Wayne Community College program to begin 2018 spring session
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on January 24, 2018 5:50 AM
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Miguel Pico, flamenco guitarist, will be a featured performer and speaker during the Wayne Community College Arts and Humanities program on March 26.
The Arts and Humanities program associated with the Foundation of Wayne Community College will be offering one of its longer sessions yet, with an eclectic schedule running from February through June.
"In keeping with our goal to cultivate a richer, more vibrant and more intellectually active community, the Foundation is offering a speaker series this spring in which we strive to offer topics and speakers who can help us better understand and enjoy the world in which we live," said Kay Cooke, director of the Arts and Humanities committee. "War, art, politics, film, music and journalism are the topics that will be explore by a group of knowledgeable and experienced speakers."
She is particularly excited about two of the upcoming speakers -- Lloyd Kramer and Catherine Parker Edmonson, she said.
This marks Kramer's third visit to the community, his first since being named the 2018 recipient of the prestigious Faculty Service Award at UNC.
"A favorite of students, (Kramer) has spent decades teaching, advising and mentoring students while serving on countless committees to support the university and its mission," Cooke said. "He loves what he does and has managed to be a serious scholar and still have fun."
During his March 5 program, he will be talking about nationalism and why it carries so much influence.
Edmonson is a "hometown girl," Cooke said. A graduate of Eastern Wayne High School, she attended Salem College and is now adjunct professor of art history and art appreciation at the University of Southern Mississippi.
Her program kicks off this year's series, on Feb. 12.
Another topic on the schedule is particularly timely -- journalism -- especially in the current political climate.
Dr. Daniel Kreiss, associate professor in the school of media and journalism and associate in the department of communication at UNC-Chapel Hill, will be on campus on Monday, April 9.
"I hope he'll speak about fake news and disinformation," Cooke said. "I think he's mainly going to be talking about research he's done in recent history, but will also do a Q&A (question and answer segment) from the audience."
The following is a thumbnail explanation of the upcoming programs for the spring. Except where noted, the sessions are all free and take place in Walnut 101.
* A Woman of Vision: Gertrude Stein and Pablo Picasso, Monday, Feb. 12, 7 p.m. with Edmonson. She will share ways to look at Picasso's work and give participants the tool kit to better understand a visually challenging movement.
* The Cultural and Political Power of Modern Nationalism will take place Monday, March 5, at 7 p.m. with Lloyd Kramer, professor of history, UNC-Chapel Hill, and director of Carolina Public Humanities.
Kramer will explore the emergence of nationalism in late 18th-century revolutions and examine why nationalist movements, ideas and identities remain powerful cultural and political forces in modern Europe and America.
* The Rise of the Heroine in American Film, a Lunch and Learn event, will be offered Wednesday, March 21, at noon at Walnut Creek Country Club. Cost is $30 per person, which includes lunch and lecture. Registration and payment is required by March 14.
Rachel Schaevitz, postdoctoral fellow for the public humanities in Chapel Hill, will speak about the rise of powerful female characters in American film across generations and genres -- from the "final girl" in horror films to "the girl next door" in romantic comedies to "damsels in distress" in children's movies.
* Flamenco Guitar and Miguel Pico, an evening of music, will be held on Monday, March 26, at 7 p.m.
A leading classical and flamenco guitarist, Pico was born in Colombia and began studying classical guitar at age 5. In addition to performing, he will also share guitar history and anecdotes and a brief lesson about flamenco culture and analysis of the music and modern guitar interaction.
* The State of Journalism, on April 9 at 5:30 p.m., with be led by Kreiss, who has done research about the evolving state of communication and will share his knowledge about its effects on society.
The college's World War II series, "World War II Remembered," continues with two programs, coinciding with the month the events actually took place.
* Battle of Stalingrad: A Turning Point, will be offered Monday, Feb. 26, at 7 p.m. From September 1942 to February 1943 the Battle of Stalingrad, considered the pivotal battle of the war and one of the most devastating ever fought, will be discussed in a lecture by Dr. Roy Heidicker, historian for the 4th Fighter Wing and adjunct professor at University of Mount Olive.
His message will analyze how the Russians overcame German strategic and tactical advantages and turned the tide of the war.
* The North Africa Campaign will be the topic on Monday, June 18, at 7 p.m. Heidicker will cover the English-American alliance function and the U.S. development of leadership and fighting capabilities to defeat the Nazis.
For more information or to get on the mailing list, email www-foundation@waynecc.edu, call 919-739-7017 or visit the website, waynecc.edu/foundation.