st. john's college calendar of events spring 2012, annapolis
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spring calendar of eventsTRANSCRIPT
CALENDAR OF EVENTSSt. John’s College
March April May June 2012
Lectures
Theatre
Concerts
Classes
Seminars
Art Exhibitions
calendarlectures
Friday night lectures are held in the Francis
Scott Key Auditorium at 8:15 p.m. The
community is invited to attend the question
period that follows each lecture in the
Conversation Room.
march 23 “On the Dionysiac Element in
Greek Tragedy,” by Marcel Widzisz, tutor,
St. John’s College
march 30 Steiner Lecture, “Bach’s St. Matthew
Passion in Perspective: History, Text, Music, and
Theology,” by Christoph Wolff, professor,
Adams University and Harvard University
april 13 “Lucretius on the Nature of Things,”
by Margaret Kirby, tutor, St. John’s College
april 20 “To Meet with Macbeth,” by Louis
Petrich, tutor, St. John’s College
Concerts
april 15 St. John’s College presents
22 year-old Austrian flutist, Daniela Koch, and
piano accompanist, Christian Reif. The duo will
perform music by Mozart, Schubert, and
Pirchner. Koch has won numerous awards,
including first prize at the seventh Kobe
International Flute Competition in Japan, and
was voted Artist of the Year 2010 by Bank
Austria. The concert will be held in the Great
Hall at 3 p.m.
Special events
march 3 The Capitol Steps perform a
fundraiser at St. John’s College to benefit
student aid. The performance, followed by a
champagne reception with the cast,
is presented by the Caritas Society.
The show will be held in the Francis Scott
Key Auditorium, at 8 p.m. Doors open at
7:30 p.m. See the article in this issue for
more information.
april 28 The 30th annual St. John’s-U.S. Naval
Academy Croquet Match takes place at 1 p.m.
on the front lawn of the St. John's College
campus. The family-friendly event is free and
open to the public. Rain Date: Sunday, April 29.
Note: new policies for tents and alcoholic
beverages. For more information:
www.stjohnscollege.edu.
may 13 Commencement ceremonies will be
held on the front lawn at 10:30 a.m. In case of
rain, Commencement will be held in the
Francis Scott Key Auditorium, where admission
will be by ticket only and limited to immediate
family of the graduates. The 2012
Commencement speaker is Salvatore Scibona
(SF97), whose first novel, The End, was a
finalist for the 2008 National Book Award.
march 24 The wine event, In Vino Veritas,
features tastings, workshops on winemaking,
food and wine pairings, and a cooking
demonstration. Francis Scott Key Lobby,
from 1:30 to 6 p.m. For details see article
on page 2.
all events are held at
St. John’s College
60 College avenue
annapolis, maryland
unless otherwise noted.
all events are free and
open to the public unless
otherwise noted.
in Vino VeritaS
For those who are curious about the ancient craft
of winemaking, or for those who simply enjoy
discovering new wines, the second annual In Vino
Veritas wine tasting event at St. John’s College
presents a wonderful opportunity. Former
St. John’s tutor Abe Schoener, of Scholium Project
wines, kicks off the event with a panel discussion
on “The Art and Science of Wine.” Described as a
“renegade vintner” by Esquire magazine, Schoener
challenges convention and explores wine’s
seemingly infinite possibilities. Workshops, tastings,
and a cooking demonstration to follow. There will
also be a raffle drawing for a trip for two to Napa
Valley. This fundraiser aids student scholarships.
March 24, from 1:30 to 6 p.m. in the Francis Scott
Key Lobby. Tickets are $35 for general admission;
plus $25 for each workshop; $50 for raffle tickets.
To purchase tickets and for a schedule of events:
www.stjohnscollege.edu/events. For more
information contact Kathy Dulisse at
410-626-2530 or [email protected]
annapoliS arChiteCt on modern
mellon hall
Annapolis-based architect Chip Bohl will discuss “Richard
Neutra’s Mellon Hall at St. John’s College.” Neutra, an important
modernist architect, designed Mellon Hall. Bohl is the architect
of later renovations to Mellon Hall, the addition of the
administrative wing and the Elizabeth Myers Mitchell Gallery,
for which Bohl’s firm earned a citation from the American
Institute of Architects. About the design, Bohl says, “The gallery
was always intended to be an educational space, connected to
the campus, not isolated.”
April 10 at 7:30 p.m. in the Conversation Room. For more
information, call 410-626-2556.
the Capitol StepS are BaCk!
An irreverent musical-theater troupe from Washington, D.C.
known for their hilarious political satire, the Capitol Steps will
perform a lively review of
songs and spoofs that ridicule
public figures across all party
lines. The show is a fundraiser
to benefit student aid and
will be followed by a
champagne reception with
the performers.
March 3 at 8 p.m. in Francis
Scott Key Auditorium.
Doors open at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $55 in advance, $60
at the door ($35 tax deductible).
This event is sponsored by the
Caritas Society. To purchase tickets
online, visit www.stjohnscollege.edu, and click “Events.”
For more information call 410-972-4505 or e-mail
For more than 40 years the Caritas Society of St. John’s College in
Annapolis has worked to strengthen bonds between the college and
the Annapolis community. Membership is open to anyone interested
in what St. John’s offers to its students and to the larger community.
Programs open to the public, such as Meet the Authors in the fall
and the Capitol Steps performance in the spring, help fund financial
aid grants for students and introduce new people to St. John’s.
30 YearS of a
WiCket tradition
Johnnies are gearing up for the 30th
annual St. John’s-U.S. Naval Academy
Croquet Match. The fact that this
year’s Imperial Wicket, John “Johnnie”
Fleming, a senior from Gaithersburg,
Md., comes from a family of
Johnnies—including a brother who
was on the team—might add to the
pressure to win this year’s Annapolis
Cup. This Imperial Wicket takes it all in
stride and keeps it fun.
Q: are you the first in your family
to lead the croquet team?
iW: It’s pretty cool to break ground
as the first Imperial Wicket in the
family. My parents are both St. John’s
alumni, and I’ve had four siblings—one
brother and three sisters—come
through the Program as well. My
brother, Charles Fleming (A08), was on
the croquet team when he was here.
He graduated a year before I came,
but he had a lot of friends who were
still on team, and they encouraged me to come out. He wasn’t an
Imperial Wicket, but his roommate was.
Q: Which program authors would be a great fit on the
St. John’s croquet team?
iW: Mark Twain comes to mind because he was a Southern
gentleman and had the right attitude. He was funny and didn’t take
things too seriously. And I’ve heard that Hume was a fun guy who
enjoyed taking breaks from philosophy to play games with his
friends.
Q: What do Johnnies discuss during a match?
iW: There are only about 45 seconds between shots, so
conversation is sometimes pretty random. And there’s also a fair
amount of heckling that goes on.
Q: how are Johnnies engaged in the wider croquet world?
iW: The Croquet Nationals is our only big event outside of the
match with Navy. We used to play against a local croquet team,
the West River Wickets, at the Patuxent Club. We also play the
Ginger Cove retirement community, usually once a semester.
Q: What do most people probably not know about
croquet?
iW: A sticky wicket—it’s a wicket that’s tighter than usual, where
you feel that you’ve hit the ball perfectly, but it bounces and
doesn’t go through. It’s a particularly tough wicket to go through.
Johnnies also have some of our own lingo for croquet. For
example, we use the term “split shot” to broadly refer to anytime
a player hits two balls at the same time instead of taking off to go
to the next wicket. Technically, it’s
supposed to describe when you hit a
half-roll, a three-quarter roll, a full roll,
etc. Another thing is the three-ball
break or run. Once you’ve learned
that, you know how to play a nine-
wicket match.
Q: how will the team prepare for
this year’s match?
iW: Since Navy has 12 players and
St. John’s only has nine on the team,
we plan to bring up the new players
to make sure that they’ll be ready. We
also have game-day traditions. At
seven a.m. the whole team mows the
front campus lawn with push mowers
and rakes up the grass clippings. Last
year we started a new tradition that
we’ll try to keep this year, which is to
have a team breakfast. Then, about a
half-hour before the match, we’ll
sneak off to change into our uniforms.
Q: does croquet foster a bond
between mids and Johnnies?
iW: It definitely fosters a bond.
Before the match, the two teams meet on the front lawn of
campus for Media Day. That’s when reporters from the local
newspapers come out, and it’s the first time our teams meet as a
whole. Also, the day before the match the Johnnies are invited to
eat lunch at the Academy
with the Navy team and
their company. It’s a great
experience.
Q: how would you
describe the Johnnie
playing style?
iW: We get
encouragement from an
alumnus who is now a big
deal in the croquet world.
He told us that we should
hit our shots like we do
on the front campus,
which is usually aggressive.
We’re a confident team,
but nobody takes it too
seriously. It’s important to
keep it fun.
The 30th annual St. John’s-
U.S. Naval Academy Croquet
Match will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 28. Rain date: Sunday,
April 29. Please note that there are new policies for tents and alcoholic
beverages. For more information: www.stjohnscollege.edu/events.
maryland history
lectures
These lectures are co-sponsored by the
Friends of St. John’s College and the
Anne Arundel County Trust for Historic
Preservation. Each history lecture is
preceded by a seated dinner. Dinners, held at
7:15 p.m., in Randall Hall, must be paid for in
advance. The full series of three dinners is
$105. A single reservation is $35. For more
information and to make a reservation, contact
Molly Burnett at 410-626-2881 or
march 6 “The War of 1812 in the Chesapeake
Area,” Scott S. Sheads, ranger, National Park
Service at Fort McHenry
april 3 “1862: Annapolis Oppressed,”
Annapolis History Consortium
may 15 “Camp Parole,” by Willard R.
Mumford, chairman, Anne Arundel County
Trust for Preservation
Caritas Society events
For more than 40 years, Caritas Society
members have promoted relationships
between St. John’s College and the larger
Annapolis community while raising financial aid
funds for St. John’s undergraduates who cannot
meet college expenses. Caritas members and
invited guests gather monthly for luncheon
programs (reservations are required). Annual
fundraisers and other special events are open
to the public. For membership information,
visit www.stjohnscollege.edu and click on
“Friends,” then “Caritas Society.” For event
reservations, send checks payable to
“Caritas Society,” PO Box 2800, Annapolis, MD
21404-2800. For information, call 410-972-
4505 or e-mail [email protected].
march 15 Luncheon, Francis Scott Key Lobby,
11:30 a.m. “The Play’s the Thing: How an
Actress Prepares for a Part,” a presentation by
Kathryn Kelly, who will portray Emily
Dickinson in the upcoming Bay Theatre
production of The Belle of Amherst. Bay Theatre
artistic director Janet Luby will join her.
Cost: $25.
april 19 Luncheon and Annual Meeting,
St. John’s Boat House, 11:30 a.m. Learn about
the St. John’s educational experience from a
graduating senior. Cost: $25.
may 17 Annual Hat Luncheon, Randall Hall
Dining Room, 11:30 a.m. Attendees don festive
—and often outrageous—hats and vie for
“best in show” awards. Cost: $25.
theater
april 21 & 22 An Evening of One Acts: Hello
Out There/The Shape of Things presented by the
King William’s Players in the Great Hall at
7 p.m.
april 27, 28 & 29 King William’s Players
present Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in the Francis
Scott Key auditorium. On April 29 two shows
are scheduled. For times and more
information: www.stjohnscollege.edu/events.
mitchell Gallery
Unless otherwise noted all exhibits and events
take place in the Mitchell Gallery. For more
information, hours, docent tours, and event
registration, contact the Mitchell Gallery at
410-626-2556. Thanks to the support of
members, exhibitions and most gallery
programs are free and open to the public.
Gather up the fragments:
the andrews Shaker Collection
march 2 to april 19
This exhibition showcases furniture and art
traditionally associated with the Shakers, as
well as the small objects, manuscripts, and
tools that formed the warp and weft of their
daily lives.
on Campus:
Senior orals
At St. John’s by early
February seniors have
completed their final
annual essays and
prepare for the
attendant hour-long oral
examination, both of
which are regarded as
culminating experiences of
a student’s education at
the college.
As a senior, I look forward
to the traditional oral
exam; it will take place in
the King William Room of
the venerable 1899 Barr-
Buchanan Center. As the
ritual begins, all rise as the
tutor committee and the
senior enter—adorned in
formal black robes. Sitting
at a central table, a tutor
then pours water into
four prepared glasses.
Another tutor introduces
the committee, the
student, and the student’s
essay title. This year some
121 undergraduate senior
orals are scheduled to
take place throughout the
spring.
The topic of my senior
essay is Mark Twain’s
Adventures of Huckleberry
Finn. Huck Finn is an old
friend by now; I know his
history well and still enjoy
adventuring down the
Mississippi River—even as
I read the novel for the
fifth time in three weeks.
I will be ready when I don
my robes and enter the
majestic King William
Room, quiet until I read
my carefully crafted
introduction, the first
question is asked by my
tutor committee, and the
examination begins.
—Genevieve Allen (A12)
Blue Shoe, Unknown Community, ca. 1840. AndrewsCollection, Hancock Shaker Village. Photo by Michael Fredericks.
march 4 Opening Reception & Family
Program. Art educator Lucinda Edinberg will
lead a tour of “Andrews Shaker Collection”
followed by a hands-on workshop for families
from 3:30 to 5 p.m.
march 8 Lecture. Exhibition curator Christian
Goodwillie will discuss “Andrews Shaker
Collection” at 7:30 p.m.
march 21 Seminar. St. John’s tutor David
Townsend and artist Ebby Malmgren will lead
an exhibition-related seminar at 7 p.m. Space is
limited. Registration is required. Call 410-626-
2556 to register.
march 25 Sunday Afternoon Tour. Art
educator Lucinda Edinberg will lead a tour of
“Andrews Shaker Collection” at 3 p.m.
march 29 Book Club. Join members of the
Mitchell Gallery Book Club for a tour of
“Andrews Shaker Collection,” followed by a
discussion of a related book, from 2:30 to
4:30 p.m. Registration is required. Contact
Kathy Dulisse at 410-626-2530.
april 4 Art Express. Art educator Lucinda
Edinberg will give a lunchtime gallery talk on
“Andrews Shaker Collection” from 12:15 to
12:45 p.m.
april 10 Architectural Lecture. Architect
Chip Bohl, who designed the Mitchell Gallery,
will discuss “Richard Neutra’s Mellon Hall at
St. John’s College” in the Conversation Room
at 7:30 p.m.
St. John’s College Community art
exhibition 2012
april 29 to may 13
april 29 Opening Reception. Celebrate the
opening of the “Community Art Exhibition”
with artists from 3 to 5 p.m.
may 3 Book Club. Join members of the
Mitchell Gallery Book Club for a tour of the
exhibition, followed by a discussion of a
related book, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Registration is required. Contact Kathy Dulisse
at 410-626-2530.
may 8 Artists Workshop. Artist Jean Brinton
Jaecks will give a historical overview of the
materials, including their use and origins, and
techniques utilized by manuscript artists from
the 6th to the 14th centuries at 7 p.m. Open
to Mitchell Gallery artist members only.
pendulum pit is a Gift for learning
For those who have attended fine arts classes at St. John’s, the
curious mechanism that hangs in the center of the stairwell in Mellon
Hall is a familiar sight. The nearly 300-pound pendulum and the space
it occupies, known to Johnnies as the Pendulum Pit, is like a member
of the college community. The fact, too, that there are only a handful
of other institutions that have a pendulum makes it all the more
special that Johnnies have one to call their own.
Modeled after Léon Foucoult’s Pendulum, invented in 1851, the
Pendulum was included in the building’s original 1958 construction to
give students and tutors a practical understanding of the effect of the
Earth’s rotation as well as some of the mathematics covered in the
St. John’s curriculum. For most of its existence, though, the Pendulum
was not functional. However, that changed when the class of 2011
approached tutor James Beall to donate funds from their senior class
gift to pay for the restoration of the Pendulum, a gesture that
complimented the previous year’s class gift of a new projector for
McKeldin Planetarium.
Visit us on the Web
At www.stjohnscollege.edu,
you can find detailed
information on college
events and educational
programs, download a
walking tour of campus,
and get directions, maps,
and general college news.
Visit the Graduate Institute
page to learn more about
the college’s Master of Arts
in Liberal Arts program.
Find out which books are
on the college’s reading list.
Preview Mitchell Gallery
exhibitions. Check the
operating hours for the
Greenfield Library and the
college bookstore, both
open to the public.
St. John’s College also
makes many of its facilities
available for rent for
weddings and other
special events.
image & imagination: anne arundel
County Juried exhibition 2012
may 24 to June 3
may 24 Opening Reception. Celebrate the
opening of the “Anne Arundel County Juried”
exhibition with juror Katherine Blood and
artists from 4 to 6 p.m.
Continuing education
& fine arts Spring
programs
This spring and summer St. John’s
Continuing Education & Fine Arts
program offerings include weekend
seminars that meet three times over
the course of one weekend: from
10 a.m. to noon and from 2 to 4 p.m.
on Saturday, and 10 a.m. to noon on
Sunday, followed by lunch. Short fine
arts workshops are offered on
weeknights and weekends. For
complete class descriptions and
instructor bios, visit
www.stjohnscollege.edu and click on
“Outreach,” then “Annapolis
Continuing Education.” For more
information contact Molly Burnett at
410-626-2881 or
Summer hours at St. John’s
Undergraduate classes end May 11.
The Greenfield Library and the bookstore
will be open. For summer hours:
www.stjohnscollege.edu.
The next Calendar of Events will be mailed in
August.
Get St. John’s news and
event announcements
by e-mail
Would you prefer to get the St. John’s Calendar of Events by e-mail? Send a note withyour e-mail address to:[email protected]. You will beremoved from the mailing listfor the print calendar and willinstead receive the calendar bye-mail.
The Calendar of Eventsis published by theCommunications Office duringthe academic year.
All events are held at St. John’s College60 College AvenueAnnapolis, Maryland.
For more information call the Communications Office at 410-626-2539.
Gregory Shook, [email protected]
Jennifer Behrensart director
St. John’s College does not discriminatein appointments, conditions ofemployment, admissions, educationalpolicy, financial aid programs, athletics,or other activities on the basis of race,religion, age, sex, national origin, color,disability and/or handicap, sexualorientation, or other characteristicsprotected by any applicable federal,state or local law.
The Colorado School of Mines gave Beall the design for the Pendulum, which he
describes as “very contemplative…the motion of a whole swing is 7.1 seconds.”
With the help from students, Beall embarked on the Pendulum Project, which led
to a once-again functioning pendulum. Reflecting on that experience, Beall says,
“The students had a fun time getting the electronics working and understanding
the Pendulum’s inner workings.”
Today the Pendulum’s mathematical and scientific applications are studied in the
St. John’s Program, such as demonstrations of its mechanics carried out by junior
lab classes in their study of Newton’s Laws of Motion. However, the Pendulum
has artistic merits, too. Due to the impressive acoustics of the Pendulum Pit, the
space is a favorite among musicians and vocalists, including the Freshman Chorus,
who gathers there to belt out well-loved songs. In true Johnnie tradition, this gift
will continue to give—and swing—for generations to come.
—Catherine Fields (A12)
Celia Pearson’s Sea Glass as Still Life I won Best in Show at the 2010 “Image and Imagination”Juried Exhibition.
P.O. Box 2800Annapolis, Maryland 21404
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PAIDAnnapolis, MDPermit No. 120
Summer ClaSSiCS
Come to St. John’S
in annapoliS
Summer Classics on the St. John’s
College campus in Santa Fe attracts
people from across the country, who
vary widely in age, and academic and
professional backgrounds, to gather in
small seminars to read and discuss
classic works of literature, science,
history, philosophy and opera. For the
first time, a similar Summer Classics
program is being offered on the
Annapolis campus. Participants gather
in small, week-long seminars to read
and discuss classic works of literature,
science, history, and philosophy.
The week-long seminars are limited
to 16 participants each and are led by
St. John’s tutors. Tuition covers
program-related events, and one,
week-long seminar (either one
morning or one afternoon topic).
You may register for both a morning
seminar and an afternoon seminar.
More information will be available at
www.stjohnscollege.edu. Tuition for
each seminar in the morning or
afternoon is $1,250. To register
contact Kathy Dulisse at 410-626-
2530 or [email protected].