Gettysburg News

In Ike’s footsteps: Student-fellows tackle public policy issues

Thu, 5 Nov 2009

Twelve students make up this year's group of undergraduate fellows at the Eisenhower Institute at Gettysburg College. As fellows, the students develop leadership skills and grow their knowledge and understanding of public policy. Each fellow selects an individual public policy issue to focus on during the year. They also serve on the Eisenhower Institute's College Advisory Council and participate in events in Gettysburg and Washington, D.C. Some of the students reside in the home where Dwight and Mamie Eisenhower lived in 1918, which also houses the EI's Gettysburg offices.

Dr. Eileen Stillwaggon, professor of economics and director of the international affairs program at Gettysburg College, serves as the EI's Harold G. Evans Professor. Stillwaggon works closely with the fellows on their projects, which range from researching disease, poverty, and healthcare in Africa to organizing conferences, panel discussions, and lecturers on economic and diversity policies in the United States.

"The undergraduate fellows represent the best of Gettysburg College," EI Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Blavatt said. "Their service to the Eisenhower Institute is concurrent with our mission to ‘prepare successor generations' who will be the leaders of tomorrow. They are an integral part of the work of this Institute."

Here's a closer look at this year's fellows:

Hadiatou Barry '10 is majoring in economics and globalization studies with a focus on economic development and governance in Africa. Born in Guinea, West Africa, she split her youth between Guinea and the United States, and is interested in the relationship between the two. She interned at the Corporate Council on Africa in Washington, D.C., which allowed her to learn about economic and political issues between the U.S., Africa, and private sectors. She is involved in Youth Action for Rural Africa, International Club, and Black Student Union.

Lawrese Brown '10 is from East Orange, N.J. She is double majoring in individualized studies and Africana studies. Her individual major, Writing for Public Policy, centers on using the shared goals of public relations and public policy ¬to act as mediator between policy and people. This past summer, she interned with the Yankee Entertainment and Sports (YES) Network, and she currently works in the Office of Communications and Public Relations at Gettysburg College. Lawrese also participates in the EI's "Inside Politics" program, is a member of the senior class gift committee, and volunteers with the Center for Public Service.

Robyn Byrne '10 is pursuing a double major in economics and international affairs. She is from Mendham, N.J. Robyn serves as the secretary for the Class of 2010 and works at the Center for Career Development. She studied abroad last spring in Muscat, Oman and would like to return to the Middle East to live and work. She hopes to pursue a J.D. program in international law in the future.

Munyaradzi Choga '12 is a native Zimbabwean who is majoring in economics and computer science. He enjoys researching trends of global stock markets and African economic development, participating in online share market and investment simulations, learning to build professional websites, and reading.

Jen Davis '10 is majoring in health sciences with a minor in Spanish and is from Fairfax, Va. She studied abroad in Peru last spring, learning about the indigenous culture and improving her Spanish. She has worked for three years with the Center for Public Service as a program coordinator for El Centro, an after school program for Hispanic youth in Gettysburg. Jen plans to continue her education to become a pediatric physical therapist in the field of early intervention. As an EI fellow, she will be studying the unmet needs of long term therapy in the U.S. and in southern Africa.

Sebastian DiNatale ‘10 is majoring in political science with a double minor in Italian and film studies. He is from Voorhees, N.J. His passion for news media led him to start an on-campus television station, Gburg TV, and serve as news director for the college's radio station WZBT and editor-in-chief of The Forum, an online student news source. Other campus activities include serving as president of Il Circolo Italiano, vice-president of the student improv group, Shots in the Dark, and participating in EI's "Inside Politics" program. Sebastian interned as a production assistant for MTV News in New York and as an all-platform journalist for CNN News in Los Angeles.

Calynn Dowler ‘10 is majoring in political science and German. She is from Latrobe, Pa. She has received a presidential scholarship from Admissions, a 2008 Mellon grant for research, a 2008-09 DAAD Undergraduate Scholarship, and a DAAD Alumni Association Award of Academic Excellence. Calynn also received the Eisenhower Institute's 2008 Hilton Award for Study Abroad and spent the past academic year studying at the University of Heidelberg in Germany. She has worked as a community volunteer, German Peer Teaching Assistant, research assistant, and collaborative literary translator. She also participates in EI's "Inside Politics" program.

Sandra Gillot ‘10 is a Haitian American student, who has born in Brooklyn, N.Y., but lives in Philadelphia. A political science major, Sandra hopes to pursue a career as a corporate lawyer and specialize in immigration law. She plans to contribute and give back to areas that aid students in becoming bound for higher education.

Patrick Hughes '10 is double majoring in economics and political science. He is from Lagos State in Nigeria. Patrick lived in Italy for three years prior to coming to Gettysburg. He has volunteered as an assistant program co-coordinator at the Coalition for Community Care, a non-profit organization that helps students improve their grades in school. Patrick is also president of the college's International Affairs Association.

Lucy Marinova '10 is majoring in economics with a minor in Chinese. A native Bulgarian, Lucy is involved in the college's experiential education program, GRAB, and is a member of the International Club.

Atlang Mompe '10 is majoring in political science with a minor in French. She received a 2007 Mellon Grant to research the role in high HIV prevalence in Botswana and implications for the effectiveness of first line anti-retroviral therapy. Last summer, she took part in a public policy and international affairs program at Princeton University. This fall, she attended the AIDSImpact Conference in Botswana and presented a poster on the Implications of Endemic Cofactors and HIV/AIDS. After Gettysburg, she plans to return to her native Botswana to work on the problem of HIV/AIDS.

Svetoslav Semov '11 is majoring in economics with a minor in math. A native Bulgarian, he has participated in more than 120 mathematical competitions. He is also very interested in the social sciences, serving as a Peer Learning Associate in the economics department and as a tutor in Calc Aid.

The Eisenhower Institute at Gettysburg College is a non-partisan, non-profit, presidential legacy organization that develops and sponsors civic discourse on significant issues of domestic and international public policy. In 1918, Dwight and Mamie Eisenhower came to Gettysburg, where he commanded America's first tank training camp. The Eisenhowers bought a farm near the battlefield, which he used as a retreat during his presidency and where he recovered from a heart attack. He became a trustee of Gettysburg College and wrote his memoirs in what is now the college's admissions office, known as the Eisenhower House.

Gettysburg College students complete media internships with NBC, CBS, Sirius XM

Thu, 5 Nov 2009

While interning at NBC News in New York, Andrew Arenge, Class of 2010, was "in the control room during any breaking news," including "when we announced that Michael Jackson had passed away."

Arenge also worked on NBC's exclusive "Inside the Obama White House" special. He interned previously with the Yankee Entertainment Sports (YES) Network, working with Gettysburg College alumni Ray Hopkins '87 and Eric Handler '86.

Arenge was far from the only Gettysburg College student to complete an impressive media internship this past summer.

"The opportunity to go to Washington, D.C., to go to CBS, and to see how they make the news every night, is an experience that I'll never forget," said Josh Scheinblum, Class of 2011.

Scheinblum worked directly with Gettysburg College alumna Laura Strickler '95, a producer in CBS's Investigative Unit. His internship included being CBS's representative at the "Blue Dog Democrat" press conference, where he got to ask a question.

Olivia Branco, Class of 2010, also took advantage of extensive internship opportunities offered by Gettysburg College's Center for Career Deveopment.

Branco interned in the sports programming department at Sirius XM Radio in Washington, DC., working with the major league baseball channel, including , Cal and Billy Ripken's show. She also worked on the NASCAR racing and PGA golf channels. She interned previously at USA Today.

Study abroad an 'incredible' experience, student says

Thu, 29 Oct 2009

Studying in Spain was "one of the most incredible things I ever did in my life," said Jen Lech, a Spanish and psychology double-major.

During four and a half months abroad, she said, "one of the biggest things I learned is that you really can't assume anything about another country or culture until you experience it. Things look different through your own eyes."

Lech's acute vision, coupled with her shiny pink Sony Cybershot camera, helped her win Gettysburg College's Photo of the Day contest. The photos at right, including the top image of a camel caravan in the Sahara Desert, are from the same side-trip to Morocco as her winning image. Lech is also the photo editor of The Gettysburgian student newspaper.

Living in Seville "influenced my Spanish speaking more than any class," Lech said. "When I came back to class on campus, I could tell the difference immediately."

Spanish is also important for Lech outside the classroom. "Spanish has always kept me connected to the community," she said, pointing to the many co-curricular service-learning opportunities she has taken part in, including tutoring children of migrant agricultural workers and assisting at a local Latino community center.

Opportunities to get involved have also been a big part of Lech's experience in Gettysburg College's psychology department, where she worked closely with faculty members as a research assistant. "It's not something I would've been able to do as an undergraduate at a large university," she said. "It made me realize I want to be a psychology professor and do research."

Lech is a member of the Class of 2010.

Gettysburg College is a highly selective four-year residential college of liberal arts and sciences. With a student body of approximately 2,500, it is located on a 200-acre campus adjacent to the Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania. The College was founded in 1832.

Contact: Jim Hale, online content editor

Photo of the Day contest winner chosen by razor-thin margin

Thu, 29 Oct 2009

A one-vote margin decided Gettysburg College's Photo of the Day contest.

With 93 of 392 ballots cast, Spanish and psychology major Jen Lech, Class of 2010, will receive an eight-gigabyte iPod touch.

Lech studied abroad in Seville, Spain, this past spring semester. She captured her prize-winning image during a week-long side trip to Morocco, where she was part of a caravan that spent the night at an oasis in the Sahara desert. "It's pretty hard to hold the camera steady on the back of a camel," she said. (A profile of Jennifer Lech includes more of her photos.)

"I was really surprised to win," said Lech, who is photo editor of The Gettysburgian student newspaper. "I looked at all the other photos and thought they were amazing, including the one of Glatfelter Hall against the dark clouds. I thought that one was definitely going to win."

Instead, with 92 votes, Sarah Hammell's image finished a very close second. "I visited the campus again this past December," Hammell wrote. "While I was wandering around, the clouds were starting to break up, and provided a lovely, and somewhat haunting, backdrop to Glatfelter, so I snapped the picture—my favorite of the many I took that day." Hammell is a member of the Class of 2007.

Totals for the other four finalists were:

82 votes for Jonathan DePoy's image of the Bullets jumping in unison before the 2007 Centennial Conference lacrosse finals against Washington College.

72 votes for Katharine Hickey's image of a cataract being replaced by a prosthetic lens. Hickey, Class of 2010, snapped the shot while shadowing Dr. James Clark of Crystal Eye Clinic in Accra, Ghana. A story and photo gallery chronicle her study-abroad adventures.

29 votes for an image submitted by Kim and George Hatcher, parents of George Hatcher III, Class of 2007, submitted. The photo show their daughter, Lynn, at the campus fountain in 2004.

24 votes for an image of the Quarry Suites submitted by Andrew Johnson, Class of 2009.

The finalists were chosen by a panel comprising Prof. Mark Warwick, who co-chairs the College's Department of Visual Arts, and editors of the College's magazine and website. Sixty-eight individuals submitted images. Voting was via a poll in the first-ever online edition of Gettysburg, the College's magazine, where her victory was first reported in the fall print edition.

In addition to the finalists, several images received email "write-in" votes: Jennifer Jameson Wakamatsu, Class of 1999; Paul "Hutch" Hutchinson, Class of 1998; Shane Swink, Class of 2013; Lara Asmonda, Class of 2013.

Submissions for Photo of the Day are always welcome. Anyone is eligible. Photos can be taken anywhere in the world, at any time past or present, as long as there is a connection to the Gettysburg College community, including alumni, families, students, faculty, and staff.

Contact: Jim Hale, online content editor

Gettysburg College student balances passion for athletics, music

Mon, 26 Oct 2009

Put football players on a football field and you will get noise. But pull Gettysburg College junior Anthony DeSalva away from practice and put him in a recital hall and he will make something else.

Something beautiful. Something meaningful. Something personal. DeSalva's best position?

It's not running back. It is when he is facing a piano translating music; his music, that he wrote himself.

"It became something I did on my own and something I love to do," said DeSalva.

DeSalva, a native of Redding, Conn., has been playing since he was seven years-old, composing since he was eleven. He has finished around ten pieces of music; some of which placed in state high school competitions.

And while Anthony prefers Billy Joel, his creations are mostly classical.

"My teacher always harps (on) the classicals; the Bachs and the Mozarts," he said. "So I like to think I have a good feel for everything."

A piano has 88 keys and over 1200 different possible chords. Writing music has to be more difficult than reading a playbook, right?

DeSalva says its difficult to compare the two. But this time of year, he spends more time practicing and playing football, than writing and playing music.

"If you're just football, football, football, it can wear on you," said Gettysburg head coach Barry Streeter, now in his 31st year. "You need to have other things (in your life)."

Anthony obviously has that.

"It's just a way to relax and let loose," DeSalva said of composing his own music and playing the piano. "You got nothing to do, (you say) 'Let's play the piano and do something constructive.'"

Something constructive away from the football field. Away from all that noise.

By: Jason Bristol, WHP-CBS Ch. 21 News

Gettysburg College celebrates Sustainability Week Oct. 19-24

Mon, 19 Oct 2009

During Sustainability Week, Oct. 19 to 24, Gettysburg College will celebrate with a wide range of activities including lectures, films, public service opportunities, and a community rally Oct. 24 to support 350.org International Climate Day of Action.

Numerous campus entities are involved including the Gettysburg Environmental Concerns Organization (GECO), Department of Environmental Studies, and Center for Public Service (CPS). Gettysburg College has an entire website dedicated to sustainability.

Monday, Oct. 19
GECO Film Series, "King Korn," 8 p.m. in Masters Hall Room 208

Tuesday, Oct. 20
Dr. Shari Gearheard lecture, "Inuit and Environmental Change in Nunavut, Canada," 11:30 a.m. in CUB Room 260

Wednesday, Oct. 21, Campus Sustainability Day
Campus Sustainability Forum, 4 p.m. in CUB Room 260
GECO Film Series "Greening of Southie," 8PM in Masters Hall Room 208

Thursday, Oct. 22
Hundred Mile Meal, 5 p.m. in the Dining Center, sponsored by Farmhouse
Taste the flavors of food grown within a 100-mile radius of Gettysburg College

Friday, Oct. 23
Family Weekend Service Opportunities: Building Sustainable Communities

Farmhouse Open House and Potluck, 5 to 7 p.m. in Farmhouse
A student theme house dedicated to the promotion of sustainability and social justice, Farmhouse is located at the intersection of West Lincoln Avenue and Carlisle Street.

GECO Film Series, "Everything's Cool," 8 p.m. in Masters Hall Room 208.

Saturday, Oct. 24
Gettysburg Farmer's Market, 7 a.m. to noon, Lincoln Square in Gettysburg

350.org International Climate Day of Action Community Rally, 3:15 p.m. on Stine Lake in front of Musselman Library

In addition to Sustainability Week, Gettysburg College recently received a grade of B on the Sustainability Report Card. This is up from a grade of C+ a year ago. The Sustainability Report Card grades institutions in a variety of categories including administration, change and energy, food and recycling, green building, student involvement, transportation, endowment transparency, investment priorities, and shareholder engagement.

Contact: Kendra Martin, director of media relations

Free French film festival to begin Oct. 26 at Majestic Theater

Mon, 19 Oct 2009

Gettysburg College's French Department will present a film festival featuring three movies at the Majestic Theater beginning October 26 in honor of National French Week.

Michel Ocelot's "Azur and Asmar," which will take place Oct. 26, is the story of two boys - the white, blue-eyed Prince Azur and the dark-skinned Asmar. It addresses racism, intolerance and superstition. Claude Lelouch's "Roman de Gare," which will take place Nov. 2, is the story of Judith Ralitzer, a successful crime novelist in search of inspiration for her next bestseller. Claude Miller's "A Secret," which will take place Nov. 9, is the story of a Jewish family in post-World War II Paris. All three movies will begin at 7 p.m. and are free and open to the public.

Founded in 1832, Gettysburg College is a highly selective four-year residential college of liberal arts and sciences. With a student body of approximately 2,600, it is located on a 200-acre campus adjacent to the Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania.

Contact: Kendra Martin, director of media relations

Homecoming weekend Oct. 16-18 to bring 1,000 alumni to campus; festivities planned

Fri, 16 Oct 2009

More than 1,000 Gettysburg College alumni are expected to return to campus Oct. 16 to 18 for Homecoming weekend festivities. The celebratory weekend will feature a host of events available to both alumni and the public, featuring the 100th anniversary of the Bullets Marching Band and 25th anniversary of Kline Theatre.

A sampling of events appears below. The complete list is available and more information.

Two exhibits, "Edward S. Curtis: Photogravures from The North American Indian" and "Scenic Designs by Jerry Hanson, 1984-2009: A Celebration of Theater at Gettysburg College," Oct. 16 to 17, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Schmucker Art Gallery

Field hockey, Gettysburg vs. Washington College, Oct. 16, 3 p.m., Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium

Psychology lecture, Butler University Professor Amanda Gingerich Hege '98, "When Being Sad Improves Memory Accuracy: The Role of Affective State in Inadvertent Plagiarism," Oct. 16, 3:30 p.m., Bowen Auditorium, McCreary Room 115

Celebrating 25 years of Theatre Arts at Gettysburg College reception, "Scenic Designs by Jerry Hanson, 1984-2009," Oct. 16, 5 to 7 p.m., Schmucker Art Gallery

Martin Fausold (Class of 1944) History Department Lecture, University of Tennessee Professor Stephen Ash, "Making War on Slavery: How Nine Hundred Black Troops Carried Out the Strangest Military Expedition of the Civil War," Oct. 16, 5 p.m., Breidenbaugh Hall's Joseph Theater, Room 201

Pep rally celebrating fall sports, Oct. 16, 7 p.m., Stine Lake (near Musselman Library)

Men's soccer, Gettysburg vs. Washington College, Oct. 16, 7 p.m., Clark Field

"The Imaginary Invalid," a comedy by Moliere, Oct. 16 and 17 at 8 p.m., Oct. 18 at 2 p.m., Kline Theatre in Brua Hall

Tours of the Center for Athletics, Recreation, and Fitness, Oct. 17, 9 to 11 a.m., tours leave every half hour from the Center Lobby

Alumni baseball game, Oct. 17, 10 a.m., Kirchhoff Field, contact Head Baseball Coach John Campo at 717-337-6413 or jcampo@gettysburg.edu

Gettysburg Invitational, men's and women's cross country, Oct. 17, 11 a.m., west side of Bream Wright Hauser Athletic Complex

Football, Gettysburg vs. Juniata College, Oct. 17, 1 p.m., Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium, half-time festivities include celebration of the 2009 Hall of Athletic Honor inductees and 100th anniversary of the Bullets Marching Band

Volleyball, Gettysburg vs. Washington College, Oct. 17, 1 p.m., Bream Gymnasium

Women's soccer, Gettysburg vs. Washington College, Oct. 17, noon, Clark Field

Gettysburg College's Sunderman Conservatory of Music Symphony Orchestra concert, Oct. 17, 8 p.m., Majestic Theater

Gettysburg College's Hall of Athletic Honor will also induct five individuals Oct. 17. Those slated for induction are: Braden Edwards, Class of 1990, men's lacrosse; Bill Gray, Class of 1996, cross country and men's indoor and outdoor track & field; Paul Hetrick, Class of 1974, wrestling; Amy Washburn, Class of 1994, field hockey and women's lacrosse; and Kari Williams, Class of 1983, women's basketball and lacrosse. The 1983-84 women's track and field team and 1983-84 women's basketball team will also be recognized.

Gettysburg College is a highly selective four-year residential college of liberal arts and sciences. With approximately 2,600 students, it is located on a 200-acre campus adjacent to Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania. The college was founded in 1832.

Gettysburg College grad wins Elie Wiesel ethics essay award

Fri, 16 Oct 2009

A Gettysburg College graduate was a winner in the Elie Wiesel Prize In Ethics Essay Contest for 2009.

Alexander Englert graduated in May with a major in philosophy. His essay, written while he was a student, is "a sensitive and beautifully written reflection prompted by his visit to Buchenwald during the year he studied in Germany," wrote his faculty sponsor, philosophy Prof. Kerry Walters.

The essay recounts Englert's weekly visits with a retired philosophy professor and former German soldier who was in a nursing home. The close bond that resulted led Englert to probe the nature of personal responsibility within history.

"The man I spoke with was the same person who had been a young boy in the ‘Hitler Youth,'" Englert wrote. "During the last years of the war, he was forced to served in the Luftwaffehilferdienst. Therefore, Peter was a Nazi, but is he guilty and/or responsible? Will I one day curse about the Bush administration as Peter often cursed Hitler for having put Germany in such a predicament? The young generations ask ‘Why did you let that happen?' The older generation asks ‘How did that happen?'"

"It is only through asserting one's presence that the individual can influence the static net of history," Englert wrote. "Yet, the times can play the role of nemesis when the moment comes in which the individual must act."

Thousands of college and university students from across the United States have taken part in the contest, established in 1989 by the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity. "Whatever the answer to essential questions of society and individual human beings may be, education is surely its major component," Wiesel wrote on the foundation's website. "But what would education be without its ethical dimension? Many of us believe them to be inseparable."

Englert's essay won the third prize of $1,500. An awards ceremony took place Oct. 8 in New York City.

Englert's award is an example of how students can benefit from Gettysburg College's commitment to helping them seek fellowships and scholarships. Englert earned two DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) scholarships that permitted him to study in Heidelberg. In addition, he earned a Dwight D. Eisenhower/Conrad N. Hilton Scholarship for Study Abroad, which is a grant of up to $10,000 awarded annually to a Gettysburg College student.

Englert, who majored in German and writing along with philosophy, graduated with highest honors and was elected to the campus chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.

Wiesel is a renowned human rights activist, Nobel Peace Prize winner, author, and Holocaust survivor. The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity's mission, rooted in the memory of the Holocaust, is to combat indifference, intolerance and injustice through international dialogue and youth-focused programs that promote acceptance, understanding and equality.

Contact: Jim Hale, online content editor

Posted Oct. 16, 2009

Faculty recital Oct. 18 at Gettysburg College

Wed, 14 Oct 2009

Sunderman Conservatory of Music Professor Susan Hochmiller will perform works for soprano and flute Oct. 18 at Gettysburg College.

The 2:30 p.m. performance will take place in Schmucker Hall's Paul Recital Hall. The performance repertoire ranges from 18th century opera to 20th century art song and will include Nel dolce dell'oblio by Handel, Two Remembrances by Previn, Trois Chants de Noel by Martin, Rossignols Amoureux from Hippolyte et Aricie by Rameau, Three Irish Folksong Settings by Corigliano and Le Rossignol by Delibes. Guest artist Tabatha Easley and accompanist Scott Crowne will also be featured.

Founded in 1832, Gettysburg College is a highly selective four-year residential college of liberal arts and sciences. With a student body of approximately 2,600, it is located on a 200-acre campus adjacent to the Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania.

Dining Center recognized by University Business magazine

Wed, 14 Oct 2009

Gettysburg College's Dining Center has been named a runner-up in the "Dining Halls of Distinction" recognition program by University Business magazine. "Dining Halls of Distinction" represent excellence in all aspects of dining operations, including atmosphere, service, variety of offerings, guest satisfaction, environmental sustainability, and financial stability.

Sixty-five higher education institutions from across the nation submitted their dining programs for consideration. Entries were evaluated by three editors and the magazine's art director, as well as by recent college graduates and Dr. Neal A. Raisman, a higher education consultant and former college president. Four winners and eight runners-up were selected from the entries.

The college's Dining Center, which is self-operated, allows students be self-sufficient, whether making their own sandwiches and paninis or serving as guest chefs at the ‘eggs to order' station. Vegetarians can help themselves to deli protein items and produce from the student-run on-campus organic garden. Families can also order and send their student a birthday cake or specialty item through the Spoil ‘em Long Distance program.

"We are thrilled to be recognized by University Business," said Deb Hydock, assistant director of dining services at Gettysburg College. "Our dedicated staff offers the best customer service and food quality daily. We strive to meet our customers' needs by providing a wide variety of menu choices in a clean and comfortable atmosphere. The one-on-one contact we have with students enables us to respond quickly."

A complete list of winners and runner-ups will appear in the October issue of University Business, which is available at www.universitybusiness.com. University Business is a magazine of business and technology solutions for higher education, reaching virtually every two- and four-year college in the United States.

Founded in 1832, Gettysburg College is a highly selective four-year residential college of liberal arts and sciences. With a student body of approximately 2,600, it is located on a 200-acre campus adjacent to the Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania.

‘Autumn Leaves’ fall jazz concert Oct. 23

Wed, 14 Oct 2009

The Gettysburg College Sunderman Conservatory of Music's annual fall jazz concert "Autumn Leaves" featuring the Boston Brass will take place Oct. 23 at the Majestic Theater.

The 8 p.m. performance is part of the Family Weekend festivities at Gettysburg College. The Gettysburg College Jazz Ensemble will perform under the direction of Professor John "Buzz" Jones. Senior saxophonists Kurt Hagemann and Rebecca Shaffer will be featured soloists and sophomore Natasha Maskaly will make her debut singing Duke Ellington's "Satin Doll." The world-renowned Boston Brass will also perform a medley of Blood, Sweat, and Tears compositions.

The Boston Brass will be at the Sunderman Conservatory of Music as part of a three-day residency offering workshops and master classes. They will also play a Brown Bag Jazz concert Oct. 22 at noon in Schmucker Hall and host a brass master class Oct. 23 at 3 p.m., which is open to high school students and their band directors.

Tickets for the Oct. 23 concert are $5. There will be no charge for Gettysburg College students and employees with college identification or children under the age of 12. More information is available at 717-337-8200 or www.gettysburgmajestic.org.

Symphony Orchestra to perform Oct. 17

Wed, 14 Oct 2009

Gettysburg College's Sunderman Conservatory of Music Symphony Orchestra will perform Oct. 17 at the Majestic Theater.

The 8 p.m. concert, "Forces of Destiny," will feature an opening performance of Verdi's dramatic overture to the opera, La forza del Destino. Mozart's Flute Concerto in G Major and Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 will also be performed. Tickets for the event are $5. There will be no charge for Gettysburg College students and employees with college identification or children under the age of 12.

'The Imaginary Invalid' to be performed Oct. 16-25

Tue, 13 Oct 2009

Gettysburg College's Department of Theatre Arts will present "The Imaginary Invalid" by Moliere beginning Oct. 16.

In "The Imaginary Invalid," a hypochondriac, who is victimized by two pompous doctors, tests his daughter's loyalty and discovers the greed and contempt of his scheming wife. Moliere's focuses a bright light on the hypocrisies and frailties of humanity. Moliere (Jean-Baptiste Poquelin) is considered one of the most brilliant satirists in the history of literature.

The performances will take place in Kline Theatre located off North Washington Street Oct. 16, 17, 23 and 24 at 8 p.m. and Oct. 18 and 25 at 2 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required for Friday and Saturday performances. For tickets and more information, call 717-337-6060.

Chris Kauffman, associate professor of theatre arts at Gettysburg College, directs the cast which includes first-year student Sara Vanasse; sophomores Adam Pelta-Pauls, Chennelle Bryant-Harris and Gianina Galatro; and junior Rob White.

Contact: Kendra Martin, director of media relations

Seminar on homelessness incorporates service-learning trip to Washington, D.C.

Fri, 9 Oct 2009

Gettysburg College students are going beyond the classroom to learn about homelessness.

A five-day trip to Washington, D.C., from Oct. 9 to 13, is the keystone of English Prof. Chris Fee's first-year seminar, "Tryin' to Find a Way Back Home: An Introduction to the Literature and Legacy of Homelessness in America."

"Homelessness is a term that conjures up unsavory images in the popular imagination, flat, generic, clichés that owe as much to fear as to fact. The truth is, children account for a shocking proportion of the homeless in America today, as do women fleeing abuse, as do the working poor, many of whom find it impossible to secure affordable housing in many of our cities," Fee said.

The students will blog about their experiences and post comments, photos and video confessionals.

Focusing on service and experiential learning, the first-year seminar was designed in collaboration with the college's Center for Public Service. In the classroom, students study and discuss information from a number of sources including non-fiction texts, organizational websites, popular newspapers and magazines, memoirs, novels, and films. Students also fulfill service commitments in the local community throughout the semester.

The trip is based at N-Street Village at Luther Place and draws on relationships between Gettysburg College and DC Central Kitchen, National Coalition for the Homeless, Community for Creative Non-Violence, DC Outfitters, and other service organizations.

"Why do the stereotypes of the pushy panhandler and the drunken bum continue to dominate our collective vision of homelessness? What can be done to alleviate the circumstances surrounding homelessness in America? Should we act? Should we care? These are just some of the question that we consider during the course of this seminar and take with us to D.C. The students gain a more visceral sense of the problems, while at the same time learning in a practical way some of the ‘tools' that are already being used to help the homeless," Fee said.

Fee's seminar was featured in the Winter 2007 alumni magazine.