I am thrilled to say that we are in full events season again in the College of Humanities and the Arts. My evenings and weekends are packed with excitement as I go from performance to concert to poetry reading.
I attended an appropriately terrifying “Poe Fest” the night before Halloween, and also an inspirational poetry reading by Tracy K. Smith sponsored by the College’s Center for Literary Arts. I have been to numerous concerts, including a hot night of Puerto Rican salsa performed by our Latin Jazz Ensemble in honor of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s inspirational visit to campus in October. Generosity and grace are two hallmark characteristics of this incredible woman, who visited with students throughout the afternoon, including a meeting with six from Rita Manning’s Philosophy of Law course, during which she chatted warmly with the students about legal careers.
Justice Sotomayor indisputably is an inspirational force, as was our amazing Third Annual H&A Student Showcase. With more than one hundred performers and participants, this was our most sophisticated Student Showcase yet. If you missed it, you can watch the showcase video or visit our Facebook photo album.
Our students and faculty continue to garner extraordinary recognition for their talents.
The Theatre Bay Area nominations featured two of our talented lecturers. TV, Radio, Film, and Theatre designer York Kennedy was nominated for a Lighting Design Award for the American premiere of The Cutting Ball Theater’s new translation of Samuel Gallet’s Communiqué N° 10. The department’s Michael Locher was also nominated for Outstanding Scenic Design for his work on Anthony Shaffer’s Sleuth at Center REPertory Company. Learn more.
The University Scholar Series features two of our faculty this semester. In October, Aaron Lington gave a rousing talk about music composition and the path to his recent Grammy Award. On November 19 at 12pm in Martin Luther King, Jr., Library 225, Jo Farb Hernández will speak about her book Singular Spaces. Alice Carter also gave an inspiring talk at MLK Library, this one in the provocative series “What Should the Future of Our University Be?”
On September 19, the 9th Annual U.S.-Japan Future Forum took place on campus with a focus on the future of high-speed rail. The program included keynote addresses by Dan Richard, chair of the board of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, and Masaki Ogata, vice chair of the East Japan Railway Company. SJSU speakers included Chris Jochim and Emeritus Executive Director of the Mineta Transportation Institute, Rod Diridon.
Incredibly, six (!) of our faculty members were featured at the annual Author Celebration. Honorees hail from different fields and departments, and all share a commitment to scholarship and creative activity that has yielded impressive results. Please join me in applauding: Anne Fountain, for José Martí, the United States, and Race; Rosemary Henze, for How Real is Race? A Sourcebook on Race, Culture and Biology, 2nd Edition; Alison McKee, for The Woman’s Film of the 1940s: Gender, Narrative, and History; Manjari Ohala, for Sound Patterns of Hindi; Scott Sublett, for Screenwriting for Neurotics; and Nick Taylor, for The Setup Man.
The intellectual, civic, and creative activity of students in H&A is truly astounding. Philosophy’s Janet Giddings recently helped the Medical Ethics students provide consultation about advance health care directives on campus. The School of Music and Dance hosted “Be a Music Major for a Day” in October, welcoming 100 high school students to campus to learn more about our amazing programs.
SJSU students made a strong showing at the 2014 CSU Media Arts Festival. We swept the Feature Screenplay category with three SJSU students: Cassia Homann (nominated for “EM”), Chau Nyuyen (nominated for “Porcelain”), and Michael Quintana (nominated for “White Rabbit”). In the Animation category, Megan Hart and Megan Lawton were nominated for “End of the Vine.” Learn more.
I also have some sad news to share. On October 30, beloved French professor Dominique van Hooff passed away. A model of elegance, kindness, and warm intelligence, Professor van Hooff will be missed by colleagues, students, and loved ones alike. Her passing serves as a reminder to us all that a life of service in education has impact beyond measure.
As we head into the season of giving thanks, I wish everyone a productive and healthy end to the semester and the calendar year. I also take the opportunity to remind readers that the work done in the College of Humanities and the Arts is something society and employers continue to reward and be thankful for. A recent article on “Why Employers Love Liberal Arts Graduates” says it all!
With warm regards,
Lisa Vollendorf
Dean, College of Humanities and the Arts
