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Happenings

MSU to mark International Education Week

MSU will celebrate an extended International Education Week Nov. 16-24 with special events, films, lectures and exhibits from around the world.

Sponsored by International Studies and Programs (ISP), this is the third annual observance of International Education Week for MSU.

The initiative is part of a U.S. government effort to encourage policies and programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study in the United States.

“Fostering international contact and understanding should be a core mission of all institutions of higher education, and it certainly is at MSU,” said John Hudzik, ISP dean. “Solving our global problems depends not only on mutual understanding, but on collaborative problem solving.

“MSU has long been at the forefront in bringing international knowledge to our community and the entire state with our internationally oriented centers, institutes and programs,” Hudzik said.

Among the events celebrating education week are a lecture from the former president of the Republic of Ireland, Mary Robinson; a talk by Peace Corps Director Gaddi Vasquez; music from revolutionary songwriter Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited; and films from Russia, Germany, Japan and Colombia.

The week will close with Global Festival 2002 at the MSU Union, featuring ethnic exhibits, dance performances, music, games and crafts.

For more information, visit: www.isp.msu.edu/calendar/intledweek2002.cfm

Journalism students to hear NPR’s Gonyea

Don Gonyea, National Public Radio’s White House correspondent, is visiting MSU Nov. 13-16 to speak to students in several journalism classes.

Steve Lacy, director of the School of Journalism, invited Gonyea to speak to students because Gonyea brings a great deal of knowledge to the classroom.

“He has firsthand knowledge about national political reporting and works for one of the best news organizations covering the most powerful political office in the world,” Lacy said. “Equally important is that he covers his beat with fairness and balance. He is a model for all young journalists.”

Gonyea is an honors graduate of MSU and a native of Monroe. He earned bachelor’s degrees in advertising and telecommunication in 1978 and 1980, respectively.

“I loved the opportunities available at a big university,” Gonyea said. “I got my first taste of radio production at MSU and fell in love with it immediately.

“I also sampled courses from across the university from journalism to history, from English literature to political science and from religion to business,” he said. “It was good training for the job I have today, which requires knowledge and interest in an extremely wide range of topics.”

Wharton Center offers 'PreViews' lecture series

Wharton Center is continuing to present its PreViews lecture series before certain performances.

PreViews are held in the lounge adjacent to the theatre 45 minutes before show time.
The lectures are designed to enhance performances by offering historical facts, personal stories and other information about the artist or act. In addition, PreViews give patrons time to relax and enjoy a snack before the show.

The next PreView will be held on Nov. 20, in conjunction with the performance of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Alan Gosman, assistant professor of music and a pianist, will present the lecture.

PreViews are free for event ticket holders. To find out if a PreView is offered for an event, call Wharton Center at 353-1982.

Zimbabwe’s most popular band coming to MSU

Zimbabwe’s most popular band, Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited, will perform at 8:30 p.m. Nov. 16 at Fairchild Theatre.

The concert will be presented by Ingwe Promotions and hosted by the School of Music.

Lyrics will be sung in the Zimbabwean language, Shona. Isaac Kalumbu, assistant professor of music and an ethnomusicologist, will give a brief introduction on how the language is used directly and indirectly to criticize the statuesque in political situations.

“Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited is the most popular and enduring band since the rise of a uniquely Zimbabwean popular music form in the 1970s,” Kalumbu said. “This form played a significant role in the liberation struggle of Zimbabwe.”

Mapfumo’s lyrics reflect the concerns of the people of Zimbabwe – AIDS, famine, poverty, corruption and hardship. Mapfumo uses music to represent the aspirations of common Zimbabweans, a position that has led him to be exiled by the current Zimbabwean government.

The band’s music is ranked on Top 10 lists in Village Voice, Beat Magazine and Afropop Worldwide.

Tickets are $20, or $15 for MSU students, senior citizens and those under age 18.

Statistician Rao set to speak Nov. 18 at MSU

Internationally renowned scholar C. Radhakrishna Rao, the President’s National Medal of Science Laureate, will speak at MSU about the world of statistical science.

His talk -- “Statistics: Reflections on the Past and Visions for the Future” -- will be given at 4 p.m. Nov. 18 in 102B Wells Hall. The forum is free and open to the public.

Rao is the Eberly professor emeritus and director of the Center for Multivariate Analysis at Pennsylvania State University. He is the author of 14 books and 350 research papers as well as the recipient of 27 honorary degrees in 16 different countries.

Rao’s research, scholarship and professional services have had a profound influence on the theory and applications of statistics.

He has spent his career promoting statistics and their usefulness in society.

“If there is a problem to be solved, seek statistical advice instead of appointing a committee of experts,” he said. “Statistics can throw more light than the collective wisdom of the articulate few.”

Rao also has received numerous awards including his induction into the National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Royal Society, Indian National Science Academy, Lithuanian Academy of Sciences and the Third World Academy of Sciences.

For more information about Rao’s lecture, call the Department of Statistics and Probability at 353-7170.

WKAR-TV seeks artists to design tables for auction

WKAR-TV is seeking artists to assist with the 2003 WKAR auction’s Premiere Collection.

Artists and craftspersons are being asked to submit design ideas to customize wooden tables designed by Steve Klein of Dove Tail Designs and being built by students from Leslie High School’s shop class. The finished tables will be sold during the 2003 WKAR auction April 4-12.

Artists will be selected by WKAR staff from designs submitted by Dec. 2. Tables will be available for the artists to decorate by Dec. 15 and must be returned to WKAR by Feb. 1.

To submit an idea, send a sketch outlining design, materials and technique. Dimensions of the table top are 16 inches wide by 32 inches long. Each table stands 26 inches tall with four square legs.

Submissions may be brought to the reception desk at WKAR, located in the south lobby of the Communication Arts and Sciences Building or mailed to: Premiere Collection, WKAR-TV Auction, 212 Communication Arts and Sciences Building, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1212.

For examples of how artists handled last year’s Premiere Collection chairs, visit the Web at: WKAR.org/auction

Internet pioneer to talk about wireless world

Internet pioneer David Clark will give the Quello Center Lecture on the future of wireless services.

His talk, “Spectrum Policy, the Internet and Open Access,” will explore wireless communications vehicles in the information infrastructure. The lecture will be given at 7 p.m. Nov. 13 at MSU’s Henry Center for Executive Development. A 6 p.m. reception precedes the talk.

Since the mid-1970s, Clark has been leading the development of the Internet. He is currently a senior research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Laboratory for Computer Science and chairperson of the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board of the National Research Council.

“Wireless communications will become increasingly important in the advanced information infrastructure,” said Steven S. Wildman, director of the Quello Center for Telecommunication Management and Law. “Clark’s lecture will provide unique insights into the future of wireless communications and the mobile Internet, which will chart a course for future action.”

To attend the lecture, e-mail dildayb@msu.edu or call 432-8001.

Nov. 9 workshop to explore oral history of vets

A new project designed to record the stories of those who served America in war during the 20th century, both on the battlefield and on the home front, is under way.

The Michigan Veterans Oral History Project is designed for both novice and experienced oral historians who are interested in capturing and preserving America’s wartime experiences.

The project, in association with the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project, begins with an oral history workshop from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Nov. 9 at the Michigan Library and Historical Center, located at 702 W. Kalamazoo St. in Lansing.

The workshop, presented by the Friends of Michigan History, is co-sponsored by the MSU Museum, Michigan Oral History Association and the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries.

The program will include a model interview conducted with a well-known veteran.
For more information, visit: www.loc/gov/folklife/vets

Copyright 2001 Michigan State University Division of University Relations.