julie Lester, assistant professor of political science, at julie.lester@maconstate.edu. Please also see http://www.maconstate.edu/studentlife/constitutionday.aspx.

• "Calculus: The Musical!" by Know Theatre of Cincinnati was presented by the Mathematics Department, 4 to 5:30 p.m., Oct. 13, in the Arts Complex Theatre. "Calculus: The Musical!" is a comic review of the concepts and history of calculus, using the development of calculus to tie together songs that the creators used as mnemoic devices in a math classroom. For more information contact blanche.presley@maconstate.edu, 478-757-7380 or visit http://matheatre.com/calculus/.

• "Nothing Happens Until Somebody Sells Something: Culture & Communication in the 21st Century," by Steve Hayden was presented by the School of Education Nov. 4, 6 p.m. in the PSC Banquest Hall on the Macon campus, and 12:30 p.m. in the Walker Auditorium on the Warner Robins campus. Hayden is vice chairman and chief creative officer of Oglivy & Mather Worldwide, New York. His program showed the interplay of culture and communication in the information age and illustrates the changes in media and commuication through several relevant case studies. For more information contact elise.langan@maconstate.edu or call 478-757-2352.

• A poetry reading by acclaimed poet and military man, Brian Turner, was sponsored by the Georgia Poetry Circuit and the Artists and Lecturers Committee. Turner's Macon campus reading was 5:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 11, in Jones 102. His Warner Robins campus reading was 2 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 11, in the Walker Auditorium. Turner’s experiences in the military, including Iraq, are reflected in his acclaimed books Here, Bullet (2005) and Phantom Noise (2010), and, coincidentally, he will be presenting to our campuses on Veteran's Day. His presentation should be of interest to those with a passion for moving poetry or to those affected by, or attentive to, the military and the war in Iraq. It should be of particular interest to students in the humanities and social sciences. You can find out more information about Turner at http://blueflowerarts.com/brian-turner The Macon State Library has a copy of Here, Bullet.

• Perfectly Polished Business Etiquette was presented by the Career Center, noon to 2 p.m., Nov. 11, in PSC-211. For more information and registration contact marcella.diaz@maconstate.edu.

• "Uncovering Fact in Fiction: Plantation History in William Faulkner's Yoknapatawpha County," was presented by Dr. Edgar Wiggin Francisco III and Dr. Sally Wolfe-King, 6 p.m., Nov. 20, in the PSC Banquet Hall on the Macon campus as part of the School of Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Conference. The theme of the conference is "Constructing Indentity: Race, Class, Gender and Beyond," and this lecture is the keynote address for the conference.

The keynote speaker, Wolff-King, assistant vice president of Emory University, discussed "William Faulkner & the Ledgers of History" at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 20, in the banquet hall of the Macon State College Professional Sciences and Conference Center. She shared her research connecting the literature of Nobel Prize-winning author William Faulkner with the antebellum journal of plantation owner, Francis Terry Leak. Joining Wolff-King was Dr. Edgar Wiggin Francisco III, great-great grandson of Francis Leak. Francisco's father was a longtime friend of Faulkner. As a child, Francisco, or "Little Eddie" as he was then known, knew Faulkner quite well.

More than 60 undergraduate students and graduates from Macon State College; University of Georgia; Georgia Tech; University of West Georgia; Armstrong Atlantic University; Kennesaw State University; Columbus State University; Mercer University, and Wesleyan College presented their original research and creative writing.

The conference was sponsored by the Macon State College Foundation; the School of Arts and Sciences; the English Studies Organization; and the History Students Organization. It is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Mary Wearn at (478) 471-2989 or mary.wearn@maconstate.edu.

Other scheduled Artists and Lecturers events in 2011 include:

• CollegeTown Film Series at the historic Douglass Theatre was Thursdays, Jan. 20, Jan. 27, and Feb. 3. The theme was End Times, and the films were "Last Night," with discussion led by Tom Ellington of Wesleyan, Jan. 20; "Ghost Dog," with discussion led by Craig Coleman of Mercer, Jan. 27; and "Children of Men," with discussion led by Macon State's Patrick Brennan. For more informaiton, please also see http://www.maconstate.edu/studentlife/collegetownfilmseries.aspx

• Rebecca Lanning, mezzo-soprano, performed a solo recital of songs drawing from French, German, Italian, Spanish, Hungarian, American, English and Nordic sources, in the MSC Rehearsal Hall on Monday, Jan. 24 at 7:30 p.m. Lanning is an associate professor of music at Macon State and will be accompanied by pianist Melanie Cross-Buckner of Mercer.

• Cleopatra Mathis, Georgia Poetry Circuit poet for January, read her poetry, signed books and lead a question and answer session, Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2011, 1 to 4:30 p.m., in PSC-212. as part of the Georgia Poetry Circuit readings at Macon State College. This event was sponsored by the Artists and Lecturers Committee.

• "Artistic, Economic, and Cultural History of Tapestry " by Micala Sidore of Hawley Street Tapestry Studio was 7 to 9 p.m., Feb. 3, 2011, in PSC-112. Sidore gives talks all over the world on tapestry. This talk explored both Western history and our ongoing culture by comparing and contrasting what was and what is tapestry using slides and pieces of tapestry.

• Black History Month program, presented by the Black History Month Committee in February 2011. Macon State College’s 2011 Black History Month activities featured the chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation and a look into the history of jazz. Both events are free and open to the public. Marquetta L. Goodwine, officially known as Queen Quet, chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation, presented a program on the Gullah/Geechee people at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday, Feb. 7, in the Arts Complex Theater at Macon State College. The Gullah are African Americans who live in the Lowcountry region of South Carolina and Georgia, which includes both the coastal plain and the Sea Islands. The Gullah people and their language are also called Geechee. The Gullah are known for preserving more of their African linguistic and cultural heritage than any other African-American community in the United States. Queen Quet is a published author, computer scientist, mathematician, historian, and preservationist. She founded the Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition, the premiere advocacy organization for the continuation of Gullah/Geechee culture. Her writings include a 30-volume series on Gullah/Geechee culture and a Gullah anthology. Jimmy Mills and the GQ Jazz Quintet, presented a lecture/performance on the history of jazz, 7 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 16, in the Arts Complex Rehearsal Hall. Please also see http://www.maconstate.edu/studentlife/blackhistorymonth.aspx

• Raptors of the Southeast, was presented by Melissa Santino, program and development coordinator for the Callaway Gardens Birds of Prey Department. The program focuses on carnivorous birds' habitats and behavior. It included live demonstrations with live hawks, falcons and owls. The event was Feb. 10, on the Macon campus at 3:30 p.m. on the PSC patio and at 1 p.m. on the Warner Robins campus in the Thomas Hall courtyard. For more information contact dawn.sherry@maconstate.edu.

• Dr. Afua Cooper, poet and novelist with a Ph.D in history, will give a lecture on African American poetry, narrative and history on the Macon campus March 28-29, 2011, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Learning Support Auditorium.

• Rick Campbell will read his poetry collections Thursday, March 31, 2011, 2 p.m., in PSC-112, as part of the Georgia Poetry Circuit readings at Macon State College. The Reading and Q&A after are sponosred by The Georgia Poetry Circuit, the Artists and Lecturers Committee and the Office of Student Life. For more information contact kelly.whiddon@maconstate.edu.

2009-2010 Series of Events

The Office of Student Life presented Celebrating the U.S. Constitution Today with guest speakers John Cole, vice president for Institutional Advancement, Dr. Matthew Zimmerman, associate professor in the School of Arts and Sciences, and Crystal Jones, lawyer, Macon State alum and former SGA president. The Sept. 16, 2009, event was in the Arts Complex Theatre. The Sept. 17, 2009, event was in the Walker Auditorium on the Warner Robins campus. Each participant received a pocketsize copy of the U.S. Constitution. Also see Constitution Day 2009

Dr. Hunter Boylan from the Kellogg Institute spoke to students Sept. 28, 2009, at 5:30 at Walker Auditorium on the Warner Robins Campus and at the Arts Complex Theatre at 11 a.m., Sept. 29, 2009. He is a motivational speaker whose emphasis is retention and his topic will be: “What I Learned from Street Gangs:  Lessons on Organization, Leadership, and Loyalty.” Faculty, staff and students were all invited to attend. Further, he spoke again at 3 p.m., Sept. 29, in the Theatre on the topic, “Retention: It’s a Campus-wide Responsibility from the President of the College to the Groundskeepers.” Faculty, staff, and students were all invited to attend.

"African Americans and the American Dream: Considering the Significance of Race and Class in America Today" was presented by Dr. Tomas Rodriguez, Nov. 4, 2009, at Macon State.

Life! Love! Song! The Life and Songs of Gina Branscombe featuring Kathy Shimeta (mezzo-soprano) and Martin Hennessy (pianist) was Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2009. Shimeta and Martin presented a one-act musical entitled "Life! Love! Song! A Visit with Gena Branscombe," at 12:30 p.m. in the Arts Complex Rehearsal Hall. Shimeta is the leading scholar of Branscombe and portrayed her in this one-woman show. On Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2009, they taught a masterclass for the music voice students from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the Arts Complex Rehearsal Hall.

Georgia Poetry Circuit presented author Kevin Prufer on Nov. 12, 2009. Prufer held a reading at 3 p.m. in Jones 279 followed by a Q&A session, sponsored by the English Studies Organization at 4 p.m. in SLC-109. Prufer is the author of four books of poetry and the editor of three anthologies. He has won three Pushcart Prizes, and awards from the Poetry Society of America, The Academy of American Poets and the National Endowment of the Arts.

The Perfectly Polished Dinner, with guest speaker Debra Lassiter, was sponsored by Career Services and the Artists and Lecturers Committee. The registration fee was $10 and included a three-course dinner Thursday, Nov. 12 at 5:30 p.m. Seating was limited to 150 students and business formal dress was required.

The English Studies Organization sponsored Dr. Andrea O'Reilly's "Outlaw(ing) Motherhood: A Theory and Politic of Maternal Empowerment" at 11 a.m. in the Walker Auditorium on the Warner Robins campus and in the PSC Banquet Hall at 6 p.m., both on Nov. 16, 2009. The events were free to students and the community.

This year’s CollegeTown Film Series theme was “Madness.” The film lineup included: "Psycho," 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 21, Douglass Theater. Discussion afterward led by Dr. Patrick Brennan of the Macon State College faculty. “Old Boy,” 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 28, Douglass Theater. Discussion afterward led by Dr. Tom Ellington of the Wesleyan College faculty. "Fight Club," 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4, Douglass Theater. Discussion afterward led by Dr. Matt Oberrieder of the Mercer University faculty.
All screenings are held at the Douglass Theatre, located at 355 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., in Downtown Macon. Please also see CollegeTown 2010

Raptors of the Southeast, a traveling interactive program featuring live hawks, owls, and falcons, was presented at Macon State College at 1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11, at the Warner Robins Campus' University Boulevard entrance, and at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11, at the lakeside patio of the Professional Sciences building on the Macon campus. This event was free and open to the public.

The Black History Month Committee sponsored the following events during the month of February. The theme was Finding, Loving and Respecting Self. On Feb. 8, Shana Burton read from her works and talked about the writing process, especially how she got started as a writer. She spoke at 11 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 8, in the Arts Complex Theatre on the Macon campus, and at 6 p.m. in Thomas Hall, Room 116, on the Warner Robins Campus. On Feb. 16, there was a poetry reading by Affrilachian Poets. Poets Ricardo Nazario-Colon, Bianca Spriggs-Floyd and Keith Wilson read in the Arts Complex Theatre at the 11 a.m. The Black History Month committee also sponsored a student poetry contest to be judged by the Affrilachian Poets, who announce the winners Feb. 16. The student poetry contest was open to all current Macon State students. The deadline for submissions, limit one per student, was Dec. 18, 2009. Please also see Black History Month 2010

Black Student Unification hosted a Heritage Preservation Luncheon featuring author and spoken word artist Jerome Enders on Friday, Feb. 26, 2010, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Arts Complex Rehearsal Hall. Cost was $5. Please also see Black History Month 2010

The Artists and Lecturers Series, along with the Women’s Studies Association, presented JUDITH ORTIZ COFER on Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010, in the Walker Auditorium on the Warner Robins campus at 11 a.m. and again at 6 p.m. in the Arts Complex Theatre. She was born in Puerto Rico and resides in Athens where she is a Franklin Professor of English and Creative Writing at the University of Georgia. She is a leading literary interpreter of the U.S.-Puerto Rican experience. She also presented a talk as part of the Crossroads Writers Conference, Feb. 27.

The Artists and Lecturers Series presented "Tales From the Expat Harem: Foreign Women in Modern Turkey," a lecture and photo presentation by Dr. Gul Celkan, on Tuesday, March 30, 2010, at 11 a.m. in the Arts Complex Theatre. Celkan shared glimpses of modern Turkey as revealed from the writings of 32 expatriate women representing four continents. She addresses the writers' observations of Turkish culture, folkloric song and dance, and courting and marriage rituals, from traditional village bride bargaining to today's civil services of high society. Celkan is a Turkish national, born in Istanbul and an alumna of the University of Ankara. She is a recently retired porfessor of English, literature and writing. The event was open to the public and admisssion was free. This event was supported by Macon State's Artists and Lecturers Series Committee and the Office of Student Life.

 

 

 

2008-2009 Series of Events

"Constitution Day 2008" and also see Constitution Day 2008

"My Five Keys"

"Ad Huddler, Author and Speaker"

"A Taste of Southern Fiction with Joshilyn Jackson"

"Three Good Reasons to Write About Boxing"

"The Romance of a Great Cause: Activist Heroines and Suffrage in American Literature, 1870-1920"

Peter Jankovic, guitarist

"Perfectly Polished - Business Etiquette"

Rebecca Lanning, mezzo-sorprano with accompanist

Georgia Poetry Circuit readings

CollegeTown Film Festival at the Historic Douglass Theatre also see CollegeTown 2009

2009 Black Hisotry Month Activities also see Black History Month 2009

Georgia Poetry Circuit readings

"Borderlines" also see Arts Festival 2009

2007-2008 Series of Events

"Perfectly Polished - Business Etiquette"

"Distinguished Lecture in Economics" by Dr. Derek Neal

"Supporting All Students" conference

Georgia Poetry Circuit readings

"Archeology, Icongraphy and Ideology: The Pictish Scupture Located on the Tarbat Penisula, Scotland" by Dr, Kellie Meyer

2008 Black History Month Celebration "Looking Back in Order to Move Forward," also see Black History Month 2008

Georgia Poetry Circuit readings

"Annie L. Green - Painter, Craftswoman, and Retired Educator"

"Poetry Reading by Catherine Savage Brosman"

"Customer Service Power"

Amanda Green, sorprano; Richie Knepp, guitarist; Marshall Fordham, guitarist; Martha Malone, soprano; Rebecca Lanning, mezzo soprano

 

 

2006-2007 Series of Events

"Enhancing Risk Communication and Risk Management Among Affrican American Women with Hereditary and/or Familiar Risk for Developing Breast Cancer"

David Bottoms, poetry reading

Georgia Poetry Circuit readings

Edna Ferber Tonight!

"Perfectly Polished - Business Etiquette"

Batteries NOT Included: Motivating the Reluctant Reader

David Burgess, guitarist; Dr. Ron Brendel, tenor; Ian Altman, pianist; Rebecca Lanning/Roger McVey

African American Religion in Film, Drama, Music and Poetry with Dr. Judith Weisenfeld, Dr. Freda Giles and Frank Goodin, also see Black History Month 2007

Georgia Poetry Circuit readings

2005-2006 Series of Events

Media Convergences

"Barbara Jordan: The Spirit of the Woman"

Afrofuturism & the African Diaspora: Lecture by Lisa Yaszek

Rebecca Lanning, mezzo-sorprano with Roger McVey, accompanist

Benjamin Altman, guitarist

Black History Month Celebration, African American History Though Music, three events, also see Black History Month 2006

Caribbean Writers Eddie Baugh and Mervyn Morris

Roger McVey, pianist

"The Evolution of Everyman," Dr. Raymond Feener

Bharati Mukherjee

 

Minutes

Artists and Lecturers Committee, Meeting #2

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

The meeting began at 2:11 p.m.

Those present: Patti Sadosky (chair), Lynn McCraney, Marina Spears, Dee Lindsey, Jonathan Yerby, Jennifer Jenkins (student representative), and Vicki Luther

The committee reviewed and discussed each of the sixteen proposals which had been submitted. Selections were made based on equity of schools and departments. Special consideration was given to presentations that will be held at both the Macon and Warner Robins campuses.

The committee voted to fully fund eight events, partially fund five events, and not to fund two events. One event, Constitution Day, has no cost.

Dr. Sadosky will communicate with the sponsor of each proposal concerning funding. The committee agreed that all sponsors must have contracts in place no later than July 1, 2010. Members present supported the recommendation that if contracts are not signed by this date the monies will be reallocated.

The committee also supported the recommendation that preferential consideration will be given next year to those faculty and staff members who itemize costs and give specific dates on the proposal form, as well as those who turn the proposal forms in on time.

Members of the committee tabled the discussion of a possible name change for the committee and a possible revision of the mission statement in the student handbook. These items will be discussed during the first meeting of the 2010-2011 school year.

The meeting was adjourned at 3:42 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Vicki Luther

 

 

Artists and Lecturers Committee, Meeting 1

Wednesday, October 28, 2009, 3:00 p.m., Jones 187

Members Present: Patti Sadosky (Chair), John Cole, Lynn McCraney, Harry McAlum, Johnathan Yerby, Bryan Reese, and Jennifer Jenkins

Members Absent: Heather Chastain, Vicki Luther, Marina Spears, Savannah Graham, Kelley Harmon, Valerie Law, and Martina Johansson

The committee unanimously elected Vicki Luther as recorder and Heather Chastain as chair-elect.

The Call for Proposals form was presented to the committee. The Committee discussed amending the form to add the statement, “Failure to adhere to these guidelines may result in cancellation of the event.” The amended Call for Proposals was voted on by the committee and approved unanimously.

The Committee discussed ways to improve compliance with the guidelines for sponsorship of Artists & Lecturers events and decided that the chair will be responsible for sending an email in the first week of each month to all upcoming sponsors with a reminder of the guidelines for sponsorship and the associated deadlines.

The Committee discussed changing the name of the Artists and Lecturers Committee to a title that will better encompass the diversity of events that the Committee hopes to sponsor. Student committee members were charged with polling other members of the student population for alternative names for the committee.

The Committee agreed to review its mission statement as listed in the student handbook to ensure that it is in alignment with the goals of the committee.

The Committee agreed that Patti Sadosky will send out the Call for Proposals and the Guidelines for Sponsorship of Artists and Lecturers Events during the week of November 2, 2009, and the deadline for submission was set for February 22, 2010.

The Committee will meet again in the week of March 15, 2010 to review the proposals.

The meeting adjourned at 3:35 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Patti Sadosky

Chair, Artists and Lecturers Committee