Extra Credit Opportunity: “Evidence of Aging” lectures

For extra credit, you only have to attend one of the listed lecture events. More is fine, too, but one is enough
The Art Department is pleased to present our Spring 2012 Interdisciplinary lecture series focusing on and inspired by the “Evidence of Aging” exhibit created by Marydorsey Wanless.  For your planning convenience we have divided the events into the following categories:
Thursday March 8:  Artist and Artwork Focus: Photography and Alternative Processes
6:30 – 7:30 pm:  Marydorsey Wanless
8:00 – 9:00 pm:  Rhona Shand: Art Department Chair
Friday March 9 : Spring 2012  Art Department Exhibition Interdisciplinary Lecture Series
Intended as an opportunity for a variety of perspectives related to issues that engage with the subject of aging, a variety of speakers will present their opinions through their diverse and wide-ranging areas of expertise and personal experience.
Biology of Aging  2:00 ­ 3:15
Dr. Steve Ford: Biology Department
Dr. Xiaolu Wu: Biology Department
Psychology of Aging 3:30 ­ 5: 45
Dr. Lynette Olson: Provost and Vice-President For Academic Affairs
Harry Krug: Professor Emeritus and former Art Department Chair
Dr. Sean Lauderdale: Psychology and Counseling Department
Dr. Harriet A. Bachner: Psychology and Counseling Department
Culture of Aging 6:00 ­ 7:00
Yazeed Aldhwayan: International Student from Saudi Arabia.
Alheli Aranda Britez: International Student from Paraguay
Dr. Joey Pogue: Communications Department
Saturday March 10: 10:00 – Noon Family Art Morning
Meet at Porter Hall
Scavenger Hunt and Cyanotype photo workshop
Co-sponsored by the UAA (University Art Association), Student Activities Council,
Gorillas Out of Bounds, and the SAI Sigma Alpha Iota.
We invite you to participate in all or any part of the events listed.  Everyone is welcome and all events are free and open to the public. Contact sbowman@pittstate.edu for more information.

 

Extra Credit Opportunity: Dead Man Walking

PSU CAMPUS FILM NIGHT: DEAD MAN WALKING, 1995 Academy-Award Winning Film
MONDAY, MARCH 5, 2012, 7:00 PM, 109 Grubbs Hall
-Starring: Susan Sarandon, Sean Penn; Directed by Tim Robbins
-Based the book by Sister Helen Prejean
-Arranged through special permission from Swank Productions, Inc.
-Sponsored by the PSU Department of Communication, Ron & Debbie Koelsch & June Koelsch
*ADMISSION IS FREE, but due to limited space, RESERVATIONS are REQUIRED. FOR RESERVATIONS, EMAIL Kristy Magee at kmagee@pittstate.edu your name and email address.
*Open to PSU Students, Faculty/Staff, Community Members
*FREE POPCORN!!
PLOT: Susan Sarandon, in her Academy-Award winning role, portrays Sister Helen Prejean, a nun who exchanges letters with death row inmate, Matt Poncelot, portrayed by Sean Penn. This captivating film leaves viewers questioning what roles compassion and freedom play in today’s society; and ultimately, in their own lives.
ENGAGING IN A SEMESTER OF INTERDISCIPLINARY DISCOURSE AT PSU! As this semester of discourse on capital punishment continues, Sister Helen Prejean’s visit to Pitt State gets closer (March 30th, Sponsored by PALS & Social Work Plus), and Dead Man Walking, the play (April 26th-29th, Sponsored by Pitt State Theatre) wraps it up at the end of the semester, let’s get together with everyone interested and inspired by this story to kick off these activities and watch the film! Whether you are working on this project for a class, doing an independent study surrounding this topic, planning to attend auditions and/or be involved with the production of the play, or just interested in watching this film, it is sure to get you thinking about everything involved.
QUESTIONS? Contact Kristy Magee, Graduate Student in the Department of Communication & Director/Coordinator of The Dead Man Walking School Theatre Project at Pitt State, at kmagee@pittstate.edu or 620-481-9619.

Schedule Adjustment – not my fault this time

Hope everyone weathered the storm safely!

Obviously, a revised course schedule is now in place. I decided that we really needed the review day before this next test, so I used the review days for tests 4 and 5, and pushed everything back two days. This means that I’ll be lecturing Friday, then you’ll have a review session Monday before the test on Wednesday. This also means that the 3rd test, originally scheduled for the day before Spring Break, is now the Wednesday after break. Homework and Essay assignments have been adjusted accordingly. Also note that the Essay assignments are now available, so you can begin thinking about this as you work through the books.

Also note, if you are working from an older printed copy, that I’ve trimmed the list of terms for the 2nd test, to make things a little bit more focused.

Extra Credit Opportunity: Jazz Festival

The 38th Annual PSU Jazz Festival is just around the corner on March 2, 2012 at 7:30 PM at Memorial Auditorium. The concert features one of the great jazz big bands from New York, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. This group features some to the best studio and jazz musicians in the world. Jazz aficionados will also know that this was formerly the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra.  Their latest Grammy win is  Monday Night Live at the Village Vanguard, on Planet Arts Recordings.

Tickets for the evening concert are available at the PSU Ticket Office or at the door.
Adults $15.00 ; PSU Faculty and Staff and persons 65 and over/17 ad under $13.00
Full time PSU students free with proper ID

The event is cosponsored by PALS, Memorial Auditorium, PSU Student Government, and the PSU Music Department

Throughout the day there will be high school and middle school groups competing in the Student Center, McCray and at Memorial Auditorium. These events are free. Listen and enjoy.

Extra Credit Opportunity: Apple Day Convocation

The annual “Apple Day Convocation” will be celebrated on Thursday, March 1, 2012, in the McCray Recital Hall. This year’s speaker will be Mr. Arthur Edwin “Ed” McKechnie III, Chair of the Kansas Board of Regents. Ed is also the Executive Vice President for Strategic Development and the Chief Commercial Officer for Watco Companies, Inc. in Pittsburg. A PSU graduate, Mr. McKechnie earned a B.A. in Communications in 1986.

Test 1 Results

Each question was worth up to 4 points, for a possible total of 40. The highest score in the class before extra credit, in both sections, was 31. For simplicity’s sake, I’m using 30 as the 100% score, so the grade scale works out like this:

Grade starts at distribution
A+ 30
A 28  10%
A- 27
B+ 25
B 22  20%
B- 20
C+ 18
C 15  35%
C- 13
D+ 11
D 8  25%
D- 6
F under 6  10%

If you answered 10 questions, but failed to answer two from each chapter, I took a 2 point penalty off your grade. (If you didn’t answer all 10 questions, I did not)

If you want to discuss your performance, and how you can improve it next time, feel free to come by my office hours. If you want to dispute your grade, feel free to do so in writing.

Here are a few samples of answers that earned the full 4 points (or 3.5, anyway):

Continue reading →

Schedule Adjustment Again

My apologies again for my absence. I have revised the schedule (again), this time using the catch-up day for the next test. I’ll do my best to get through the material efficiently this week, so that we have some time to talk about the test beforehand.

The good news, I suppose, is that you’ve got an extra weekend to work on the Document Homework.

I will have the tests to give back Wednesday, and I will post comments about the grades and suggestions for improving next time.