AROUND THE POND
Lance Odden with Ambassador Frank Wisner
Guest Speakers
Eight Tibetan Buddhist Monks from the Gaden Jangste Monastery in southern India came to Taft in late September to perform “mysterious deep-voiced chanting” and to answer questions about Buddhism, Tibetan culture, history, mores, practices, life in exile, and, of course the Dalai Lama. The monks were on a tour of the United States to raise funds to support their monastery.
Drums Along the Main Hall
Among the outside speakers to address the Taft community this fall were (in order of appearance) Joseph Reckford ’77 on “Why read the Bible?,” Career Ambassador Frank Wisner (page 58) on “The World in Crisis,” Rabbi Eric Polokoff on “Sukkot and the Jewish High Holy Days,” and artist/ activist Kwame Anku, who spoke to the assembled student body and to the the full faculty about new ways of looking at the real issues of our times. Other fall speakers included the director of the Ohio Dept. of Corrections, Reggie Wilkinson; writer-performer George Sanchez; Nobel laureate Dr. Alfred Gilman ’58, and Ambassador John McCarthy.
Four Hungarian musicians gave demonstrations of unusual percussion instruments from Africa and Asia on November 4 in a concert and workshop visit that was as enriching culturally as it was musically. The Amadinda Percussion Group, named after a Ugandan percussion instrument, is made up of four musicians from the the Franz Liszt Music Academy in Budapest. Their repertory consists of classical, jazz, and world music. Formed in 1984, the group has won prizes at the International Festival of Music in Darmstadt and the Seniors Nell Cooke and Jillian Giardina formed the AIDS Awareness Program Gaudeamus Contemporary Music Com[TAAP] to help educate the school community about the spread of AIDS among petition in Rotterdam. They have taken youth (in the U.S. half of all new infections occur in people under 25). part annually in the Budapest Spring FesAfter a lengthy application process that began last November, according to tival and the International Bartók-New Chaplain Michael Spencer, Taft has been chosen to host two large sections of Music Festival. the quilt at the end of April. As part of the NAMES project, the quilt is sent to For their work in presenting Hunschools across the country which applied and were accepted as host sites. In garian music, Amadinda was decorated preparation for the visit, TAAP is planning a creative series of educational events with the “Order of Merit of the Hungarand inviting outside speakers. Other schools and churches will be invited to ian Republic Officer’s Cross” by President participate as well. Árpád Göncz in 1997. The group has The AIDS quilt was formed in 1987 and panels have been added continureleased six compact discs and was called ously since then. The entire quilt now covers an area larger than 25 football “the most dazzling percussionist you fields. “The quilt is a traveling memorial to those who’ve died from AIDS,” says might hear this side of Bali” by the LonMichael, “and a powerful symbol of awareness and compassion.” don Guardian.
Taft to host AIDS Quilt
Taft Bulletin
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