Convocation Schedule

All full-time students enrolled at Centre for the full academic year are required to earn a total of 12 convocation credits. All convocations earn 1 credit except Founders Day and Honors Night, which earn 2 credits each.

To receive convocation credit, each student must have their ID card swiped, be seated before the program begins, remain present throughout the full program, and swipe their own ID card immediately following the event.

For the entire convocation policy, refer to the Student Handbook. For up-to-date changes in the Convocation Calendar, please see Notesworthy online. Students may access their convocation attendance record at anytime through CentreNet. If you have questions, please contact Megan Noltemeyer at 238-5341 or megan.noltemeyer@centre.edu.

Please note that seating may be limited for some events. It is wise to arrive early to all convocations to ensure that your ID card is swiped and you have a seat. If all seats are taken, students will not be allowed to enter the convocation event.

Seating capacities:

• Evans Lively Room — Old Carnegie (90)

• Gravely Hall — Danville High School (660)

• Newlin Hall — Norton Center (orchestra 250; grand tier 1180)

• Vahlkamp Theatre — Crounse Hall (170)

• Weisiger Theatre — Norton Center (350)

• Young Auditorium Room 113 — Young Hall (188)

2013 CentreTerm & Spring Term Convocations

* Events that have an admission charge to the public are marked with an asterisk. Students are not charged for these convos. *

Mythbusters Greek Edition
Tuesday, January 15 • 7:30 p.m. (Weisiger Theatre)
This convocation will take a look at the history of Greek Life and break the stereotypes that have been formed since its original founding. By concentrating on the reasons for the founding of Greek organizations, the Centre community as a whole will be better informed. Those not involved in Greek life will be enlightened and the students thinking about joining a Greek organization will have a better understanding of their potential commitment. Philanthropy, brotherhood/sisterhood, and academics will all be talked about as well as stereotypes such as partying, buying friends, and other generalizations.

Founder’s Day: “A Contrarian View”
Wednesday, January 16 • 11 a.m. (Newlin Hall)
Dr. Raleigh Stanton Hales, Jr., Senior Consultant at Academic Search, Inc., will be this year’s Founder’s Day speaker. His Higher Education experience is vast and includes such positions as President (1995-2007), Professor of Mathematics (1990-2007) and Vice President for Academic Affairs (1990-1995) at The College of Wooster as well as Associate Dean of the College (1973-1990), Acting Dean of the College (1982-1983), and Professor at Pomona College(1967-1990).

* New Century Chamber Orchestra featuring Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg *
Friday, January 18 • 8 p.m. (Newlin Hall)
San Francisco’s premier conductorless ensemble, the Grammy®-nominated New Century Chamber Orchestra relies on the virtuosic skill of each individual—instead of a baton—to achieve its improvisatory sound, with power, color and precision. The concert will feature Romanza for Violin & String Orchestra, an edgy, high-intensity three-movement opus written with Salerno-Sonnenberg in mind, by composer William Bolcom. Other works to be performed include Symphony No. 10 in B minor (Mendelssohn), Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 (Villa Lobos), and Metamorphosen (R. Strauss).

MLK, Jr. Convocation
Monday, January 21 • 6:30 p.m. (Newlin Hall)
Dr. Aaron Thompson will speak on the importance of the life of Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. while highlighting his impact on our world today. Pre-program entertainment will be provided by the Male Choirs of First Baptist Church and Centre’s “Moments in Motion” dance group.

* William Shakespeare's “The Taming of the Shrew” *
Friday, February 15 • 8 p.m. (Newlin Hall)
Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew tells the story of the timeless battle of the sexes. From its earliest productions at the Globe to the modern film adaptation, 10 Things I Hate About You, The Taming of the Shrew has adapted with each generation. The story, with its domestic power plays and controversial depiction of marriage, has been the subject of multiple operas and the backdrop for Cole Porter’s Tony Award®-winning musical Kiss Me Kate.

The Future of American Cities
Tuesday, February 19 • 7:30 p.m. (Vahlkamp Theatre)
William Hudnut, former mayor of Indianapolis, examines the future of America’s cities. He explores how our metropolitan areas have new challenges with housing, transportation, environmental sustainability, among others. Hudnut draws on his 16 years as mayor to give a vision of what changes American cities need to make in the 21st century.

Bible and Media Revolutions: A Select History
Monday, February 25 • 8 p.m. (Weisiger Theatre)
The Bible is many things—a library of texts, a repository of memories, a touchstone of religious truth, an object of suspicion, etc.—that readers have encountered, read and interpreted in various contexts through history down to the present. But one key thing that needs to be remembered is that “the Bible” or, better, “Bibles” are physical objects that, in their material form, shape, materials, formats, reading aids, etc., shape in significant ways the interpretation of the words on the page. This lecture, in advance of the exhibit on the King James Bible, “Manifold Greatness,” that is coming to Centre in spring 2013, will examine various key media revolutions by which the Christian Bible has been indelibly formed and impacted in its 2000 year history.

A Conversation with Daniel Alarcón
Wednesday, February 27 • 7:30 p.m. (Young Hall Auditorium, Room 113)
A presentation by Daniel Alarcón, acclaimed author of the novel Lost City Radio. Alarcón’s fiction deals with the self-destructiveness of violent insurgency, official retaliation, and a society transformed by violence in his native Perú.

The History and Potential Future of Nuclear Power Technology
Thursday, February 28 • 6:30 p.m. (Vahlkamp Theatre)
Nuclear energy was born in the fires of World War II and now supplies 20% of this country’s electricity from 104 reactors. We will discuss the history and future of this technology.

Learning to be “Illegal”: The Coming of Age Reality for Undocumented Youth
Monday, March 4 • 7:30 p.m. (Weisiger Theatre)
Dr. Roberto Gonzales, Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago, will share from his research and personal experiences on how conflicting and contradictory U.S. education and immigration laws affect the coming of age process of undocumented youth in the United States. Through personal testimonies, he will help us understand the obstacles they face, and what separates the high achievers from those who fall through the cracks.

* Mummenschanz *
Tuesday, March 5 • 7:30 p.m. (Newlin Hall)
Now celebrating its 40th Anniversary, Mummenschanz has been enchanting audiences of all ages with its clever, comic, and bizarre world filled with strange creatures, amusing situations, astounding colors, and imaginative shapes in a showcase of incredible humor, versatility, and pure imagination! In the surreal, hilarious, wordless universe of Mummenschanz, the ordinary becomes extraordinary when common materials and everyday objects—such as wires, tubes, boxes, and even toilet paper—all spring to life as fantastical characters.

Your Inner Fish
Wednesday, March 6 • 7:30 p.m. (Weisiger Theatre)
Dr. Neil Shubin is a leading paleontologist and professor of anatomy at the University of Chicago. He is one of the discoverers of the definitive transitional vertebrate Tiktaalik, one of the most important “missing links” between aquatic and terrestrial vertebrates. Dr. Shubin chronicled his discovery of Tiktaalik and its significance to our understanding of the evolution of ourselves in his fascinating book “Your Inner Fish: A Journey Through the 3.5 Billion Year History of the Human Body.”

Why Interethnic Friendship is Good for Your Health (and the World)
Thursday, March 7 • 7 p.m. (Vahlkamp Theatre)
How can we counter prejudice in ourselves and our society? Elizabeth Page-Gould, Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto, studies the impact of interracial relations on stress and resilience in daily life. In this convocation, she will discuss how interracial friendships can moderate racist attitudes and impact our psychological and physical health, even in a social climate of conflict.

Jonathan Queen: Contemporary Master
Monday, March 11 • 7:30 p.m. (Vahlkamp Theatre)
Jonathan Queen is widely known for his still life paintings. A master craftsman, he uses his remarkable skill to create strange and funny scenes, which connect images from childhood to the darker reaches of our imaginations. A pre-eminent painter in our region, he is gaining a national reputation.

“Church” in Japan
Tuesday, March 12 • 7:30 p.m. (Young Hall Auditorium, Room 113)
Professor Suzuki, a Buddhist Priest, teaches at our Japan exchange school, Yamaguchi Prefectural Institute. He will give a public lecture on the “church” of Japan as it is a mix of Christianity, Buddhism, and Shintoism. It is such a natural and organic mix that most Japanese do not even realize they are members of it. This is one of the main reasons why when asked many Japanese people answer they have no religious beliefs. This talk will provide listeners with an opportunity to examine the “church” of Japan, the Japanese concept of religion and “wa,” and Japanese temperament in general, and in turn, a greater understanding of Japan and its people.

Gregoire Maret Lecture/Demonstration
Thursday, March 14 • 11:30 a.m. (Weisiger Theatre)
Neither blues nor R&B, Grégoire Maret’s harmonica style is lyrical and progressive. After a childhood filled with a diverse array of musical influences—from his Harlem born, African-American mother and his Swiss father, a local jazz musician—Maret is now considered a “harmonica virtuoso” (The New York Times), and has developed his own unique sound with a versatile style that enables him to play effortlessly across different musical genres.

Kentucky Ensemble & Orchestra
Thursday, March 14 • 8 p.m. (Cowan Dining Commons)
This concert will feature special performances by two of Centre's top ensembles. First, the Centre Orchestra will perform a concerto for banjo, with its composer Dr. Timothy Lake as guest soloist. The Kentucky Ensemble will then perform a blend of old favorites and new selections as a send-off in advance of its first ever extended spring tour.

SGA Debate
Monday, March 25 • 8 p.m. (Newlin Hall)
Candidates for Student Government Association President, Speaker of the House, and Student Activities Council President will present their platform and ideas for the upcoming school year and answer questions from the student body.

Be Different: Perspectives on Aspergers and Autism
Tuesday, March 26 • 7 p.m. (Weisiger Theatre)
In preparation for a symposium on autism and related exceptionalities the following day, John Elder Robison, who has written and spoken extensively on life with Asperger’s syndrome, will use his own fascinating life experiences to offer practical advice—for Aspergians and indeed for anyone who feels “different”—on how to improve the weak communication and social skills that keep so many people from taking full advantage of their often remarkable gifts.

Poetry of Landscape & Place
Thursday, March 28 • 7 p.m. (Vahlkamp Theatre)
Maurice Manning is a Pulitzer-nominated, Guggenheim Fellowship winning poet from Danville, Kentucky, who has published four books of poetry. He was born in 1966 in Danville, Kentucky. His collection, “The Common Man,” was one of the two finalists for the 2011 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry. Bianca Spriggs is an artist and activist currently living in Lexington, Kentucky. She is an Affrilachian Poet and Cave Canem Fellow (both organizations for African-American authors). Her first book of poems, Kaffir Lily, has just been published.

Women's Rights in the Qur'an: A Muslim Woman's Journey
Tuesday, April 2 • 7 p.m. (Newlin Hall)
Renowned human rights activist and scholar of Islamic studies, Dr. Riffat Hassan, will give a lecture on her efforts to discover the Qur’an’s relevance to women’s rights today. Dr. Hassan bases her social activism on her conviction that the Qur’an is best understood a manifesto of human rights, including equality for women. Her work has inspired a generation of Muslim feminists and she remains an important voice of activism in her home country of Pakistan, the United States, and around the world. Dr. Hassan will share with us some of her convictions, how she arrived at them, and the struggles she’s been through in her attempt to live them out.

Recent Art Market Research at the Interface of Economics, Art History, & Visual Studies
Thursday, April 4 • 6:30 p.m. (Young Hall Auditorium, Room 113)
Professor Hans van Miegroet will present a lecture on specific aspects of a new interdisciplinary program he is developing called the Duke Art, Law, & Markets Initiative (DALMI). The project is at once educational, practical, and vocational—meaning, it involves a multidisciplinary core of courses designed to develop expertise in art, law, & commercial markets; the development of an open database on the history of auction sales results hosted by the J. Paul Getty Provenance Index; the student-led design of a web-based network game called Master Collector: an Art Market Simulation Game that allows users to create virtual contemporary collections grounded in real market activities; and the integration of such learning modules through the latest visual classroom technologies. His talk will trace the history of the study of art markets, at the same time identifying emerging contemporary practices (professional, financial, artistic) that have developed from that history.

* Notes from the Balcony *
Friday, April 5 • 8 p.m. (Newlin Hall)
The classic tale of Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers has been an inspiration to musicians and composers for hundreds of years. Featuring familiar music by Kabalevsky, Prokofiev, Bernstein, and even Elvis Costello, the Boston Brass along with the Enso String Quartet use genre-crossing music to loosely tell the story of Romeo & Juliet in their own, unique way, by performing some of the finest and most familiar pieces written about Juliet and her Romeo.

Misquoting Jesus: Scribes who Changed the Scriptures and Readers Who May Never Know
Wednesday, April 17 • 7 p.m. (Newlin Hall)
Professor Bart Ehrman is the James A. Gray Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is a widely published scholar on the New Testament and Christian Origins and a frequent commentator on religious issues. Professor Ehrman will offer a talk on the collation of the Bible, and focus on the literary history and transmission of the New Testament gospel texts.

* Buried Child *
Wednesday thru Saturday, April 17 — 20 • 8 p.m. (Weisiger Theatre)
Fierce and unforgettable, Sam Shepard's Pulitzer prize-winning drama probes deep into the disintegration of the American Dream. Universally acclaimed as a work of extraordinary vision and force, the play portrays a realistic family drama, in which comedy and horror are merged, as in real life.

Global Careers and the New China
Thursday, April 18 • 7:30 p.m. (Newlin Hall)
Bea Camp, Consul-General in Shanghai, and her husband, David Summers, Watson Foundation and US State Department representative, will present the spring Press Lecture regarding global careers. Leaders in industry, commerce, government, and the arts increasingly seek a global orientation. China’s importance in all of these areas will continue to grow, and student with a knowledge of or experience in the Far East will be increasing sought.

Nine Elements of a Sustainable Culture
Tuesday, April 23 • 7:30 p.m. (Vahlkamp Theatre)
Dr. Mitchell Thomashow devotes his life and work to promoting ecological awareness, sustainable living, creative learning, improvisational thinking, social networking, and organizational excellence. He will talk with us about how we can be part of bringing about a truly sustainable culture.

John C. Young Symposium
Saturday, April 27 • 10 a.m. & 1:30 p.m. (Vahlkamp Theatre)
Each JCY scholar will give a 20-minute presentation on their work and take questions for 10 minutes. Three presentations will occur in the morning session and three presentations will occur in the afternoon session.

Handel's Messiah
Sunday, April 28 • 3 p.m. (Newlin Hall)
Members of the Centre College Choir perform parts II and III of this familiar and beautiful oratorio composed by George Frideric Handel.

Authenticity & Authority
Tuesday, April 30 • 7:30 p.m. (Vahlkamp Theatre)
Reverend Mark T. David, Pastor – Theologian, First Presbyterian Church of Lexington, discusses what is “the Real Bible?” What constitutes an authorized version of the scriptures in the present age? Can the King James Bible speak in the present age when there is no sovereign to provide the royal stamp of approval?

Spring Dance Concert
Thursday, May 2 • 8 p.m. (Weisiger Theatre)
The Spring Dance Concert is the culmination of the work of the Modern Dance Performance course taught by Rebecca Stephenson. Each year, it is a combination of work choreographed by dance professionals from throughout the Commonwealth as well as work choreographed by the advanced students from the class.

Honors Night
Tuesday, May 7 • 7 p.m. (Newlin Hall)
Join the Centre community to celebrate student achievements.