February 2006

Artistry on Ice: A History of Figure Skating (Feb. 4-10)

Like no other sport, figure skating combines artistry with athleticism and puts it all to music. With the 2006 Winter Olympics at Turin, Italy about to get underway, musicologist, historian--and former figure skater--Jim Hines (CNU) takes a look back in time at this unique sport and some of its brightest competitors.

Also: Jeff Konin, the director of the National Center for Youth Sport Injury (JMU), will discuss the growing number of injuries among young people playing sports, what sports are the most dangerous to play, and how, as a society, we might eliminate preventable injuries.

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Waking up Together on Valentine's Day (Feb. 11-17)

In their new book, Waking Up Together: Intimate Partnership on the Spiritual Path, Ellen and Charles Birx (RU) explore how Zen practice can enhance intimacy and partnership. As they say in the first chapter: “In one sense we journey alone, but in another we wake up together.”

Also : Brian Geiger (W&M) recounts the history of Valentine’s Day cards in antebellum New England.Geiger says the rituals of writing romantic notes helped guide them through the perils of courtship.

And, the barbershop quartet, The Blue Ridge Connection, regales us with a singing Valentine.

Got Milk? (Feb. 18-24)

Milk is a staple of the American diet, touted by government officials, nutritionists, and the dairy industry as ‘the ideal food’ for the development of good bones. However, 25% of American adults may not be able to tolerate milk in their diets. Anthropologist Andrea Wiley (JMU) says that while drinking milk may be beneficial for some, it is somewhat of a myth that it is essential for good health

 

.Also: Edward Botchwey (UVA) is working in a field of biomedical engineering that is at the forefront of growing bone tissue cells in the lab for transplant into the human body.

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Upstairs, Downstairs at Maymont (Feb. 25- Mar. 3)

In 1893, Maymont was a house with two very separate stories. Richmond millionaires James & Sallie Dooley enjoyed an opulent and privileged lifestyle while dozens of domestic servants—both black and white—labored to assure their comfort. Historians Norrece Jones (VCU) and Elizabeth O’Leary (Virginia Museum of Fine Arts) discuss the transition from slavery to wage labor in the Gilded Age South and parallel viewpoints of the server and served.

Also: The music industry is changing fast with digital editing, downloading, and complex copyright laws. Along with teaching students the aesthetics of music, Rogers Brown (NSU) is helping his students navigate the business of music.