February 2003
Program Notes
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First Week (February 1 - 7)
The Many Stories of Nat Turner
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He is a cold-blooded murderer to some, a revolutionary to others.
This much is certain: in August 1831, Nat Turner and about sixty
other slaves rampaged through the countryside of Southampton County,
Virginia, killing fifty-seven whites before their murderous spree
was stopped. Turner was captured about two months later, tried and
hanged. Who was the real Nat Turner? And how did each of those who
told his story shape him to fit their own message? Archivist Lucious
Edwards (VSU) and historian Scot French (UVa), author
of Remembering Nat Turner: The Rebellious Slave in American Thought,
seek to answer. Also featured: William Styron visits the set of
a documentary about Turner and recalls the controversy surrounding
the publication of his Confessions of Nat Turner in 1967.
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Second Week (February 8 - 14)
The Psychology of Peacekeeping in
the 21st Century
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At least 100 million people were killed in the countless conflicts
that bloodied the fields and cities of Earth during the 20th century.
Technological advances in weaponry coupled with a breakdown in international
diplomacy made the threat of the annihilation of mankind seem frighteningly
real. The United Nations was founded after World War II to prevent
"the scourge of war," but what can be done to make the
21st century more peaceful than the 20th? Psychologist Harvey
Langholtz (W&M) is the author of The Psychology of Peacekeeping.
Also featured: Philosopher Glen Martin (RU) envisions a united
world in which armed conflict is outlawed.
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Third Week (February 15 - 21)
Bloodless Surgery and Stroke Prevention
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More than 600,000 Americans suffer from stroke each year, enough
to make the disorder the third leading cause of death in the United
States. But new medicines are being developed to help reduce the
damage done to the brain when a stroke occurs. Dr. Warren Felton
(VCU/MCV) tells us what happens when a stroke occurs, and what
can be done to help patients. Also featured: Could blood transfusions
become a thing of the past? People aren't donating enough blood,
and the cost of the red stuff is going up. Dr. Bruce Spiess (VCU/MCV)
is a leading expert on reducing the amount of blood required in
heart surgery.
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Fourth Week (February 22 - 28)
The Master Craftsman's Apprentice
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If musician Mike Seeger (W&M) were to give a quick lineage
of Southern folk, it might go something like this: Scots-Irish settlers
begat old-time mountain music, which begat bluegrass, which begat
country and western. Seeger has been instrumental in preserving
the musical heritage of the southern Appalachian and Blue Ridge
Mountains. Also featured: A look at a unique program preserving
Virginia's folk traditions--from fiddle making and decoy carving,
to blacksmithing and hot-rodding. Jon Lohman (VFH) describes
how artisans are passing their talents to the next generation.
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