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Show Convocations add spice to life at Southern Utah In a 1994 spring Convocation, Graham Down said, "If we do not have the capacity for lifelong learning, then we are not educated." The SUU lecture program, of which the Convocation series is a part, provides the SUU community with an extra impetus for life long learning. It is dedicated to providing superior educational opportunities to SUU students and to rendering m eaningful service to the community beyond the university's walls. Convocations are, in essence, a student's connection with the outside world. The 11 a.m. Thursday lectures represent speakers from a cross section of the nations' artists and leading thinkers. Credit is also available for the series with no homework or tests required. The class is ARLE 201 , and the one credit per quarter it provides is obtained on a pass-fail basis by attending the weekly lectures and a sampling of other programs provided by the Braithwaite Fine Arts Gallery, Cedar City Music Arts, SUU music department and the SU theatre department. On average, the lectures usually attract crowds of approximately 600 students, faculty and community members. Some people travel from as far away as Las Vegas to see programs. SUU recently started an honors course that correlates with the Convocation Lecture series, Contemporary Issues 301 and 401. Convocation speakers meet with the honors students after the lectures, offering a continuation of dialogue, according to Lana Johnson, assistant dean of continuing education. "The course is offered to students to provide an in- depth exploration of contemporary issues, with emphasis on development of critical thinking and synthesis of information," Johnson said. Students enrolled in the honors course will, in addition to attendance requirements, be assigned fascinating current readings and essays in class along with usually two other larger assignments during the quarter. Last year, fall Convocations focused mainly on current political issues. Lectures included a panel discussion on the Virgin River water rights and a lecture by the former world-champion boxer, Jose Torres. One student said of Torres that, "He's been involved in so many things- Utah Governor and SUU alumnus Mike Leavitt is among recent you've got to believe he knows Convocations guests at the University. what he's talking about. " to the next dream. He believes that understanding Other lectures included a music lecture and the land, listening to native peoples, seeing the demonstration by Samite of Uganda, and a speech connections may lead us to stay put, living with the on the effects of second-hand tobacco smoke. land instead of exploiting it. This year's first lecture will be given by Steven Additional speakers for Fall Convocations include Trimble on "The Spirit of the Desert West." For 20 Ona Siporin, a storyteller and writer, Anne M. years, Trimble has written about and photographed Butler, coeditor of the Western Historical Quarterly, the desert West. He says that westerners have been and SUU professor, Dr. James Harrison. boomers until now, always moving on over the hill Art department prides itself on quality of instruction "It 1s extremely important in visual arts to get to know students; to teach and expound, one-on-one, with hands-on training, 11 said Mark Talbert, art department head. "We actually know our students by name." Smaller class sizes at Southern Utah University facilitate personal interaction between professor and student. most studio classes number 18-25. Art professors see students' projects and can supply helpful hints immediately. The department wishes to provide a good solid foundation in art, said T albert. Hence, the department teaches more fundamental classes in any given medium than perhaps most other colleges or universities. "We provide a good program of basics so students can go out and work," he said. Despite such a lofty goal, faculty members practice what they preach. One-on-one interaction provides creative insight and gives students practical experience in a variety of m edia. Painting and drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics and graph ic design are am ong some of the m edia taught by SUU's exceptiona l art faculty. Students can then go on to graduate work, education, or they may become professional studio artists, well versed in technique and application. The classes are not limited to art majors, either. Talbert is especially committed to sharing the benefits of art despite one's academic major. "Art is not mere entertainment, it involves thinking and problem solving, teaching students to work within certain boundaries, 11 he said. This can be very beneficial in any discipline and a lot of students from many different majors take art classes, he added. "A lot of campus passes through this department in some aspect." SUU's art faculty, while dedicated to art education, are also dedicated artists themselves. They are no strangers to art shows, exhibiting both nationally and on campus. "We're all relatively young and so we're I really active trying to develop our own reputations, 11 said Talbert. "Academia sometimes stresses writing a textbook as a mark of being a good professor; we have our art shows," he said. Although the faculty are quite active professionally, they acknowledge the southern Utah lifestyle and especially the caliber of students as the motivation to stay at SUU. "We have really good students, " Talbert said. "In three out of four years, the outstanding student in the College of Arts, Letters and Humanities was an art student. Our students excel not only in the physical SUU art students gain from top-flight instruction. aspect of art, but they also excel academically in all areas." Dedicated students can be found working on projects quite late in the studios, frequently working side-by-side with the faculty. Students not only benefit from the close interaction with faculty, but are able to occasionally work with distinguished artists. During the 1991-1992 school year, the Visiting Artist Program brought artists Sigmund Abeles and Kim Whitesides to SUU where they taught workshops and were able to work with students in studio classes. "Our isolation from major galleries makes it especially important for the campus, and the community, to see artists," said Talbert. Community members are also able to participate in the workshops. In addition to the strong faculty, SUU"s art facilities are among the best in the state of Utah. "We have very competitive facilities since our move into the Centrum," said Talbert. ''They are good, clean and organized room," he said. The painting and drying studio, located by South Hall, allows a concen trated space with good access for classes. In the Centrum, th e printmaking lab has equipment for all types of printmaking from lithography to screen printing. The graphic arts lab, in addition to traditional painting and drawing, utilizes Macintosh computers with a variety of paint programs.There will also be other computer programs to assist in some of the history classes. The ceramics lab allows a variety of clays, glazes and firings. Sculpture classes are helped by a local alabaster mine, allowing students to work on good quality stone. Although not on SUU's list of facilities, inspiring southern Utah scenery also benefits art students at SUU. Field trips to local attractions, such as Kolob Canyon and Cedar Mountain, are the norm, particularly in the painting and watercolor classes. Future goals for the department include establishing a Bachelor's of Fine Arts degree in the program as well as expanding current curricula. |