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Communication Studies // Music // New Media // Theatre & Dance // Visual Arts

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Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts // 2013

born to be

Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts // 2013

Aspire is published annually by the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts, Indiana University South Bend, for our alumni, students, friends, faculty, and staff. Dean Marvin V. Curtis, Ed.D. EDITOR Michele Morgan-Dufour assistant editor Sarah Duis designER Tiffany Goehring

// Mission Statement The IUSB Arts Foundation supports the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts at IU South Bend by sponsoring or providing funds for special events and community outreach programs, with particular emphasis on educating, entertaining, and involving young people.

// IUSB Arts Foundation, Inc. David Kibbe, president June Edwards, vice president Joe Mancini, treasurer Durleen Braasch, secretary Kendrick Allenson Cynthia Antos Linda Bancroft Cheryl Barker Pam Beam Sandra Collins Marvin V. Curtis, ex-officio Robert W. Demaree Jr.* Frederick B. Ettl Judy Ferrara Robert Frank

Kitty Gunty Chris Kelly Alice A. Martin* Paul McLeod Cyndi Miller Sara Miller Carmi Murphy* Beth North Ned North Fred Nwanganga Ernestine M. Raclin* Randolph Rampola Valerie Sabo Stephanie Schurz Janet Thompson*

Photography Adam Horton Lynnette Nettrouer Peter Ringenberg Writers Karen Ackoff Ken Baierl Emily Beck Kathy Borlik Marlon Burnley Christina Clark Marvin Curtis Sara Duis Moira Dyczko Kevin Gillen Sean Hottois Izza Jatala Samantha Joyce Krysty Kettlehut Taylor Lincoln Jessica McCormack Danielle Miller Trisha Miller Michele Morgan-Dufour Susan Moore Brad Pontius Tamea Rector Celia Roeder Mandi Steffey Katie Swiental Nick Wort

*Emeritus Member

// PRODUCTION NOTES

The Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts thanks the IUSB Arts Foundation for their long standing service and support to the school. Their efforts make it possible for us to present special events including the 20th Anniversary Celebration, Toradze Piano Institute, and Summer Arts Camp, among many other projects.

PAPER Cover pages printed on 80 lb. Endurance Gloss Cover. Body pages printed on 70 lb. Endurance Gloss Text. NOTE: Endurance has achieved Tri-Certifcation with the follwing: Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC), Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI), and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC).

If you are interested in working with the IUSB Arts Foundation on future projects, please contact the school of the arts office at 574.520.4314 for more information. FRONT COVER Swan Lake featuring the IUSB Philharmonic and the IU South Bend Dance Company, photograph by Peter Ringenberg Copyright © 2013 Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts, IU South Bend

Printing Four color process with spot Aqueous Coating on cover.

born to

innovate Integrated New Media Studies combines art, design, and communication with contemporary digital and computer technologies. The core curriculum is built on a solid grounding in graphic design, video and motion media, interactive multimedia and web design, and music/sound production. New media skills prepare you for careers in website and graphic design, digital filmmaking and animation, interactive and distance education, and new media art, as well as business applications in product development and training, marketing, sales, and advertising. ERNESTINE M. RACLIN SCHOOL OF THE ARTS For degree offerings and more info about IU South Bend new media and graphic design programs, visit us on the web at arts.iusb.edu/.

Marvin V. Curtis

letter from the dean

It’s a vision thing. Since 2008, the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts has experienced a renaissance of ideas and opportunities that changed who we are as students, faculty, staff, and as a school. It’s a vision thing that demanded hard work to create a school of the arts that stands proudly on our campus and in the community. In Aspire 2013, we’ll show the results of our visionary thinking with the premiere of Swan Lake, our first full length collaborative ballet; the incredible Denyce Graves, and Porgy and Bess with the South Bend Symphony. We celebrate our new degrees and the renovation of the new Louise E. Addicott & Yatish J. Joshi Performance Hall. The year has been all about “the vision thing” and making that vision a reality. Aspire is a reflection of the past year and a look into the future. Our school will embark this year on a collective vision, creating actions that will enable us to see art as a creative, connected, and collaborative process. This very idea is found in the pages of Aspire. Read how our students discover that art is not always created or experienced in isolation, but can be a collaborative experience between artists, art forms, and even the audience. It is a “vision thing” that allows this process to become a part of them as people, allowing them to see collaboration as a good thing and that as we learn from each other perhaps the world will take notice and follow our example.

What I am talking about has to do with the power of creativity, a word that seems to have lost its place in the national dialogue. Our schools have become bastions of individualized success rather than collective engagement. It seems that at times it is all about “I” rather than “we.” We teach for standardized test scores rather than teach to enhance a student’s life. There is no vision because the focus is on individual accomplishments and crushing the other guy rather than pulling together. The idea that art is a frill has zapped the potential of creativity of many young people. Yet in spite of this, I see more and more students wanting careers in the arts, engaging in the arts, and being willing to reach for that inspired moment. The pages of Aspire are filled with those inspired moments and I invite you to be a part of the “vision thing”- the connected, the collaborative, and the creative. First Lady Michelle Obama said, “Our future as an innovative country depends on ensuring that everyone has access to the arts and to cultural opportunity ... but the intersection of creativity and commerce is about more than economic stimulus, it’s about who we are as a people.” It is a “vision thing” and within these pages I hope you can see, feel, and experience our vision. We are inspired by the creativity of our school to lead those around us to aspire for something larger than themselves. It is about a vision of a world that has no boundaries, where the creative spirit is alive and well, encouraged and nurtured. It is about being connected to one another, collaborating in a way that breaks down barriers, and creating an environment where there is a vision of what we can be. Enjoy Aspire!

Top // Ancient Guardian, clay by Daniel Wolters // student

inside // Communication Studies

// Theatre & Dance

Thinking outside the [underground] box

Sarah Duis: USA Today correspondent

Technical theatre students head to grad school

#SOTU: Tweeting from the White House

We’ve got magic to do

Learning about media in NYC

Theatre students compete at festival

A gift of theatre for the ages

// Music

A Wicked day’s work

Opera superstar Denyce Graves electrifies

Theatre Geeks explores community theatre

A Valentine from Gershwin

Swan Lake captivates audience

The B.E.A.T. has IU South Bend roots

Circus folk

Lift Every Voice

Theatre from the ground up

Remembering Harriet Tubman

Reprising It’s a Wonderful Life

Love, Fate, & Fortune

Fifty years of children’s theatre

Lexo’s legacy: Toradze pianists today

The Penny Parody

Practice makes perfect

Romance, Comedy, & Marxism, oh my!

Three students experience Italy

Visiting London

// New Media

// School of the Arts Dean’s Welcome

Student work broadcast on Michiana Access TV

Anatomy of a font

A new space to call home

APPtitude

The gift of music

New Media accompanies the symphony

Construction begins on new Recital Hall

Arts Students Council builds community

// Visual Arts 24

Natella’s Overseer shown at Meijer Gardens

Students Services has the answers

Meeting Eye to Eye

Celebrate!

Italian artistry

News

Painter with a beat

Photography in the windy city

IUSB Photo League hosts exhibition

electrifies

Opera superstar

Denyce Graves

By Marvin Curtis // Photography Peter Ringenberg

As the lights were lowered, there was a sense of anticipation in the audience. A performer of great stature was about to perform on the stage of the Campus Auditorium, one who few would have imagined would come to our campus. International opera superstar Denyce Graves took the stage to thunderous applause. Graves’ powerful soprano voice has taken her to the world’s great opera houses and concert halls. She is particularly well-known to operatic audiences for her portrayals of the title roles in Carmen and Samson et Dalila, which she performed opposite famed tenor Plácido Domingo. These signature roles brought Graves to the Metropolitan Opera, Vienna Staatsoper, Royal Opera, Covent Garden, San Francisco Opera, Opéra National de Paris, Lyric Opera of Chicago, The Washington Opera, Opera Berlin, Los Angeles Opera, and the Festival Maggio Musicale in Florence. During her concert on campus, she performed selections from Handel, Durante, Strauss, DeFalla, Copland, and several popular jazz standards including Gershwin’s The Man I Love, McHugh’s Don’t Blame Me, Grand’s Guess Who I Saw, and Rogers and Hart’s I Wish I Were in Love.

Board on the stage of the auditorium. The IUSB Jazz Ensemble provided background music. Graves and Ward mingled with the audience, took pictures, and conversed with patrons. The next day, four students participated in a two-hour masterclass with Graves. Julius Miller, Lauren Desrosiers, Lawrence Mitchell-Matthews, and Tamara Garrett each had a 30-minute lesson in front of a packed stage audience of almost 60 people. “She asked about my repertoire, made suggestions, gave me career advice, and explained how to select roles for the longevity of my voice,” says Garrett. “I first heard Denyce Graves when she sang at the National Day of Remembrance following 9/11 when I was in high school,” remembers Garrett. “That performance made me want to be a singer. The time I spent with her made me want to be an opera singer even more.”

“She performed music that I was told I could not sing as a successful classical singer,” says graduate vocal student Tamra Garrett. “When she sang Guess Who I Saw, I just wanted to be in a jazz club with a glass of wine.”

“Miss Graves cautioned me about taking roles that would label me as a ‘black singer’ only defined to one genre of music,” says Garrett. “She told us that you don’t have to take roles just because they are offered to you. We don’t have to sing dramatic roles just because we can. We need to have a wide range of selections that show us as versatile singers and performers.”

Her piano accompanist, Laura Ward, was just as electric. Together, they had a unique onstage chemistry. Their banter with each other was a delight for the audience, and resulted in five encore selections.

Graves’ visit was supported by grants from the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County’s African American Fund, the Indiana Arts Commission, and the South Bend/ Mishawaka Convention and Visitors Bureau.

After the concert, members of the audience were treated to a champagne reception hosted by the IUSB Arts Foundation 5

A Wicked day’s work By Sarah Duis // Photography Adam Horton

Flying monkeys, misunderstood witches, and advice from Broadway performers — for Angela Flowers and Dietrich Werntz, it was all in a day’s work.

The production was so large — and the backstage space so small — that costume changes occurred wherever there was space, from janitor’s closets to empty hallways.

The IU South Bend theatre majors had the rare opportunity to work as dressers for the Broadway touring production of Wicked at the Morris Performing Arts Center.

“We all do our own little show, really, because you stay so focused,” says Cole. “You can do a whole show and never see some of the lead characters because you’re dressing other people.”

Flowers and Werntz were each responsible for the wardrobe changes of two ensemble performers in the show. “I learned that there truly is a difference between professional theatre and college theatre,” says Flowers. A dresser’s job can be nerve-wracking. They need to have their characters’ costumes ready at the right place and time for the next wardrobe change. They listen for cues from the stage that let them know it’s time to hustle. It was because of Lecturer in Theatre and Dance Aimee Cole that the students got the opportunity of a lifetime. She’s been working behind the scenes of plays for 25 years. When she was asked to be a part of Wicked, she brought Flowers and Werntz with her for the hands-on learning experience. “From a technology perspective you just learn so much, like tricks of the trade, quick-change techniques, and what not to do,” says Cole. 6

Cole also did day work for the show repairing the wardrobe. “Up close these costumes are really incredible. It’s a $15 million show and I bet most of that’s in those costumes, I swear. The detail is just unbelievable.” Another benefit for Flowers and Dietrich was the opportunity to network with the cast and crew of a hugely successful production. Jennifer DiNoia, the actress who played the main character Elpheba, gave Flowers advice on how to maintain her voice and stay consistent. When Flowers graduates, she hopes to be an actress and singer in musicals. “My favorite part of dressing Wicked was getting to interact with people who are at a place where I aspire to be one day.”

fallhighlights

Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts

Cowboy, by Jason Cytacki

King Lear by William Shakespeare 7:30 pm Oct. 17-19 2 pm Oct. 20 Campus Auditorium northside hall Experience the tale of King Lear and his three daughters as they struggle with greed, dishonesty, and insanity. The IU South Bend Theatre and Dance Company presents the first of four productions featuring the great works of William Shakespeare this season.

Alumni Art Exhibition Oct. 21 – Nov. 16 ARt Gallery Education & Arts Welcome our fine arts and new media alumni back to campus for a presentation of their post-graduate artwork in the newly renovated gallery. This is an open call to alumni, if interested in participating please contact Gallery Director Joshua Miller at artsiusb@iusb.edu prior to September 9.

Arts Lecture Series with Elizabeth A. Williams, Ph.D. 7:30 pm Oct. 24 Lecture Hall Education & Arts Communication Studies presents Assistant Professor of Organizational Communication at Colorado State University Elizabeth A. Williams in a lecture entitled “Leading and Communicating in Contemporary Organizations.”

Teddy Bear Concert 7:30 PM Dec. 7 campus auditorium northside hall This annual concert features the blended voices of the South Bend Symphonic Choir and IU South Bend choruses performing “The Night Before Christmas” with the IU South Bend Dance Company. Bring a Teddy Bear in exchange for your concert ticket. Bears will be donated to the Center for the Homeless.

Tickets available for $3-$12 and free to students/children. For a complete schedule of events, visit arts.iusb.edu or call 574.520.4203 to request a season calendar.

A Valentine from Gershwin By Mandi Steffey // Photography Peter Ringenberg

It was a Valentine’s Day weekend to remember at the Morris Performing Arts Center, with an all-star line-up including South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and two of IU South Bend’s most talented vocalists, Lawrence Mitchell-Matthews and Tamra Garrett. The South Bend Symphony Orchestra (SBSO) presented “A Valentine From Gershwin,” drawing in a record-breaking crowd of nearly 2,000. Dean Marvin Curtis worked closely with SBSO Music Director and Conductor Tsung Yeh to put the concert together. “Mayor Pete Buttigieg is a fine pianist, and I knew having him perform Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue would be a real crowd pleaser,” says Curtis. Buttigieg worked with Toradze Studio pianist and Adjunct Faculty in Music Edisher Savitski for six months to prepare for the concert. “To work with a pianist of his caliber was an extraordinary honor,” says Buttigieg. “Part of my objective in taking on this project was to elevate attention in the community to

how extraordinary the musical talent here is, and that is particularly true of the musicians at IU South Bend.” “It was great to witness the Gershwin program at the Morris,” says Savitski. “It was the first time for me to represent our school off stage, as a teacher of the mayor.” “Playing that concert was among the greatest thrills of my career, and I’m grateful to Dr. Curtis and Maestro Tsung Yeh for agreeing to give me the opportunity,” Buttigieg says. The mayor shared the stage with IU South Bend vocal students Lawrence Mitchell-Matthews and Tamra Garrett along with the IU South Bend Chorale, Gospel Choir and Chamber Choir. Garrett and Mitchell-Matthews performed solos and duets from Porgy and Bess, a 1935 opera based on African-American life in the southern United States during the 1920s.

“When I put my tuxedo on before performing, I felt the magic of all my favorite artists from the past,” says Mitchell-Matthews. “It means a lot to me as an American to perform Gershwin’s work,” says Garrett, who sang the role of Bess in Porgy and Bess while completing her undergraduate degree. An accomplished performer, Mitchell-Matthews has performed with the Detroit Symphony as part of the male ensemble Vision and at Carnegie Hall with United Voices of Detroit. He traveled to Singapore in July to perform with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra. Garrett, a graduate vocal student, has been featured as a soloist in many university choral concerts at Texas Southern University and IU South Bend. In 2012 she and MitchellMatthews studied opera in Oderza, Italy, at the Ezio Pinza Council for American Singers of Opera.

The two practiced choreography and emotional expressions before their performance to add depth to the songs’ meanings with the help of IU South Bend Assistant Professor of Voice Jessica McCormack. They even changed their diets and exercised in preparation for the performance. The hard work paid off with a standing ovation as their last notes rang out. “I was humbled to share a program with performers like Lawrence and Tamra, as well as the other vocalists from IU South Bend and the South Bend Symphony Orchestra,” says Buttigieg. “At times I felt like an impostor, but I hope that my performance elevated attention to their talents and, by extension, the artistic wealth of South Bend.”

kyle techentin

brady king 10

ryan wantland

Technical theatre students head to

grad school By Marvin Curtis

Once technical theatre students walk out of the Campus Auditorium’s stage door for the last time an increasing number are heading to graduate school to earn a Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) in theatre. This fall Ryan Wantland, BFA’11, and Kyle Techentin, BFA’13, will begin graduate school, joining Brady Jay King, BFA’11, who is a year into his graduate studies. “I chose to go to graduate school to continue developing my craft,” says Techentin, who will be attending Illinois State University in Chicago where he plans to concentrate on lighting design. He chose the school because of its connection to the Chicago theatre scene and the chance to study with David K. Warfel, an acclaimed lighting designer who has written extensively about the field. At IU South Bend Techentin worked on projects involving nearly every aspect of theatre production.” His advice to current students is simple, “Don’t slack off and take every opportunity given to you to hone your craft.” After graduate school Techentin plans to work as a freelance lighting designer in Chicago. “Later in my career I would love to become a teacher,” he says. Wantland took a two year break between his undergraduate and graduate studies, joining the staff at the Raclin School of the Arts as technical director. “I’m incredibly fortunate that I was given the opportunity to work here at the Raclin School of the Arts after graduating in 2011,” says Wantland. “I’ve come to find theatrical technical production is something I am passionate about and want to pursue further on a graduate level.” Ohio University “just felt right,” he says, describing the graduate program he chose. “I feel as though I will get along well with the faculty there and I like their facilities.” Once he completes graduate school Wantland hopes to work as a technical director in Chicago or another major city. For

now, he encourages current students to manage their time because “with classes during the day and rehearsal in the evening, life as a theatre major can get stressful.” Like Wantland, King worked professionally before beginning graduate school, spending a year at Kalamazoo Civic Theatre. He began his M.F.A. studies in theatrical lighting design at University of California at Irvine in the fall of 2012. His graduate instructors have commended him for his professionalism and hard work, skills he attributes to his years at IU South Bend. The workload at grad school was a big surprise to King. “I have had countless all-nighters in order to get jobs done,” he says. “I didn’t realize how much I was going to learn in such a short amount of time.” Over the summer King worked with Bridge 2 Broadway, a program of the Orange County School of the Arts that develops a new generation of working theatre professionals. When he began his studies King was planning to teach, but those plans have been postponed in favor of working as a professional lighting designer. He intends to remain in California where his mentors have exposed him to lots of opportunities. “Although theatrical lighting design is a great passion, I am planning on working more with architectural and event lighting,” he says. King, Wantland, and Techentin all agree that IU South Bend provided them with lots of chances to learn their craft and they encourage current students to make the most of those opportunities. “Work hard,” says Wantland. “Take advantage of every opportunity presented to you. They may lead you to places greater than you ever expected.”

Thinking Outside the Underground Box By Kevin Gillen // Photography Adam Horton

â€œWhat do you suppose the culture was like for all of these dead people?â€? This is the question I ask students in cross-cultural communications where each fall the class studies a cemetery of their choice. In preparation, students create a profile of their own cultural identity by observing what social artifacts are prominent in their homes. These may include trophies, awards, and certificates celebrating their lives. They also look for objects that honor their deceased family and friends, like special books, flags, mementos, and shrines. Cemeteries are an integral part of many peopleâ€™s lives, serving as peaceful sanctuaries and historical cultural texts. But how does one make the leap from artifacts in the home to the lives of the deceased buried in a cemetery? Enter ethnography.

take a seat Kevin Gillen, senior lecturer in communication studies, haunts cemeteries looking for great stories. At the Mishawaka City Cemetery, Gillen found the fascinating story of local gambler William Aldrich who died in 1882. Aldrich was a wealthy man who made his money in real estate and horses, but had a somewhat shady reputation. A 1922 South Bend Tribune article describes him as “an alleged atheist, a high toned gambler and some allege even worse things. He was a typical ‘Simon Legree,’ tall of figure, dark and thin and wore a Prince Albert coat, fancy high colored vest, black bow tie, and a large diamond stud.” Suffering from tuberculosis, Aldrich prepared for his own death. “He wanted to be buried sitting in a rocking chair,” says Gillen. Ethnography is a qualitative method of research achieved by unobtrusively observing a social group for the purpose of description. In ethnomethodology, connections are inferred by the discovery of implicit assumptions and agreements. In class we try to discern what culture was like when the deceased were living, working members of the community. Students think outside the confines of time, and quite literally, outside the box. They look for patterns — social status, religion, and gender roles. For instance, a socially prominent individual may have a very large tombstone in contrast to many small “insignificant” ones. Students note that most married couples are buried with the man to the woman’s right. The many artifacts left on some graves, such as flowers, flags, and figurines, make a stark contrast with barren grave sites. Students — and myself — come away each year with renewed interest in the diversity of culture, invigorated with thoughts of our own meaning in life and our mortality; not in a sad or regretful way, but a way in which we feel more comfortable and secure.

According to an 1882 article in the Elkhart Daily Review, Aldrich constructed a large stone vault lined with pictures of horse racing to accommodate his unusual burial intentions. Aldrich planned to be buried with his whiskey, saddle, boots, playing cards, and shot gun. Aldrich died at age 42 and was buried sitting up in a specially constructed casket. Newspaper accounts of the burial say he was not put to rest with his belongings as he had planned, perhaps out of fear his grave would be robbed. Today, Aldrich’s grave is marked only by two cracked concrete slabs. There is no stone to identify him or the unusual facts of his burial.

Student work

broadcast on

Michiana Access TV By Sarah Duis

The work of IU South Bend new media students is making its way from the classroom to the small screen. Arts Codec is a 30-minute experimental program now broadcasting on Michiana Access TV, showcasing short films, animations, and experimental video art created exclusively by IU South Bend students. Assistant Professor of New Media & Informatics Eric Souther proposed the idea to WNIT senior producer Brenda Bowyer at a Mid America Filmmakers meeting in November where she was guest speaking. “She was immediately excited about the idea and the process moved very quickly,” says Souther. “I’ve always held that showing students’ work is one of the most important things for their academic careers. It allows for discussion to happen outside of the classroom, and I feel that it feeds the drive to continually make exceptional work by just knowing you have an audience.”

“Having your creation appearing on broadcast television — even public access — is always exciting, especially for video artists.” Though there are regular on-campus screenings of student work throughout the semester, the audience is typically limited to those already interested or involved in the world of new media art. Now, the audience for student work has been broadened to the entire community. “The thought of someone flipping channels at 9 p.m. on a Friday and just happening upon this half hour of intriguing, challenging, even avant-garde stuff, is kind of thrilling to me,” Sniadecki says. “If it generates interest in the Arts Codec club, for me that is just a bonus.” The television show is not limited to students who identify as members of the club — footage for first episodes was compiled from the IU South Bend New Media blog, which is not club-specific.

Arts Codec is also the name of the campus’ new media club, founded in the fall of 2011 by new media students Mark Sniadecki and Sky Santiago. They hoped to bring new media artists together for events and collaboration.

“The big victory is that local student art is taking another step out into the public forum, and maybe the knowledge that there is this platform for ‘being seen’ will inspire students to create even more,” Sniadecki says.

“Arts Codec has kind of evolved into a more generalized banner under which new media is trying to make itself more visible on campus,” says Sniadecki, the club’s president.

Arts Codec can be watched on Comcast channel 99 every Friday night at 9 p.m. or on Vimeo at www.vimeo.com/channels/artscodec.

born to be

dramatic Prepare for the performance of a lifetime with hands-on creative experience guided by a faculty of practicing theatre and dance professionals. The theatre and dance program at IU South Bend combines academic learning with practical experience so you learn the art of theatre from every angle. Our theatre degrees serve as a pre-professional foundation for careers in acting, directing, playwriting, design, crafts, technology, theatre management, marketing, and audience development.

ERNESTINE M. RACLIN SCHOOL OF THE ARTS For degree offerings and more info about theatre & dance at IU South Bend, visit us on the web at arts.iusb.edu/.

2013-14 Season King Lear A tragedy by William Shakespeare October 17-20, 2013 The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) A comedic compilation of Shakespeare’s works December 3-7, 2013 A Midsummer Night’s Dream A children’s production of the Shakespeare classic February 8, 2014 Kiss Me Kate Cole Porter’s musical based on The Taming of the Shrew April 10-13, 2014

Weâ€™ve got magic to do By Brad Pontius Photography Lynnette Nettrouer & Adam Horton

“We’ve got magic to do,” sing the players in the opening scene of Pippin, and magic is exactly what the audience enjoyed when the IU South Bend Theatre and Dance Company presented their newly reimagined production of Pippin by Stephen Schwartz and Roger O. Hirson. “Originally written and produced in the ‘70s, Pippin is very much a musical product of its time,” says Director and Assistant Professor of Theatre Justin Amellio. Schwartz, the world famous composer of Wicked and Godspell, wrote Pippin to describe the ever-present human struggle to find our purpose and way in the world. “The challenge here was to pull the show forward in time by dealing directly with the universal themes of the show,” Amellio explains. The designers and production team

worked to create a world that a modern audience would buy into. They settled on portraying the players as a roving band of homeless hipsters traveling from place to place, performing the show for an unsuspecting audience. The three-level steel scaffolding unit set, designed by Associate Professor of Theatre Inseung Park, was the backbone of the piece. “Not only was it the perfect jungle gym with fireman’s poles and cubbyholes and hiding places,” says Amellio, “but it emphasized the truth of the show that magic is in each of us, even when we can’t see it or feel it.” The versatile set challenged Tia Patrick, who played Catherine. “The most difficult part for me was getting comfortable with the third deck since I’m not great with heights,” she says.

Pippin was originally directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse, a giant in the musical theatre world. Assistant Professor of Dance Carolynn Hine-Johnson’s inventive and Fosse-tinged choreography challenged the students to live up to this high musical theatre standard. “This experience will prove invaluable to them once out in the world auditioning for the many shows like Pippin that have been touched by Fosse’s far-reaching influence,” Amellio explains. A show like Pippin demands superb ensemble work. “The cast rose to the challenge of creating a seamless ensemble in a matter of weeks,” says Amellio. “They were there for each other, cared for each other, listened to each other and fed off of each other at every turn on stage.” Amellio believes this level of work will truly benefit them in their future endeavors. “So much of acting and life demands an

ability to work in an ensemble with trust, optimism, heart and focus,” he says. Assistant Stage Manager Megan Jerrils, a graduating senior, found the production a challenging one. “However, the destination was worth the journey once everything came together,” she says. “We felt immense pride in all the hard work that produced a wonderful show.”

anatomy of a

Font By Karen Ackoff Fonts are ubiquitous. But what is a font, really? It’s is a collection of all the characters or glyphs of a typeface in one size and one style. We see a wide array of fonts every day and often don’t give them a second thought. But to designers, fonts are an integral part of most design projects, whether for print, web, or multimedia. Students in Advanced Lettering & Typography begin their exploration of letterforms by learning a hand-lettered italic hand, known as calligraphy. This provides students the opportunity to learn the finer points of letter proportions and spacing, and how each letter relates to and influences the design of an entire alphabet. It is all about relationships. After the unit on hand lettering, students put down their pens and pick up a mouse. They apply these spatial relationships to designing a digital font. Students start the process of designing a letter form one of two ways. They may choose to sketch a letter by hand, scanning the sketch and using it as a template they trace to develop a vector letter form. Or, they may work directly on the computer, using a stylus to draw with on a digitizing 18

tablet. I recommend that students start by designing a “pivotal” character, such as the letter “a,” and progress to other letters from there. Every detail of a glyph design is important. Letters are made as vector art in Adobe Illustrator. A line made from vectors involves a mathematical equation that establishes both the location of the points that make up the line and its characteristics, such as the amount of curve, change of direction, etc. Vectors have the distinct advantage of reproducing clearly at any size with no loss of resolution. Once letters are designed in Adobe Illustrator, they are imported into FontLab, a font-authoring program. Letters are adjusted and refined. And that is just the beginning. The most daunting aspect of designing a font is making kerning adjustments. Kerning is the space between letters, and because letter shapes are so different (some are round, some are straight, and some are a combination), kerning is variable and must be done by eye. After the letters have been refined and kerned, FontLab then exports the file as a font that can be used for any project.

Top Left // Untitled, bronze by Janet Sorensen // student

Bottom Left // Ben, charcoal by Katherine Corpe // student

Right // Nude Figure 2, pastel by Andrew Avara // student

The B.E.A.T. Has IU South Bend Roots By Christina Clark

“It’s just some really underground stuff that spans everything from underground to mainstream appeal.” Trying to describe The B.E.A.T.’s music is difficult for even the band members. Billy Easton, MC for The B.E.A.T., may say it best when he calls their sound “a very sci-fi version of The Roots.” “The descriptions really don’t stop,” Easton says. “It’s just some really underground stuff that spans everything from underground to mainstream appeal. [We’ve got] roots in jazz, Eli [Kahn] is classically trained, so it’s this really organic experimentation with a whole bunch of stuff … it’s rap, it’s hip-hop.” One thing is for sure though; the band’s roots are at IU South Bend. The B.E.A.T. is comprised of Easton, Arthur Schroeder on the drum set, and Eli Kahn, BS’11, on guitar and a mixing console sound pedal he uses live during show. Kahn and Schroeder met in a music class at IU South Bend. They also performed with the IUSB Jazz Ensemble, a big band with community members and students that really worked the musicians’ skills. Easton and Kahn met in the guitar program. Kahn fondly remembers the time spent in the Electronic Music Ensemble and the IUSB Jazz Ensemble. “The electronic ensemble opened my ears up to a whole other world of improvisation, sound and texture … looking back, Professor [David] Barton really flexed my improv skills.” “The jazz big band really pushed my playing because all these local horn players in the ensemble are really good and they are also all band directors, so they will tell you if you are slipping,” he adds.

“I really didn’t want the cliché of ‘sloppy jazz guitarist’ to apply to me so I worked really hard to play everything perfectly. Plus, that’s where I met Arthur.” Schroeder agrees that the jazz ensemble influenced his playing quite a bit. “My favorite aspect [of IU South Bend] is the integration into the community.” “The people you meet in school will be some of the most lasting relationships personally and professionally. I met all the guys in my band in some shape or another through IU South Bend so it has shaped my life a lot as this band is my primary focus,” Kahn says. Playing in Chicago, Cincinnati, and Detroit, and places in between, they are expanding across the Midwest. “We play Cincinnati quite often, and we play in Detroit, but not nearly enough” says Kahn. “I like it a lot. We’ve only been up there a couple times. It’s a hard scene to get into but it’s my favorite scene I’ve seen so far.” Schroeder agrees. “They’re really cool there, the scene that we’ve seen there and the people we’ve met with there are awesome. There’s some real underground stuff going on up there.” Recently they won a local battle of the bands competition in Mishawaka that resulted in a record label deal and launch kit to promote their band. Easton mused that their sound is a part of “the beginning of a new sound” coming across the Midwest. As for what being a professional musician is like? “Ask me again in five years,” Kahn answers with a smile.

Lift Every Voice: Celebrating the African American Spirit By Marvin Curtis Photography Peter Ringenberg

The 100th anniversary of Harriet Tubman’s death was the focus of the fifth annual “Lift Every Voice: Celebrating the African American Spirit” celebration concert. The school of the arts hosted baritone David Hughey, a cast member in the 2012 Tony award-winning Broadway production of The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess.

Program, San Francisco, and during the 2012-13 season was a member of the Young Artist Program with the Seattle Opera. She will join the National Opera Company in Washington, D.C., in the fall of 2013. She performed works of Menotti and was accompanied by Holley and Dade in “Three Spirituals for Voice, Cello, and Piano” by Marvin Curtis.

Hughey presented the symposium “From Classical to Broadway” for students and community members. Hughey, who is a graduate of Oberlin and The Manhattan School of Music, focused on preparing for a career in the arts that may take several turns. He also led a vocal masterclass for several students.

The celebration continued with selections by the IU South Bend Gospel Choir led by David Brock. The programs concluded with the recognition of human rights pioneer Harriet Tubman.

The artists were accompanied by pianist Fred Dade, assistant professor of music at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania. Dade performed works by Alexander Scriabin and the African American composer Harry T. Burleigh. He accompanied cellist Timothy Holley, associate professor of music at North Carolina Central University. Holley performed works of Beethoven and the African American composer Adolphus Hailstork. He later gave a cello masterclass for students from the South Bend Youth Symphony Orchestra and the school of the arts. Mezzo-Soprano Deborah Nansteel completed the roster of guest artists. Nansteel was a member of the Merola Opera 22

The IU South Bend Dance Company joined the South Bend Symphonic Choir in a theatrical presentation of the book Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford. It incorporated slides from the book, spirituals, hymns, and an original composition by freshman music major Julius Miller. Actors included Megan Jerrils as the Narrator, Jerry Sailor as the Voice of God, and six dancers choreographed by Assistant Professor in Dance Carolynn Hine-Johnson with Sardius Giden performing the role of Harriet Tubman. Assistant professor Justin Amellio staged the production while Curtis led the choir. “Lift Every Voice” was funded in part by the African American Fund of the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County and Lexus of Mishawaka.

remembering Harriet Tubman By Nick Wort // Photography Adam Horton

New York Times best-selling author Carole Boston Weatherford came to IU South Bend in March to read from her book Moses: When Harriett Tubman Led Her People to Freedom. The reading was in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Tubman’s death, and was a part of IU South Bend’s Black History Month celebration and activities.

Though this is the first time Weatherford has read in the area, she has a special connection to IU South Bend. She and Dean of the Raclin School of the Arts Marvin Curtis used to work together at Fayetteville State University. The two collaborated on a music and dance production of “Moses.”

The Caldecott Honor and NAACP Image Award-winning children’s book was acted out by dancers in February as part of the annual “Lift Every Voice: A Celebration of the African Spirit” concert.

“He decided that he wanted to do it here to commemorate the 100th anniversary of her death,” says Weatherford of their collaboration. “So that’s why I’m here. I didn’t choose IU, it chose me!”

The reading at the Civil Rights Heritage Center at the Natatorium attracted parents and children from all over the community. Weatherford began by reading poems from her other works. She then read “Moses,” making a point to interact with the audience by having them sing, clap, and gesture along with the poems. After the reading, Weatherford answered questions and signed copies of her book.

With 40 books published and countless accolades, Weatherford’s career has been a huge success. She began writing when she was just a young girl, reciting her first poem to her mother when she was in the first grade. Her mother encouraged her creativity and her father, who worked at a high school print shop, made copies of her early work.

Most of Weatherford’s writing focuses on historical topics transformed into children’s books. She aims for a new approach to topics that have not yet made their way into children’s literature. “I initially set out to write a story about Harriett Tubman to read at a storytelling festival,” says Weatherford. “So I wrote this story and read it at the festival. A few years later, my church was having a Black History Month program. And I said ‘Let’s try something different. I’ve got this story — maybe we can do a reader’s theater.’ They performed it as a reader’s theater with the chorus chiming in singing African American spirituals.” After seeing her work performed, Weatherford decided she wanted to change the script into a children’s book, which ultimately became Moses: When Harriett Tubman Led Her People to Freedom.

Natella’s Overseer

shown at Meijer Gardens By Sarah Duis // Photography Dora Natella Gardens aren’t just for flowers — not at the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, anyway. Associate Professor of Fine Arts Dora Natella’s sculpture Overseer was part of a fall 2012 exhibition at the outdoor gallery in Grand Rapids, Mich. The exhibition, titled Body Double: The Figure in Contemporary Sculpture, displayed works from 26 American and international artists. The theme focused on the human figure as both a physical object and a symbol or metaphor. “This sculpture metaphorically represents death and rebirth in everyday life,” Natella says. “The event that prompted me to create this sculpture was the loss of someone dear to me. This made me reflect about the crucial importance of fully appreciating and enjoying life each and every day. Overseer exudes an intense and impalpable energy which defines the surrounding space and enhances her presence.” A non-profit organization, the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park was recently ranked in the top 100 mostvisited art museums worldwide by Art Newspaper. The 132acre year-round gallery blends art and nature and includes sculptures from well-recognized artists such as Rodin, Moore, Oldenberg, and DiSuervo. The Body Double exhibition was on display through January. Then, Overseer was installed in downtown Valparaiso in early May as part of the Midwest Sculpture Initiative Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition, which provides outdoor sculpture exhibition opportunities throughout the Midwest. The sculpture will remain on display there until May 2014. “It has been my dream and highest aspiration since coming to America in 1981, to build a reputation as an artist nationally,” Natella says. She was born in Venezuela and studied figurative sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Naples. In 1980, she moved to the United States to further her education as an artist, earning an M.F.A. in sculpture at Western Michigan University. Natella has taught at Western Michigan College, IU Bloomington, the University of Oregon, and IU South Bend, where she has been since 2004. She has won numerous awards and received several grants for her work. 24

born to be

in tune Study music at IU South Bend for personal attention from a faculty of professional musicians, innovative educators, cutting-edge scholars and active composers. Whether you hope to play in a major symphony orchestra, tour the world as a jazz musician, run a high school music program, or compose your own magnum opus, IU South Bend has a program for you. Four bachelor and master degrees along with more than a dozen major ensembles provide the education you need for a career in music.

ERNESTINE M. RACLIN SCHOOL OF THE ARTS For degree offerings and more info about IU South Bend music programs, e-mail musicsb@iusb.edu or visit us on the web at arts.iusb.edu/.

audition dates Saturday, November 16, 2013 Saturday, February 8, 2014 Saturday, March 8, 2014

Love, Fate, & Fortune By Sarah Duis // Photography Peter Ringenberg

The South Bend Symphonic Choir presented Carl Orff’s epic Carmina Burana in April under the baton of Dean Marvin V. Curtis. The traditionally vocal-only performance was embellished with a cast of dancers from the IU South Bend Dance Company, who danced for 10 of the play’s 24 songs. “The piece took on a whole new meaning,” says Curtis. “It worked very well.”

Dancers whirled around the stage with swaths of chiffon, thrashed ropes to symbolize rage, and portrayed drunks in a tavern. The South Bend Symphonic Choir was also joined by three vocal soloists and a small ensemble of instrumentalists. Soloists were soprano and Assistant Professor of Voice Jessica McCormack, New York tenor Maurio Hines, and baritone Martin Woods of Chicago, Ill. Carmina Burana is a scenic cantata composed by Carl Orff in 1935-36. It’s based on 24 of the 254 poems found in the medieval collection Carmina Burana, a manuscript from the 11th and 12th centuries written by monks. Like the manuscript, the cantata includes old French, German, and Latin. Themes include love, fate, and fortune.

First staged in Frankfurt, Germany by the Frankfurt Opera in 1937, Carmina opened to great success. Soon after, Orff wrote to his publishers saying, “Everything I have written to date, and which you have, unfortunately, printed, can be destroyed. With Carmina Burana, my collected works begin.” This was student Nicholas Sikorski’s first ballet performance with the company. “I had never danced like that before,” he says. “You can just express yourself and you can’t really be judged because it’s a beautiful art form. It doesn’t matter

if you’ve never danced before or if you’ve been dancing all your life.” Participation from different arts areas was part of a continuing trend of collaboration within the school. “I’ve always believed in collaboration of the arts,” says Curtis. “People stay in their own little silos with music here and theatre over there. In order to be a good artist you need to collaborate with performers in other areas.” The performance was dedicated to the memory of Herman Hoffman, a former member of the South Bend Symphonic Choir.

Sarah Duis:

USA TODAY

correspondent By Michele Morgan-Dufour

IU South Bend senior Sarah Duis thought it was a long shot when she applied to be a summer correspondent for USA TODAY. It wasn’t such a long shot. She was selected to be one of 17 summer collegiate correspondents for USA TODAY College, a digital section of the national newspaper aimed at traditional-aged students. “This is by far the most exciting thing that’s ever happened to me professionally. Or at all, really,” Duis says. She joined student writers from Ohio University, Northwestern University, Columbia University/Barnard College, and Michigan State. College correspondents write stories that are relevant to college students. However, there is always the chance that the regular USA TODAY print edition or website will pick up the stories. Duis’ first article, “Will college students buy YouTube’s subscription service?” was featured in the tech section of the USA TODAY website. “To go to the USA TODAY website and see a story I wrote being featured at the top of the page is surreal and exhilarating. I can’t think of any better validation as a journalist,” says Duis. It was a thrill she experienced with many of her stories. The students worked with an online editor who guided them with conference calls, webinars, and writing tips. They also came to depend on one another for support. “The 16 other journalists in the program have become like my little online journalism family,” says Duis. “We’re constantly posting on our group’s private Facebook wall, texting each other, finding sources for each other and retweeting each other’s stories.” She decided early in the summer to concentrate her stories on just a few topic areas rather than reporting general news. 28

“I really enjoy writing about technology, social media, and offbeat cultural trends. It’s fascinating to investigate how our culture is constantly shifting and what the guiding forces are,” explains Duis. Even though she was writing about subjects she enjoys, the job was still challenging. “It was hard to find sources at first. I would search for people on Twitter and occasionally beg my friends and family to come up with someone for me to talk to,” she says. She also had to sharpen her interviewing skills. “Talking to complete strangers on the phone and asking them personal questions was stressful at first, but I had to get over that quickly.” The pressure of writing weekly for USA TODAY wasn’t always easy. The program was like journalism boot camp, with her editors expecting top-notch stories every single week. That meant consistently superb writing, great sources, and relevant topics. “Some weeks were tough and I wasn’t always completely satisfied with a story, but I learned that you can’t be amazing all the time,” Duis explains. “Even the best writers struggle, but as long as you don’t give up, you’ll continue to improve.” “Knowing that what I was writing would be sent out to a national audience was nerve-wracking at times,” Duis says. “But usually I was just really grateful for the exposure and excited to share what I’d found out with the world. Her experience at the national newspaper reaffirmed her decision to become a journalist. “I think this job will open up doors for me in the future,” says Duis. “Writing ‘USA TODAY’ on my resume is a huge confidence boost. Talk about an edge over the competition!”

theatre students compete at By Emily Beck

festival

Theatre and dance students and faculty represented IU South Bend at the 2013 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) in Saginaw, Mich. The week-long festival includes workshops and competitions. One of the highlights of the week is the competition for the Irene Ryan Award. Marlon Burnley, Amanda Benham, Emily Beck, Thomas Neff, Jeremy Weyer, Jess Alexander, Jerry Sailor, and Earl Brown competed for the award, funded by the late actress who portrayed Granny Clampett on The Beverly Hillbillies. The Irene Ryan Foundation awards 16 regional and two national scholarships annually. Hundreds of participants came from Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, and Indiana. The students were selected for competition by a KCACTF responder who visited campus to critique SMASH and HMS Pinafore during 2012. Kyle Techentin was entered in the design competition for his lighting design for SMASH. Two of Assistant Professor in Theatre Jason Resler’s costumes from SMASH were displayed. The students were accompanied by Assistant Professor in Theatre Justin Amellio and Area Coordinator and Associate Professor of Theatre Tim Hanson. “Our students did an incredible job,” says Hanson. “This was a chance for our students to show their work and get critiques and feedback from professionals from all over the country.” They also had a chance to talk with other theatre students and make contacts. 30

“It was my first trip to KCACTF, and will not be my last,” says theatre student Jess Alexander. “The competition of the festival was intense, but it had a very friendly atmosphere. I was able to audition to be cast in a play that was entered into the playwriting festival portion of the week.” He was cast in Bread Hands that won best play and best director. Students networked with people from professional venues such as the Open Jar Institute and The Louisville Apprenticeship Program, venues that are well-known for preparing young artists for the world of show business “My experience was mind-blowing.” says student Emily Beck. “I had never been to an acting competition. I definitely felt that the information I learned at the festival gave me the tools to continue being a more well-rounded performer and educator,” she says. “It was because of this experience that I switched majors and decided to pursue a bachelor of fine arts degree in musical theatre,” says Beck. “I highly recommend that theatre and dance students seek out opportunities to attend this conference — even if it’s just for one day. Students Marlon Burnley and Jess Alexander were nominated for their April performances of Pippin to compete for the Irene Ryan Award again next year. Techentin was nominated for lighting design and Wesley Butcher was nominated for stage management. They will compete at the next conference in Saginaw, Mich., in January 2014.

Top Left // Untitled, photograph by Jennifer Alter // student

Top Right // Untitled, bronze by Janet Sorensen // student

Bottom // Hand Drawn, sculpture by Daniel Wolters // student

Top // Art Gallery

bottom left // Painting Studio

Bottom Right // Music Rehearsal Hall

home A new space to call

By Sarah Duis // Photography Peter Ringenberg

The aging Associates Building has been transformed into the magnificent $22 million Education and Arts Building. The sprawling new facility features modern amenities that will enhance every art student’s college experience for years to come. “It’s a facility than we can really be proud to show the outside world,” says Dean Marvin Curtis. New media now has its own digital media lab, design studio, animation studio, and much-needed offices for faculty. With these new work spaces, the new media program can continue to expand. Visual arts has expansive and fullyequipped drawing and painting studios, a critique space, six BFA

studios for seniors, a traditional darkroom, digital darkroom, and film processing lab, additional classroom and workroom space, and a sleek art gallery with more than 3200-squarefeet of space. “The new gallery space is phenomenal to host not only our students’ work, but guest artists and international artists,” says Curtis. The former gallery was in the Associates Building. While the building was undergoing renovation, the school had to create exhibition spaces in open areas throughout campus.

the size and scope of their program. The building also features a 130seat lecture hall that can be used as performance space for small concerts. Communication studies plans to take advantage of the new lecture hall as well. “This new open room will provide a more intimate space for hosting the Arts Lecture Series,” says Alec Hosterman, area coordinator of communication studies and senior lecturer in communication arts. “Now we have more space to grow and do what we do,” says Curtis.

Music enjoys a 2,000-square-foot rehearsal space for instrumental groups and ensembles. They no longer have to share space with choral groups, allowing them to expand 31

A GIFT OF THEATRE FOR THE AGES By Ken Baierl // Photography Sara Lowe Doloris Cogan has given a gift to Indiana University South Bend that will in turn be a gift for theatre-goers in Elkhart for the ages. Cogan recently donated $200,000 to establish and support the Doloris C. Cogan IU South Bend Summer Theatre Series at the Lerner Theatre in Elkhart. Her donation will enable IU South Bend to bring three to five fully-staged productions to the Lerner each summer in perpetuity. “I’ve had a wonderful life and I attribute that to my education,” Cogan said. “This is an opportunity to bring IU South Bend, the Lerner Theatre, and the people of Elkhart together to learn and enjoy the arts.” Cogan graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln, Neb., and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York City before going on to a distinguished career in corporate communications, including at Pepperidge Farms, Inc. in Westport, Conn., and Miles Laboratories in Elkhart.

She said her background in speech, debate, and the arts helped her professionally and personally. As one of the first women executives in corporate communications, she traveled the world, raised a family, and always loved the arts. “Every child should have an opportunity to perform or be in the audience,” she said. “Ms. Cogan’s generosity will provide youth, families, students and Elkhart residents the opportunity to experience the arts each summer in a beautiful theatre at an affordable cost,” said Marvin Curtis, dean of the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts at IU South Bend. “Our goal is to become a summer destination for actors, playwrights, directors, and others who want to explore their crafts.” The 2013 IU South Bend summer theatre series at the Lerner included performance of Pippin, Swan Lake, The Wizard of Oz, and SMASH.

Theatre Geeks David Dufour, John Shoup, and Marcia Fulmer are joined by guest Scott Purkeypile.

Theatre Geeks explores community theatre By Michele Morgan-Dufour // Photography Mel Moore Theatre Geek David Dufour takes his love of theatre beyond the classroom to a worldwide audience. Together with two close friends from Elkhart Civic Theatre, Dufour produces Theatre Geeks, a bi-weekly podcast on community theatre. Audio podcasts are similar to radio shows and are available online. “Theatre Geeks runs the gamut from acting and directing issues, tech, front-of-house, auditioning, and even audience behavior,” says Dufour, adjunct faculty in theatre. In addition to Dufour, the panel includes John Shoup, artistic and technical director at the Elkhart Civic Theatre, and veteran arts and entertainment writer Marcia Fulmer, who now publishes the regional arts blog marciamarciamarcia.net. The three geeks often speak from their own collective experience as actors and directors, but many episodes of the show include special guests, like Chicago Tribune drama critic Chris Jones, Indiana Repertory’s artistic director Janet Allen, Stratford Festival costumer Elizabeth Copeman and others. Fulmer’s daughter Deirdre Lovejoy, a professional actress most recently appearing in Lucky Guy with Tom Hanks on Broadway, is an ‘honorary’ Geek and regular guest as well. Recently, Scott Purkeypile, adjunct faculty in theatre, joined the geeks for two episodes to talk about his work using theatre to reach at-risk and autistic youth. 36

Dufour started the podcast with only a general idea of how it would evolve. “We’re just three people with a lot of experience on and off stage, and we don’t always agree, but the show works.” he says. “We needle each other a bit during the show, too, which adds to the fun.” Shoup likes that Theatre Geeks provides a lot of practical advice for theatres. “What I find exciting is that we might actually help people with issues they’re facing in their community theatres, says Shoup. “When I started with the podcast, I felt it was just three friends getting together to chat and/or gripe. Now, I still get to meet with my friends, but it feels like we actually are touching folks in a way that is beneficial and encouraging.” As the show approaches its 100th episode Fulmer notes, “It amazes me that we don’t seem to run out of topics, but we always touch a chord with anyone who’s been in community theatre. It’s a universal subject that has many facets, and we keep discovering more topics that people are interested in.” Theatre Geeks is available on media networks including iTunes, Stitcher, On-Demand radio, and at www.theatregeeks.com.

born to be

creative Take your place in a community of artists to explore the theory and practice of fine art. From the fundamentals of 2D and 3D art to in-depth study of a single medium, IU South Bend students develop their creative and critical skills. Enjoy personal attention from an inspired faculty of recognized painters, printmakers, photographers, and sculptors. Expand your experience by traveling with the faculty to study art in Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance, while immersed in the history of art and architecture.

ERNESTINE M. RACLIN SCHOOL OF THE ARTS For degree offerings and more info about IU South Bend visual arts programs, visit us on the web at arts.iusb.edu/.

The Gift of Music By Sarah Duis

A $1.2 million dollar gift from the Georgina Joshi Foundation will transform the aging Northside Recital Hall into the Louise E. Addicott and Yatish J. Joshi Performance Hall — a world-class performance and recording space. But it’s not just the dollar amount that makes the gift special. “The hall is kind of part of the family,” says Yatish Joshi. Joshi met his wife Louise while they were both studying at the University of Akron in Ohio. They moved to South Bend in 1979 where they founded GTA Containers, Inc. Together they raised three highly accomplished children: Tenzing, Avatar, and Georgina. Throughout the years the Joshis attended many performances at IU South Bend, where they delighted in seeing the Toradze Piano Studio and the South Bend Youth Symphony. It was Louise’s passion for music that guided the Joshi family toward the arts. Georgina’s own love of music was apparent early on. At the age of 7, she was chosen to perform in Oliver in the Ohio Light Opera. At the age of 8, she starred as Amahl in the opera Amahl and the Night Visitors at the Indiana Opera North. While attending high school at John Adams, she was a member of the IUSB Philharmonic and the South Bend Chamber Signers, concertmistress of the South Bend Youth Symphony, and recipient of the YWCA Young Woman of the Year award. Georgina went on to attend the Royal College of Music in London where she studied with Eiddwen Harrhy and received a Bachelor of Music (Honors). She continued to pursue musical education at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. There, Georgina gave

Yatish J. Joshi and Louise E. Addicott

more performances than any other student in the history of the school. “When she sang, she didn’t just sing,” explains Joshi. “She acted out the role. She became that person in her mind.” Joshi says that Georgina and her mother Louise shared a philosophy: When you do something, do it completely. You do it the best, or you’re not going to do it. “And when the moment came for the possibility of the renovating the hall, what a perfect fit,” he says. Through Louise’s vision, The Georgina Joshi Foundation, Inc. was established in 2007 to provide educational opportunities for young musicians. “If a young person wants to make a career out of music, we want to help them along the way in any way shape or form that we can,” says Glenda Lamont, the foundation’s treasurer “Georgina had everything,” says Joshi. “She could do whatever she wanted to do, and we wanted to make sure we’re able to make that possible for as many students as possible.” The foundation provides music scholarships and awards, underwrites Handel operas, and supports musical groups. It 40

also supports Bike the Bend, an event born in the mind and heart of Louise, who loved cycling around South Bend with her family. The 224-seat performance venue will be home to performances of chamber music, small ensembles, and soloists. The hall will also include high-tech acoustics and a state-of-the-art recording system for students and faculty. Joshi is hopeful that the venue will reinforce the importance of the arts in an educational setting. “In public schools all over the United States, budget cuts come and the first things that go are music and arts,” he says. “That is your soul. That makes you the person you are. Art is a universal language.” His favorite part of the upcoming performance space? “The recording system. That’s what Louise and Georgina wanted very strongly, because for students to record auditions, recitals and tapes, it’s so difficult. It’s so difficult,” he says. The new system will allow students to produce clear, professional quality recordings of their work. Ultimately, Joshi wants to see the new hall become a musical center of the community. “I think the community will really enjoy it, and people will look at IUSB and say ‘Wow, look what they’re doing for the community.’”

Construction begins on new recital hall Photography Tiffany Goehring Construction of the Louise E. Addicott and Yatish J. Joshi Performance Hall began in May with a “wall-breaking” ceremony. Yatish Joshi took the first swing with a sledgehammer to begin demolition of the Recital Hall. “It felt good to swing the hammer and kick off the construction phase of this project,” Dean Marvin Curtis says of his own turn at demolition. Features of the 224-seat venue will include a new lobby and box office, green room and dressing rooms, a Steinway piano, a deeper stage, comfortable seating, a state-of-theart sound system, and handrails. Early in the spring, the IU South Bend Arts Foundation Board invited the community to support the project through a seat campaign. Gifts of $500 were recognized with the name of the donor (or someone they wanted to honor) engraved on a brass plate on the back of seats in the first three rows. Gifts of $275 were recognized with plates on seats in the remaining eight rows. The new hall’s renovations were designed by CSO Architects of Carmel, Ind. The construction contract was awarded to Gibson-Lewis, LLC.

Swan Lake captivates audience

By Sarah Duis // Photography Peter Ringenberg

The IU South Bend Dance Company’s first fully-staged ballet was nothing short of breath-taking. Not only did the stage look like a scene straight from the pages of a fairy-tale, the dancers performed technical feats not seen before at IU South Bend. “It was a challenge to prepare the relatively new dance company members to perform in the difficult and highly technical ballet,” says Carolynn Hine-Johnson, assistant professor of dance. Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake debuted in in 1877. The story of beauty, love, and magic is based on Russian folk tales and has become one of the most famous ballets in the world.

Dancers trained all summer for this special performance. They were taught to dance en pointe, the demanding act of balancing on tiptoes with a wooden block inside the tip of the shoe. It was crucial for them to build focus and endurance. For dance company member Leeah Oxley, this was her first time dancing en pointe. She says it was her most challenging performance ever. “We spent long hours preparing, and it was exhausting at times, but I think the outcome was well worth all our time and sweat,” she says. “The audience seemed to love it, and that makes it all worth it for me.” The production was made even more spectacular by the performance of the IUSB Philharmonic under the direction of Lecturer in Music Jameson Cooper.

“Live music is so wonderful. A CD can never replicate the beautiful of a live orchestra,” says Hine-Johnson. “I also really enjoy the collaboration that occurs with dancers and musicians. Art is about community.” The concert was certainly a community experience, attracting an audience of 650 people on a Wednesday evening. The musicians and dancers reprised the performance at Elkhart’s Lerner Theatre as part of the IU South Bend Summer Theatre Series. “For professional dancers, experiencing ballet is pretty much mandatory,” says Hine-Johnson. “It builds strength and flexibility at the same time. Whether a dancer seeks a career in musical theatre, a professional dance company, or wants to dance for enjoyment, ballet helps them be successful.”

Guest artist Nicholas Cowdon, a performer with Southold Dance Theater, performed the Neapolitan Dance in Act III. Other performers included Jessica Izak as the White Swan, Marlon Burnley as Prince Siefried, Stephanie Phillips as the Black Swan, Victor Kamwendo as Von Rothbart, and Thomas Neff as Benno. The philharmonic also performed the premiere of Amelia, a piece composed by Assistant Professor in Music John Mayrose. Amelia celebrates the accomplishments of Amelia Earhart and her advancement of aviation and women’s rights. The work combines electronics and samples of Earhart speaking in flight with the traditional orchestra. The performance was accompanied by a video created by Assistant Professor of New Media Eric Souther.

Jason Rester with a Ringling Brothers Circus elephant.

CircusFolk By Izza Jatala

Before the lights dim in Campus Auditorium, before the hush spreads across the seated audience, and before the curtains open to a colorfully-lit stage with costumed performers, technicians are tinkering with audio and visual equipment while designers put final touches on costumes and sets.

his own creative process. The ability to tell stories through clothing is a skill he hopes to pass on to his students.

Jason Resler, assistant professor of theatre and costume designer, and Alex Blatt, resident stage manager, began their backstage careers in a front-and-center way: “I literally ran away with the circus,” says Resler.

“It’s hard to explain what it’s like performing for thousands of people,” Blatt says. “It’s a wonderful and terrifying and adventurous experience. I liked observing how everything worked and I started to become interested in the technical side of the show.”

Resler joined the Ringling Brothers Circus in 2004 after graduating from Western Michigan University with a bachelor’s in theatre design and technology. He spent six months working as a first hand at the costume shop and making elaborate garments for the elephants in the show. He then became a wardrobe supervisor at Feld Entertainment for Disney on Ice.

He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from DePaul University in theatre and stagecraft, then moved on to a career in the technical side of theatre, eventually working at places like the Palais Royale in South Bend and the Century Center before joining the Raclin School of the Arts.

“Seeing the way designers worked with and combined fabrics to make the costumes more interesting, along with the level of construction, was fantastic to be a part of,” says Resler. Resler says he is fortunate to have worked with professional designers so early in his career who continue to influence 46

Blatt was also a member of the Ringling Brother Circus, joining in the ‘90s as a stagehand and performing as a clown in one of the largest circus shows in the world.

Through his experiences he’s learned how to use technology to make the visions of the artists a reality on stage. “Having experience being both on stage and behind-thescenes has given me a unique perspective of the industry I love,” says Blatt. “It’s been everything I dreamed it would be.”

#SOTU:

tweeting from the White House

By Taylor Paige Neff It’s not every day that someone gets an invitation to the White House, but that’s what happened to Alec Hosterman, area coordinator and senior lecturer in communication arts. He was asked with 99 other applicants to join in communicating with viewers via social media during the 2013 State of the Union address. “It was really exciting for me because I thought, ‘Hey look, I taught a class on social media, and look, now I’m doing this in real life,’” says Hosterman. The White House social program invites people that engage with them online to attend in-person events, and then share their experience with their own online networks in real time. So far, Barack Obama is the only president to harness social media for the address and to extend the discussion afterward. The State of the Union is no longer just an event, it’s an ongoing conversation.

“Really our only instructions from the White House Administration were, ‘Interact with your social networks, that’s what we want,’” he says. Hosterman used Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram during the speech. Hosterman says that he gave a headsup to his followers on Twitter before his trip to Washington. Even though these social media events have become somewhat common for the White House, this proved to be the largest event so far. About 1.3 million tweets were made about the State of the Union with the hash tag #SOTU. Hosterman was given a tour of the White House the morning of the address, and then taken to the Eisenhower Executive Building later in the evening. Hosterman says they were given until 11 p.m. for the online panel discussion, but the conversation ended up going until 11:45. White House officials were

impressed and excited with all the questions asked. Thanks to the presidential trip, Hosterman was able to bring home practical experiences for his classes. He believes now more than ever that people need to use and engage with social media, but deciding which site is the best is like comparing apples to oranges. “People need to use the medium that works best in whatever context they are aiming for. For me, people knew that if they wanted to follow me, it would be on Twitter,” he says. The panel discussion proved to Hosterman that public relations practitioners need to incorporate live, online dialogue with their clients and audiences to keep them engaged. “It reaffirmed what I already knew and showed me the potential and power to reach audiences,” he says. “And that I will definitely bring back to my students.”

Jenny Cruz

Juan Pablo Andrade

Lexo’s Legacy: Toradze pianists today By Moira A. Dyczko Martin Endowed Professor in Piano Alexander “Lexo” Toradze has trained many extraordinary pianists during his career at IU South Bend. Upon his arrival in 1991 he established a studio of pianists that has received critical acclaim internationally and functioned as a professional ensemble, an unheard of accomplishment for a student group. Lexo is highly focused on his students’ development and career opportunities, regularly featuring them in performance and encouraging their professional careers. “My students’ achievements are the most important and stimulating happenings of not only my teaching but also my performing career,” says Toradze. Once they leave IU South Bend, Toradze and area patrons follow their careers. Just striking out after earning his Doctorate of Musical Arts degree, Vakhtang Kodanashvili, BM’02, MM’04, has been busy performing. Last March he presented a program of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s two pianos works with Edisher 48

Savitski, AD’01, at the “Rachmaninoff Festival” in Milan, Italy. Following that, he performed in the “Contemporary Piano Faces Festival” in St. Petersburg, Russia, with fellow studio members and alumni Nikita Abrosimov, Ignasi Cambra, PD’13, Sangwon Kim, and Edisher Savitski. In reflecting about his experience with the studio Vakhtang says, “… the most precious of all is the community Lexo has created in his studio. It is a unique place and extremely beneficial environment for a musician to be in. It has been almost 10 years that I officially graduated from this university, but I still consider myself as a part of the studio.” Jenny Cruz, BM’00, met Lexo at a masterclass in Milwaukee when she was a high school sophomore. She graduated high school early and joined the Toradze Piano Studio at a young age.

“Being so young in the studio, it was trial by fire,” says Cruz. “But I knew if I could survive Lexo, I could survive anything in my career. I’m so thankful for my time with him” Cruz went on to receive her master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music and doctorate degree from the University of Cincinnati, CollegeConservatory of Music. She’s currently a tenured associate professor of piano at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, where she’s been teaching since 2006. She is actively performing, with a recent appearance at the World Piano Festival in Serbia, however she prefers to focus on her academic career. Within her first year at Central State University she founded Music Mentors, a community outreach program through the school. Music Mentors provides free music instruction and instills basic skills that can aid students in their academic growth.

After Juan Pablo Andrade, AD’00, received his Artist Diploma from IU South Bend he earned his master’s degree from Arizona State and his Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Andrade is currently assistant professor for the Department of Music at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College (UTB/ TSB) where he has worked since 2009. In this appointment he also serves as director of the UTB/TSB Music Academy. The Music Academy offers individual and group classes to community members of all ages. He maintains an impressive performance schedule. This season the Teatro Nacional de Costa Ricahas booked him for an impressive three engagements; he will also perform in Canada, Italy, and Austria.

Andrade believes studying with Toradze helped to prepare him for the demands his career. “Lessons with Lexo are as intense as you can get; very demanding, very long, and at any time of the day,” Andrade says. “The stamina that he requires is something that is much appreciated and helpful in managing stressful circumstances in a busy career.” These individuals have experienced Toradze’s unique methods of teaching, where he creates community to encourage learning and growth through the whole studio experience. “I’m constantly sharing my musical and artistic experiences with my students,” says Toradze. “But I’m also learning from my students. I’m a devoted follower of great ancient Roman philosopher’s Cicero’s saying: ‘You want to learn - then teach.’ Furthermore, if I can learn from my students then they can do the same and they do - learn from each other.”

Full time appointments

Continuing Education // Degrees Earned

Juan Pablo Andrade, AD’00, Assistant Professor, University of Texas at Brownsville/Texas Southmost College

Sean Botkin, AD’01 – MM, The Julliard School of Music

Ketevan Badridze, AD’03, Lecturer in Piano, IU South Bend Sean Botkin, AD’01, Associate Professor of Piano, University of Northern Iowa Ivana Bukvich, MM’98, Piano Department Head, Sherwood Community Music School, Columbia College Jenny Cruz, BM’00, Associate Professor of Piano, Central State University

Vakhtang Kodanashvili, BM’02, MM’04 – DMA, Michigan State University Edisher Savitski, AD’01 – DMA, Michigan State University Bernardo Scarambone, MM’00 – DMA, University of Houston

Degrees in Pursuit Ignasi Cambra, PD’13 – MM, The Julliard School of Music

Alexander Korsantia, MM’00, Professor in Piano, New England Conservatory

Leah Dominy, BM’13 – MM, New England Conservatory

Bernardo Scarambone, MM’00, Assistant Professor, Eastern Kentucky University

Rudolf Ozolins, BM’04 – DMA, Michigan State University

George Vatchnadze, MM’94, Associate Professor of Piano, DePaul University

Misun Moon, MM’11 – DMA, Michigan State University

Genadi Zagor, PC’04 – DMA, Michigan State University

Theatre

Ground Up

from the

Many elements go into preparing a stage production — from music and dialogue to costumes and makeup. But perhaps the most fundamental aspect of planning is set design and construction. “Theater design is problem solving,” says Inseung Park, associate professor of theatre and accomplished set designer. “This problem solving isn’t with numbers, but visuals.” Park used the example of an opera set to explain the complexities of creating an atmosphere on stage. “Say we have $1,000 to create a palace scene. There are many different ways we could go about this. Do we paint backdrops, or buy one? Do we buy classical columns? We have to find the best way to make it work.” Park isn’t the only faculty member involved with making theatre sets a reality. He works closely with Tim Hanson, area coordinator and associate professor of theatre. “In design, I deal with aesthetic aspects of theatre,” says Park. “I go to Hanson and figure out how we can put it on stage. Say we’re trying to display a large sheet on the stage and I don’t know how to make it. Hanson knows these things better than me. He’s great with lighting. We really collaborate to make things come together.” Once the plans for the creating the set solidify, the real work begins. Lighting work and planning begins in the upstage theatre, where the director can visualize the play in a smaller, more intimate environment. Meanwhile, two stories below in the basement, building begins in the scene shop. Hanson explains that the scene shop is actually constructed in a former fallout shelter built during the Cold War and equipped with blast doors and

cement rooms. The scene shop is a well-equipped construction site where pieces of the set are built and painted while the stage is in use for other performances. Much of the design work and construction is done by technical theatre students in collaboration with Park and Hanson. Once parts of the set are ready, they’re transported on stage. Since the scene shop is directly beneath the stage, the stage’s wood flooring is often removed so the set is hauled up on ropes. Once the parts have made their way up, they can be fully assembled, painted, and modified as needed. The majority of the set construction actually takes place on stage, since the scene shop isn’t big enough to house the massive components used on stage. “We have about four weeks to build a set and have it ready for performance,” says Hanson. The first few weeks involve getting the set constructed and fitting the stage with lighting and sound. Near the end, the cast and director are brought onto the set to rehearse. For musical performances, the orchestra must also be considered. The orchestra area can be raised for easy access and mobility while the set is being constructed, then lowered to house level when it comes time for performance. Park believes that the theatre program continues to get better, and the students and faculty keep taking on new challenges. “Take Hamlet,” Park says. “It’s been done many times, but what about a musical Hamlet? We can do new interpretations, and more collaborative work. This is the nature of theatre. We can really develop our theatre program.” By Cecelia Roeder 37

Adam Horton, Kendrick Allenson, Kristy Kettlehut, and Marlon Burnley.

Arts Student Council builds community By Kristy Kettlehut The newly formed Raclin School of the Arts Student Council was created in the fall with representatives from each area of the school: Marlon Burnley from theatre and dance, Kendrick Allenson from music, Adam Horton from visual arts, Sky Santiago from new media, and me, Kristy Kettlehut, from communication studies.

of incoming high school graduates. We sat down at each meeting hoping to open a dialogue that would allow collaboration to take place.

This think tank was formed to bring all areas of the school of the arts together. We meet with Dean Marvin Curtis several times throughout the school year and focus on what’s happening in the school and ways to improve it. It’s a structured way of gaining valuable feedback from our current students and the representatives. This feedback centers on our programs, classes, the focus of the school, and most importantly, it provides a platform for generating new ideas.

And these great ideas have flowed from day one, including ways to improve the Summer Arts Camp and Speech Night. We developed workshops on resume and grant writing skills, and the best way to help students apply for the Arts Foundation Board summer grant program. We also tossed around ideas on how to increase attendance at the Communication Lecture Series, Fine Arts Weekend, music recitals, and theatre productions. We thought of ways to reach out to potential students, including a virtual gallery on the web site and a high school photography competition.

Each member has a great passion for their area of study, which we channel into our leadership positions. A main focus is thinking of ways to create a feeling of connection throughout the separate areas of the school. “This is a way we can network for a greater sense of community,” says Santiago. We want every student to attend theatre productions, music concerts, art shows, and communications lectures in support and interest of the entire school. It all started with the question of how we could encourage current students to get more involved and gain the attention 52

“Ideas have come about in a short period of time,” says Curtis.

So far, we implemented a resume and grant writing workshop in March that was available to all school of the arts students. It was a major asset for students who applied for the IU Arts Foundation Summer Grant. Horton has been the driving force behind the Photo League’s Spring Juried High School Photography Exhibition which took place in April, along with a reception during the Fine Arts Weekend. As a collective group, we have all worked hard to bring forth our best ideas to make IU South Bend a university where students want to be. As Kendrick says, “We just wanted the school of the arts to be one school of the arts.”

meeting Eye2Eye By Sarah Duis When was the last time you made eye contact with a stranger — on purpose, at that? On a chilly day in April, strangers gathered outside Wiekamp Hall to gaze into each other’s eyes for as long as they could. Some couples were silent as they stared. Others made conversation, intensified by the unbroken visual connection. The event was “Eye Contact,” a public performance art piece created by feminist artist Mary Beth Edelson. The artist graciously allows the piece to be re-created without copyright. It has been performed around the globe, bringing together strangers and groups of people that typically avoided one another. Area Coordinator of Visual Arts and Assistant Professor of Art Education Jane Cera was inspired to hold the event at IU South Bend when she participated in the event at a teaching conference. “I was moved by that experience, and I wanted to share it with our campus.” Cera organized the event to highlight the fact that our society has become increasingly non-communicative, at least in the physical world. “We live in a time where we have turned into an egg-carton society,” Cera says. “Each of us is constantly engaged with our phone. Stand outside an elevator with 10 people and hardly anyone speaks, we all stay engaged with our devices.” To passersby, the group of strangers gazing at each other may not have seemed like a big deal. But to some who participated, it meant the world. “I was thanked by a woman who said she hadn’t made eye contact with anyone in years,” Cera says. “She was teary-eyed telling me so.” Printmaking student Adam Patti was eager to attend and participate in the atypical performance. “Instead of looking at physical art, we were seeing each other, which is more important,” he says. Patti believes that eye contact with a stranger should occur every day. “You can see through someone through their eyes because it goes righty to the very core of the being. Everyone’s isolated. We’re not taught to go out into the world to talk to everyone.” “Eye Contact” was produced with the help of visual arts, integrated new media studies, and communication studies. “I hope participants in the event were reminded how good it is to connect with an actual human,” Cera says.

Reprising It’s a Wonderful Life What would life be like if someone you loved had never been born? What’s the worth of a man’s life? How are dreams realized — or shattered? These are some of the themes explored in It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play. The IU South Bend Theatre and Dance Company reprised their 2011 production for the 2012 holiday season. The play is based on the classic 1946 film It’s a Wonderful Life featuring Jimmy Stewart, and the short story “The Greatest Gift,” written by Philip Van Doren Stern in 1939. The story follows George Bailey, a selfsacrificing family man who, in the midst of financial ruin, wishes that he’d never been born. Nearing the brink of self-destruction, Bailey meets an unlikely guardian angel who grants him a startling look into what the world would really be like without him.

Learning

about media

in NYC By Cecelia Roeder and Sarah Duis

When a little postcard arrived in The Preface’s mailbox inviting our news staff to New York City, it almost went straight into the trash. But when we (Editor-in-Chief Sarah Duis and Design Editor Cecelia Roeder) started looking at the details — a five-day college media convention over spring break at an affordable cost — we realized we could make it a reality. The Preface advisor Ken Klimek encouraged the two of us to take the opportunity, and, with a little help, we found ourselves on a bus headed towards the city that never sleeps. What better place to attend a media convention than New York City?

Session speakers included writers, reporters, designers, and editors from CNN, the New York Times, the Washington Post, CBS News, and other major news outlets. We heard keynote talks from Willie Geist, as seen on the Today show and Morning Joe, and Mark Luckie, Twitter’s journalism and news manager.

The event was the College Media Association’s Spring College Media Convention at the posh Sheraton Hotel in Times Square. Hundreds of journalism students from around the country were there. We attended back-toback 50-minute focused sessions every day, hearing from journalism teachers, fellow students, college newspaper advisors and world-renowned journalists and media figures, all giving us advice on how to take our student newspaper, and our careers, to the next level.

We left New York energized with new ideas for The Preface. Next year, we plan to take our online presence to the next level by switching our online platform to Wordpress. We hope to incorporate more multi-media within each story, and will be starting up a weekly podcast and blog in order to connect to the campus in new ways.

Our experiences weren’t identical — we each gleaned separate but valuable information. Celia attended a social media workshop to help expand her personal and professional online presence. Sarah went on a tour of the Viacom building in Times Square (where she may or may not have pretended to get lost in order to do some exploring) and visited the headquarters of Mashable.

In the evenings, we explored Chinatown, rode to the top of the Empire State Building, went on a boat tour around the island, wandered around Times Square and ate pieces of cheesecake as big as our heads.

Just like the landscape of media and information consumption, The Preface is constantly evolving. At the eventual end of our time with The Preface, we hope to leave the newspaper in better shape than when we arrived. By keeping ourselves up-to-date with the ever-changing world of media, The Preface and its staff can count on being both a forceful and effective campus newspaper and a training ground for tomorrow’s journalists.

Tamea Rector and Trisha Miller help students navigate their degrees.

Student Services has the answers Tucked away at the end of the corridor within the Northside Hall arts office, Student Services – heart of the academic side of the Raclin School of the Arts – resides in a state of constant activity. Here, surrounded by stacks of reference materials and filing cabinets overflowing with student records, the staff makes sure that the more than 550 arts students find the guidance they need to successfully navigate their degree programs. The staff needs to be experts in all degree requirements in addition to understanding how the university operates as a whole. “Who is my advisor?” “How do I test out of my language requirement?” “I need to drop a class.” “Will ‘History of the World’ fulfill my non-Western culture requirement?” “When can I graduate?” These questions, and dozens of others, are fielded by the Student Services staff on a daily basis. “We are here to guide arts students through what they sometimes perceive as the mysterious processes and procedures of the university,” explains Tamea Rector, coordinator of Student Services. “From the first time students arrive on campus to attend new student orientation until they are certified to graduate, we provide a resource for all aspects of their academic journey.” In addition to answering questions, maintaining student records, solving problems, and providing advising materials to assist students in tracking their degree progress, the Student Services office helps create the Schedule of Classes 56

each semester. It is also their responsibility to keep track of – and implement – all curriculum changes and to update the arts section of the campus Bulletin. Associate Dean Randy Colborn, who supervises Student Services, finds it to be a “vital resource” for arts students and declares the staff to be “tireless advocates for student success.” Student Services assistant Trisha Miller targets the work of helping students find success as her favorite part of the job. “It’s great when we can help students resolve an issue or problem. They may come to us upset, but they leave happy, and with a clearer understanding of how to successfully navigate their academic careers.” Student Services provides crucial help when it is needed. “I couldn’t have graduated without that help,” claims 2013 graduate Greg Demetrakis. “I was a transfer student and it was complicated figuring out how my transfer classes fit into the degree program at IUSB.” Rector reminisces about a visual arts student who won top honors at the annual Arts Excellence Awards as a senior and was going on to pursue a master’s degree. “I overheard him talking to his mother following the ceremony,” Rector said, “and in a heartfelt moment confessed to her, ‘When I first came to school here, I didn’t think I could do anything.’ Look what he accomplished! That’s the sort of moment that makes all the hard work worthwhile.”

born to be

heard

Immerse yourself in communication studies at IU South Bend. We are passionate about teaching and your success. We keep up with the latest media trends and incorporate new ways of learning in our classes to better prepare you for an ever-changing, fast-paced work world. Choose from concentrations in interpersonal and organizational communications, public relations, and mass media; then get the real world experience you need in our popular internship program.

ERNESTINE M. RACLIN SCHOOL OF THE ARTS For degree offerings and more info about communication studies at IU South Bend, visit us on the web at arts.iusb.edu/..

Fifty years of Childrenâ€™s Theatre By Marlon Burnley Photography Lynnette Nettrouer and Adam Horton

In 2013 the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts celebrated the 50th anniversary of its annual children’s production, a favorite of area schools and a way to fund scholarships for theatre students. Since the program’s inception, more than 400 theatre students have benefited from scholarships supported by ticket sales. In turn, the program allows students from local grade schools to experience theatre in a fun, intimate, and affordable way.

After performing in the past three children’s productions, senior theatre student Marlon Burnley stepped into the role of director. Approaching the show, he knew it would not be an easy task, especially with a freshman-heavy cast who had not yet experienced the challenge of performing for 800 young children. “We had to make sure to tell the story in the most sincere way we could while keeping the attention of students between the ages of 4 and 12,” he says.

“There are many examples of terrific dramatic literature for children, and over the years, we have been able to do innovative things,” says Randy Colborn, associate dean of academics for the school of the arts and associate professor of theatre.

Cast and crew had to report to the school every morning at 6:30 and perform two high energy shows back-to-back. Piling such an obligation on top of theatre classes, dance company rehearsals, and other life commitments is no small feat.

Colborn has been a part of the children’s theatre productions for almost 30 years, starting as a theatre student. He adapted this year’s production of The Wizard of Oz for the stage, based on the books by L. Frank Baum.

“It has definitely been one of the more difficult shows I’ve done,” says Jess Alexander, a first-year acting major who played the Scarecrow. “The toll it takes on you physically is what gets me.”

Primary school teachers throughout Michiana praise the program for providing their students with the rare opportunity to experience live theatre. With past productions ranging from Not Just a Boy, celebrating Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday, to children’s favorites like James and the Giant Peach, the annual program takes children away from the television screen and gets them up close and personal with live actors and colorful sets.

“This show was definitely different from previous shows I’ve done,” says Jordyn Nutting, who played Dorothy. “The most rewarding part was hearing the children laugh and respond. It was a great feeling knowing our hard work paid off!”

This year the faculty, students, and staff welcomed nearly 8,000 children to performances over the course of two weeks.

In February 2014, the theatre company will be doing a children’s adaptation of William Shakespeare’s of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

The Penny Parody How two Raclin associate faculty members became kings of low-budget camp By Trisha Miller When associate faculty members Michael Kouroubetes, BA’88, and Tim Richardson, BA’96, get together, it’s like watching two tennis pros at work. Instead of a ball, they swiftly swap ideas back and forth, often leading to several creative concepts until a new film project is born.

“We try for the thematic elements of the piece,” adds Kouroubetes. “For Dork of the Rings, the main thrust was economics and the idea of consumerism — but one of the joys of doing parody is punning. Tim and I both love punning.”

Kouroubetes and Richardson are longtime writing partners who first met as students more than 20 years ago in a playwriting class at IU South Bend.

Richardson laughs, adding, “We only parody things that we love and enjoy. We parody blockbuster films with a micro-budget, creating parodies for pennies.”

Back then, Richardson was a theatre student already making low-budget movies with classmates while Kouroubetes, a recent graduate and film studies minor, was exploding at the seams with movie ideas.

So why parody? Though they enjoy doing original projects, these often end up on a shelf. Parodies, however, have had more screening opportunities, won more awards, and had better success with distribution.

“I started directing some of Michael’s short plays and he started helping with some movies I already had in progress,” says Richardson.

“We get an electric and exciting response from the crowd at conventions with our parodies,” Richardson says.

Their first official film together was Bloodlines, a coming-of-age story about a disenchanted Amish boy who runs away from his farm after his mother’s death in search for his nonAmish father in Chicago.

By attending conventions, Richardson and Kouroubetes have had chance encounters with celebrities who excitingly joined their projects. Kiran Shah, known as the world’s smallest stunt double, has acted in two of their productions and recently signed on for their latest as a producer.

Since then, they two have worked together on more than a dozen projects but are most known for their parodies. “Someone described our films once as if there was a country of ‘campiness,’” says Richardson. “We would be the capital of that country — but we also hope our films have a lot of cleverness and commentary of the original work itself.”

Their next project is The Throbbit, a parody of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy novel The Hobbit and Peter Jackson’s film by the same name. “Our project will actually be truer to the Tolkien book than Jackson’s trilogy movies,” Richardson says.

The title is based on their 2004 parody of Lord Of The Rings, titled Dork Of The Rings. “When Michael and I finally decided to write this project, we realized we called our hobbits in Dork of the Rings “throbbits.” If we wanted to continue this parody from our last, it meant it would be called The Throbbit,” says Richardson. It’s a title they both agree might cause a stir but end up being really great for marketing. “The curiosity by the title might get more people to watch,” says Kouroubetes. The title might have brought them some luck. They doubled their $3,500 fundraising goal in only a few weeks. “Instead of having to share a percentage of money gained with normal crowdfunding, we started our own website called Throbstarter,” Richardson says. “It was attention grabbing and a relief to people who didn’t want to hear about another Kickstarter project.” Principal photography for The Throbbit has already been described as fast, furious, and fun, according to Kouroubetes. Filming will conclude in early fall 2013 while post production will take another year or two. A release is planned sometime in 2015. Learn more about The Throbbit at: www.rpstudios.net/thethrobbit/

bottom Left // San Giovanni, oil clay by Rubia Hagans // student

bottom center // Reclining Nude, charcoal by Nicole Rininger // student

Bottom right // Study of Winged Horses, oil clay by Jamie DePriest // student

Italian Artistry By Katherine Swiental In July of 2012, visual arts students embarked on an unforgettable journey to Florence, Italy, for the summer semester. They studied painting and drawing, sculpture, and arts aesthetics and creativity under the instruction of Associate Professors of Fine Arts Dora Natella and Ron Monsma.

Some of the most frequented locations the students visited were the Bargello Museum, a converted medieval prison that houses classical sculpture and artifacts, and the Uffizi Gallery, which contains a wealth of important hallmarks in painting history.

This IU South Bend program, in conjunction with the Santa Reparata International School of Art program in Florence, allows IU South Bend students an extraordinary cultural and art-centric learning experience right in the heart of that fabulous city.

“Prior to the Italy trip, I had never been in a situation where every single aspect of my day was art related,” says art student Michelle Lilly, adding that “many of the students on the trip joked that it was art boot camp.”

Santa Reparata provided the students with housing close to campus and access to their facilities, along with weekend excursions to Siena, Rome, Pisa, and Chianti. Every week there were activities to further explore and immerse the students into the Florentine way of life. Students could take a class on Italian Futurism or experience an open-air market in the center of town and interact with the locals. The students had no problem adapting to Italian life and enjoyed it so much that they gathered at each other’s apartments to share home-cooked Italian meals. After figure drawing and sculpting sessions in the studio, the students were encouraged to go out and draw and visit museums, which was no difficult task. Frescos, sculptures, and fountains adorned the streets everywhere along with magnificent churches and medieval buildings.

The students were taken on an unforgettable journey through the past and into the present. IU South Bend’s study abroad programs offer invaluable exposure, to history, culture and art. Natella says that her students continue to talk about their experience in Florence as a pivotal in their lives as visual artists, and one that opened their minds to another culture. “While I can’t spend every day in Florence, I realize that I wanted to maintain that spirit of seeing art everywhere I look,” said Lilly. “I will never forget those things that I was so fortunate to see, such as the Duomo or the Sistine Chapel ceiling. What I brought back with me was a different way of looking at life as an artist.”

APPtitude By Sean Hottois Applications, or “apps,” have become an integral part of our everyday lives. Always present on our phones and tablets, we use them for everything, from reading books to listening to music to charting our personal and professional progress. Integrated New Media Studies launched a topical seminar in New Mobile Applications in New Media. In this class, a plucky group of 12 students from various majors joined Assistant Professor of New Media Sean Hottois to create apps for their own mobile devices. The class used an application programming interface called Processing. The program itself, available for free download at www.processing.org, is a great way to introduce the fundamentals of computer programming in a simple, language-driven platform. “The software doesn’t require you to learn a lot of syntax before designing the Android applications,” said student 64

Geneva Mosurak. “This allowed us to have fun designing right away.” Any spirited student with some experience and creativity can begin creating sketches in Processing. These can then be exported to run on the desktop of many computers. With the assistance and supervision of Hottois, students were able to go a few steps further and create their own apps for the Android platform. The class started by creating a combination stopwatch and countdown timer. Monitoring and counting using a simple time scale is an excellent way to learn how a basic application functions. Once this task is mastered, the timer’s elements can be easily manipulated into a variety of possibilities. Each student created their own timer design and control variations. Once each timer app was developed, the class began the advanced task of turning it from a computer desktop app to one that could run on their mobile device.

Student Machisa Davis described her experience with the program as interesting and informative. “It’s creative coding without the stress and frustration. The rest of the semester was spent on developing apps proposed by the students themselves, starting simply by incorporating sound, then moving into advanced multi-touch possibilities. “This has been a great introduction to Processing,” says student Jenny Deneen. “It has been challenging to learn, but very rewarding to show a family member a program on a tablet, telling them you created the app.” The class was a successful way to introduce students to the expanding world of Android apps. Each student experienced the challenges and rewards of learning what really goes on just behind those slick little icons we tap every day.

New media

accompanies the symphony By Sarah Duis

The work of three new media students transformed the South Bend Symphony’s Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Concert into a stunning multimedia experience. In May of 2012, Assistant Professor of New Media & Informatics Eric Souther recruited Mark Sniadecki, Kyle Peterson, and Keri Hare to assist with a video project. They had received a directive from Dean Marvin Curtis and South Bend Symphony Orchestra’s Maestro Tsung Yeh to create an African American heritage piece for the Martin Luther King Jr. concert. “They had to learn the music and make sure it synced up with the video. It was a great experience for them to put this together,” says Curtis. The project involved creating a 16-minute video art presentation to be played on a screen behind the symphony as they performed Mississippi River Suite by composer Florence Price. “Our concept was to intersperse footage of historic African American sites in South Bend with footage of the St. Joseph River,” Sniadecki says. “We then gathered still photographs of historical and contemporary African American members of the community and animated them, incorporating the animations into the video footage.”

The group worked with the Center for History and the Civil Rights Heritage Center to gather the visual materials. As a prelude to the video art piece, the group created a six-minute documentary featuring notable South Bend civil rights figures talking about their lives and struggles, including Adeline Wigfall, Alma Powell, Gladys Mohammed, Dr. S. Bernard, and John Charles Bryant. The documentary was shown just before the symphony played. The rest of the video included interspersed footage of historic African American sites in South Bend, community members, and footage of the St. Joseph River. “It’s one thing to hear the music, but to also see familiar faces on the screen was really special,” says Curtis. “It made the music come alive.” Hare acted as the researcher and photo archivist for the project. Peterson created the video with the community members, and Sniadecki produced the video of the river. He incorporated stills of architecture and individuals into the final product. “The students really grew with this work,” says Souther. “They learned about the community.”

beat Painter with a

By Nick Wort // Photography Matt Cashore

His band opened for Foreigner on their first United States tour. He performed a set with John Fogarty. He played in a club with Def Leppard. Who is this wayfaring rock star? Our very own Ron Monsma. Before he was a student or instructor at IU South Bend, the associate professor of painting and drawing toured the country with rock and roll bands during the ’70s. In the ’80s he played blues with Denny and the Skin Tones, fronted by Southside Denny, a well-known blues man. They played regionally and toured Canada. Monsma recorded two albums with the band. He took his art supplies along while he toured with the bands and continued to practice his art – sometimes designing album covers. After years of touring with bands, Monsma decided he needed a paycheck and began doing illustration for clients such as Miles Laboratories, Tidy Cat, and Saint Mary’s College. “I combined music, illustration, and painting to support myself. That’s a tough way to make a living.” He also studied drawing and painting at IU South Bend. “My experience as a student here was terrific, I studied with Tony Droege,” says Monsma. “It really got me serious about painting.” Much of his work is representational painting. He was originally inspired by Dutch painters from his heritage as well as dramatic scenery he and his family saw on vacation. Monsma began working as a painting and drawing instructor at IU South Bend in 1997. A successful artist, he encourages his students to discover art in their own way.

I don’t really want students to imitate my work, but I would like to see them imitate the process,” says Monsma. “When you drive a car, that’s a process. You can go anywhere you want in a car, but you don’t have to go where I go. You just need to know the process of driving.” Monsma has won considerable accolades as a painter. In 2013, his work was included in the large format book 100 Artists of the Midwest and in a feature article in the Artist’s Magazine. He won the Jack Richeson Best of Show Award in the 9th Annual Pastel 100 competition sponsored by The Pastel Journal. His work has appeared in numerous publications including International Artist Magazine, Art News Magazine, and Artist’s Magazine. Monsma is represented by Miller Gallery in Cincinnati, Ohio. Monsma’s students have also done well in the teaching and art world. Jason Cytacki went on to graduate school at Notre Dame and now teaches at Oklahoma State University. Another former student, Brandon Briggs, is an instructor at Bowling Green University. The balance between music and art may have changed over the years but both are still important parts of his life. Today Monsma is a jobbing drummer doing rock, blues, and jazz gigs when he’s not busy teaching or painting. He calls himself “a pretty good drummer.” His students call him a fine teacher. “Professor Monsma is a fun sort of guy,” says art student Chris Bush. “A little whimsical, but he is serious about art and his students.”

Photography in the windy city By Susan Moore Education does not stop at the door to the classroom — it only begins there. While lectures and activities are an important foundation to the skills and ideas that develop inside the mind, it is often the experiences outside the four walls of the classroom that are most influential and inspiring. Each spring, the Society for Photographic Education (SPE) holds its national conference in March. This year nine students and five faculty members attended the organization’s 50th anniversary meeting in Chicago. The conference began with humor in an entertaining keynote speech by renowned British documentary photographer Martin Parr. Students were inspired American Photographer Richard Misrach’s speech about his extensive career. There were many more prominent photographers who spoke about their work, making the conference an unforgettable experience. In addition to attending lectures about images and teaching, students participated in the portfolio review, showing their work to artists and professors from graduate schools around the country. Receiving feedback from artists who have national and professional backgrounds granted 68

a fresh perspective, and it was a comfortable way to make contacts in the photographic world. “Meeting artists in person who we have studied in class for the past few years, seeing their work up close, and having the chance to speak with them has a profound impact on a young photographer’s education and path to the professional world,” says student Adam Horton “SPE showed me a community of photographers that I could never have experienced otherwise,” says student Natalie Mills. The students who attended this year also formed the IUSB Photo League to fund their trip to the conference and raise awareness about photography and the arts on campus. The students were surprised by how their own awareness of photography in the world changed by attending the conference. “I am so proud of the Photo League for working hard to make this experience happen for us,” said student Lynnette Nettrouer. “And I’m beyond grateful to Dean Marvin Curtis for funding it.”

Jessica McCormack works with graduate student Tamra Garrett.

perfect Practice makes

By Jessica McCormack “Don’t forget to practice performing!” My students hear these words on a regular basis when I discuss their practice regimens with them. Music majors understand that practice is compulsory, but they often overlook the importance of “practicing performance” in preparation for upcoming recitals and auditions. Helping students prepare for performances is one of the highlights of my position at IU South Bend. Armed with the appropriate repertoire, good musicianship, and expressive and technically sound singing and acting, students improve their chances of presenting a successful audition. One of the most necessary and stressful types of performance is an audition. Before a singer is cast in an opera or musical, or offered a chorister position or soloist opportunities with an ensemble, he or she must audition for a conductor, artistic director, or manager. Auditions can feel like you are singing under a microscope. Everything about a singer is being considered by the panel: What is she wearing? Why would he offer to sing that aria? Why didn’t they introduce their pianist? Why didn’t they fix all these typos on their resume? Judgments are being made about stage presence, attire, demeanor, repertoire, and experience before the vocalist even begins to sing.

To help make the audition process more enjoyable, I remind my students that this is another opportunity for them to perform something they love. Once their attitude has been reframed to really consider this a win-win situation, we set specific goals for their audition. The first thing to identify is the necessity and frequency of auditions. Is this role suitable for the student at this stage in their vocal development? Is it financially feasible for them to travel to the audition? How many auditions will they be taking this year? Would this be a safe, supportive environment for the student to hone their craft? If this doesn’t seem like the perfect fit for them, perhaps they can pass on this opportunity. Another consideration is the audition requirements and logistics. What repertoire and materials need to be forwarded for consideration? Will an accompanist be provided? Does the student need to arrange to miss classes or work? It is impossible to win every time, and in many cases, heavily impact the outcome, but if the student feels that they represented themselves well, persevering through future auditions won’t be as daunting a task.

Romance, Comedy, & Marxism, oh my By Sarah Duis // Photography Adam Horton and Lynnette Nettrouer The IU South Bend Theatre and Dance Company brought political satire to the stage with SMASH, the first theatrical production of the fall semester.

What Sidney doesn’t anticipate is a love triangle, mistaken identities, Marx, Engels, pistols, and a proletariat jostling for position.

Based on the novel An Unsocial Socialist by George Bernard Shaw, Jeffrey Hatcher’s SMASH is a clever comedy

“SMASH is about someone trying to live objectively and politically in order to change the world,” says Colborn.

reminiscent of the “1 percent versus the 99 percent” debate. The play was directed by Associate Dean for Academics Randy Colborn.

“The problem is that he keeps falling in love.”

“The play is about politics and love, and love is far more powerful than politics,” says Colborn. The play is centered on Sidney Trefusis, a wealthy Socialist who abandons his bride on their wedding day, fearful that their love will interfere with his plan to overthrow the British government. Trefusis vanishes, disguising himself as a common laborer and infiltrating a well-to-do girls’ school, where young women are “fitted and fatted to be put on the marriage market.” His plan? To plant the seed of radical socialism in the minds of the future wives and consorts of high society.

Included in the cast were Marlon Burnley, Amanda Benham, Brad Pontius, Michael Christlieb, Kala Erickson, Jordyn Nutting, Jeremy Weyer, Jess Alexander, Jerry Sailor, Taylor Sears, and Thomas Neff. For some of the students this was their first time on the university stage. “SMASH was my very first college-level show,” says acting student Brad Pontius. “It opened my eyes to the astounding level of work that one needs to pour into the profession of acting and how rewarding it is when you’re performing.”

Visiting London By Ryan Hafron London — a dazzling, romantic city with a rich theatre tradition perhaps only rivaled by New York City’s Broadway. From the opulent Queen’s Theatre to the sprawling London Palladium, there are nearly 50 major theaters in the West End alone. Attracting nearly 14 million theatre-goers a year London is nothing short of an acting student’s mecca. I was fortunate to study theatre there during the spring of 2013. This was the first time that anyone in my family has left the country, so I felt a bit nervous when I left in January. When I arrived in London and attended student orientation, everyone was talking about culture shock and homesickness, but that was never the case for me. I was able to adapt very quickly. One thing I had to adjust to was public transportation and finding my way around town. I got lost a lot the first month, and the tube and buses are usually packed with people. I learned that by walking instead, I could work on my homework in the park, memorizing scenes and monologues. 72

There is just so much to see in London, from the theaters, Big Ben, and the House of Parliament, to all the amazing churches. I’ve visited St. Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, The Globe Theater, and Stonehenge. Of course, the purpose of my semester abroad was to study theatre. In addition to taking classes I visited many of London’s theatres. I saw 17 theatre productions and even had a chance to meet and talk with James McAvoy about acting for a few minutes after his show. Londoners really seem to value their actors, even though their film industry is not as big as the United States’. There is no way I can say one day or one activity has been better than something else. The experience is London itself, and I took a lot of great memories home. I visited hundreds of historical sites and built international connections with casting directors and directors for my career. I feel like a different person after studying in London, and I know it has changed my view of the world and acting.

Three Students Experience Italy By Kathy Borlik // Photography Peter Ringenberg It was a summer camp but with the wonderful twist of being in Italy. Actually, it was a workshop for opera singers. Three IU South Bend students spent a month at the Ezio Pinza Council for American Singers of Opera (EPCASO) in Oderzo, Italy. Tamra Garrett, Lauren Desrosiers, and Lawrence Mitchell-Matthews, took their talent, a few suitcases and dreams to learn from the best. Garrett and Desrosiers are studying for their Master of Music, and MitchellMatthews is studying for a bachelor’s degree. They returned to campus at the end of the summer and talked enthusiastically about their love of the stage, opera, singing before new audiences, who they studied with, and the beauty of Italy. They told stories about falling in love with the Italians and the entire experience. From singing in the piazza to learning their way around the city, every day was

filled with adventures. “The Italians are so passionate about their arts,” Garrett said. “It was life changing.” Mitchell-Matthews, or Lorenzo – the name that fits him well from the trip – said the days were exhausting with lessons. “If you performed a piece correctly, you weren’t praised. They expected you to do it right.” The vocal coaches would nod their heads and you would move on. The workshop was founded in 1981 by Claudia Pinza, to honor her father, the great operatic basso, Ezio Pinza, who spent 22 seasons with the New York Metropolitan Opera. He also performed on Broadway and in the movie “South Pacific” singing the role of French Emil de Becque. His performance of “Some Enchanted Evening” made him a national celebrity. The five-week Summer Opera Program provides concentrated study and training in voice, repertoire, and

language for singers. The program is specifically designed for those students who have realistic possibility for a career in opera. For Desrosiers, she learned “to be a different kind of person – to be in character. Everything was different, there is a different mentality about the arts.” Garrett and Mitchell-Matthews both feel their experience at EPCASO helped prepare them for their performance with the South Bend Symphony Orchestra and Maestro Tsung Yeh in February 2013. “We were taught by conductors and world famous coaches in Italy, so working with Tsung Yeh’s fun yet strict style fit our training like a glove,” said Mitchell-Matthews. “I left Italy inspired,” said Garrett.

Celebrate! By Trisha Miller

After four (or more) years of diligently attending classes, studying late into the night, and scrimping and saving to make ends meet, there is no greater reward than hearing your name echo through the Joyce Center. IU South Bend and the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts celebrated the 47th commencement ceremonies in May at the Joyce Center on the Notre Dame campus. Sixty-one Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts graduates walked during the ceremony. Corey Gregory, who earned his bachelor of arts in theatre, was ecstatic. “Graduation for me was a dream come true … it was the biggest moment of my life. I worked so hard to accomplish this ... It finally happened. I am a graduate.” The 2013 ceremony also marked the final year of officiating commencement for Chancellor Una Mae Reck. It was a bittersweet end to Reck’s tenure at IU South Bend, as well as the college careers of many of our graduates. “Commencement was a great time to celebrate with my fellow music students,” says Kendrick Allenson, who earned his bachelor of music. “We shared countless hours of practicing late into the night, tough rehearsals, some amazing performances, and a few pranks here and there. In the end, it was all of our dedication to become better 74

musicians that I feel got us through.” He’ll continue his performance studies more intensely as an IU South Bend graduate student in the fall. Earlier in the spring, there was another ceremony that recognized arts students’ achievements: The Arts Excellence Awards. Scholarship and certificate recipients, students on the dean’s list, and Arts Excellence Award recipients are honored by the dean, faculty, and staff in front of their family and fellow classmates. Arts Excellence Awards were presented to 14 students who have gone above and beyond in their programs. Recipients were Kristy Kettlehut, communication studies and leadership; Diona Eskew, mass communication; Katie Roberts, mass communication; Sarah Duis, writing; Jamie Clark, graphic design; Joshua Leach, graphic design; Alexandria Lechlitner, integrated new media studies; Kendrick Allenson, music; Stephanie Wickizer, theatre and dance; Adam Horton, art history; Jeremy Jones, drawing and painting; Alexandra Walker, photography; Maclovio Cantu, printmaking, and Janet Sorensen, sculpture. “We have wonderful and talented students here in the arts,” says Dean Marvin Curtis. “We are proud of them while they are our students, and we continue to be proud of them long after they graduate.”

IUSB Photo League Hosts Exhibition The IUSB Photo League hosted the first ever high school photography exhibition in the spring, generously sponsored by the Raclin School of the Arts. More than 85 works were submitted to the competition from students at Adams, Washington, Clay, and Penn high schools. Twentyfive were chosen by the photography faculty for display. The young artists’ work was celebrated with a gallery reception where Dean Marvin Curtis and members of the Photo League congratulated the students for their talent and hard work. They were each awarded a certificate of recognition by Curtis, and special juried prizes were given to two exceptional students for their submissions. Their work was on exhibit

in the administration building for several weeks. The experience allowed the students to discover more about campus and what the school of the arts has to offer. The event ignited communication between potential students and current undergraduates. The experience also afforded invaluable organizational and curatorial experience to IU South Bend students. “It allowed us to see the inner workings of how a professional exhibition is organized and executed, which I think will be very valuable as artists trying to get our own work into galleries someday,” says Photo League treasurer Adam Horton. Undergraduate students were guided by photography faculty Susan Moore

and Gray Lyons who advised the students on how juried exhibitions are structured. Many connections were made between the high school students and faculty, and opportunities to work together again in the future seemed promising. “We wanted to reach the students, give them an opportunity to show their work, and introduce them to what IU South Bend has to offer,” says Lynnette Nettrouer, president of the Photo League. “We’re looking forward to working with more young artists in the future.” Plans for future high school exhibitions are being discussed and will likely include all areas of visual arts.

Aimee Cole

schoolNews Communiqué: Communication Studies Brown Bag Lecture Series was launched in the 2012-13 academic year. The series provides a venue for communication faculty and invited guests to present their ongoing research projects, to increase the exchange of ideas, and to provide opportunities for collaboration. The lecture series began with “Painterly Technology: Art Communicates America’s Technological Identity in Nineteenth Century Painting,” given by Associate Professor Larry Lambert. Senior Lecturer Kevin Gillen presented “Graveyard Rhetoric,” and Samantha Joyce, assistant professor of mass communication discussed “Stereotypes, Deconstructed.” Spring semester speakers included Senior Lecturer Alec Hosterman, “Fostering the ‘It’ Factor in Distance Education Communities”; Associate Professor Micheline Nilsen, “From Architecture that Speaks to Seductive Photography”; Assistant Professor Jeffrey Wright, “The Power of a Program: American Composers, World War II, and Rhetoric of War Music”; and Assistant Professor Eric Souther, “My, Rituals and Media.” April’s Fine Arts Weekend welcomed out of town friends, family, and patrons to IU South Bend’s campus to enjoy three arts events. The BFA Student Art Exhibition opening reception on April 11 kicked off the weekend events. The exhibition featured graduating New Media and Visual Arts students presented their final exhibition. The IU South Bend Theatre and Dance Company staged the famed ’70s musical Pippin as part of the weekend festitivies. The Spring Juried High School Photography Exhibition, the weekend’s final event, was presented by the IUSB Photo League. The event showcased black and white digital and film photography by 25 talented area high school students. Fine Arts Weekend was made possible by a grant from the South Bend/Mishawaka Convention and Visitors Bureau. The IU South Bend Arts Foundation awarded $10,000 in summer travel stipends to six students. Ryan Stutzman received funds to study abroad in Florence for a 10-week photographic research project. He also traveled to England, Scotland, and Ireland. Jillian Westplate was awarded funding to support her work as a first hand at the Porthouse Theatre Company Costume Shop in Cleveland, Ohio and to attend the World Stage Design and Scenofest in London. Natasha Stojanovska was given funds to compete in the Ricard Vines International Piano Competition in Lleida, Spain. Natalie Peterson received funds to study abroad in London and Edinburgh. Brad Pontius used his grant to participate in the month-long New York Theatre Intensives Summer Conservatory. 76

The popular IUSB African Dance Troupe visited schools and churches throughout Michiana as part of their outreach activities. The group performed at Laymen’s Chapel Church in South Bend in February for their Old Ship of Zion Program. They performed three West African dances including Yankadi and Makuru, at Mary Beck Elementary School in Elkhart, for their Black History Month Assembly. They continued their performances at Notre Dame’s Stepan Center for the Department of Central and International Services 2nd annual Black History Month Luncheon. The troupe also performed for South Bend’s Bike the Bend in May. The Aspire magazine editorial team was recognized at a reception host by Dean Marvin Curtis. Aspire received an international Circle of Excellence award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. The awards acknowledge superior accomplishments that have lasting impact, demonstrate the highest level of professionalism, and deliver exceptional results. The editorial team included Editor Michele Morgan-Dufour and Designer Tiffany Goehring, along with Marianne Weesner, Kathy Borlik, Ken Baierl, and Michael Banks. The annual publication of the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts brings readers on a journey throughout each of the school’s five disciplines. Students, faculty, staff, freelancers, and friends of the school provide stories, photographs, and artwork for the magazine. The Arts Lecture Series presented Andrew Lam and Brett Malin. Communications Studies invites topical speakers to campus each semester as part of the Arts Lecture Series. // Andrew Lam, a writer and editor with New America Media, a short story writer, and, for eight years, a commentator on National Public Radio’s All Things Considered spoke in October. His lecture was entitled “East Eats West: An Exploration of Asian Cultures and its Manifestation in the United States.” Lam, who was born in Vietnam and came to the United States at age 11, was featured in the Public Broadcasting Service documentary My Journey Home, where a film crew followed him back to his homeland of Vietnam. // Media expert Brent Malin presented his lecture, “PostNetwork Manhood: Television, Niche-Marketing, and the Rhetoric of Masculinity.” The presentation explored the connections between the economic side of American television and the representations of hyper-masculine stereotypes. Malin traces these changing images of manhood alongside a series of political, economic, and

technological developments impacting the American television system. Malin is the author of American Masculinity under Clinton: Popular Media and the Nineties Crisis of Masculinity.

one-on-one teaching around the world. Her students have won major competitions.

At Speech Night finalists duke it out in a battle of persuasion, and see who comes out on top! A tradition begun in 1982, this event features the semester’s best public speaking students competing for one of six positions in Speech Night Finals. Orators are chosen by their peers in their introductory Public Speaking course.

Harrhy studied at the Royal Manchester College of Music and has sung with major orchestras and opera companies around the world. She has sung in more than 20 Handel operas, from Amadigi to Tamerlano, and is regarded as one of the greatest Handel specialists of her generation. She has made many notable appearances in the BBC Proms, and many other broadcast concert performances in the United Kingdom, United States, and Europe.

Speech Night preliminaries feature one student from each discussion section of the semester’s Public Speaking courses presenting his or her persuasive speech in a preliminary round. Two students are chosen from each preliminary round to present their speeches at Speech Night finals. Speech Night Finals is a special evening featuring the winning speakers from the preliminary rounds, guest speakers, and guest judges from the community.

The 2013 IU South Bend Flute Festival featured Green Golly Project. A full day of flute workshops with well-known flute instructors provided students and teachers alike with ideas to enhance every flutist’s technique. Flutists of all ages and experiences, flute teachers, and band directors attended the festival which was organized by IU South Bend flute instructor Rebbeca Hovan and Director of Community Outreach Michele Morgan-Dufour.

The fall semester Speech Night winners were Cassie VanSky, Chris Johnson, and Maggie Coleman. Other fall finalists were Maiko Heflick, Tyler Jones, and Ashley Taylor. Spring semester winners were Brandie Morgan, Leslie Lestinsky, and Krista Shilling. Spring finalists also included Austin Curtis, Cami Hershberger, and Gloria Hoffman.

Featured guest artists Barbara Siesel and Keith Torgan of the Green Golly Project led two workshops during the festival. They taught musicians to create effective classical music programming for children and creativity through songwriting. Finally, during the festival’s closing concert, Green Golly Project performed “Green Golly and Her Golden Flute,” a humorous musical performance that introduces children to the flute and the magic of classical music.

LOOK! Scholarship Art Sale. Visual Arts alumni, students and faculty banded together to raise scholarship funds in November. More than 650 pieces of art, created by alumni, student, and faculty artists were included in the sale. The fundraiser featured prints, paintings, drawings, sculpture, photography, pottery, jewelry, and mixed media works. “A rich and diverse collection of artwork paired with the largest group of volunteers we’ve ever had made this year’s art sale a terrific experience for everyone involved,” said Michele Morgan-Dufour, director of community outreach for the Raclin School of the Arts. When the sale came to a close, patrons of the event had purchased over $4,000 worth of artwork. About $1,300 of this will go towards funding scholarships for art students at IU South Bend. The sale was also an opportunity for art students to gain experience in the business of packaging, marketing, and selling their art. Vocalist Eiddwen Harrhy presented a one-day vocal workshop in February. Harrhy spoke about the vocal works of Handel and the change over the past 40 years in how his works are performed. She also worked with vocal students in private coaching sessions. Harrhy’s visit was sponsored by the Georgina Joshi Foundation. Eiddwen Harrhy’s singing career has taken her to many of the world’s leading opera houses and concert halls. Now her teaching is following a similar path, with masterclasses and

Exhibitors were open throughout the day, offering fine flutes, music, and accessories. The 2013 IU South Bend Flute Festival was sponsored by Conn Selmer, Woodwind & Brasswind, Gemeinhardt Musical Instruments, LLC and the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts. The South Bend Youth Symphony Orchestra celebrated its 45th anniversary season at its May performance. The South Bend Youth Symphony Orchestras are a collaborative project in the Michiana community with the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts. Both youth orchestras performed music by living composers as part of the concert. “We are thrilled that our students in both orchestras are working with local, living composers; this is a rare and inspiring opportunity, particularly for school-aged students,” said Carrie Cimildoro-Beem, executive director of the organization. The South Bend Youth Concert Orchestra, directed by Emilie Grondin, performed “Skit for Orchestra” by Zae Munn who is a faculty member at Saint Mary’s College. The South Bend Youth Symphony Orchestra, directed by Robert Boardman, presented “A Stanislaus Overture” by Dean of the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts Marvin Curtis. The anniversary performance included a commemorative video produced by alumnus orchestra member David Beem.

Top // IUSB African Dance Troupe

Bottom Left // South Bend Youth Symphony Orchestra

Bottom Right // LOOK! Scholarship Art Sale

The Raclin School of the Arts welcomes two music faculty members in August. // James Bowyer joins the faculty as assistant professor of choral music and will direct the school’s choral ensembles. He has served on the music faculties of Brooklyn College, Loyola University Maryland, the University of Wyoming, the University of Puget Sound, and Gonzaga University. He frequently adjudicates at regional contests and competitions and serves as guest conductor at clinics and choral festivals. He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting from the University of Washington, Master of Music degree from Westminster Choir College, and a Bachelor of Music Education from Manchester College. // Jennifer Muñiz returns to the faculty as assistant professor of music after a one year absence. She has performed in Spain, Italy, Mexico, and the United States, making her New York solo debut at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall. Muñiz performs as a solo and collaborative pianist, with an emphasis in contemporary music. In addition to IU South Bend, she has served on the faculty of Manhattan School of Music, the University of Notre Dame, and Central Methodist University. Muñiz earned her Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music in piano performance from Manhattan School of Music, and her Bachelor of Music from the University of Minnesota. The new Bachelor of Art Education degree took another step towards final approval when it was approved by Indiana University’s Board of Trustees at the June 21, 2013 meeting. The final approval by the Council on Higher Education is expected this fall. Assistant Professor of Art Education Jane Cera spent two years writing the curriculum, and she believes there is a genuine need for the program. Currently, any students wishing to become art educators must either go to smaller, much more expensive colleges, or leave our area to obtain this degree. The Art Education program will be state-of-the-art. Technology, media and contemporary art are stressed, along with all of the more traditional visual art forms. Cera invites students who have an interest in learning more about the program to contact her at jacera@iusb.edu. Dean Marvin Curtis was named to Congressional Black Caucus Institute. Curtis, the dean of the school of the arts, was recently inducted into the Congressional Black Caucus 21st Century Leadership Institute (CBC). Members of the CBC Institute help shape an array of political policies. The CBC Institute includes members of the Congressional Black Caucus, along with leaders in academia, business, law, labor, and public and private organizations. The mission of the CBC Institute is to educate voters and train future political leaders. As a member of the executive and education committees, Curtis will help write policies and plans to be sent up the political chain, sometimes reaching the president.

“Being named to the CBC 21st Century Leadership Institute is a huge honor,” said Curtis. “It will allow me to help shape policy concerning the arts and art education.” Curtis will be attending conferences four times yearly to meet with others from the CBC Institute. Communic8 published by the Gender and Communication class. Professors are always looking for creative ways to give students a hands-on experience that links the theoretical world of concepts with real-world experiences. The Gender and Communications course taught by Assistant Professor of Mass Communication Samantha Joyce provided just such an opportunity for students when they created and published the magazine Communic8. The course focuses on representations of gender, race, and class in commercial media. Students in the course immersed themselves in documentaries, magazines and television, focusing on the importance of mediated representations and being a part of mainstream media. They looked at the business side of media and the powerful influence of advertisers on media content. So what would a magazine that is free of commercial constraints — and therefore have free editorial choices — look like? Without the constraints of sponsors, their magazine focused on gender, race, and class, along with current events that related to students, community and campus, such as the IU South Bend Black Student Union and the student publication New Views on Gender. The project allowed students to write in a specialized medium, work in groups, find out more about their campus, apply what they had learned, and to publish a story, adding a valuable line to their resume

alumni, student, faculty

NEWS E-mail your alumni, student, or faculty news to artsiusb@iusb.edu.

Alumni Lisa Birk, BA’11, was recently hired as the promotions director for the WSBT Radio Group. She is in charge of promotions and events for all four of their radio stations: Sunny 101.5, Oldies 94.3, Real Country 99.9, and WSBT Radio 96.1. Jodie (Stanley) Bowers, BA’08, is pursuing her M.A. in Communication and Leadership from Gonzaga University. Kelli Collins, BA’05, is the corporate sales manager at the Inn at Saint Mary’s Hotel and Suites, Notre Dame. Paul Guillaume, BFA’10, exhibited his work at the Garner Center of Photographic Exhibitions at the New England School of Photography. Paul is the son of Vice Chancellor Alfred Guillaume, and a former student of Associate Professor Susan Moore. Ryan Holston, BA’10, is an inside sales representative for Zeeland Lumber and Supply Company. Natalie King, BA’10, was recently hired as an researcher/internal sourcer at Career Transitions in Mishawaka. Joshua Miller, BFA’11, was recently named gallery director of the newly renovated Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts Gallery in the Education and Arts Building. He graduated with a concentration in sculpture and has most recently been employed at the South Bend Museum of Art.

Scotty Myers, BA’11, is the manager of the Gateway and Information Center at IU South Bend. Twila Newbill, BA’10, is working on her M.B.A. with a Certificate in Project Management at DeVry’s Keller School of Management. Trevor Nielsen, BA’10, is an infantry officer in the U.S. Army National Guard and was hired as the team coordinator to run the materials department of Oshkosh Defense. He lives in Oshkosh, Wis. Aaron Pigors, BA’07, works at IU Northwest as a media production manager where he is also pursuing his M.B.A. Aaron recently went to Thailand and is producing a documentary about the benefits and uniqueness of IU Northwest’s international learning experiences. Dianne (De Guzman) Powell, BA’06, is a reporter with the TribuneStar in Terre Haute, Ind. Holly Searfoss, BA’10, is a classified advertising representative at the South Bend Tribune in South Bend.

and a Certificate of Corporate Communication and Training. Amanda Warner, BA’11, is a Samsung social support employee, doing social media for Samsung Telecommunications America in Dallas, Texas.

Student Jess Alexander, theatre and dance, was cast in the Young Company at the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival. He performed in The Comedy of Errors among other productions alongside the Professional Company. Kendrick Allenson, BM’13, was elected to the IUSB Arts Foundation Board of Directors. This marks the first time a student has joined the board. Allenson, who will serve a three-year term, is pursuing a master’s of music degree at IU South Bend. Katie Andrysiake, Chris Hardy, Julius Miller, and Lawrence Mitchell-Matthews, performed at the National Association of Teachers of Singing at Western Michigan University.

Amy (Bowman) Townsend, BA’05, works as a teacher at Seongseo ECC, in Daegu, South Korea.

Dorea Britton and Lauren Desrosiers, vocal students, were winners in the first round of the “Auditions Plus Vocal Competition” for Classical Singer Magazine’s regional round. The singers were chosen to advance to the next round of the competition at the Classical Singer Convention in Boston, Mass.

Jordan Wagner, BA’11, graduated from Texas State University with an M.A. in Communication Studies

Dorea Britton, Lauren Desrosiers, and Michelle Torres, music (voice), performed

Kelsey Sheets, BA’12, recently accepted a position at Villing & Company, a South Bend advertising agency.

leading roles in Frances Poulenc’s opera Dialogues des Carmelites with the Opera Notre Dame at the Decio Main Stage Theater in the DeBartolo Center on the campus of Notre Dame. Marlon Burnley and Jess Alexander, theatre and dance, were nominated as a result of their performances in Pippin to compete for the Irene Ryan Award at the Kennedy Center Collegiate Theater Festival. Kyle Techentin, BA’13, was nominated for lighting design and Wesley Butcher was nominated for stage management. They will compete for the first round in Saginaw, Mich., in January of 2014. Ignasi Cambra, music, won second prize in graduate piano at The Indianapolis Matinee Musicale Collegiate Scholarship Competition held at Butler University. Cambra is the student of Professor of Piano Alexander Toradze and Lecturer in Music Ketevan Badridze. Sarah Duis, mass communications, will serve a second year as editor-inchief of The Preface during the 201314 academic year. She is also the assistant editor for Aspire magazine and newsletter. In addition, she was chosen as an editor for the 2013 book edition of Michiana Monologues, titled Write on, Sisters! The book is a compilation of anonymous submissions from area women, exploring what it means to be a woman in Michiana through poetry, prose, and short essays. Kayla Ernsberger, BA’13, is a marketing consultant at Federated Media for 95.7 WAOR radio in Mishawaka. Tamra Garrett, Julius Miller, and Lawrence Mitchell– Matthews participated in the 3rd American Spirituals Collegiate Solo Voice Competition at Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio. MitchellMatthews won first place, and performed a solo with The Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra. His achievement also secured him a lead role with

Ohio’s new opera company, Opera by the Lake. Assistant Professor of Music Geoffrey Duce accompanied the students on the piano. Assistant Professor of Voice Jessica McCormack made arrangements for the students to participate in the competition. Ketevan Kartvelishvili, music, won first prize in graduate piano at The Indianapolis Matinee Musicale Collegiate Scholarship Competition held at Butler University. Kartvelishvili is the student of Professor of Piano Alexander Toradze and Lecturer in Music Ketevan Badridze. Qinyue (Cici) Liu, soprano, and baritone Julius C. Miller III, students of Assistant Professor of Voice Jessica McCormack competed at the 2012 Indiana National Association of Teachers of Singing Chapter student auditions. Liu placed second in her category, and Miller tied for first place in his category. The students were accompanied by Assistant Professor of Music Geoffrey Duce. Natalie Mills, visual arts (photography), had a summer internship with the Lubeznik Center for the Arts in Michigan City. The gallery gives public art classes and hosts fundraisers and events. Mills assisted with exhibitions and community events. Lawrence Mitchell-Matthews, music (voice), performed with The Singapore Chinese Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Tsung Yeh in their “Mostly Gershwin” concert at the Esplanade Concert Hall, Singapore. Lawrence performed selections from “Porgy and Bess Suite” by Robert Russell Bennett. Risa Okina, BM’13, has been accepted to Temple University, Philadelphia, Pa., where she will pursue a master’s degree in music theory. Brad Pontius, theatre and dance, attended the New York Intensives Summer Conservatory program. The

program brings talented young theatre students to New York City to study with master professionals in a Broadwaystyle setting. Cecelia Roeder, mass communications, was the design editor for The Preface. Jillian Westplate, theatre and dance, presented her research project on determining labor and material requirements for costume production titled “Costumer’s Budget Predictor” at the Student Leadership Initiative for the Costume Design and Technology Commission.

Faculty & Staff Karen Ackoff, professor of fine arts, is co-coordinator of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators Annual Conference, at the College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine. She also presented a talk on newsletter design at the conference. She gave a presentation about the life and work of Gerald P. Hodge. Ackoff had a drawing accepted into an exhibition of metalpoint drawings that will travel over the continental United States. She submitted drawings and commentary for the project “Soul of the Sketchbook,” a presentation of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators. Ackoff contributed to the book The Briem Report: Letterforms 2012, ed. by Gunnlaugur Briem, published by Operina Publishing. Justin Amellio, assistant professor of theatre, was invited to New Mexico State University to teach a series of workshops in musical theatre performance and audition technique. Jane Cera, area coordinator of visual arts and assistant professor of art education, received a Trustee Teaching Award. She presented her paper “Girls Draw Unicorns and Boys Draw Trucks: What is a Feminist Teacher to Do?” at the Michigan Art Education Association Annual Conference. She presented “Feminist Pedagogy in Response to Student’s Gendered Representations

of Identity” at the Society for the Education of Women Conference 2012 in St. Louis. The ongoing research is a product of Cera’s Visual Culture class. She had a paper accepted for publication in Visual Arts Research, a leading journal in art education. Aimee Cole, lecturer in theatre and dance, presented at the United States Institute of Theatre Technology conference in Milwaukee, the biggest theatre design/tech conference in the country. She presented “Using Magnetic Body Blocks to Teach Flat Patterning” at the Costume Design and Technology Commission Session. Marvin Curtis, dean and professor of music, was nominated by Chancellor Reck for the Executive Leadership Institute sponsored by Indiana University. The inaugural series focuses on critical competencies for global leadership. Curtis was commissioned By North Park Covenant Church in Chicago to compose a new choral work for the anniversary of their choral conductor, Charles Olson. An arrangement by Curtis of the choral work Great Day was performed at Washington National Cathedral by the Cathedral Voice, the volunteer adult choir directed by Christopher Betts. Curtis received a $5,000 grant from the African American Fund of the St. Joseph Community Foundation for the 2013 “Lift every Voice: Celebrating the African American Spirit.” He was also awarded a grant of $5,000 from South Bend/Mishawaka Convention and Visitors Bureau to market the April’s Fine Arts Weekend. Curtis received a $2,000 grant from the Indiana Humanities Council for support of the project Carole Boston-Weatherford: African American Heritage in Children’s Literature. Kenneth Douglas, assistant professor of music, was elected president of the board of directors of The Music Village in South Bend. The Music Village is a new community music and dance school for students 82

of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. It is run by local musician, educators and business leaders who give generously of their talents to help the arts flourish in South Bend. Geoffrey Duce, assistant professor of music, performed with the choir of the Blackheath Centre for Singing in an arrangement of Brahms’ German Requiem at St. Alfege Church, London. He traveled to Seattle where he gave piano recitals for the Academy Artists Present series at the Academy of Music Northwest, and for the Second City Chamber Series in Tacoma. He taught piano masterclasses for the Washington State Music Teachers Association Tacoma Chapter, and for the Academy in Seattle. He was also a guest teacher at The Olympia Studio in Olympia, Wash., and gave a piano masterclass at the University of Hawaii. Geoffrey Duce and Jessica McCormack, assistant professors of music, gave two performances of Schumann’s Myrthen with Baritone Matthew Hoch, at the Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities, Honolulu, and at Cathedral of St. Andrew in downtown Honolulu. David Dufour, adjunct faculty in communication studies and theatre, directed Elkhart Civic Theatre’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, which won six awards at the American Association of Community Theatres (AACT) Region III Festival in Hartford, Wis. Dufour earlier received the award for best direction at the Indiana AACT Festival. Elkhart Civic Theatre competed in a field of 12 theatres from across the country at the National AACT Festival, held in Carmel, Ind. They won two national awards and six nominations. The Euclid Quartet performed a series of concerts around the Los Angeles area for The Music Guild. This organization is one of the region’s most successful and long-running chamber music series. The quartet also performed in local elementary schools

and gave a masterclass at California State University Northridge. Kevin Gillen, senior lecturer in communication arts, was interviewed by WSBT-TV about his oral history research on Willard Aldrich, a man buried sitting up in the Mishawaka cemetery. He received the Trustee Teaching Award. Gillen presented a seminar on interpersonal communication to the Greater Elkhart Young Professionals and the Elkhart Chamber of Commerce. He is coauthoring a book with Don Dempsey, owner of White Light Photography in Newtown, Conn. He attended the Advance College Project (ACP) Public Speaking Review Seminar at IU Bloomington. Gillen served as co-chair of the Campus Direction Committee for the 2012-13 academic year. Carolynn Hine-Johnson, assistant professor of dance, along with David Seymour and Vlad Sorokin, adjunct dance instructors, and were featured performers and instructors at LangLab’s Tapas and Tango, a festive evening of food, dance, and music to benefit the Neighborhood Resources Corporation in South Bend. Hine-Johnson taught two workshops on Native American contemporary dance at the Sacred Dance Guild’s Festival at Hope College in Holland, Mich. She also presented her paper, All Our Relations: Native American Perspective of Creator Through Dance, and performed a Native American contemporary dance. Alec Hosterman, area coordinator of communication studies and senior lecturer in communication arts, received a Doctor of Philosophy from Texas Tech University in May after completing his dissertation “Living in the Age of the Unreal: Exploring Baudrillard’s Theory of Hyperreality in the Graphic Narrative.” He was recently interviewed about the impact of social media on students and society by WSBT. They ran a story about the effects of being overly connected to our digital devices. He

was also featured in a story by Fox 28 on the impact of social media titled “Deciphering Fact from Fiction on Social Media.” Rebecca Hovan, flute instructor, joined the national tour of Beauty and the Beast as a flautist during the holiday season. She was awarded an Associate Faculty Grant Award for her project titled “National Flute Association Convention 2013.” She presented the clinic “Where’s the Beat? Making Sense Out of Complex Rhythms” at the Mid-Atlantic Flute Fair in Reston, Va. Laury “Ruby Jazayre” Rubin, adjunct faculty in dance, and her Sisters of the Nile performance group participated in the second annual “Party in Pink” at Saint Mary’s College. Proceeds went Susan G. Koman for the Cure. Samantha Nogueira Joyce, assistant professor of mass communication, published an article titled, “A Kiss Is (Not) Just a Kiss: Heterodeterminism, Homosexuality, and TV Globo Telenovelas,” in the International Journal of Communication. She also presented the same paper at the International Communication Association conference in London, and she was awarded an overseas conference grant. She was appointed as the coordinator of the next two Brazil-US Colloquiums on Communication Research, which will take place in Brazil. Tuck Langland, professor emeritus, received the Sculpture House Annual Award from the National Sculpture Society at its annual Honors and Awards Dinner in Tampa, Florida. The award recognizes those who contribute to and encourage American sculpture. Michael Lasater, area coordinator of integrated new media studies and professor of mass communication, had his work Bagatelle shown in PopRally Abstract Currents at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. The Kansas City Artists Coalition’s Charno Gallery presented a solo show of his work. He

also had solo show presented by Gallery Tenemos. His work was shown at art: screen fest 2013, 700IS Experimental Art Festival, Nordic House, Reykjavik, Iceland; and Give Us Your Best Shot, a national juried show of photography and video at the Orange County Center for Contemporary Art, Santa Ana, Calif. Maquette won the Swope Museum of Art’s Sherry Dailey and Tom Tucker Award of Merit in the museum’s 69th Annual Wabash Valley Juried Exhibition. Epiphany will be included in the 20132014 international season of animation festivals and exhibitions sponsored by artVideoKÖLN. The New Arts Program in Lehigh Valley, Pa., showed his Tryst in its International Invitational Salon Exhibition of Small Works. Festival Miden 2013, in Kalamata, Greece, included Billboard as part of an exhibition screening curated by Manipulated Image, Los Angeles. Thomas Limbert, visiting assistant professor in music, premiered his chamber operetta of Numbers/ Dates, a three-movement piece exploring emotional prosody. It was commissioned by Rhymes with Opera and performed at Vaudeville Park, Brooklyn, N.Y. and at 2640 Space, Baltimore, Md. Deborah Mayer, adjunct vocal instructor, debuted at the Metropolitan Opera as Gerhilde in Richard Wagner’s Die Walküre, Met’s revival of the epic, four-part Ring Cycle directed by Robert Lepage, and conducted by Met Principal Conductor Fabio Luisi. The performance was broadcast live on the Met Opera Saturday Afternoon International Radio Broadcast Schedule. Mayer was also invited to sing a concert version of her Met role with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at the Tanglewood Music Festival. She was also an adjudicator for the “Auditions Plus Vocal Competition” for the Classical Singer Magazine’s regional round at Notre Dame. Jessica McCormack, assistant professor of voice, presented a masterclass at the Halifax Summer Opera Workshop in Nova Scotia,

Canada. She was a guest artist at Auburn University in Alabama where she presented a masterclass and performed a recital. She was a guest artist at Georgetown College in Kentucky. She performed Schumann’s Myrthen as part of the Noteworthy Concert Series. She traveled to New Brunswick, Canada to serve as a clinician and speak on vocal health for the Registered Music Teachers’ Association Workshop. McCormack was elected secretary for Indiana National Association of Teachers of Singing Chapter. Trisha Miller, student services assistant, won the Audience Choice Award at the Mid America Filmmakers annual Short Film Screening and Staged Readings for her short film script, “Doug Unhitched.” She received $100 to film the script. The finished film will premiere at next year’s Mid America Filmmakers staged reading event and will likely be entered to screen at various film festivals throughout the United States. Ron Monsma, associate professor of fine arts, judged the figure and portrait category of The Artist’s Magazine’s annual competition. Submissions represented artists from around the world. Kelly Morgan, adjunct faculty in dance, led an African dance workshop at The Century Center for the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration. Jorge Muñiz, associate professor of music, was commissioned to write a vocal composition for The AIDS Quilt Songbook performance at the University of Wisconsin Parkside. His composition, “Oda a Jovellanos,” was broadcast on National Radio (Radio Clásica) in Spain. The CD La Noche, featuring “La Nueche de San Xuán” for flute and harp by Jorge Muñiz has been recognized as “Best of 2012” by Singapore’s Sunday Times. He was chosen as an ASCAP Plus Award recipient. The Central Methodist University Concert Band premiered his work “Celebration!” His composition “Funk” had its radio

premiere on WFMT (Chicago) and WGBH (Boston) by Duo Sonidos in the first combined broadcast program of these classical radio music stations. His work “Estampas” premiered at the Tutti New Music Festival at Denison University, Ohio. He was invited for a residency at the University of Missouri, Columbia to coach his new work Duende with the Mizzou New Music Ensemble. Dora Natella, associate professor of visual arts, received a grant from The Indiana Arts Commission. Her work Journey Within was juried into the National Sculpture Society’s 80th Annual Awards Exhibition. It was displayed at the Tampa Museum of Art and the Brookgreen Gardens in Pawleys Island, S.C. Bonita Nelson, adjunct faculty in visual art, presented a lecture and workshop on porcupine quill embroidery at the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian in Evanston, Ill. Yuri Obata, associate professor of communication arts, will be spending fall 2013 at Media and Communication Dept. at Goldsmiths College, University of London as a visiting researcher. Inseung Park, associate professor of theatre, designed the set for Shaw vs. Chesterton: The Debate, a play based on actual debates and exchanges between George Bernard Shaw and G.K. Chesterton. The show ran at the Provision Theater in Chicago. He designed the set for the LiveWire Chicago Theatre production The Mistake Madeline Made, shown at the Greenhouse Theatre Center Upstairs Studio. He was one of the panelists in the scene design session, “Integrating Traditional Rendering and Model with Digital Media” at the USITT conference. He used the storyboard for IUSB’s production of Pippin as a sample, presenting a quick and easy way to build a storyboard. Jason Resler, assistant professor of costume design, designed costumes for the musical La Cage aux Folles at 84

Phoenix Theatre in Phoenix, Ariz. Marjorie Rusche, adjunct assistant professor of music, did a composer residency in New York City with Musica Reginae Productions prior to their New Music Composers Forum concert. Rusche introduced her compositions “Eclipse,” and “Piano Portraits: Nightwatch” which were performed by pianist Barbara Podgurski, and participated in Composer Talk-Back during the concert intermission. Andrea Rusnock, associate professor of art history, received the Trustee Teaching Award. David Seymour, adjunct faculty in dance, served as emcee and provided Latin dance instruction for the Michiana Flavor Fest South Bend. The event was a fundraiser for three Latino nonprofit groups: WSBL Sabor Latino (98.1 FM), La Casa de Amistad, and the Hispanic Leadership Coalition. He also participated in First Fridays in Downtown South Bend, giving a free Latin dance lesson at The Music Village. Eric Souther, assistant professor of new media, was accepted into the International ArtExpo group show Liquid Identities in Venice. His work was shown in Against the Grain: Wood in Contemporary Art at North Carolina’s Mint Museum of Craft + Design and New York City’s Museum of Art and Design. His work appeared in Virulent Experience at Conway Hall and Cabinet Exhibition, both in London. His work was displayed in two shows in China — one at the LAFA Gallery in Dalian and the other at the Jilin Academy of Arts in Jilin. His work was featured at the Kentucky.7 Biennial in Lexington. He exhibited in Washington, D.C. in an experimental group exhibition titled Palimpsest. His work was also displayed at the New Britain Museum of American Art. Michael S. Wade, adjunct faculty in music and choral director, served as an adjudicator for the Indiana School Music Association district solo and ensemble festival in Fort Wayne.

Kay Westheus, associate faculty in visual arts, exhibited her series Sense of Place: Rural Narratives by Kay Westheus at the South Shore Arts Atrium Gallery located at the Center for Visual and Performing Arts in Munster, Ind. The series explores the rural Midwest through photography. Kari Wilson, assistant professor of mass communication, was accepted to the competitive International Communication Association conference in London to present a paper. She was awarded an Overseas Conference Grant.

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Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts // 2013

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Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts // 2013