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On Campus
- Stories
March 12, 2004 Vol. 56, No. 28
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| Members of the Tokyo String Quartet pose with "The Paganini Quartet." |
Tokyo String Quartet, regarded as one of the world's supreme chamber ensembles, will perform music of Mozart, Webern and Beethoven at Drake University on Sunday, March 14.
The performance, made possible by a gift from the late Earle Ferguson, ED'31, LW'37, will start at 8 p.m. on the Jordan Stage in Sheslow Auditorium in Old Main.
The quartet performs on "The Paganini Quartet," a group of renowned Stradivarius instruments named for legendary virtuoso Niccolò Paganini, who acquired and played them during the 19th century. The instruments have been lent to the ensemble by the Nippon Music Foundation since 1995, when they were purchased from the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
The quartet is comprised of violist Kazuhide Isomura, second violinist Kikuei Ikeda, cellist Clive Greensmith and first violinist Martin Beaver. Tickets are $10 for the general public and $5 for students. They can be purchased at the door or at the Drake Fine Arts Box Office.
Rushdie to meet with students, give Bucksbaum Lecture
In addition to giving the Martin Bucksbaum Distinguished Lecture on March 30, renowned writer Salman Rushdie will meet with students in an English class on the morning of March 31 and then have lunch with students in a class in the Department of Politics and International Relations.
Rushdie's lecture will start at 7:30 p.m. March 30 in the Drake Knapp Center. The lecture, which is free and open to the public, is titled "Step Across This Line: An Evening with Salman Rushdie." Following the lecture, all guests are invited to a reception and book signing.
Rushdie is noted for using his upbringing in India, Pakistan and the United Kingdom, as well as his personal history, to make bold statements about life on Earth.
Rushdie attended King's College, Cambridge, where he experienced minor persecution and racist attacks. However, upon graduation in 1968, Rushdie remained in Britain, working as an actor and advertising copywriter before becoming a full-time writer.
He perhaps is best known for his 1989 book The Satanic Verses, which caused an international controversy and prompted Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini to issue a fatwa calling for his death. The government of Iran lifted the fatwa in 1998, but it was while living under constant threat of violence that Rushdie produced some of his most sincere and beautiful work. In an interview, Rushdie described his experience living with the fatwa as a "bad Salman Rushdie novel."
The Martin Bucksbaum Distinguished Lecture Series is made possible by a gift from Melva and the late Martin Bucksbaum, former chairman and president of General Growth Corp. and longtime member of Drake's governing board.
Marty to give inaugural Cowles Library Lecture April 1
Myron "Mike" Marty, professor emeritus of history at Drake, will present the inaugural Cowles Library Lecture at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 1. The lecture, which is free and open to the public, is titled "Welcome to Cowles Library, Mr. Lincoln."
Marty will escort Abraham Lincoln through the library, helping him discover the adventures and opportunities it holds for him and helping him make sense of what historians have done with him since that fateful day of his assassination at the Ford Theater in April 1865.
Streaming video will make it possible to enjoy this inaugural Cowles Library lecture without leaving your home or office. To view the Webcast, visit the Drake Web site.
Marty joined the Drake faculty in 1984 as dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. From 1994 to 2002, he held the title of Ann G. and Sigurd E. Anderson university professor. Marty is the author of numerous books, including Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin Fellowship, on which he and his wife, Shirley, collaborated. Other recently published books include Daily Life in the United States, 1960-1990: Decades of Discord; and Nearby History: Exploring the Past Around You, which he co-authored with David Kyvig.
'Iowa Press' to interview Maxwell
Drake President David Maxwell is scheduled to be interviewed on Iowa Public Television's "Iowa Press" program on Friday, March 19. He and Robert Denson, president of Des Moines Area Community College, will be interviewed about the state of higher education in Iowa as part of a series of "Iowa Press" programs on education.
President Maxwell is president-elect and chair of the legislative committee of the Iowa Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. IAICU advocates for 31 member institutions ranging in enrollment from 500 to 6,000 students.
"Iowa Press" airs on Iowa Public Television (Channel 11) at 6:30 p.m. Fridays.
Drake sponsors speeches by national literacy advocate
John Corcoran, author of The Teacher Who Couldn't Read, and adults who are learning to read at the Drake Adult Literacy Center will discuss their struggles with reading at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 30, at the Urbandale Public Library, 3520 86th St. Corcoran and the others also will speak at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 31, at the Forest Avenue Library, 1326 Forest Ave.
Both events, which are free and open to the public, are jointly sponsored by the Drake Adult Literacy Center and the Urbandale and Des Moines public libraries.
Corcoran can read now, but it took him 48 years to get this far. "My desire is to encourage parents and teachers not to overlook children's problems," he said. "Many youngsters, and far too many adults, hopelessly sit in a prison of illiteracy. We must recognize these prisoners and give them the tools of systematic phonics and auditory discrimination necessary to break out of their cells."
Corcoran, a nationally cited literacy advocate, has dedicated the last 10 years to increasing awareness of adult literacy issues and helping others overcome their struggles.
"What better expert than an adult who learned to read later in life?" said Anne Murr, coordinator of the Adult Literacy Center. "I had read John's book and then met him at a professional development conference about two years ago. He seemed like the perfect person to bring to Des Moines to speak about literacy.
"We have three goals for these speeches," Murr added. "We hope to raise community awareness of the causes and challenges of reading problems, to inform community members who need literacy help that assistance is available, and to generate community support for the Adult Literacy Center. John has a passionate and powerful voice to help us achieve these goals."
Mock Trial Team wins regional
The Drake University Law School Association of Trial Lawyers of America Mock Trial team took home top honors in regional competition in Chicago, Feb. 21-22. The team of third-year law students David Porter and Josh Tomsheck, and second-year students Wendy Cooper and Matthew Eslick defeated Chicago-Kent in the semi-finals and Loyola of Chicago in the finals. The team, coached by Jeff Noble, LW'90, and Chuck Kenville, LW'99, will next compete in nationals on Saturday, March 13, in West Palm Beach, Fla.
The Law School's ATLA Mock Trial teams are sponsored by the Des Moines law firm Galligan, Doyle & Reid.
Students to build race cars out of mousetraps at Physics Olympics
Launch a Ping-Pong ball in the air via homemade catapult, power a race car with a mousetrap spring and construct a weight-bearing bridge with just toothpicks and glue. These are just some of the creations hundreds of Iowa high school students will use to test the laws of physics at the 26th Annual Physics Olympics at Drake University on Wednesday, March 17.
The Physics Olympics will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Parents Hall in Olmsted Center. The event, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by Drake's School of Education and the Heartland Area Education Agency.
Using only household items and their creative minds, students will be asked to construct devices for the following events:
Winners in each event will advance to the state competition, which will be held at Drake on April 21.
Drake choirs to perform works by Dougherty, Staplin
The Drake Choir and Chamber Choir, conducted by Aimee Beckmann-Collier, director of choral studies, will conclude their spring regional tour with a home concert at 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 16, on the Jordan Stage in Sheslow Auditorium in Old Main.
The Drake Choir will premiere "In Time of Silver Rain" by William Dougherty, professor of theory and composition and associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
"The choir commissioned him to write the piece and he set a text by Langston Hughes," Beckmann-Collier said. "The text was suggested by a student in the choir, and the entire choir chose it from among several suggestions. We've had a neat learning experience because of this project."
The Drake Choir will also perform a piece by Carl Staplin, professor of organ and church music. It is a setting of Psalm 47 and is titled "O Clap Your Hands, All Ye People."
The concert is free and open to the public.
Drake receives $10,000 grant
Drake's Center for Professional Studies has received a $10,000 grant from Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino through its 2003 Community Betterment Grant Program. The grant will help provide scholarships for students earning a Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership and Administration.
"We are very pleased to have received this funding from Prairie Meadows," said Connie Sanderson, director of the Center for Professional Studies. "This investment will become part of a corporate, education, nonprofit collaboration to offer a comprehensive certificate program designed to enhance the capacity of nonprofit managers so they may improve the quality of life for their constituents and clients."
Borders offers discounts for educators March 26-28
Drake faculty and staff members and retirees are eligible for a 25 percent discount on most merchandise from Friday, March 26, through Sunday, March 28, at Borders Books Music and Cafe, 4100 University Ave., West Des Moines.
To receive the discount, show a Drake ID or other proof of educator status.