College of Charleston News Stories

January 2006

 

 

 

 

January 31, 2006

 

Warrantless wiretapping OK?

 

Sam Spence, 19, College of Charleston, Charleston, S.C.: My opposition to Bush's monitoring plan stems not from my fear of being overheard on the phone, but rather the implications such an allowance would give to future administrations. Already being granted very broad access through FISA (the Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978), the Executive Branch should not be given power to be explicitly exempt from presenting probable cause. This is not an issue of invasion of privacy, but rather one of precedent for future administrations.

 

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/13752267.htm

 

 

January 31, 2006

 

Sanford OK with intelligent design

But intelligent design isn't provable by experimentation and thus doesn't meet a definition for a teachable science topic, according to College of Charleston physics professor Bob Dukes and biology associate professor Robert Dillon Jr.

Dillon is a founding member of South Carolinians for Science Education, which a group of scientists and educators formed after state legislators made statements similar to Sanford's and in an effort to address contention over the final approval of state biology teaching standards.

The pair took the governor to task for his televised statements. They argued that there aren't "chinks" in the armor of evolution, and said a later citation of the second law of thermodynamics was taken out of context.

http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=68174&section=localnews

 

 

January 30, 2006

 

Reviewing how to save Charleston - past and present (Editorial)

Secondly, a dashing young reporter who joined our picket line was removed from the story. Today, Robert Stockton is teaching in the History Department at the College of Charleston and is a major voice on the BAR.

 

http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=68046&section=commentary

 

 

January 30, 2006

 

Study of stadium plan urged

But, said Andy Felts, a political science professor at the College of Charleston with expertise in government financing, “He’s got a vested interest in making the numbers look good.

“I don’t know that I would be necessarily suspicious of that, but certainly I would look at it with a very critical eye.”

To Felts, the baseball stadium project sounds like a “risky proposition,” the cost of which could fall back on county taxpayers.

“If this guy goes belly up, which he could do, unless he’s bought insurance for the repayment, they’re going to eat it,” Felts said of county taxpayers. “It’s going to be their debt.”

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/local/13744934.htm

 

 

January 29, 2006

 

CSO makes sure love is in the air this week

According to College of Charleston music professor William D. Gudger, the composition of a full-scale ballet based on the "Romeo and Juliet" story was one of Prokofiev's first main projects when he resettled in his native Russia (by then the Soviet Union) in the 1930s after some years of wandering and living for a time in Paris and America.

 

http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=67734&section=artstravel

 

 

January 28, 2006

 

Gainesville, Georgia

 

College's events honor black history

Marvin Dulaney, associate professor of history at the College of Charleston, is scheduled to speak on "The Ties That Bind" at noon Feb. 22 in the Continuing Education/Performing Arts Center's auditorium.

Dulaney, executive director of the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture, will refer to his appearance on the Public Broadcasting System special, "Slavery and the Making of America."

http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/stories/20060128/localnews/61696.shtml

 

 

January 28, 2006

 

Education issue is hot topic

More than 270 educators from around the state attended the Friday conference at the College of Charleston on "Overcoming the Achievement Gap: Strategies for Eliminating Educational Disparities in our Public Schools."

They filled every seat and stood along the walls to listen to the exchange, many offering their perspectives and asking questions during the panel discussion.

So many people tried to register for the conference that some were turned away because of lack of space, said Terence Bowers, one of the conference organizers and an associate professor at the College of Charleston.

He thought the high attendance numbers were indicative of the importance of the conference's content and relevance.

http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=67840&section=localnews

 

January 28, 2006

Footlight's 'Amadeus' brings flawed genius Mozart to life

The Footlight Players' "Amadeus" may rank first in the many celebrations of the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth being held this year.

Henry Riggs is amazing as Mozart and succeeds in making the composer come alive as a contemporary entity. The youthful Mozart is cocky, obscene and blatantly cheats on his faithful wife. Riggs, a sophomore at the College of Charleston, shows talent far beyond his years.

http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=67775&section=localnews

 

January 26, 2006

 

 

Hardly Mozart

 

Three doses of Mozart are coming up around here: Charleston Symphony Orchestra's Mozart Birthday Bash, Friday, 8 p.m., Marion Square, mostly sold out. Call 723-7528, ext. 101 . St. Luke's Recital Series with organist William D. Gudger, Feb. 7, 12:15 p.m., St. Luke's Chapel, Ashley Avenue at Bee Street, free . and a Mozart recital by College of Charleston faculty members, Feb. 24, 8 p.m. Simons Center for the Arts, 54 St. Philip St., free.

 

http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=67254&section=localnews

 

 

January 26, 2006

 

Historian to tell true tales of pirates of the Caribbean

Rediker, author of "Villains of All Nations: Atlantic Pirates in the Golden Age" and several other maritime history books, speaks tonight at the College of Charleston about the "greatest generation" of pirates, a band that included Blackbeard.

It's a good time to be in pirates these days, and Rediker titles his lecture "Life

and Death Among the Pirates: Or, The Real Pirates of the Caribbean." That, of course, raises the question: What does a pirate historian think of the Disney flick?

"It's wonderful entertainment, and historical nonsense," Rediker said. "It's just filled with all the stereotypes. Actually, the real history is much more powerful."

http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=67264&section=localnews

 

 

January 25, 2006

 

 

GSC to celebrate Black History Month with Cultural Events Series

 

Gainesville State College will celebrate Black History Month with a Cultural Events Series.

The month-long series kicks off on Wednesday, Feb. 1, at noon in the Student Center with “AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORICAL DISPLAY”. The display will contain information about inventions by African Americans including Dr. Charles Drew who was the pioneer of the blood bank and George Crum who invented the potato chip.

 

On Wednesday, Feb. 15, at noon, there will be a “CULTURAL FESTIVAL” in the Student Center. The event will feature cultural interaction by the Black Student Association and will include diverse array of entertainment and cultural foods.

“THE TIES THAT BIND” will be presented by Dr. Marvin Dulaney, Associate Professor of History at the College of Charleston. Dr. Dulaney is the Executive Director of the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture and will address the GSC student body in reference to his appearance on the PBS Special, “Slavery and the Making of America” on Wednesday, Feb. 22 at noon in the Continuing Education/Performing Arts Center Auditorium

 

http://www.accessnorthga.com/news/hall/newfullstory.asp?ID=100373

 

 

January 25, 2006

 

 

 

 

S.C. jobless rate second-worst in U.S.

South Carolina's jobless rate eased slightly to 7 percent in December, but job gains in Louisiana left the state with the nation's second-highest unemployment rate and some saying "Thank God for Mississippi."

In November, the state's unemployment rate was 7.1 percent. The good news in the numbers is the December decrease breaks a four-month trend of rising joblessness. But the bad news is that South Carolina now has the distinction of being second in unemployment only to hurricane-ravaged Mississippi's 9.9 percent, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics released Tuesday.

"Thank God for Mississippi," College of Charleston economist Frank Hefner said.

"Seven percent is not good - no matter what anybody says," he said.

http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/myrtlebeachonline/business/13705941.htm

 

 

January 24, 2006

 

 

Hurricane Hugo May Hold Lessons for Gulf Coast

by  

All Things Considered,· As Gulf Coast communities rebuild after Hurricane Katrina, some are hoping to emulate the experience of Charleston, S.C. Hurricane Hugo devastated the city in 1989, but in many ways, it ended up stronger afterward.

..and trendy shops College of Charleston economists Frank after Says You though brought in almost three billion dollars of insurance money and in a measurable amount of national publicity...

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5170716

 

 

January 23, 2006

 

 

 

NASA awards Medal, research grants to College of Charleston professors for gamma ray study

 

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration selected the College of Charleston for two grants to conduct gamma ray research. The funding comes from NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Universe Division, in Washington, D.C.

The grants are for basic research relevant to the Swift gamma ray burst mission. The primary goal of this mission is to determine the origin of gamma ray bursts and to use the bursts to probe the early universe. A gamma ray is a type of electromagnetic radiation.

Swift is a unique, multi-wavelength observatory dedicated to the study of gamma ray burst science. Its three instruments work together to observe gamma ray bursts and afterglows, and X-ray, ultraviolet and optical wavebands.

Swift’s mission objectives are to determine the origin of gamma ray bursts, classify gamma ray bursts and search for new types, determine how the blast wave evolves and interacts with the surroundings, use gamma ray bursts to study the early universe and perform the first sensitive hard X-ray survey of the sky.

One of the grants, a total of $29,886 awarded to Jon Hakkila, professor and chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy, will support a systematic search for two distinct gamma ray burst pulse types in the data of Swift’s Burst Alert Telescope.

The other grant, a total of $30,817 awarded to Timothy Giblin, assistant professor of astrophysics, will support the research of the transition from gamma ray burst to afterglow.

http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/current/12_2/news/5662-1.html

 

 

January 23, 2006

 

 

Retired professionals returning to school

The number of tri-county residents 60 years old and older will increase by nearly 60% by 2015, a trend that will leave little unaffected, including the area’s higher education institutions.

Officials say retirees, whether long-time Lowcountry residents or transplants from outside the area, are enrolling and bringing to the classroom experience and perspective.

In South Carolina, students 60 years old or older can attend classes at public institutions as space allows and for a fee that varies with the institution.

At the College of Charleston, Dorinda Harmon, director of transfer and adult student admissions, said she has worked in admissions for nearly 10 years and the number of older adult students enrolling in classes has consistently been about 100.

As the Charleston-area population ages, Harmon said it is possible the college will see an increased number of senior citizens.

http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/current/12_2/news/5682-1.html

 

 

January 23, 2006

 

Distinctions

The College of Charleston chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America has received the Chapter Development Award of the Champions For PRSSA, an informal, independent organization of professionals with a special interest in the student organization.

 

http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=66466&section=businessreview

 

 

January 23, 2006

 

Badminton can be a challenge

he College of Charleston opens up its gymnasium at George and Meeting streets to the public, without charge, 6-8 p.m. Fridays and even provides rackets and shuttlecocks.

There are six courts that can accommodate 24 players at one time. "I'm a badminton enthusiast," says Gene Sessoms, director of campus recreation services. "I started playing badminton with some professors and realized there is really nothing for badminton players in the Charleston area."

Sessoms adds that the majority of people who play are not college students.

https://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=66516&section=science

 

 

 January 23, 2006

 

Rochester, New York

More than a name

It wasn't until the second half of the 20th century that women really began to make clear-cut decisions on whether to change their names, says Alison Piepmeier, director of the Women's and Gender Studies Program at The College of Charleston in Charleston, S.C. With growing numbers of women taking more prominent positions in the workforce and in society, women began to opt out of automatically becoming Mrs. Smith.

Multiple marriages and blended families also have complicated the issue.

While following tradition might be easier than debating whether to hyphenate or what to do with children's names, that doesn't always have to be the answer, Piepmeier says.

"We're going to have to mess around in a bit of chaos for a while and see what works," she says.

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060123/LIVING/601230303/1032

 

 January 22, 2006

Putting the Word into Gullah language

As a result, many speakers of the language abandoned both their culture and their language, said Alada Shinault-Small, coordinator of education for the Avery Research Center for African-American History and Culture at the College of Charleston.

The scholarly work of Lorenzo Dow Turner in the 1930s proved a critical turning point. Turner documented that much of the vocabulary in the Gullah language had African origins. The culture and language then drew the attention of researchers and in the last 10 to 20 years Gullah/Geechee culture has become "hot," Shinault-Small said.

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/editorial/13680268.htm

 

 January 22, 2006

C of C puts Mozart in perspective

"I love big projects like this."

Sylvia Gamboa is usually the College of Charleston's dean of summer programs and a professor in the English Department, but every few years, when it's time to take on a special project, she becomes something more: the go-to person.

In 2000, she organized exhibitions and lectures on the Vietnam War; three years later, she combined the Jazz Era with academia; and now, the year of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's 250th birthday celebration, she is presenting "The Age of Mozart: Europe and America During Enlightenment and Revolution."

The idea is to put the composer in context, explore the events of his time, consider what Charleston was like in the late 18th century and, most of all, celebrate the music.

http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=66485&section=artstravel

 

January 21, 2006

Harry Lightsey Jr. (op/ed)

HARRY McKINLEY Lightsey Jr. built a legacy of servanthood in his 74 years on Earth.

Mr. Lightsey, who died Sunday, contributed to the betterment of South Carolina in myriad ways. The husband, father, veterinarian, politician, lawyer and college president spent much of his life serving others.

Despite his accomplishments, friends say he was a humble man who sought to give everyone a voice.

Mr. Lightsey, a member of the McNair Law Firm, served as the president of the College of Charleston as well as dean of the USC School of Law, of which he was a graduate. The Columbia native chaired the state Democratic Party during the 1970 elections and ran the political campaigns of the late Gov. John C. West.

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/opinion/13677476.htm

 

 

January 21, 2006

 

Science standards up for debate

Structuralism is a pre-Darwin theory that claims function follows form, explained Rob Dillon, a professor of biology at the College of Charleston. Whereby evolution shows that biological structure is a result of adaptation, Structuralism says that each organism is created according to a specific design.

"It's a flipping around of Darwinian principles," Dillon said.

http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=66617&section=localnews

 

January 21, 2006

Facebook the must-see Internet site on campus

Is it a message board, a dating service, a photo forum, a social organizer, a way to catch up with old friends or a sinister means of spying on every college and high school student in America?

Perhaps Facebook is all these things.

"It's the fact that we're all C of C students," said Taylor, who graduated from the College of Charleston in 2004 and edits the faculty/staff newsletter. "That sets it apart. It's public, but it isn't."

But Facebook can also cause real problems for students who don't take it seriously. Victor Wilson, vice president of Student Affairs at the College of Charleston, said many students were unaware that he and other staffers had profiles on Facebook and could look at those of their students. Because any College of Charleston graduate with an alumni .edu e-mail address could also join, potential employers are increasingly looking in, and aren't amused by photos of nudity, drunken or smoke-shrouded revelry, questionable group memberships or offensive statements.

"A friend of mine at a law firm was interviewing one of my students and they were really impressed with him," Wilson said. "They went to his Facebook account and said, 'We're not going to hire someone with a character like this.'"

http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=66611&section=localnews

 

January 8, 2006

JAZZING IT UP

Last Saturday, locals Karen Chandler, Jack McCray, and the Charleston Jazz All Stars, led by CJI composer, arranger, and band leader Quentin Baxter — all of them representatives from the Charleston Jazz Initiative — performed a multimedia presentation at the New York Hilton for the esteemed International Association for Jazz Education's annual conference. The 50-minute session featured a slideshow as well as a (presumably more energetic) performance of two numbers highlighting Charleston's native jazz musicians. "Corner Pocket" was written by Count Basie's rhythm guitarist, Charlestonian Freddie Green, and attendees also heard an original written by Baxter in honor of William Blake, a music teacher at the famed "Charleston jazz nursery" Jenkins Orphanage during the turn of the 19th century, titled "Brother Blake." The Jazz Initiative, a collaborative effort of CofC's Arts Management Program and the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture, took a big step forward with the New York appearance in bringing to light the contributions our city has made in the advancement of jazz since in the late 1800s. Keep up the good work, guys. — Neal Sakash

http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A9244

 

January 18, 2006

Hilton Head Island, S.C.

 

  Spartanburg, S.C.

Sanford State of the State address to play it low-key

"I think there's a new pragmatism this year in terms of relationships between the governor and the legislature," said Bill Moore, a professor of political science at College of Charleston.

Then there's the state's economy and 7.1 percent unemployment rate, the nation's third highest.

http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/myrtlebeachonline/news/local/13650761.htm

 

January 18, 2006

C of C creating new school

The College of Charleston will announce a major expansion today as it creates a new school dedicated to foreign languages and global studies.

The School of Languages, Cultures and World Affairs will be the sixth school for the college. In the short term, it means a simple consolidation of most of the college's international and foreign language courses, which had been lumped in with the humanities and social sciences.

http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=65946&section=localnews

 

January 17, 2006

The Washington Post

 

 

Hilton Head Island, S.C.

Former College of Charleston president dies

Harry Lightsey Jr. - a lawyer and former College of Charleston president credited with transforming the state's oldest school into a growing, economically viable university - has died. He was 74.

Lightsey died Sunday. A cause of death was not reported.

When Lightsey took over as interim president in 1986, the College of Charleston was in debt, auditors were warning of dire consequences from the state of the college's management and enrollment was shrinking.

Under Lightsey's leadership, Charleston made the transition to a university, but the undergraduate school is still called the College of Charleston. By the time he retired in 1992, enrollment had risen to 9,660 from 5,531.

"He made the College of Charleston what it is today," said University of South Carolina historian Walter Edgar, author of "South Carolina, a History."

http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/myrtlebeachonline/news/local/13642862.htm

 

January 17, 2006

Honoring King by serving

C of C students tackle community projects

Old tires, ropes, hula hoops, $75, six hours and a bunch of college students. It was all about honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

A group of College of Charleston students used items they borrowed and bought to build an obstacle course Monday for underprivileged children at the Pink House, a West Ashley after-school literacy and health awareness program for about 45 children ages 4-12.

The Mulberry Street house is pink, but Pink House stands for People Innovating New Kinships through Helping Others Uplift Services and Education.

As part of the college's third annual MLK Challenge, about 160 students split into teams of 12-15 and were given $75 per team, a van and six hours to complete projects that they didn't know anything about beforehand. Other projects included painting a mural at Dunston Elementary School, building a wheelchair ramp for a Wadmalaw Island resident and collecting gently used prom dresses and accessories for St. Matthew's Community Outreach Center.

http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=65838&section=localnews

 

January 17, 2006

Harry M. Lightsey Jr. (editorial)

By any measure, Harry M. Lightsey Jr. was a man of extraordinary achievement. The former law school dean and college president, who died Sunday at age 74, was a man of enormous intellect, humility and compassion. In every role he filled, he was at the forefront of setting his state and its institutions on the right course.

Harry Lightsey began his career not as a constitutional scholar but a country veterinarian, and he remained soft-spoken, good-humored and unruffled throughout his career, no matter how difficult the challenge. His intellect and leadership abilities were obvious early in his academic career, including his presidency of the Clemson student body, his graduation with honors from both Clemson and the University of Georgia and his designation as first honor graduate of the University of South Carolina when he received his law degree. For decades he had the distinction of being the only graduate of the USC Law School to make all As.

http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=65821&section=editorials

 

January 17, 2006

'Wired' oceans can shed light on deep-sea wonders

The Charleston Bump is a big rock a half-mile deep in the Gulf Stream some 80 miles out to sea from its namesake. Let's say that one morning a sea worm never seen before slips out of a crack there.

A College of Charleston lab student, her sunglasses propped on her forehead, pulls her bare feet out of her flip-flops and zooms in on it. She e-mails the federal Coastal Services Center to ask if it can be collected. Minutes later it is being studied in a genome laboratory - a half-mile down. She goes on to class across the Cistern.

"We do not understand the ocean waters enough and the ocean drives the climate, the growing season - the ocean affects us every day," said Leslie Sautter, College of Charleston geology professor and director of Oceanica, which educates about oceanographic research.

http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=65809&section=localnews

 

January 16, 2006

Forum to focus on property tax reform plans

The League of Women Voters of the Charleston Area and the College of Charleston's Political Science Department will host a public forum Wednesday evening in Charleston on the hot topic of property tax reform.

Speaking on Wednesday will be:

--William Moore, a political science professor at College of Charleston and often-quoted political analyst who specializes in legislative processes in South Carolina.

http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=65731&section=localnews

 

January 16, 2006

  Spartanburg, S.C.

College gets $2.5 million to set up new school

The College of Charleston has received $2.5 million to help establish a School of Languages, Cultures and World Affairs. The gift comes from the Samuel Freeman Charitable Trust.

“This generous gift will help the new school develop students into enlightened, responsible, engaged world citizens,” said Samuel Hines, dean of the School of Languages, Cultures and World Affairs, in a news release.

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/local/13635773.htm

 

January 16, 2006


College of Charleston ex-president dies at 74

Harry Lightsey Jr. helped take school out of debt, boosted student enrollment

Harry McKinley Lightsey Jr. — the former College of Charleston president who guided that historic state institution to financial solvency, student body growth and membership in the NCAA during his six-year tenure — died Sunday. He was 74.

The Columbia native also played a key role in S.C. politics, chairing the state Democratic Party during the 1970 elections and guiding the political campaigns of the late Gov. John C. West.

The 1970 gubernatorial contest was marked by strident appeals to racism by the Republican nominee, U.S. Rep. Albert Watson. West, with Lightsey “guiding him to the high ground,” rejected Watson’s segregationist views and was elected governor, said Phil Grose, a former journalist and a historian of the period.

 http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/13635716.htm

 

January 15, 2006

Cartoonists seek new forms

 

"The best cartoonists reach out from the page, grab you by the shirt collar and try to shake you out of your apathy and your indifference," said Chris Lamb, a media professor at the College of Charleston in South Carolina who wrote a book about the subject, Drawn to Extremes: The Use and Abuse of Editorial Cartoons in the United States (Columbia University Press, 2004).

Lamb, who teaches news and opinion writing, among other disciplines, said that getting rid of staff cartoonists, particularly the most controversial ones, diminishes a newspaper's power to provoke thought and discussion.

 

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/ideas/bal-id.cartoonists15jan15,1,5465115.story?coll=bal-ideas-headlines

 

 

January 15, 2006

Arts Pioneer

Edwin Augustus Harleston was a man for all seasons. Winter came early, however. He died at 49, but not before leaving an indelible Lowcountry mark on the landscape of American art.

An exhibit of the Charleston painter's work will open Saturday at the Avery Research Center for African-American History and Culture with the purpose of not only showing his art, but revealing the historical importance of his efforts in the worlds of art, business and social consciousness.

"We want to contextualize his work," said Leila Potts Campbell, associate director at Avery and curator of the show. The run will commence with a black-tie reception at Avery's McKinley Washington Auditorium at 3 p.m. Saturday. The exhibit will be up until the end of June.

http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=65400&section=artstravel

 

January 15, 2006

Minding a composer's business

Trevor Weston supplements his income by writing music. His salary is provided by the College of Charleston, where he teaches. A conservatory, or music school, has become the primary avenue for composers to break into the business and establish a reputation. Without a reputation, a composer's got nothing, Weston says.

He knew from an early age that music was his calling. He sang in a boys choir, learned piano and organ and secured the proverbial church gigs that are among the goals of any organist or singer.

"All the while, I was writing little tunes," he said, "but I never thought that (composing) was something I could pursue."

As a student at Tufts University in Massachusetts, he could take courses such as music theory and harmony at Boston's New England Conservatory. At Tufts, he was introduced to the man who would push him onto the composer's path. T.J. Anderson recognized the ease with which Weston understood musical language, and the mentor encouraged his disciple to pursue a graduate degree in composition.

Little by little, Weston accumulated a body of work. Five years ago, he joined the staff at the College of Charleston.

"The tradition in composition is, you have to have a patron," Weston says, "and academia is most composers' patron."

http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=65431&section=artstravel

 

January 15, 2006

Theater scene has something for everyone

"Fences," a Pulitzer Prize-winning play about a former baseball player, now a garbage man, will be performed by the Nouveau Noir Ensemble from Friday through Jan. 22 at the Dock Street Theatre.

The drama, directed by Art Gilliard, will be presented by the Avery Research Center for African-American History and Culture, and the College of Charleston's Parents of Diverse Students. Proceeds will benefit qualified minority students at the College of Charleston.

The Nouveau Noir Ensemble is a newly established group founded by Charles Venning, Henry Clay Middleton and Teresa Smith.

http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=65430&section=artstravel

 

January 14, 2006

Tears flow as families meet

The mother and sister of the late Laura S. Griffin stood huddled together, shedding tears, in the concession area of the College of Charleston's gymnasium Friday evening in anticipation of meeting someone very special for the first time.

It was as if Laura's mother, Jerry Griffin, and sister, Beth Griffin, were meeting a long-lost relative.

And in a way, they were. The Griffins were awaiting the arrival of Sonny Kirk, who received the transplanted heart of Laura nearly 10 years ago. She died after being hit by a drunken driver on Jan. 17, 1996. While the Kirks and Griffins had communicated, they had never met.

Then, in came Sonny Kirk and his wife, Diana.

The tears flowed from all four corners as they exchanged hugs and as Jerry and Beth took turns putting their heads on Sonny's chest, listening to his and Laura's heart beat.

"It's beating so strong," said Jerry, in one of the few comments that could be heard while the media was held back by college officials during the initial meeting.

http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=65552&section=localnews

 

January 14, 2006

Martin Luther King Jr. memorial events

Service projects: The College of Charleston holds the third annual MLK Challenge. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., student-led teams will complete service missions that benefit local nonprofits, schools, religious organizations and local governments with specific needs. Kick-off is in the Stern Center Ballroom at George and Coming streets. Teams will reassemble at 5 p.m. for a candlelight vigil. For more information or examples of challenges, call 953-5838 or go to www.cofc.edu/studentaffairs/service_learning/MLKChallenge.

http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=65458&section=localnews

 

January 14, 2006

BMW picks S.C. for Z4M Roadster

I had an opportunity to visit with Panke for a few minutes after the M Roadster was revealed. I congratulated him on his candid remarks and reminded him about my invitation a year ago to address the Spaulding Distinguished Speakers Series at the College of Charleston's School of Business & Economics.

http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=65445&section=automotive

 

January 14, 2006

Police nab man on assault charges

A 27-year-old man was in jail early Friday after police said he kidnapped a College of Charleston student at knifepoint, and then attempted to rape her in a parking lot just off campus.

Naveed Aftab Khan, a downtown bartender, was charged with assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, kidnapping, and assault with intent to commit criminal sexual conduct. Kahn, of Rutledge Avenue, was in the Charleston County Detention Center on $510,000 bail.

College of Charleston Police Chief Paul Verrecchia said it appeared to be a random attack.

About 3:30 a.m., a witness told a college police officer she saw a man force a woman into a parking lot at 151 Calhoun St. behind a coffee shop.

Seconds later, College of Charleston public safety officer Lester Klvanna walked across the parking lot and saw a man holding a woman against a building at knifepoint.

http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=65514&section=localnews

 

January 13, 1006

Humpback beached on Cape Island killed when hit by ship, biologists say

The whale's body was spotted Saturday floating about 18 miles offshore from Charleston. It is believed to have washed up Tuesday night or early Wednesday on the island 40 miles to the north. Four ocean service biologists and two College of Charleston graduate students performed the necropsy. McFee thanked Sarah Dawsey of U.S. Fish and Wildlife, who supplied a boat and an ATV.

http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=65243&section=localnews

 

January 13, 2006

Aid gave hope (letter to the editor)

More than three months ago, Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, which is my hometown and that of my husband. It is where our families and friends lived. Like thousands of others, our families lost all or most of their possessions.

After we were able to locate everyone and gather them together at our home in Summerville, we set about trying to put these fractured lives back together. It was traumatic, with our loved ones trying to deal with the shock of the loss, as well as each trying to move forward.

Deni and Michael Mitchell

610 Old Golf Road

Summerville

http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=65020&section=letters

 

January 13, 2006

Heart leads starter to Griffin Run

Griffin's death, however, remains a senseless loss for the Charleston community.

She was director of the college's Office of Substance Abuse Prevention, had just finished her doctorate in counseling and was active in the community.

Those who knew her described her as giving, hard-working and beautiful, both inside and out.

"She loved wildflowers," her mother said. "She loved to travel. She was an all-state tennis player and an accomplished pianist. . Even though she had her Ph.D., she never minded getting her hands dirty."

And in her absence, Laura Griffin has continued to make a difference in the world.

In addition to donating her heart, liver and kidneys to others, her family and the college started the Laura Griffin run, which along with non-race donations has raised about $200,000 to fund small student scholarships and an endowed chair in the college's counseling and substance abuse office.

http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=65276&section=localnews

 

January 12, 2005

View the art of war at Halsey

"Historically, Arcadia is a region in ancient Greece known for primitive, yet paradise-like, characteristics of pastoral landscapes and roaming shepherds," says Mark Sloan, director of the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art at the College of Charleston. "Later, the term 'Arcadia' became used more loosely in prose as a pastoral, idyllic place, not specifically located in Greece, comparative to the idea of the 'Sublime' in 18th- and 19th-century European paintings. Poussin's painting implies many metaphors, for example, 'where there is life, there is also death.' “

http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=64883&section=preview

 

January 12, 2006

Hot tickets

Tenth Annual Laura Griffin 5K Run and Walk

Laura Griffin was the former director of the Office of Substance Abuse Prevention at the College of Charleston until she was killed in 1996 after a hit-and-run accident while jogging on The Battery. Her dedication to promoting healthier lifestyles, however, lives on in the annual run that bears her name. The 10th Annual Laura Griffin Memorial 5K Run and Walk begins on the College of Charleston campus early Saturday morning.

Late registration will be 6:30-7:30 a.m. near the "starting line" at Silcox Theater on Meeting Street. The 5K run will officially begin at 8 a.m., followed by the 5K walk at about 8:10 a.m. There also will be an extensive health fair 8:30-9:30 a.m. before the day's proceedings culminate in an awards ceremony at 9:30 a.m. For more information (age categories, area map, etc.) or to register in advance, visit www.cofc.edu/lauragriffinrun, or call 953-8248.

http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=64826&section=preview

 

January 12, 2005

Jah-Rastafari

Today, the Avery Research Center opens an exhibition of the work of local artist Jason "Jahsun" Mitchell, an interior designer, custom furniture maker and visual artist whose canvases reflect a Rastafarian lifestyle. "He's very, very African-centered and very colorful," said Alada Shinault-Small, education coordinator. The center is at 125 Bull St. and is open Monday-Friday. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday., noon-5 p.m. Call 953-7609. It's free.

http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=64902&section=localnews

 

January 11, 2006

 

 

VISUAL ARTS | Ego Trip

 

While Norfolk's 2002 exhibition at the Halsey juxtaposed his images with Afghani textiles, his new show has a distinct context of political science and social studies (co-curator Mark Long is an assistant professor of Political Science at College of Charleston).

"Norfolk has been working on this project for ten years," says Mark Sloan. "During that time he's been engaged in the idea of the effects of war on the landscape. That's a layer that's visible in his work, but there's a subtext — what this is doing to us as humans. He's a humanist, and I think his photos are a form of activism."

http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A9045

 

 

January 11, 2006

 

 

THE GOOD FIGHT | A Sense of Place

 

That is why Greg Liotta, the Rev. Ed Cosak of Unity Church, and other members of the Rosemary Project will come here next Saturday to pray and lay sprigs of rosemary on this unholy piece of ground. It is one of many places in the Charleston area which the Rosemary Project intends to identify and visit in coming months in an effort to bring healing and atonement to this troubled city.

"We're going to be deliberate and be respectful," Liotta said. "We want to know exactly what happened and to whom. We want to learn their names, if possible. We want to speak to them and understand them ... It's really about atonement."

There is much to atone for. Communities, like families, have skeletons in their closets, secrets that go unmentioned for decades, for generations, even as those families and communities are wracked by secret fears and regrets.

Liotta, Director of Diversity Initiatives at the College of Charleston, knows what he is talking about. A social worker by training, a mystic by nature, he specializes in the field of conflict resolution, both in families and in larger communities. "If people don't find a way to achieve harmony with each other," he said, "they are going to keep fighting."

Liotta has studied other examples of conflict resolution, including the hearings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa. At the end of apartheid, whites were allowed to expiate their crimes against blacks by coming forward and telling a public tribunal what they had done, often in gripping, gruesome detail. The hearings made for months of riveting testimony, much of it broadcast on South African television.

http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A9078

 

 

 

January 11, 2006

 

 

Roller Grrrls

The sight of women rolling around in short skirts and fishnets might not immediately bring to mind thoughts of empowerment, but Alison Piepmeier, director of women's and gender studies at the College of Charleston and co-editor of Catching a Wave: Reclaiming Feminism for the 21st Century, sees traces of third-wave feminism all over derby.

"Any kind of women's sport, I see as a positive thing, because it's showing us women's bodies not just on display as sex objects, but women's bodies doing something, women being powerful," she says.

http://www.houstonpress.com/issues/2006-01-12/news/feature_4.html

 

 

 

January 10, 2006

 

 

Three state colleges on top-value list

 

THE RANKINGS

1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2. University of Florida
3. University of Virginia
4. College of William and Mary
5. New College of Florida
6. University of Georgia
7. SUNY at Geneseo
8. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
9. Binghamton University (SUNY)
10. University of WashingtonState schools 24. Clemson University
31. University of South Carolina
56. College of Charleston

 

 

January 10, 2006

 

Police complaint review panel proposed

Von Bakanik, a sociology professor at the College of Charleston, said good will and trust are built slowly, but studies have shown that even bitter adversaries can overcome differences when they work toward a common goal. That might be achieved in simple ways, such as having police volunteer to work with community members to clean up a street, repair playground equipment or spruce up a park in a predominantly black neighborhood, she said.

"You need to counter the flow of bad information," Bakanik said. "It doesn't have to be anything huge. It just has to involve cooperation and working side-by-side."

http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=64535&section=localnews

 

 

 

January 10, 2006

 

 

What's up is down

Now that GMLc has your head spinning, let's head off in another direction. On Wednesday, John Delaney, a University of Washington oceanography professor, will discuss "Beyond Ships and Satellites: How will we study the oceans in the future." It's about real-time data transmission from the sea floor. Delaney directs the Neptune program, which will use robots, the Internet and other Cool Stuff to study the Juan De Fuca tectonic plate in the given-to-eruptions Pacific Ocean. The robots, we surmise, provide better directions than GMLc. The talk is sponsored by the college's Project Oceanica, which wants to see the same kind of network in this ocean, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

"Understanding exotic, otherworldly life forms, climate change, assessment and management of living and non-living resources, homeland defense, erupting underwater volcanoes, major earthquake studies and mitigation of natural disasters all have something in common - a need for real-time information from the environment," says a project news release.

The program takes place at 5:15 p.m. at the College of Charleston's Physician's Auditorium at George and Coming streets. It's a freebie and open to the public.

http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=64521&section=localnews

 

 

January 10, 2006

 

 

 

 

 

Hilton Head Island, S.C.

 

Sanford learns lessons from past

"He's become more of a politician," in the best sense of the word, College of Charleston political scientist Bill Moore said.

"You can't embarrass the legislature and members of the legislature and expect to have support" for an agenda, Moore said.

 

 

January 10, 2005

 

Will lawmakers be greeted by a deal-making Mark Sanford? (Editorial)

 

And so for Charleston — home now to both the president pro tempore of the Senate and the speaker of the House — he provides full funding for a couple of pet projects he vetoed last year: $116,896 for the Southern Maritime Collection and $300,000 for the Avery Center at the College of Charleston. (Maybe more than a couple; those are the ones the hometown paper singled out.)

 

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/columnists/cindi_scoppe/13588937.htm

 

 

 

January 9, 2006

 

 

Three more things to look forward to

 

Thursday night at 7 Avery Research Center (125 Bull St.) will open a new exhibition by visual artist, interior designer, custom furniture maker and Rastafarian Jason "Jahsun" Mitchell. The exhibition is titled "In the Garden of Stillness." You're invited.

 

https://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=64376&section=localnews

 

 

 

January 9, 2006

 

Pressure building for Sanford

"It's an election year when his record is going to be scrutinized," said Bill Moore, a political science professor at the College of Charleston. "It is important for Mark Sanford to go into the campaign with a track record of success."

Moore acknowledges that Sanford remains "relatively popular because of his anti-government focus," but that might not be enough.

"Regardless of who is governor, the mark of leadership is getting passed proposals that the Legislature is lukewarm to," he said.

http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=64435&section=localnews

 

 

January 8, 2005

 

 

 

Sanford is eager to play nice as election nears

Also, Sanford lacked a good understanding of state government.

"It has been a learning curve for him," said College of Charleston analyst Bill Moore.

Today, Sanford has no excuse. He knows the players better. He knows who he can count on and who he can't. With the elections approaching, the governor has emerged as Sanford, the politician.

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/local/states/south_carolina/counties/york/13576963.htm

 

 

 

January 6, 2006

 

 

That's not to say the college doesn't face challenges. Faculty members are grappling with how much to expect of students and how to grade them. Money is tight, despite the Labor Department grant. The size of next year's freshman class is, naturally, a worry. And accreditation is a concern. The college has a license from South Carolina to offer degrees, and the College of Charleston has opened its library to students at the College of the Building Arts. But until the new college earns accreditation, its students aren't eligible for federal student-aid programs (it is handling aid "internally" this year, Mr. Christie says).

 

http://chronicle.com/weekly/v52/i18/18a06401.htm

 

 

January 6, 2006

 

S.C. delegates sound off on Abramoff

Bill Moore, a political scientist at the College of Charleston, said the scandal is only going to reinforce people's low opinion of Congress. But he doesn't expect a lot of fallout for South Carolina's politicians unless they are directly linked to the lobbyist. After all, the re-election rate for U.S. House members is somewhere above 90 percent.

Moore said it's not surprising that South Carolina politicians weren't high on Abramoff's list.

"None of them have been there long enough to be influential," Moore said. "Look at them. For the Republicans, Brown has been there the longest, and he's just been there five years. It takes longer than that to build up seniority."

http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=63689&section=stateregion

 

 

January 5, 2006

 

Sanford's $5.9B budget

In some ways, Sanford retreated from his ardent opposition to lawmakers' pet projects in the budget. He kept $116,896 for the Southern Maritime Collection in Charleston and $300,000 for the Avery Center at the College of Charleston, for example.

 

http://www.charleston.net/stories/?section=stateregion&newsID=63336

 

 

 

January 2, 2006

Arts groups struggle to regain their footing

For instance, holiday events by the World Financial Center in New York City in December gathered in donations.

And from Feb. 22-28, also in New York City and also sponsored by the World Financial Center, there will be an arts auction, with a generous portion of the proceeds channeled to the federation. Some 70 artists are expected to take part. Batley points out that the auction neatly coincides with the 2006 Mardi Gras festivities in New Orleans.

And yet another example Batley cites is a recent art auction organized by about a dozen arts management majors at the College of Charleston. The students raised some $7,500 for the federation and, ultimately, the gulf's artists.

http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/0106/02edarts.html

 

 

 

January 1, 2006

 

 

 

 

With jobs scarce, S.C. seeks economic identity

"Economic development now is struggling to find its way," said Frank Hefner, an economist at the College of Charleston. "More of the same is not going to work because you can only get so many BMWs."

http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/myrtlebeachonline/news/local/13529365.htm

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/local/states/south_carolina/counties/york/13497972.htm

 

 

January 1, 2006

 

Mozart's 250th birthday events

College of Charleston

Feb. 10-13: "The Marriage of Figaro," School of the Arts' Recital Hall, 8 p.m.

Feb. 24: College faculty and staff perform Mozart, Recital Hall, 8 p.m.

March 14: Film "Amadeus," Stern Center Ballroom, 7 p.m.

March 16: Interdisciplinary panel on Peter Shaffer's "Ama-deus," 3:15 p.m. Stern Center Ballroom.

March 21-26: Theatre produc-tion, "Wolfi," 8 p.m. Chapel Theatre.

https://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=62311&section=artstravel