The Open Gates Lecture Series (2009-10),
Exploring the American Experience
At Worcester Academy’s Warner Theater
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“Art, Music and American identity,” October 21st, 2009, 7-8:30 PM (click here for video of the first lecture)
• Introduction (J. Murnane)
• The Story of the National Anthem (D. Morse)
• Academy Singers
• Art and the Jeffersonian Ideal: America Through the Works of Ralph Earl, Thomas Cole, William S. Jewett, and John Gast (D. Baillie)
William Carpenter, 1779
Oil on canvas
47 7/8 x 35 5/8 in. (121.6 x 90.5 cm)
Worcester Art Museum purchase, 1916.1
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“Other Voices,” 17th November 2009, 7-8:30 PM
• Jazz and the African-American Story (J. Murnane, J. Allard, A. Vaudreuil)
• The Harlem Renaissance (R. Thompson, A. Vaudreuil)
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“Science, Technology and American Life,” January, 20th 2010, 7-8:30 PM
• The Automobile and the Transformation of America (E. Plickert, W. Osborn)
• Computers and the Future (A. Viva, D. Bill)
• Medical and Scientific Breakthroughs (F. Smith)
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“Native American Culture,” Guest Speaker Dr. J. Pappas, State University of Colorado, Thursday, March 25th 2010
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Student presentations, May 2010, 7-8:30 PM
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Beyond “US” vs. “Them”
A Lecture Series on the Media
and Popular Perceptions of the Middle East
At Worcester Academy’s Warner Theater
October 22, 2008 (7-8:30 PM)
It begins with an introduction to the series, the concept of the “other,” the theories of Edward Said and other Middle East scholars. The hosts are Rodney Glasgow and John Murnane from Worcester Academy. We will discuss the film “Edward Said On Orientalism.” We will close with a solo guitar performance of “Capricho Arabe” by Alan Vaudreuil, Band Director at WA.
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Click here for film clips of the opening lecture
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November 19, 2008 (7-8:30 PM)
Is it really US vs. Them? The Arab Contribution to Mathematics with Rick Yanco, Elena Stamatakos, and Matt Echleman. The Arab Connection with Andalusia, literature and music, with John Murnane and Anthony Butler.
Click here for the videos re: this lecture
January 20, 2009 (7-8:30 PM)
Our Guest speaker, free-lance journalist, Tom Verde has written for the New York Times and National Public Radio. He is pursuing a master’s degree in Islamic studies and Christian–Muslim relations at Hartford Seminary in Connecticut. He traveled to Morocco on a scholarship from the Lilly Endowment through the Religion Newswriters Foundation. His latest article, “A Man of Two Worlds, appeared in Saudi Aramco World (January/February, 2008). On Leo Africanus, Verde’s work highlights the connections between the Middle East and the West.
April 7, 2009 (7-8:30 PM)
Middle Eastern music program with Fulbright scholar, composer, performer, ethnomusicologist and music educator Edward J Hines, an introduction to fascinating instruments that have unique sounds and have been played in Middle Eastern music since the Middle Ages. Learn how ancient Middle Eastern musical instruments are connected to the music of Western cultures. Experience old-world sounds that once were common in both Europe and the Near East.
May 20, 2009 (7-8:30 PM)
Parents and the WA community are invited to listen to student presentations on their year-long research regarding media representations of the Middle East.
THIS PROGRAM WORKS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE 10TH GRADE PROJECT FOR 2008-2009
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