Themes of social equality, science, bees, music, art, drama and natural selection dominate the entertainment options at Roanoke College next month.
Civil rights activist, Dr. Alveda King, will visit the College, “Calculus: The Musical” makes its debut, Dr. Chris Buchholz, associate psychology professor, will discuss the science of love and much more.
Check out February’s assortment of Roanoke College-sponsored events below:
Roanoke College Coffee Shop Talks: The Science of Love: Thursday, Feb. 6, 8 p.m., Mill Mountain Coffee and Tea, Main Street, Salem
Dr. Chris Buchholz, an associate professor in Roanoke College’s Psychology department, will speak about the science of love. Coffee shop talks, held the first Thursday of the month, provide a relaxed forum for discussion and inquiry on a wide range of topics. Each one-hour talk includes a short presentation, followed by questions and discussion. Talks are free and open to the public.
How can the dream survive? Social equality in the 20th century: Monday, Feb. 10, 7:30 p.m., Antrim Chapel
Dr. Alveda King, a notable civil rights activist and niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., will speak at Roanoke College. She is a pastoral associate and director of the African-American Outreach for Priests for Life and Gospel of Life Ministries, and she formerly has served in the state of Georgia’s House of Representatives. King, who is author of several books, also founded King for America Inc., and she has received numerous awards, including the Civil Rights Award from Congress of Racial Equality in 2011.
Reconstructing Buttercup, from bone fragments to a skull: Tuesday, Feb. 11, 6:30 p.m., Massengill Auditorium
Dr. Alton Dooley, a paleontologist at the Virginia Museum of Natural History, will speak on how fossils are put back together when all of the parts are missing. Buttercup is the name of a young whale that Roanoke College students helped to find and excavate. The event is part of Roanoke’s annual Darwin Days celebration.
The Rise of Enlightened Sexism: Tuesday, Feb. 11, 7:30 p.m., Colket Center Wortmann Ballroom
Author Susan Douglas will address the myths of femininity portrayed in modern media, drawing from her most recent publication, “Enlightened Sexism.” Douglas is the Catherine Neafie Kellogg Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Michigan. Her widely-praised publications include “The Mommy Myth,” Where the Girls Are” and “Listening In.” The lecture is sponsored by Honors Conference Week 2014. Other College sponsors include the Donald L. Jordan Endowment, Dean’s Office, the College’s History, English and Sociology departments and Alpha Beta Gamma.
Movie: “Vanishing of the Bees”: Wednesday, Feb. 12, 7 p.m., Massengill Auditorium
This movie, part of Roanoke’s annual Darwin Days celebration, explores the growing devastation to the bee population. Without bees, world agriculture will come crashing down. Come learn about these most important insects and the plight that they are facing. Howland Blackiston '73, author of "Beekeeping for Dummies," will speak before the movie.
“Calculus: The Musical”: Wednesday, Feb. 12, 7 p.m., Colket Center Wortmann Ballroom
Free tickets are required. Contact Laura Bair at bair@roanoke.edu or (540) 375-2013. Matheatre and Know Theatre of Cincinnati present the musical parody “Calculus: The Musical.” The parody uses catchy tunes and story development to present calculus in a historical context and highlight its concepts. The event is co-sponsored by Roanoke College’s Mathematics, Computer Science, and Physics Department and the Department of Mathematics at Hollins University.
When Natural Selection Gets Sneaky: Altruism, Suicide and Evolution: Thursday, Feb. 13, 7 p.m., Massengill Auditorium
The theory of evolution by natural selection is a powerful tool for explaining a wide range of physical traits and behaviors that promote survival and reproduction. But how does it account for behaviors that are not beneficial or that are self-destructive? In this discussion, Dr. Lindsey Osterman, an assistant professor in Roanoke’s Psychology department, will explore ideas within evolutionary biology and psychology that may help to explain these counterintuitive behaviors. Osterman’s lecture is part of the College’s annual Darwin Days celebration.
Art Exhibition: Friday, Jan. 17– Friday, Feb. 14: Olin Gallery: QU4RTETS and Smoyer Gallery- “Mentee”
QU4RTETS: Makoto Fujimura is an artist, writer and speaker recognized worldwide as a culture-shaper. A presidential appointee to the National Council on the Arts from 2003 to 2009, Fujimura served as an international advocate for the arts, speaking with decision makers and advising governmental policies on the arts.
Bruce Herman is a writer, speaker and painter whose art has been exhibited nationally and internationally. His works are represented in public and private collections internationally. He is currently gallery director and Lothlórien Distinguished Chair in Fine Arts at Gordon College in Wenham, Mass.
Christopher Theofanidis is a composer, whose works have been performed by leading orchestras from around the world, including the London Symphony, the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Moscow Soloists and many others. He also served as Composer of the Year for the Pittsburgh Symphony during its 2006-2007 season. Theofanidis teaches graduate composition at Yale School of Music.
Mentee: The exhibit features pieces by artists who have worked with Makoto Fujimura. Artists include Julia Hendrickson, Meredith Hoffheins, Ron Kelsey, Brian Killeen, Lindsay Kolk, Judith Kruger, Joshua Rayner and Joey Tomassoni.
Fujimura is founder of International Arts Movement and its newly established pillar, the Fujimura Institute. The movement’s emphasis is on cooperation, rather than competition, within the creative community. It is working toward the creation of an apprenticeship program loosely based on a guild system of the past.
Senior Music Project Recital: Ruth Trochim, piano: Saturday, Feb. 15, 4 p.m., Olin Recital Hall
Ruth Trochim will present the music of Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin and Gershwin. Guest performers will include Randall Pittman, violin; Lauren Stone, cello; and Elizabeth Bachelder, concerto accompanist.
Theatre Roanoke College: “Two Rooms”: Wednesday, Feb. 19- Saturday, Feb. 22, 7:30 p.m., Olin Theater, $7/$5
Tickets available at www.roanoke.edu/tickets or by calling (540) 375-2333. Note: Seating will be on the stage and is limited. In “Two Rooms,” Lee Blessing explores the helplessness of a man taken hostage by political terrorists in Beirut and the fury of his wife at home as she navigates the press, the government, and her own frustrations to help him. This is a suspenseful, moving and timely human story. The play is suitable for ages 14 and older.
South Meets North: Music of Italy and Estonia: Sunday, Feb. 23, 3 p.m., St. Andrew’s Catholic Church, 631 N. Jefferson St. Roanoke
Tickets available on Jan. 20 at www.roanoke.edu/tickets or by calling (540) 375-2333. The performance will feature vocal, choral, orchestral and piano works by Antonio Vivaldi, Arvo Pärt, Toivo Tulev and Tõnu Kõrvits. The performers will include Marianne Sandborg, soprano; Dr. Gordon Marsh, piano; the Roanoke College Oriana Singers; String Orchestra; and Dr. Jeffrey Sandborg, conductor.
Humanitarian and National Security Imperatives for United States Involvement Overseas: Tuesday, Feb. 25, 7:30 p.m., Colket Center Wortmann Ballroom
Dr. James Hentz, professor and chair of the Department of International Studies and Political Science at Virginia Military Institute, will speak. His visit is sponsored by Roanoke’s Henry H. Fowler Public Policy Lecture Series.
RC Jazz Wind Ensembles Joint Concert: Thursday, Feb. 27, 7:30 p.m., Olin Theater
The Roanoke College Jazz Wind Ensembles will perform jointly under the direction of Dr. Joseph Blaha.
Art Exhibition: Friday, Feb. 28 – Friday, April 4: Olin Gallery: Tif Robinette “Consume/ated” and Smoyer Gallery: Gwen Hardie “Skin Deep”
Opening Reception: Friday, March 14, 6-8 p.m., Smoyer Gallery
Tif Robinette Performance: Friday, March 14, 6 p.m., Olin Gallery
“Consume/ated”: “Consume/ated” encompasses Tif Robinette’s "sickly-sweet multi-media projects that reference environments, relationships, and her own history with a sense of excess and frivolity, finding the crude and fantastic in the everyday.” Through personal narratives of feminine mythology, family and dreams, Robinette explores the natural cycles of eating and excrement, beauty and vulgarity, desire and lust. Playful encounters with materials prompt the artist’s explorations of spaces and actions.
“Skin Deep”: New York artist Gwen Hardie's work incorporates aspects of classical painting and color theory to ambiguous paintings of epidermal landscapes. With the use of natural light and herself as the source and subject matter, the artist amplifies the depths of a small area of skin in a large scale format.
Hardie was born and educated in Scotland and has lived and worked in London and Berlin before settling in New York City in 2000. Hardie has exhibited nationally and internationally. Her work is also featured in private and public collections.
Admission Charges: Many events are free of charge and do not require tickets. When admission fees or tickets are required for an on-campus event, this is stated in the individual listing, as is information on how to obtain the tickets. Additional nominal fees for online ticket purchases apply.
Submitted by Roanoke College