Open Line Faculty-Staff Newsletter for the Week of Feb. 4, 2013

Campus News  •  Noteworthy  •  In the News

Campus News

Pulitzer Prize winner Buzz Bissinger to speak on campus, Feb. 5
Among the nation’s most honored and distinguished writers, Buzz Bissinger is the highly acclaimed author of Friday Night Lights, A Prayer for the City, Three Nights in August, Shooting Stars, and Father’s Day. Two of Bissinger’s works were made into the critically acclaimed films Shattered Glass and Friday Night Lights, the latter of which also inspiried a cult classic television series of the same name. Bissinger will speak on campus in Schneebeck Concert Hall Tuesday, Feb. 5, at 7:30 p.m. Admission to the lecture free with current Puget Sound ID. Contact asupslectures@pugetsound.edu for more information.

Celebrated author, dramatist, and essayist Wole Soyinka to deliver Pierce Lecture, Feb. 7
Puget Sound welcomes Nobel Prize laureate and internationally acclaimed writer and activist Wole Soyinka to campus Thursday, Feb. 7. Best known as a playwright, Soyinka is also an accomplished poet, novelist, and essayist—as well as an activist and outspoken critic of political corruption worldwide, including in his native Nigeria. He will deliver the spring Pierce Lecture, "Writing for Freedom," beginning at 8 p.m., in Schneebeck Concert Hall on campus. Admission is free for the campus community, but tickets must be acquired in advance from Wheelock Information Center or tickets.pugetsound.edu.

Explore Washington's "roadless coast" in documentary film, Feb. 6
On Wednesday, Feb. 6, Puget Sound Outdoors will host a screening of the documentary film Ikkatsu: The Roadless Coast, recounting the Ikkatsu expedition, which traveled thr rugged Olympic shoreline of Washington, surveying remote beaches for marine debris. After the film join expedition members in a discussion about local research and ways you can to help address issues related to plastic and other kinds of marine plastic debris.

The screening and conversation will be held in Rasmussen Rotunda, WSC, at 7 p.m.

Pianist and chamber musician William Ransom will perform guest artist recital Feb. 8
American pianist William Ransom will give a public performance as the guest artist of Puget Sound’s 23rd Annual Piano Festival on Friday, Feb. 8. The 7:30 p.m. recital, presented by the School of Music, will be held in Schneebeck Concert Hall. Tickets are $8.50 for faculty and staff members, and are available at Wheelock Information Center and tickets.pugetsound.edu. The piano festival runs through Saturday, Feb. 9, and hosts piano students from area middle and high schools who participate in workshops, performances, and Young Pianist Showcase Competition.

Bill Cosby steps onstage Feb. 10, as part of Puget Sound's 125th anniversary celebration
On Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013, Bill Cosby will remind audiences what great family humor is in a family-friendly performance in Memorial Fieldhouse. The stand-up comedy event will begin at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $25 for general seating and $50 for prime seating. Tickets are available online and at Wheelock Information Center.

Family concert series continues with Mozart, Feb. 10
Puget Sound's Community Music Department has teamed up with Ted Brown Music and Tacoma Symphony Orchestra, as well as the Bamford Foundation and Washington State Arts Commission, to offer the community a family concert series, aimed specifically at addressing the gap in musical programming for young children and families. Sunday, Feb. 10, the series continues with Mozart's Remote Control, at 2:30 p.m., in Schneebeck Concert Hall. Tickets are $5 for children and $7 for adults, and are available at www.tacomasymphony.org. To learn more about the collaboration and concert series, visit the Tacoma Symphony blog.

Schedule your personal TIAA-CREF counseling session today
Emily Everett, consultant with TIAA-CREF, will be on campus Tuesday, Feb. 5, and Wednesday, Feb. 6, to answer questions about saving for retirement. Everett will help you determine long-term strategies, find the right allocation mix, and develop your own strategies for retirement savings. Individual sessions will be held in Wyat 326 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. To schedule your appointment, call 866.928.4221 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or schedule online at www.tiaa-cref.org/ScheduleNow.

Prof. Paul Loeb to discuss “New Values for the Posthuman Future” at Daedalus Dinner, Feb. 27
The first Daedalus Dinner of the spring semester will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 27, at 6 p.m., in Murray Boardroom, WSC. Paul Loeb, professor of philosophy, will consider how rapid advances in science and technology, especially in biomedicine and cybernetics, are contributing to the alteration, enhancement, and evolution of the human into the posthuman. He will examine some of the philosophical roots of this development, discuss important questions raised by these advances, and explore the ethical and political implications of the posthuman future.

Established in the 1970s, Daedalus Dinners cover a wide range of programs and topics, and are open to all faculty and staff members, who are encouraged to bring interested students as their guests. Four times each year, the Puget Sound Daedalus Society sponsors an evening of scholarship, debate, and dinner. The evening begins with wine and hors d'oeuvres, followed by the featured presentation, a catered buffet dinner, coffee, dessert, and discussion. Reservations are $15 per person, made on a first-come, first-served basis, and must be made by Wednesday, Feb. 20. Contact x3207 for more information or to make a reservation.

Reaccreditation committee needs your input
Puget Sound is in the midst of a seven-year process of evaluation to affirm the college’s accreditation. The Accreditation Review Committee (ARC) has prepared a draft of Puget Sound’s Year Three Report, and seeks faculty and staff member feedback. Please review the report and send any comments and/or suggestions to reaccreditation@pugetsound.edu. Please provide your comments no later than Feb. 4, 2013. The draft Year Three Report is available on the reaccreditation page of the Puget Sound website.

Puget Sound Outdoors to sponsor avalanche two-day or three-day certification course, beginning Feb. 9
Join Puget Sound Outdoors for a two-day or three-day level one avalanche course, designed for those who will be backcountry skiing, boarding, hiking, or mountaineering on snow slopes that could slide. The class session will be held Saturday, Feb. 9. Field sessions are chosen when you register. The two-day (noncertification) course is $210, and the three-day course is $340. Register online at www.ridgeexplorations.com. Visit www.pugetsound.edu/outdoors for more information.

Noteworthy

Congratulations to three members of the Puget Sound community who retired last week: Bev Bryant ’05, Melissa Flood, and Arlene Holt P'86. Between them they celebrated more than 60 years of service as Loggers. Thank you for all you've done for Puget Sound!

In the News

Exit 133 ran a story about the upcoming Jacobsen Jr. concert premiere of Pecos Bill: A Tall Tale of the Wild West, a musical piece written by Duane Hulbert, professor of music.

Weekly Volcano reviewed the sound and light installation at Kittredge Gallery, describing it as “mesmerizing." A photo was included.

The blog of the U. S. Department of Energy ran a story about work by Amanda Mifflin, assistant professor of chemistry, who is using a new spectrometer developed by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in her research on terpenes. The story also will run in the laboratory’s EMSL Molecular Bond newsletter.

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