Last month, several Lee University students presented at the annual national conference of Pentecostals and Charismatics for Peace and Justice (PCPJ).

Pradip Subedi and Rachel Stern at Acting on AIDS booth

The mission of PCPJ is to encourage, enable, and sustain peacemaking and the search for justice as an authentic and integral aspect of the Pentecostal and Charismatic community.  As well, they wish to inform people of national and international issues regarding injustice and oppression, and to facilitate action that encourages peace. 

Six students from the Behavioral and Social Sciences Department had the opportunity to present at PCPJ through the Council on Revolutionary Endeavors (CORE), which is composed of three groups: Invisible Children, Acting on AIDS, and the International Justice Mission.

Ellie Morse presenting at PCPJ

PCPJ has offered to the students involved in CORE an opportunity to published on the PCPJ website in order to promote a continued relationship with the student organization. Dr. Murl Dirksen said that he hopes students will continue to be involved. 

“I think anytime students can make presentations at conferences professionally, it is good for students and Lee.  People are exposed to the quality of students we have here.  We have great students, and I’m always proud of them going to conferences,” he said.

Ellie Morse, Katie Johnson, and Amanda Mitchell at Global Gift Shop display for PCPJ

 In reference to the PCPJ conference and the students’ concern with social justice, Dirksen continued, “I think Lee students were happy to be affirmed that what they are doing is right and valuable.”

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the National English Honor Society, held the Second Annual Graduate and Undergraduate Student Conference on Literature, Composition, and Rhetoric on October 16 and 17.  Two Lee University students, Emily Carlisle and Mallory Leonard, were accepted to present their papers at the convention.

Carlisle presented her paper “The Eternal Poet” in a panel on Studies of American Literature.  Her paper, which she wrote for 20^th Century American Drama, focuses on Tennessee William’s play Suddenly Last Summer, and she subverts the protagonist’s perceived death.  The reading slot for her was 7:30 a.m., and she says, “If you have to read your paper before the sun also rises, it is always a good idea to discuss Tennessee Williams’ religious hauntings in order to get the synapses firing.”

In her paper, “Struggle Against Water: A Deeper Look at Queen Gertrude in Hamlet,” Leonard uses feminist literary criticism to claim that Gertrude’s character serves as a warning to women who may give into patriarchy and deny their own femininity.  She claims that Ophelia and Gertrude are opposites: Ophelia embraces her feminine nature and escapes the patriarchal structures around her through suicide, but Gertrude fears to follow and remains trapped in the world of men which destroys her.

This is the first conference at which either has presented, and both found the reading useful.  Leonard says, “Overall, the experience was beneficial.  This was my first experience reading one of my papers in front of anyone else, and I’m very glad I did it.  I look forward to participating in more conferences in the near future.”

Earlier this month, Dr. Christie Kleinmann partnered with Oak Gove Elementary School to give the students in her Public Speaking class first-hand experience.

Students Taylor Presley (left) and Jared Powers (right) reading to their group

In order to teach delivery, phrasing, and voice inflection, Kleinmann took her students to Oak Grove Elementary to read children’s books to the Kindergarten class.  Kleinmann says that she always uses children’s books for this lesson because you have to focus on vocal variety for it to work.

Students Vicente Nudman (left) and Matt Bryant (right) learning how to overcome a kindergartner's eagerness

Oak Grove was especially interested in this partnering because some of the children there have parents who may not read to them.  This way, they were able to see older students showing them that reading is worthwhile.

The Lee University students were able to work on audience adaptation.  While a college student may have a short attention span, a kindergartner’s is even worse.  Students worked on their vocal variety, facial expressions, and began learning how to think on their feet, all while helping others.  Kleinmann says, “These are the gifts God has given us to help others.  We don’t have to do the great and grand, but it’s the little things.”

This past July, nine Lee University students participated in the survey and excavation of an important historical site in eastern Tennessee.  Each summer for the past three years, anthropology professor Dr. Richard Jones, and Quentin Bass, Archaeologist for the U.S. Forest Service, have teamed up to teach the Archaeology Field Methods course as an archaeology field school doing real culture resource management projects in the Cherokee National Forest.

This year, Quentin Bass arranged for Dr. Jones and the students from Lee to work under the direction of Brett Riggs and Stephen Davis, both well-known archaeologists from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.  The site they worked on was established in the 1830’s as a military camp to keep settlers lured by the gold rush out of Cherokee lands.  During the same decade the fort was used to collect the Cherokee for removal, and, in that sense, it is part of the beginning of the Trail of Tears.

The summer field school participants. Back row, from left to right: Quentin Bass, Stephen Davis, Johann Furbacher, Ward Jones, Lance Greene, Brett Riggs, and Richard Jones. Front row: Sarah Anderson, Ali Carlton, Felicia Wright, Tona Headrick, and Stacy Cohl.

Lee students were trained in a variety of archaeological techniques, after which they assisted in detailed surveying and mapping of the site, and assisted in the excavation of several site features.  One student participant, Stacy Cohl, said about the experience, “We were able to actually dig in the dirt.  What I was expecting was a lot of fetch and carry work.  A lot of ‘Hey you, inexperienced student, haul this dirt over there!’  What I got was completely the opposite.  We, the students, were the ones getting down in the dirt and doing the digging.”

Students also learned that excavating in the Cherokee National Forest involved digging through thick root mats, avoiding yellow jacket nests, getting chigger bites, doing a tick check at the end of each day, and always smothering oneself in insect repellent, which did not seem to deter the mosquitoes. Cohl said, “Despite all the ticks and gnats and rain—and partially because of them—we were able to really experience the field and understand what this ‘archaeology’ thing was all about.  We could actually call ourselves archaeologists by the end of it.”

Dr. Jones said, “Being invited to participate in research at such an important historical site offers an extraordinary opportunity for our students to be involved in significant archaeological research.  At most institutions, undergraduates are rarely afforded such opportunities.”

Lee University successfully hosted a variety of events in celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr., Day.  Dr. Michael Laney, who coordinated many of the events, was very pleased with the outcome of the celebrations.  The celebration was community based and extended beyond the Lee University family, including and off campus keynote speaker, Ms. Rae Lewis Thornton, who is an HIV/AIDS activist.

Additionally, the “Dream Keepers Award” was presented to African American middle school and high school students who had at least a 3.0.  UMOJA performed at the presentation, and the Harlem Gospel Choir sang that evening.  Tied into these festivities was the Inaugural Reception, which was hosted by Dr. Murl Dirksen.

Lee University’s Asian Studies Program will be presenting an Asian Studies Seminar on January 26-30, 2009. The sessions will take place from 6-8 p.m. each night in room 114 of the Helen DeVos College of Education. Topics will include business, language and religion.

Monday night’s discussion of Eastern religion and philosophy will be taught by Lee’s Associate Professor of Intercultural Studies, Edley Moodley. Tuesday’s discussion of Thai language and culture will be taught by Professor of Education JoAnn Higginbotham. Wednesday’s topic will be Business in Asian Markets, taught by Assistant Professor of Business, Guy DeLoach. Japanese language and culture will be discussed on Thursday night by Associate Professor of English Arden Jensen. The week will conclude on Friday with Assistant Professor of Chinese Phebe Gray’s discussion of Chinese language and culture.

These events are free and open to the public. For additional information, contact Murl Dirksen at mdirksen@leeuniversity.edu.

Submitted by the Office of Public Information

The Drama department has seen much success with their fall productions this year, “Mach Band

Students acting in Trojan Women (photo courtesy of Tiffany Zajas)

 Predicament” and “Trojan Women”.  The former, written by student Linsey Retcofsky, saw a lot of positive publicity during its two-week run.  Professor Catherine Bradley said everyone in the department was thrilled at its success, and Retcofsky is still working on improvements for “Mach Band”.

“Trojan Women”, the classic play by Euripides, enjoyed its two week run, which concluded this past Sunday.  Professor Christine Williams directed the tragedy, which is based on the story of what happened to the women of Troy after its defeat at the hands of the Greeks.  Students enjoyed the production, one senior saying, “It was of course very sad, but it was very well done.”  Visiting artist Rob Rachow designed the lighting for the set.  

This Friday, the Drama department will be featuring the Director’s Showcase, which will feature several different student-led productions.

Posted by Amber Mear

Lee University students with Prof. Trowbridge at 2007 Conference

Mr. Kevin Trowbridge accompanied nine Lee University students to Nashville for the Baptist Press Collegiate Journalism Conference.  This is the second year that Mr. Trowbridge has taken students to the conference, which took place between October 9 and 11.  Between 150 and 200 collegiate journalists, professional journalists, and media advisors were present to take place in the conference’s theme, “Pursuing Excellence”.

On Thursday evening, Rudy Kaylis spoke on the theme of the conference.   Trowbridge commented that hearing a professional who is a Christian speaking about his work was a way for the students to be “challenged and spurred on to work on excelling.”  Friday morning was spent in workshops, while the evening offered the opportunity for Lee University’s publications to be critiqued.  On Saturday morning there were more sessions for participants to attend.  The weekend culminated Saturday night with the Awards Ceremony.  

Lee students won a variety of different awards.  The Lee Clarion website won first place for Best Overall Web Site for Lee Clarion Online (www.leeclarion.com).  Senior Janchai Montrelerdrasme won first place in the Feature Photograph category for his photo “Hands on Ministry.”  Lee graduate Christopher Sirico won first place for yearbook art and illustration for “Online Life” (can be found in the Vindagua).  Sirico also won third place for the Newspaper Cartoon/Art category for “Laughing at Faith”.  Alex Lisic won third place for his Individual Sports Action Photo, “Getting Wet”. Tess (Ball) Losen also won third place for her Yearbook Sports/Club Design, entitled “Jazz”.

Sigma Tau Delta, the English honor society, inducted fourteen new students this semester on September 18.  The festivities were held in the Centenary Room for the so-called “neophytes”.  Many of the new members are sophomores.

Newest members of Sigma Tau Delta

Kevin Brown, Sigma Tau Delta’s faculty sponsor, mentioned that this is one of the larger groups that has been inducted in recent years.  There are about fifty members of Sigma Tau Delta, while the English major has around one hundred and thirty members.  In order to be eligible for participation in the Honor Society, a student has to have a B average at least in one upper division English course.

Posted by Amber Mear

Professor Catherine Bradley is very busy with the current theatre season at Lee. The theatre program will be mounting four fully produced shows this year, an ambitious season for a small program. She is proud to announce that three of the four shows slated to take place this year will feature student set designers; Kathleen Hawkins designed Mach Band Predicament, Derrick Vanmeter will design Ideal Husband, and Rebecca Ogle will design My Children My Africa. In addition to the three student designers, Lee University Theatre will have a guest artist, Rob Rachow of Minneapolis, do the lighting for Trojan Women.

Bradley mentions that she is proud of how far the Theatre program at Lee has come in the past four years. She loves that students are becoming more involved in the production of shows. These design opportunities will provide practical experience for the students that is in many ways unusual in a B.A. program. “Students don’t normally get this kind of experience unless they’re in a B.F.A. program or an M.F.A program.”

Posted by Amber Mear