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We're reaccredited! The Department of Communications gained full reaccreditation following a vote by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication at its meeting May 3 in Arlington, Va. The 35-member council consists of media pros and professors throughout the nation, along with representatives from national media groups. The AEJMC accrediting review takes place every six years, and we are delighted to again receive its stamp of approval on our program. We are one of only 110 programs carrying the ACEJMC accreditation nationally.
WUTM is Best in the South Last spring our campus radio station, WUTM-FM, was named best station in the South at the annual Southeast Journalism Conference at the University of Mississippi. This was a particularly high honor because WUTM defeated much larger schools in Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana, including Ole Miss, Vandy and others. Richard Robinson is WUTM's faculty adviser, and he and his student staff members deserve a great deal of praise, along with Chief Engineer Harold Cochran.
Half the faculty working on doctorates Last year and continuing this academic year, five of the 10 faculty members in the Department of Communications are working on their doctoral degrees. They are Teresa Collard, Stacy Freed, Richard Robinson, Tracy Rutledge and Chara Van Horn. Most are expected to complete their dissertations this academic year. This is a busy time for all faculty, but especially for those working on doctorates while teaching full-time and advising student media and related groups. We're proud of the dedication and hard work of all our faculty.
We're 30 years old The 2008-2009 academic year will mark our 30th anniversary as a department. A Communications major was first approved at UT Martin in 1972, when we were still a member of the Department of English. In 1978, the UT Board of Trustees approved a separate Department of Communications. We are a fairly young department at UT Martin, but we are proud of our history, the dedication of our faculty and the accomplishments and loyalty of our students.
Young Writers Conference Area high school students are invited to attend UT Martin's 3 rd annual Young Writers Conference on Friday, October 31 st . Sponsored by the Department of English, this one-day conference is designed for students in grades 9-12 and offers a series of writing workshops taught by UT faculty and visiting writer Beth Lordan. Students can attend hands-on workshops in writing poetry, literary fiction, science fiction, non-fiction, as well as songwriting, writing online and writing about art. Other events include a luncheon, a reading by visiting author Beth Lordan, and an open mic reading for students. Students will have the opportunity to read works created during the conference or other original writing created at home or in school. Throughout the day students will create pieces of writing, connect with other young writers from the region, and learn from outstanding writers and teachers of writing. All events will be held on the UT Martin Campus in the Boling University Center.
The registration fee is $5 for students and $10 for teachers. For a conference brochure, and to register online visit www.utm.edu/departments/ecce/courses_nondegree.php . Select Young Writers Conference. Or call 731.881.7080.
More than $12,000.00 in awards and scholarships supported these students who participated in more than 30-on-site readings of works by Irish authors and traveled in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Traditional classrooms expanded to Irish cities and places as remote as the Aran Islands off the western coast of Ireland and Lady Gregory's Coole Park near Sligo, an area much-loved by the poet W. B. Yeats.
Other highlights of this trip included meeting UT Martin graduate Karen Yarbrough in Dublin (she joined the group for a day of touring and a special lecture focusing on Irish writers W. B. Yeats and Elizabeth Bowen), visiting Trinity College and seeing the Book of Kells and Trinity College Library (one of the world's great research libraries), visiting the Dublin Writers Museum, visiting the Kilmainham Gaol, attending a performance of Conor McPherson's play The Seafarer at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, driving through the beautiful Wicklow Mountains and visiting the monastic settlement of Glendalough, visiting the Cobh Heritage Center near Cork (several students on the trip researched their Irish heritage both before and during the trip), touring Blarney Castle, and seeing many other sites of historical, cultural, and literary interest. The group also visited the legendary Cliffs of Moher, the vast and impressive fortification of Dun Aengus with its three giant rings of battlements on the Aran Island of Inishmore, the Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery and the Newgrange area with passage tombs dating from the late Stone Age, historical Londonderry, the Giant's Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede Suspension Bridge, and much, much more.
Lillegard retirement After almost two decades of stellar service to the University of Tennessee at Martin, Dr. Norman Lillegard , professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies, retired from fulltime teaching at the end of the spring semester. During his time at UTM, Professor Lillegard built quite a legacy as a mentor to dozens of Philosophy majors and as a leading scholar in his field. Dr. David Coffey , chair of the Department of History and Philosophy, says that plans are underway to establish a student award or scholarship in Lillegard's honor. After spending several months as a visiting scholar in China, Professor Lillegard will resume a limited teaching schedule at UTM.
New faces The Department of History and Philosophy is delighted to announce that Merry Brown as been hired as a fulltime lecturer in Philosophy. She as taught at UTM as an adjunct instructor for many years, attracting excellent student response. Merry is the wife of Dr. Christopher Brown , associate professor of Philosophy. Ann Mulhearn , who did a superb job during a limited term appointment as a lecturer in History, has been retained to help handle the robust off-campus demands, including dual enrollment courses in area high schools. Finally, the department welcomes Dr. Ricky Garlitz , who fills a new appointment in Middle Eastern History. These new appointments augment an already accomplished and highly decorated faculty, which now numbers fifteen fulltime positions.
Community outreach For the third consecutive year, the department has participated in the TECH (Technology Enhanced Curriculum for Hispanics) Grant, funded by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. This grant instructs ten pairs of area K-8 teachers in classroom Spanish, Hispanic culture, and the latest pedogogical methods and technology during a week-long workshop. Participating teachers prepare units for their fall classes during the workshop and get to take with them a new laptop computer. Daniel Nappo serves as Co-Director of the grant and also instructs during the classroom Spanish sections.
Films In other news, the department is in the process of organizing the Fall Foreign Film Series. MFL will offer four films, with at least three in languages taught by the department (French, German, Japanese, and Spanish). All films will be shown in the Watkins Auditorium in their original languages with English subtitles. As always, MFL foreign language films are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Randal Garza .
Study abroad In July 2008, seven UTM students participated in the new Study Abroad program in Toledo, Spain. These UTM students earned between six and eight credits for their participation in the four-week program. Apart from daily classwork, the students participated in tours around Toledo, to Segovia, and a national park in Castilla-La Mancha. More information about the program is available at: www.utm.edu/departments/ chfa/modlang/toledannounce.pdf .The Guanajuato, Mexico Study Abroad program also concluded on August 2, 2008. Five UTM students took classes in Spanish language, literature, and Mexican history taught by faculty at the University of Guanajuato. A total of nine UTM students have participated in three and six-week programs of study at the Technical University of Braunschweig, Germany. For more information about our German Travel Study and Study Abroad programs, contact Daniel Nappo. MFL has coordinated Study Abroad and Travel Study programs in Quebec, Spain, Mexico, Germany, Japan, and Tanzania this past spring and summer. A total of 40 UTM students participated in these programs.
Faculty news Randal P. Garza, Lúcia Flórido, and Daniel Nappo have recently earned tenure and promotion and to associate professor . Charles Hammond, Jr., assistant professor of German, presented a well-received paper at the “New Europe at the Crossroads” conference, held in Munich, Germany on July 23, 2008. During the fall semester, Martha Ochoa Balderas, an English faculty member and native Spanish-speaker from the Autonomous Agrarian University “Antonio Narro”, located in Saltillo, Mexico, will teach a section of beginning Spanish for the department.
Faculty news During the summer associate professor of voice Amy Yeung traveled to Croatia and performed two recitals, one in Zadar and one in Nin.
Three new faculty members have joined the music faculty: Dr. Robert Mancusi, voice; Dr. Tama Kott, double reeds and flute; and Kenneth Douglas, music education. Staff accompanist Delana Easley is now a lecturer in music and Dr. Elaine Harriss, professor of piano, has been named interim chair of the department.
Performing This fall assistant professor Dr. Mark Simmons, Director of Choral Activities, is rejuvenating the Martin Choral Society which will perform Handel's Messiah November 30. The 2008 UTM Marching Band, under the direction of assistant professor Dr. Nola Jones, has over 140 members and will present “Soul'd Out” at football games and marching events this fall. The entire UTM Percussion Studio along with Dr. Julie Hill, assistant professor of percussion, is making a concert tour to Mexico in October and will be attending the Percussive Arts Society International Convention in Texas in November. The percussion studio presented a Drumline Tune-Up for high schools before classes started.
Among the numerous music events scheduled for this fall are senior recitals by Chris Vaughn trombone, Kim Kraft, voice, Calyn Evans, clarinet, Cara Thomas, sax, and Sean Campbell, trombone. Guest artists presenting recitals are cabaret singer Claudia Hommel, composer Easley Blackwood, and organist Robert Munns with his wife Sally Johnson, vocalist. Workshops and clinics will be presented by pianist Dennis Alexander and percussionists Brian Mason and James Ross. Don't miss the Dessert Evening presented by the choirs and solo vocalists, the Skyhawk Marching Band Invitational, the many concerts by large and small ensembles and a faculty recital by assistant professor of low brass Dr. Brad Coker. Visit the department website for dates and times.
Moving on up Of course, the biggest news for all the music and VTA folks is the new building which breaks ground next summer. Expanded facilities will not only bring all the arts under one roof but provide adequate space for teaching and the many music, art, theater, and dance events.
The UT Martin Department of Visual and Theatre Arts/Vanguard Theatre listserv is now up and running. All alumni and participants who contributed over the years, shedding their blood, toil, tears, and most definitely sweat, as brothers and sisters in arms (see I told you there was sweat) dug in deep, fighting the good fight from the aesthetic trenches of the arts programs at UT Martin, are now unavoidably linked in a Mafioso-like bond that creates a semi-open environment for the dissemination of information and the “profusion of commusion” among old friends.
There are so many of us (UTM art, dance, and theatre alums) out there these days we have had to develop a listserv arrangement to contact everyone. There are over 400 names on the list currently and more to come. Even though I still have several names to hunt down that must be on this list, it's time to unleash the dogs of war because of some very important upcoming events.
Vanguard Theatre's last dance Most of you already know that our beloved Bill Snyder died this past March. Also, this is the last year before the Fine Arts Building undergoes demolition in preparation for much needed renovations and improvements. We are sponsoring a very special Vanguard Theatre alumni celebration and William Snyder tribute during the final main stage production in the Harriet Fulton Theatre before demolition begins this next summer. We're calling this event the “Vanguard Theatre Last Dance - No Surrender Soiree.” It will take place Friday and Saturday, February 27 and 28. Festivities will begin with a registration and meet-and-greet reception on Friday evening at the Alumni Center (formerly the Chancellor's residence) and continue Saturday afternoon with late registration at the Fine Arts Building, tours of the campus, displays, information booths, a silent auction, and later the mother of all picture calls (alumni by decade) on the stage of our play presentation, Fuddy Meers. That evening will be the performance of Fuddy Meers followed by a celebration/tribute to the incomparable William Snyder at “The Lindell” (a new events venue in downtown Martin-by-the-Sea). It's sure to be a celebration that will be legendary.
Those wishing to attend this important gathering of “young (at heart) lions” should go to the VTA department website at www.utm.edu/vta and click on the link for the Vanguard Theatre Soiree Registration Form. Download the PDF file, fill it out, and send it in as soon as possible (mailing address is on the form), There is a registration fee and charge for tickets, but I assure you it is simply to defer costs and not an attempt to milk the faithful.
Hey, you need to be there! This is a major opportunity to see and be seen with all those wacky, incredibly wonderful people who make up our Vanguard family – and to honor the memory of William Snyder.
Exhibitions Another very busy art exhibition season is upon us. Here's the skinny on all that's too kitch to ditch.
The second annual (at least sponsored by VTA) SOYBEAN Festival Art Exhibition/Competition in sunny, majestic, downtown Martin-by-the-Sea will open Friday, September 5 and run throughout the Soybean Festival.
Senior exhibitions begin fast and will remain furious this fall. First up will be John Mistric and Kara Salyers (opening Tuesday, September 16), followed by Ali Beilke and Mallory Rogers (opening Tuesday, September 30), with Darius Moore and Amanda Morrow (opening Tuesday, October 14), and finally David Barrington and Rickey Mask (opening Tuesday, November 19).
If you thought, “Those are sure plenty of fall art exhibitions for me;” YOU WERE WRONG! We haven't even gotten to the best part. Opening Tuesday, October 28, will be the annual VTA Faculty Art Exhibition, our yearly faculty art extravaganza. Finally, for the fall anyway, VTA offers an exhibition of unadulterated, unbridled, unapologetic “contemp” for art – contemporary art that is. The new contemporary art history course will be “throwing down” the week of November 10-15 with their own Contemp for Art Exhibition. This should be interesting.
Ok, moving on. Starting (or startling, as the case may be) off the spring semester will be the High School Art Exhibition (opening Tuesday, January 13) in connection with College Art Day (Friday, January 16), our yearly sojourn into the hearts and minds of America's up and coming young artists.
Spring continues to be sprung with our selection of senior exhibitions including Jeromy Bell, Daniel Rose, and Sherry Moore (opening Tuesday, February 17), Nicole Bell and Angie Hinojosa (opening Tuesday, March 3), Elaine Gurkin and Christine Toops (opening Tuesday, March 17 – I smell a theme there), and finally Brad Gambill and Chris Johnson (opening Tuesday, March 31).
Artists of the 21st Century will rise again like the Phoenix of legend (opening Thursday, April 2) to figuratively set on fire the West Tennessee Regional Art Center (I said figuratively, don't get crazy now) with innovative university student work from throughout the Southeast.
Again rearing it's ugly little head will be the annual VTA Student Art “Exit” bition. Is there another, more anticipated event on the university calendar? Well yeah, plenty, but for us it's the big tamale, opening in a Fine Arts Bldg. near you on Tuesday, April 14. This is the last exhibition in the Fine Arts Building for some time. We will exit the Fine Arts Building at the end of the 08-09 school year to temporary exile – where?? – we don't know as yet – but when we return – you better watch out! New and wonderful things will happen to the Fine Arts Building while we are gone – making future VTA programs a collective juggernaut of aesthetic allurements.
Vanguard season This will be the last Vanguard Theatre season in the Harriet Fulton Theatre before the Fine Arts Building is demolished, eventually rising like a Phoenix or Albuquerque or something like that to become a new and better building.
On November 6, 7, 8, 9 Vanguard Theatre will present Molière's witty examination of intellectual pretension, translated by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Richard Wilbur, THE LEARNED LADIES . Philamente, a most unliterary lady intent on having a high-toned literary salon, has neither literary nor common sense, which makes her easy prey for a sycophantic con artist named Trissotin. Philamente hopes to marry her daughter to Trissotin while the daughter wishes only to marry her seemingly unsuitable suitor Clitandre. Pseudo-intellectual posturings only complicate the ups and downs of love, leading only to unavoidable amusement. Happily, all is set right in the end with hypocrisy exposed and true love made triumphant. If only it were that easy...
Vanguard Theatre's last production in the Harriet Fulton Theatre is the wildly exciting comedy FUDDY MEERS. written by 2007 Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Lindsey-Abaire. This chaotic cacophony of kooky characters and fresh zingy dialogue is as much fun as a carnival funhouse, slamming onto the Vanguard stage February 26, 27, 28 and March 1. Absurdly zany situations abound when one woman, suffering from amnesia, has her life suddenly take an “Alice's looking glass”–like turn on a harrowing and hilarious rollercoaster ride through an alarmingly bizarre day while trying to decipher her fractured existence. One thing is for sure: it ain't your typical stroll down memory lane.
Last, but certainly not least, The UTM Dance Ensemble will perform its major spring concert this school year on Sunday, March 29 at 3:00 pm in the Harriet Fulton Theatre. Look for something special because new Lecturer of Dance, Sarah McCormick, is on board and ready to make some waves with a host of very talented young and energetic performers.
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Visit your college's tent during Quad City on October 4th between the hours of 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Live music, petting zoo, kid's carnival and lot's of friends getting together. Visit the UT Martin Homecoming web site for more details.
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