NEWS SPLASH

Thursday, December 18, 2008

‘Architext’ Exhibit Opening

The Southeastern Architectural Archive opens a new exhibition on Friday (Dec. 19) called “Architext: The Unity of Architecture and Typography,” co-curated by Keli Rylance and Kevin Williams, staff of Howard-Tilton Memorial Library.

The exhibition opening will be held from 6:30–8:30 p.m.in 300 Jones Hall and will feature presentations by New Orleans graphic designer Tom Varisco and architect Milton Scheuermann.

At 7 p.m., Varisco will discuss his new publication Signs of New Orleans. He is sole proprietor and creative director of Tom Varisco Designs, an award-winning design studio in New Orleans, and an adjunct professor in the Visual Arts Department at Loyola University. Copies of his book will be available for purchase.

At 7:45 p.m., Scheuermann will discuss architectural lettering practices and education. The former campus architect for Dillard University and an adjunct professor in the Tulane School of Architecture, Scheuermann is the author of Perspective Drawing for Architects.

The exhibition covers a wide range of architectural letter forms, from the Renaissance and its introduction of classically derived alphabets in the service of architecture and typography, to the mid-20th century’s attempts at a universal alphabet.

Letters devised by Albrecht Dürer, Geoffroy Tory, Johann-David Steingruber and Berthold Wolpe are included, as are the lettering designs of New Orleans architects Moise Goldstein, William Nolan, Douglass Freret, Albert Wolf, Herbert Benson and George Riehl.

Admission is free of charge and the event is open to the public. For more information, call Rylance at 504-247-1806.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Perspective on Financial Panic

Tulane provost and economic historian Michael Bernstein says on a new public radio show that you can’t have a financial boom without a bust.

Financial panics have occurred regularly throughout American history, and each time Americans were left holding the bag when the bottom fell out of the market and banks called in their debts. Bernstein presented insight into the current financial meltdown on “BackStory With the American History Guys,” a program based at the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities and hosted by historians Ed Ayers, Peter Onuf and Brian Balogh.

Bernstein discussed the modulations of the business cycle in a special show, “Panic: A History of Financial Crisis,” comparing the current crisis in America to crises of the past as he traced the common threads that tie them together.

The show is now in distribution to stations and podcast listeners. The Bernstein interview is featured on the show’s main page until Friday (Dec. 19). After that date, it can be found in the show’s archives.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Postseason Volleyball Honors

Four Green Wave student-athletes were named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-Midwest Region Team as the record-breaking Tulane University 2008 volleyball team continues to win recognition after the season’s end.

Seniors Jen Linder, Sara Radosevic and Bridget Wells were named to the All-Midwest Region Team while rookie outside hitter Visnja Djurdjevic claimed Freshman of the Year honors and a spot on the All-Midwest Region honorable-mention list. In addition, fourth-year head coach Liz Kritza was named AVCA Midwest Region Coach of the Year for the second consecutive year.

“We had a great season and these individual honors are simply an indication of what this team has done during the 2008 season,” Kritza said. “These four young ladies had a tremendous impact on the team this year, and while three of them are seniors, I am certain that Visnja will come back next year and look to do even better as a sophomore and beyond. This is truly a positive for the Green Wave program and we are proud to be gaining such positive recognition for Tulane University.”

Kritza was recognized for guiding the team to a 28-6 overall record, the Conference USA regular-season title with a 15-1 league mark and the C-USA Tournament title with a 3-0 showing in the championship event. The Green Wave’s C-USA tourney title gave Tulane its first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament, where the team advanced to the second round with a 3-1 win over Tennessee Tech University before losing to Western Michigan University.

During the season, Tulane set a school record with 17 straight victories and ran its home winning streak to a program-record 24 in a row at Fogelman Arena.

Police Department Grads

Four Tulane University police officers graduated from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office academy.

The four officers were part of Recruit Class 45 that on Dec. 10 graduated 36 new officers for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Tulane University Police Department and the Crescent City Connection Police Department.  

The Tulane graduates are Anthony Dominguez, Jason Coulter, Daniel Plustache and Daniel Hasse. The officers successfully completed the four-and-a-half-month academy and passed the National Peace Officer Standards and Training examination. Now they are eligible to apply for their state commissions.    

The four Tulane police officers graduated in the top half of their class, finishing 2nd, 7th, 11th and 15th. Dominguez was the class president and gave a speech representing his class during the graduation ceremonies. Hasse was selected by his peers as the congeniality award winner.

Monday, December 15, 2008

Players Named All-Conference USA

Six Green Wave football players received 2008 All-Conference USA award recognition, including two first-team selections in seniors Troy Kropog and Craig Gelhardt.

Junior Ross Thevenot was named to the All C-USA second team, and seniors Michael Parenton and Reggie Scott and junior Andre Anderson were named honorable mention performers, as selected by the league’s 12 head football coaches.

Kropog, an offensive lineman, is a first-time selection to the league’s all-conference first team after receiving honorable mention All-Conference USA accolades in 2007. Kropog, who was named to the 2009 UnderArmour Senior Bowl earlier this season, is a four-year letter-winner and three-year starter. He started every game this past season and 37 of 43 games for his career, and helped pave the way for 2,000-yard rusher Matt Forte in 2007 and for Andre Anderson, who rushed for 864 yards through six full games before suffering a season-ending injury against Rice.

Gelhardt handled every snap on special teams during his four years at Tulane. He is a four-year letter-winner who handled the snap on every punt and field goal attempt during his career, a span of 47 games. He is a first-time selection to the all-conference first team, but is a two-time honorable mention all-league performer. Earlier this season, he was named to the 17th annual Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.

Something Special

Tulane Special Collections has recently acquired a facsimile of a 13th-century illuminated manuscript that contains 200 praise songs and miracle stories of the Virgin Mary.

The Rich Codex of the Cantigas de Santa María by Alfonso X is a manuscript of the original housed at the Library of El Escorial in Spain and was acquired through the generosity of the A. Watson Chapman Fund. The songs and stories are depicted in Galician-Portuguese verse, 13th-century Castilian prose and illuminated miniatures.

The manuscript, joins Alfonso X’s Book of Chess, Dice and Table Games, already a part of Special Collections. The volumes represent two of the most important works from the Iberian Peninsula of the 13th century and help to enrich the research opportunities and resources for scholars at Tulane and in New Orleans in the fields of literature, language, art history, music and other disciplines.

Friday, December 12, 2008

Baby No. 100,000

Tulane-Lakeside Hospital welcomed its 100,000th birth on Tuesday (Dec. 9). Albert Gooden IV, a healthy 7-pound, 2-ounce baby boy, arrived to the pleasure of mother Shanika Anderson and father Albert Gooden III.

“We had no idea that our baby was going to be No. 100,000,” said Anderson. “I was so shocked when the nurse came in and told me!”

For more than 44 years, Tulane-Lakeside Hospital has provided the knowledge, expertise and specialized care vital to women and their babies. “We were so pleased to share this incredible milestone with such a wonderful and deserving family,” said Stephen Robinson, vice president of Tulane-Lakeside Hospital.

The family was presented with a new bassinet brimming with gifts donated from local merchants. Mother and baby are doing very well and were scheduled to head home on Thursday (Dec. 11).

Museum Programs

Tulane professor William Brumfield will present a free lecture on Sunday (Dec. 14) at 2 p.m. at the New Orleans Museum of Art in conjunction with the exhibit, “Objects of Desire: Fabergé From the Hodges Family Collection.”

Tulane faculty, staff and students receive free admission to the museum with a Tulane ID.

Brumfield’s lecture, to be held in the Stern Auditorium, will be illustrated with his color photographs taken over three decades in Russia, showing the suburban St. Petersburg palaces at Tsarskoe Selo, Peterhof and Oranienbaum. A book signing will follow in the Museum Shop from 3 to 5 p.m. Brumfield is professor of Slavic studies at Tulane and an honorary fellow in the Russian Academy of the Arts. 

On Saturday (Dec. 13), members of the Brass Quintet from the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra will perform a free concert at 2 p.m. in the Stern Auditorium. While this event is free to the public, admittance is assured only with a ticket, which can be picked up one hour prior to the performance.

The museum is located in New Orleans City Park. For more information, call 504-659-4100.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Helping Green Businesses

Graduate students at the A. B. Freeman School of Business have partnered with 17 MBA students from India’s prestigious XLRI University and the Idea Village, an entrepreneurship group, to develop business plans for two “green” companies.

The groups are working with two New Orleans companies in the green industry, South Coast Solar and New Orleans EcoPark.

The students will present their work today (Dec. 11) to a panel of experts from Freeman and the Idea Village for feedback before delivering a final plan to leaders of both ventures. South Coast Solar develops and integrates solar technology, while New Orleans EcoPark is an incubator for companies that sell eco-friendly building materials and solutions.

The three-week intensive student project is part of the IDEAcorps program, an initiative co-developed by the Idea Village and Tulane in July 2006 to engage MBA students in social and economic transformation. A similar project by students from Massachusetts Institute of Technology helped EcoPark and the Idea Village’s Green Initiative land more than $400,000 in investment funding, said Emily Mitchell, Freeman alumnus and director of technical assistance for the Idea Village.

While the presentations are closed to the public, the groups will host a networking reception at 5 p.m. today in the 1834 Club (Faculty Dining Room), on the second floor of the Lavin-Bernick Center.

Eye on Forte

When the New Orleans Saints play the Chicago Bears tonight (Dec. 11), the Saints defense will have its eye on Bears rookie running back Matt Forte, a Tulane alumnus and Slidell, La., native.

The game is being played in cold Chicago, on national television. News reports from the Bears organization say Forte is excited to be playing against the Saints team that he cheered for when he was growing up in Louisiana.

“When I was in college, I knew a lot of their players, not personally but just watching the games,” Forte said in a report on the Bears’ website. “They’ve got a fast defense. It might change a little bit at Soldier Field because of the footing. We’ll see Thursday.”

Forte has enjoyed a breakout first season for the Bears, eclipsing Gale Sayers’ team rookie record for total yards from scrimmage and becoming the first NFL rookie since the Chargers’ LaDainian Tomlinson in 2001 to rush for at least 1,000 yards and catch 50 passes. So far this season, Forte has gained 1,074 yards and scored six running touchdowns. He also has caught 54 passes for 402 yards and four touchdowns.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Happy 40th, Howard-Tilton

Forty years ago, the Howard-Tilton Memorial Library building was dedicated on the uptown campus. In honor of the occasion, the library has an exhibit showing the construction of the building.

The exhibit, on display on the first floor of Howard-Tilton near the elevators, includes photographs of the construction progress and the first cartloads of books rolling into the new building in 1968 from the previous home of the library in Jones Hall.

Topping off the display are photos of the library’s namesakes, Charles Turner Howard and Fredrick William Tilton, with the slogan, “Our building turned 40.”

The library building cost $46.2 million and was designed by Alfred G. Lyons of Nolan, Norman & Nolan, a New Orleans architecture firm.

Scoring Academic Award

Green Wave junior running back André Anderson was named to the Conference USA All-Academic Team.

In order to be considered for the honor, a student-athlete must have a 3.2 cumulative grade point average or better and be a starter or key reserve on the football team. Anderson, a computer information science major, has earned a 3.43 grade point average. He also led the conference in rushing yards per game with 123.43, earning him the No. 8 national ranking before he sustained a season-ending injury.

A candidate for the 2008 Doak Walker Award, Anderson also was 24th in the nation and 5th in C-USA for all-purpose yards per contest (152.29) prior to his injury.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Cover Story

An article by William Brumfield, professor of Slavic studies at Tulane University, is the cover story of the current issue of Humanities, the magazine of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The November–December issue of the magazine includes Brumfield’s article “Kimzha: Down South in the Russian North” and his accompanying photos reveal a surprising kinship between the remote hamlets of Russia’s far northeast region and the American South. To read the article visit http://www.neh.gov/news/humanities.html.

Dance Review at Dixon

The Tulane Department of Theater and Dance will hold its end-of-the-semester dance review tonight (Dec. 9) at 7 p.m. in Dixon Auditorium on the uptown campus.

The review features performances by students enrolled in hip-hop, African and tap dance classes taught this semester. Admission is free and the public is invited to attend. For more information call the Newcomb Dance Program at 504-314-7761.

Volleyball Season Ends

The Tulane women’s volleyball team ended its history-making season on Saturday (Dec. 6), losing its second game in the NCAA Tournament.

The Green Wave won its first tournament match in Dayton, Ohio, on Friday (Dec. 5) with a 3-2 victory over Tennessee Tech University, but the season ended with a 3-2 loss to Western Kentucky University on Saturday.

The loss snapped a 17-match Tulane winning streak and ended the Wave’s season with a 28-6 record. The NCAA tournament bid was the first in the history of Tulane volleyball.

“Tulane volleyball is changed forever, regardless of the outcome today,” said head coach Liz Kritza. “It is changed forever because of this group, and I am pleased with the way they played. We will have a very, very bright future ahead of us because of this season, the players, the coaches and the efforts that they gave.”

Monday, December 8, 2008

In the Swim

From now until Dec. 31, vote to provide swimming lessons for 1,000 low-income children in New Orleans. First-year Tulane student Laura White founded Wild and Water Swimming while still in high school. Her project is a finalist in the Best Buy @15 Challenge. Fifteen teams will win $10,000 to change their communities.

To vote, go to the Best Buy @15 Challenge.

The inspiration for Wild and Water came while White was on a camping trip with a group of economically disadvantaged girls from Atlanta. While on the trip, White was asked to chaperone a swimming excursion and was alarmed by what she saw. The kids were jumping in the water without knowing how to swim and had no basic sense of water safety. After that, White held a swim clinic with Dynamo Swim Club in Chamblee, Ga., and all of the kids knew how to float by the end of the day. White and her team have expanded the program to include kids in Atlanta, Savannah, Ga., and New Orleans.

Best Buy Children’s Foundation is a partner with Ashoka’s Youth Venture as the administrator of the Best Buy @15 Fund. Through the @15 Fund Youth Venture will award grants by teens for teen-implemented social venture projects designed to advance the @15 mission. Youth Venture is a global nonprofit that helps teams of young people design and launch their own social ventures that target a multitude of issues and interests.

Get Fit Now

Who says you have to wait until the New Year to get started on your resolution? Tulane faculty and staff members can commit to getting fit now with help from the Reily Student Recreation Center.

All Tulane faculty and staff are invited to get a jump start on their resolutions and release some holiday stress with a free membership to the Reily Student Recreation Center, Dec. 8–Jan. 11.

In addition to the use of the entire facility, special classes have been set up. This special offer will provide faculty and staff the opportunity to experience all that the Reily Center has to offer, from the weight room, racquetball courts and indoor track, to the drop-in group exercise classes, basketball courts and more. Member rates will be extended for many programs, such as Pilates, yoga and personal training.

To take part in this free, month-long membership event, employees must show a valid Tulane ID card at the front desk. For more information, a complete schedule of classes and listing of opportunities available please visit http://www.reilycenter.com and click on the “holiday promotion” link under quick links on the right side, or contact Matt Malkin at 504-865-6749.

Friday, December 5, 2008

McAlister Goes Green

At a 3 p.m. presentation today (Dec. 5), learn about the plans to convert part of McAlister Drive into a landscaped pedestrian mall.

The public meeting is in Freeman Auditorium in the Woldenberg Art Center. Collette Creppell, university architect, will give a presentation on the Newcomb-McAlister Unified Green project. The phase one plan, including construction of McAlister Place, will begin in mid-May. It is the first phase of a master plan that will ultimately join the McAlister and Newcomb quads into a single green space.

Volleyball Goes Live

It’s going live on the Internet, so Tulane fans can watch the women’s volleyball team’s opening NCAA Tournament match today.

The Green Wave will play Tennessee Tech University at 4 p.m. in Dayton, Ohio, in the first round of the NCAA Volleyball Tournament. The link for the live streaming of the match is now posted on the athletics website.

To watch at game time, open that Web link, and the page will automatically show Tulane vs. Tennessee Tech on the right side of the page. Click “watch” under Gametracker and it will take you to the NCAA streaming page. The streaming service is free of charge and also will be available for Saturday’s (Dec. 6) Tulane game, provided that the team wins the Friday game to move ahead in the tournament.

Remembering Mumbai Victims

A candlelight vigil will be held at 5 p.m. today in Pocket Park in remembrance of victims of the Mumbai attacks.

Pocket Park is located on the side of the Lavin-Bernick Center closest to Freret Street on the uptown campus. The India Association of Tulane University is sponsoring the event.

“This is an opportunity for Tulane students, faculty and staff to come together and share our thoughts on the attacks and their effects,” a member of the association said. For more information, send an e-mail message to rgoliker@tulane.edu.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Presidential Symposium

“Emerging Infectious Diseases and Global Risks” is the theme of this year’s Presidential Symposium, a two-day event that begins with a lecture tonight (Dec. 4) by author John M. Barry.

Barry, author of The Great Influenza, will speak at 6 p.m. at the public session of the symposium in the Freeman Auditorium of the Woldenberg Art Center on the Tulane uptown campus.

Tulane University President Scott Cowen will provide closing remarks, and a reception will follow in the Diboll Gallery.

Scientific sessions will be held on Friday (Dec. 5) starting at 1 p.m. in the first-floor Diboll Auditorium, 1440 Canal St., on the Tulane downtown campus. Keynote speaker will be Rita R. Colwell, who will talk on “Climate, Oceans, Infectious Diseases, and Human Health: Cholera as the Paradigm.”

Other speakers will include Gregory A. Poland, “Vaccine Immunogenetics: Bedside to Bench to Population;” Myron M. Levine, “On the Horizon:  Typhoid and Paratyphoid Fever Resistant to All Antibiotics?”; and Donald S. Burke, “How Viruses Emerge: Can We Predict and Prevent Future Pandemics?”

Cowen established the Presidential Symposia as part of Tulane’s ongoing effort to showcase areas of excellence and explore current research topics with members of the campus and greater New Orleans communities.

Let it Snow!

The Tulane School of Science and Engineering is throwing a “snow day” today (Dec. 4) on the uptown campus to promote the school. The event will be at the J. Bennett Johnston Quadrangle from 4–7 p.m.

According to Jacques Levet, president of the Science and Engineering Student Council, four tons of “faux snow” made by a machine that finely grinds ice will cover a field 50 feet by 30 feet. At dusk there will be a showing of Elf on a giant movie screen. Holiday music will play and hot chocolate will be served.

The event is sponsored by the School of Science and Engineering, the Science and Engineering Council of Students, the Science and Engineering Honor Society, the Society of Women Engineers, the Tulane University Neuroscience Association, the Biology Enthusiasts Association for Students at Tulane and the Tulane Pre-medical Society.

For more information, contact Jacques Levet.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Musical Winners

At the recent Concerto/Aria Contest, music students Anne Yang and Lauren Elens won the right to perform with the Tulane Orchestra next spring.

Twenty students tried out on Nov. 24 at the second annual contest, hoping to win a spot to play an instrumental solo or sing as a soloist with the orchestra. The winners were Yang, a first-year student and violinist, and Elens, a senior voice student.

Each contestant performed a musical selection that they hoped to perform with the orchestra. The competition was open to all music students at Tulane.

Food in the Fast Lane

With the holiday season ahead, it’s the perfect time to think healthy by attending a Wellness Seminar on “Food in the Fast Lane” at noon on Thursday (Dec. 4).

The seminar will be held in room 6001 at 1430 Tulane Ave. on the downtown Tulane campus.

Program highlights include learning how to make better choices when eating out, discovering strategies for healthy office eating, finding out how to help children develop healthy eating habits and preparing a personal action plan.

Admission is free of charge. For more information, e-mail Paula Lucas. The event is hosted by the Wellness Committee. 

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Faith and Evolution

A Georgetown University professor will give the Kathleen and John Bricker Memorial Lecture on Thursday (Dec. 4) on “Evolution and Faith — A Proposal for the Future — the 200th Anniversary of Darwin’s Birth,” sponsored by the Chair of Judeo-Christian Studies at Tulane.

John F. Haught will be the guest speaker for the lecture at 7:30 p.m. in the Myra Clare Rogers Memorial Chapel on the uptown campus.

Haught is a senior fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center and distinguished research professor in the Department of Theology at Georgetown University. The lecture is part of the “Series on Philosophy and Theology in the New Millennium — The Future of the Church.”

For additional information, call 504-415-7235.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Nutcracker on Campus

The Christmas ballet and music classic, Nutcracker, is coming to the Tulane uptown campus for four performances at Dixon Hall. The Delta Festival Ballet will perform along with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, Dec. 19–21.

The ballet company will perform on campus at 7 p.m. on Dec. 19, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Dec. 20 and at 2 p.m. on Dec. 21. Tickets are available from the Delta Festival Ballet box office, 504-888-0931, or from TicketMaster, 504-522-5555.

The ballet company plans other performances in the New Orleans area as well. On Tuesday (Dec. 2), a Children’s Concert Series of Nutcracker will be performed at 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. in Roussel Hall at Loyola University, as well as a performance at 9:30 a.m. on Friday (Dec. 5) at Northshore Harbor Center in Slidell, La.

In addition, the Slidell Symphony Society will present “Nutcracker on the North Shore” with the Delta Festival Ballet and the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra on Saturday and Sunday (Dec. 6–7) at the Northshore Harbor Center in Slidell. For additional information, call the Slidell Symphony Society at 504-491-0157.

Joseph and Maria Giacobbe are artistic directors for the ballet company.