http://wm.grinnell.edu/cgi-bin/relish.dll Grinnell College Grinnell College:: News Releases Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:00:00 CST http://wm.grinnell.edu/cgi-bin/relish.dll/showrel?UniRef=deppec1020095554 Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 CST Official media releases http://wm.grinnell.edu/cgi-bin/relish.dll/showrel?UniRef=deppec1020095554 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Cindy Deppe, media relations, 641-269-4834; Caitlin Wells, media relations, 641-269-3401 October 20, 2009 CLAUDIA STEVENS TO PERFORM "BLUE LIAS" AT GRINNELL COLLEGE GRINNELL, IA-Claudia Stevens will perform her solo one-act play "Blue Lias" on Sat., Oct. 31 at 8 p.m. in Flanagan Studio Theatre in the Bucksbaum Center for the Arts on the Grinnell College campus. "Blue Lias," written by Stevens with music by composer Allen Shearer, deals with confrontations of gender, class, religion, and science in 19th century England. The play is inspired by the life, personality and career of famed fossil collector Mary Anning and has been performed at leading colleges, universities, and museums. "Blue Lias" is sponsored by the Center for the Humanities. "The Center for the Humanities hopes that Claudia Stevens'' performance reminds us that the history of science requires our ongoing critical engagement, including the engagement of the performing arts," said Dan Reynolds, associate professor of German and director of the Center. Stevens is a musician, actress, and performance artist, as well as a playwright and librettist. In her career as an interdisciplinary artist, she has received grants from the International Theater Institute, the Virginia Commission for the Arts, a "New Forms" grant from the NEA, and artist residencies including the MacDowell Colony, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and the Baltimore Theater Project. Tickets are required for this free event and may be obtained at the Bucksbaum Center for the Arts ticket office beginning Wed., Oct. 28. The Bucksbaum Center for the Arts is located at 1108 Park St. on the Grinnell College campus. Box office and ticket information is available at or by calling 641-269-4444. -30- webguys@grinnell.edu (Grinnell College Communication) http://wm.grinnell.edu/cgi-bin/relish.dll/showrel?UniRef=deppec1021092315 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:00:00 CST Official media releases http://wm.grinnell.edu/cgi-bin/relish.dll/showrel?UniRef=deppec1021092315 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Cindy Deppe, media relations, 641-269-4834; Caitlin Wells, media relations, 641-269-3401 October 21, 2009 ECOLOGIST TO SPEAK ON SIGNIFICANCE OF BIODIVERSITY AT GRINNELL COLLEGE GRINNELL, IA-Ecologist Shahid Naeem will give a talk about "The environmental significance of biodiversity in managed and unmanaged ecosystems from China, to Sub-Saharan Africa, the Great Plains, and Iowa" on Wed., Oct. 28 at 4:15 p.m. in Room 101 of the Joe Rosenfield ''25 Center on the Grinnell College campus. Naeem is a professor of ecology and chair of the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology at Columbia University, where he co-directs the Center for Environmental Research and Conservation. The author of over 100 published articles, book chapters, and reviews about biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, population ecology, and species invasions, Dr. Naeem is one of the foremost scholars in the country on the subject of biodiversity. Dr. Naeem is the keynote speaker at Iowa State University''s 2009 John Pesek Colloquium on Sustainable Agriculture. His talk at Grinnell is sponsored by the Center for Prairie Studies. The Rosenfield Center is located at 1115 8th Ave. on the Grinnell College campus. -30- webguys@grinnell.edu (Grinnell College Communication) http://wm.grinnell.edu/cgi-bin/relish.dll/showrel?UniRef=deppec1022095356 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 CST Official media releases http://wm.grinnell.edu/cgi-bin/relish.dll/showrel?UniRef=deppec1022095356 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Cindy Deppe, media relations, 641-269-4834 October 22, 2009 HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR, ALUMNUS TO SPEAK AT GRINNELL COLLEGE GRINNELL, IA-International relations expert and Grinnell College alumnus John Stoessinger will relate his experiences as a Holocaust survivor, Mon., Nov. 2, at 8 p.m. on the Grinnell campus. In "From the Holocaust to Grinnell: Reflections of a Holocaust Survivor," Stoessinger will describe his family's journey from Czechoslovakia through the Soviet Union and Japan to resettle in Shanghai. A chance encounter with a Grinnell graduate led him to the college via a troop ship at the end of World War II. A 1950 political science graduate of Grinnell, Stoessinger earned his Ph.D. at Harvard University where Henry Kissinger and Zbigniew Brzezinski were classmates. He served as director of the Peace Corps Training Program in World Affairs at the United Nations, and later as director of its political affairs division during the Vietnam War. His academic career included teaching at Harvard, M.I.T., Princeton, Hunter College, Columbia, Trinity University, and the University of San Diego, where he is the distinguished professor of global diplomacy. Stoessinger is the author of nine books, including "Why Nations go to War," used in political science courses across the country. The Grinnell Magazine published Stoessinger's story in 2002 which can be found on the Grinnell website at http://www.grinnell.edu/car/communication/magazine/extras/stoessinger/ Stoessinger's talk, co-sponsored by the Rosenfield Program in Public Affairs, International Relations, and Human Rights and the Office of the President, will be held in the Joe Rosenfield ''25 Center, Room 101, on the Grinnell campus. -30- webguys@grinnell.edu (Grinnell College Communication) http://wm.grinnell.edu/cgi-bin/relish.dll/showrel?UniRef=deppec1023091300 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 CST Official media releases http://wm.grinnell.edu/cgi-bin/relish.dll/showrel?UniRef=deppec1023091300 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Cindy Deppe, media relations, 641-269-4834; Caitlin Wells, media relations, 641-269-3401 October 23, 2009 POETRY, FICTION READINGS BRING LITERATURE TO GRINNELL COLLEGE GRINNELL, IA-Community members can look forward to several readings by international and local poets and writers, Oct. 27-29 on the Grinnell College campus. Mabrouck Rachedi will give a bilingual reading on "Immigrant Identities in France" at 4:15 p.m. on Tues., Oct. 27 in Room 305 of the Alumni Recitation Hall. Rachedi is a French essayist and novelist who has been published in many French periodicals and is a regular commentator on immigration and cultural issues. He is currently participating in the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa. Rachedi''s visit is sponsored by the Department of French and the Center for International Studies. Students from Grinnell High School''s Advanced Placement English and poetry writing classes will hold a reading at 7:45 p.m. on Wed., Oct. 28 on the first floor of Burling Library. The students will read from their own poetry as well as that of their favorite poets. They are students of Bill Rudolph, poet and English teacher at Grinnell High School, and David Paige, a 2009 Grinnell College graduate student-teaching at the high school. Mary Helen Stefaniak will read from her fiction as part of the Writers@Grinnell program at 8 p.m. on Thurs., Oct. 29 in Room 101 of the Joe Rosenfield ''25 Center. Stefaniak is the author of the novel "The Turk and My Mother," winner of the 2005 John Gardner Fiction Book, and the short story collection "Self Storage and Other Stories." Her second novel, "The Caliphs of Baghdad, Georgia," will be released in late 2010. The Alumni Recitation Hall is located at 1226 Park St., Burling Library is located at 1111 6th Ave., and the Rosenfield Center is located at 1115 8th Ave. on the Grinnell College campus. -30- webguys@grinnell.edu (Grinnell College Communication) http://wm.grinnell.edu/cgi-bin/relish.dll/showrel?UniRef=deppec1023095253 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 CST Official media releases http://wm.grinnell.edu/cgi-bin/relish.dll/showrel?UniRef=deppec1023095253 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Cindy Deppe, media relations, 641-269-4834; Caitlin Wells, media relations, 641-269-3401 October 23, 2009 ST. LAWRENCE STRING QUARTET TO PERFORM AT GRINNELL COLLEGE GRINNELL, IA-The St. Lawrence String Quartet will perform on Thurs., Nov. 5 at 7:30 p.m. in Herrick Chapel on the Grinnell College campus. The St. Lawrence String Quartet-violinists Geoff Nuttall and Scott St. John, violist Lesley Robertson, and cellist Christopher Costanza-is among the world-class chamber ensembles of its generation. Since winning both the Banff International String Quartet Competition and Young Concert Artists International Auditions in 1992, the quartet has entertained audiences with its spontaneous, passionate, and dynamic performances. In concert, they deliver traditional quartet repertoire and perform the works of living composers. Since 1998 they have held the position of Ensemble in Residence at Stanford University and have worked to open music to players and listeners in their annual summer chamber music seminar at Stanford. Tickets are required for this free public performance and may be obtained at the Bucksbaum Center box office, beginning Mon., Nov. 2, noon to 5 p.m. For ticket questions, call 641-269-3235 or go to . A limited number of tickets will be available at the Pioneer Bookshop in downtown Grinnell. The performance is sponsored by the Grinnell College Public Events Committee. Herrick Chapel is located at 1128 Park St. on the Grinnell College campus. For more information on the St. Lawrence String Quartet, go to . -30- webguys@grinnell.edu (Grinnell College Communication) http://wm.grinnell.edu/cgi-bin/relish.dll/showrel?UniRef=deppec1027090026 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 CST Official media releases http://wm.grinnell.edu/cgi-bin/relish.dll/showrel?UniRef=deppec1027090026 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Cindy Deppe, media relations, 641-269-4834 October 27, 2009 GRINNELL COLLEGE''S FAULCONER GALLERY HOSTS PUBLIC EVENTS WITH "MOLECULES THAT MATTER" GRINNELL, IA-Grinnell College''s Faulconer Gallery will host activities throughout November to engage community members with "Molecules That Matter," an interdisciplinary exhibition organized by the Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, New York, and the Chemical Heritage Foundation, Philadelphia, Penn. The exhibition, which runs through Dec. 13, invites visitors to explore large models of 10 molecules from 10 decades, as well as a range of artworks and material objects that demonstrate the molecules'' significance in daily life. The November events include: ˇ Nov. 3, 4:15 p.m.: Gallery talk by Eric Carter, assistant professor of anthropology, about the molecule DDT and its role in malaria control and public health. ˇ Nov. 5, 4:15 p.m.: Gallery talk by artist Bryan Crockett about the development of his sculpture series Seven Deadly Sins, associated with DNA. At 7:45 p.m., the gallery will host an open mic night for students, faculty, staff, and members of the community who want to read or perform works by favorite writers and composers. ˇ Nov. 14, 1-4 p.m.: Community Day with raptors provided by SOAR (Save Our Avian Resources). At 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., raptor specialist Kay Neumann will give presentations with live raptors, demonstrating the impact of DDT on these species. Attendees will be able to view the raptors from 1:30-2:30 p.m. and from 3-4 p.m. A reception will also be held for families and friends of Grinnell-Newburg elementary students who, during school visits to the gallery, constructed 3-D models of molecules that will be hanging throughout the exhibition. ˇ Nov. 17, 7 p.m.: A panel discussion on "Mental Health and Molecules That Matter," co-sponsored by Grinnell College Health Center, Active Minds, Poweshiek County Mental Health Center, Peace Studies, and the Faulconer Gallery. The panelists, who will discuss mental health issues and the molecule Prozac, will include David Western, Mellon Post-Doctoral Fellow and lecturer in peace studies; Karen Cochran, director, Grinnell College Health Center; Alecia Sundsmo, Poweshiek County Mental Health Center college services director; and students from the campus organization Active Minds. ˇ Nov. 18, noon: Concert by Rebecca Stuhr, librarian, with a selection of solo flute tunes. ˇ Each Thursday (except Thanksgiving Day), the Grinnell Wellness Program and Faulconer Gallery will co-sponsor yoga by Jennifer Mavin from 12:15 to 12:50 p.m. Free; no experience needed; mats provided. All events are in Faulconer Gallery unless otherwise noted. Gallery hours through December 13 are Tuesday-Wednesday, noon to 5 p.m.; Thursday-Friday, noon to 8 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.; closed Monday. For more information about the exhibition and related programs, call 641-269-4660 or visit www.grinnell.edu/faulconergallery . -30- webguys@grinnell.edu (Grinnell College Communication) http://wm.grinnell.edu/cgi-bin/relish.dll/showrel?UniRef=deppec1029094651 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 CST Official media releases http://wm.grinnell.edu/cgi-bin/relish.dll/showrel?UniRef=deppec1029094651 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Cindy Deppe, media relations, 641-269-4834 October 29, 2009 "RIGHTS AND THE ENVIRONMENT" SYMPOSIUM AT GRINNELL COLLEGE TO CONSIDER DELICATE BALANCE Why important: The Grinnell symposium will explore the delicate relationship between the rights of the environment, humans, and animals from the vantage points of democracy, justice, and conservation. For example: Is it a human right to control the environment? How do conservation policies inhibit human rights? How do animal rights impact conservation? Is there a way for biological diversity and human activity to co-exist? GRINNELL, IA -The relationships between human rights, animal rights, and environmental rights will be the topic of discussion at a Grinnell College symposium, Nov. 10-12. The "Rights and the Environment" symposium is co-sponsored by the college''s Rosenfield Program in Public Affairs, International Relations, and Human Rights, and the Henry R. Luce Program in Nations and the Global Environment. "A healthy environment is inextricably linked to human welfare. It is nothing less than a basic human right to which we are all entitled," said David Campbell, Henry R. Luce Professor in Nations and the Global Environment and chair of environmental studies. "Yet the issue of human rights is largely neglected in the dialogue of environmentalism. Our symposium will explore this overlooked but fundamental relationship." Human rights is the central theme for all Rosenfield Program events at Grinnell this year. The November symposium includes presentations by experts in animal advocacy, ethics, environmental law and history, human rights, and conservation policy: ˇ Tues., Nov. 10, 4:15 p.m.: Mara Goldman, assistant professor of geography at the University of Colorado, will present her research on "Strangers in Their Own Land: Maasai and Wildlife ''Conservation'' in Northern Tanzania." ˇ Wed., Nov. 11, 4:15 p.m.: Stephen Gardiner, associate professor of philosophy at the University of Washington, will discuss "Climate Justice." Gardiner teaches in the Program on Values in Society at the Seattle university and specializes in ethics, political philosophy, and environmental ethics. ˇ Wed., Nov. 11, 8 p.m.: Michelle Leighton, director of human rights programs at the Center for Law and Global Justice at the University of San Francisco, will offer perspectives on "Protecting our Human Rights in a Climate-Changed World." Leighton counsels nonprofit organizations, government, and intergovernmental agencies on international human rights and environmental law and has served as a special advisor to the U.N. Environment Program and the International Fund for Agricultural Development. ˇ Thurs., Nov. 12, 11 a.m.: Kent Redford, director of the Wildlife Conservation Society Institute, will offer his observations on "Second Nature: The Value of Conservation after the Death of Nature." Redford, who previously worked for The Nature Conservancy, has directed the society institute since 2002, with emphasis on conservation strategies, park-based conservation, traditional resource use, and subsistence wildlife use. ˇ Thurs., Nov. 12, 4:15 p.m.: David Cantor, founder and director of Responsible Policies for Animals, Inc., will advocate for the animal kingdom in his talk, "Earth''s Best Hope: Rights of All Animals." A 1977 Grinnell graduate, Cantor has been a full-time animal activist for more than two decades. ˇ Thurs., Nov. 12, 8 p.m.: Donald Worster, Joyce and Elizabeth Hall Professor of History at the University of Kansas, will explore "On John Muir''s Trail: Nature and Society in an Age of Liberal Principles." Worster teaches environmental history and is the former president of the American Society for Environmental History. All symposium events, which are free and open to the public, will be held in the Joe Rosenfield ''25 Center, Room 101, unless otherwise noted. For more information about the Rosenfield Program , contact Sarah Purcell, purcelsj@grinnell.edu , 641-269-3091. -30- webguys@grinnell.edu (Grinnell College Communication) http://wm.grinnell.edu/cgi-bin/relish.dll/showrel?UniRef=deppec1030091451 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 CST Official media releases http://wm.grinnell.edu/cgi-bin/relish.dll/showrel?UniRef=deppec1030091451 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Cindy Deppe, media relations, 641-269-4834 October 30, 2009 GRINNELL SINGERS TO PERFORM FALL CONCERT GRINNELL, IA -- The Grinnell Singers, a 50-member student ensemble, will perform Rachmaninov''s All-Night Vigil in concert on Sun., Nov. 8 at 4:30 p.m. in Sebring-Lewis Hall of the Bucksbaum Center for the Arts on the Grinnell College campus. The Grinnell Singers, the college''s premier vocal ensemble, have a reputation for innovative programming in a wide variety of choral traditions. In the past three years, the ensemble has premiered 11 choral works, under the direction of John Rommereim, professor of music. The All-Night Vigil, which the Singers recorded in 2003, is regarded as the crowning achievement of the Russian choral tradition prior to the Bolshevik Revolution. The Singers will also perform the Rachmaninov work in Des Moines at St. John''s Lutheran Church on Sun., Dec. 6, at 8 p.m., and in Omaha at St. Cecilia''s Cathedral on Sun., May 2, 2010, at 8 p.m. The ensemble''s performance is free and open to the public; no tickets are required. The Bucksbaum Center for the Arts is located 1108 Park St. on the Grinnell College campus. For more information about the Grinnell Singers, go to -30- webguys@grinnell.edu (Grinnell College Communication) http://wm.grinnell.edu/cgi-bin/relish.dll/showrel?UniRef=deppec1102092943 Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 CST Official media releases http://wm.grinnell.edu/cgi-bin/relish.dll/showrel?UniRef=deppec1102092943 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Cindy Deppe, media relations, 641-269-4834; Caitlin Wells, media relations, 641-269-3401 November 2, 2009 IOWA POET LAUREATE MARY SWANDER TO PERFORM AT GRINNELL COLLEGE GRINNELL, IA-Iowa''s poet laureate Mary Swander and Monica Leo of the internationally renowned Eulenspiegel Puppet Company will present "The Girls on the Roof" on Mon., Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m. in Room 101 of the Joe Rosenfield ''25 Center on the Grinnell College campus. "Girls on the Roof" is a performance piece based on Swander''s most recent book of poetry of the same name. As Swander reads her poems, puppeteer Monica Leo recreates the scenes with hand, rod, and shadow puppets to tell the story of a mother and daughter stuck on the roof of a café for three days during the 1993 flooding of the Mississippi River. Swander was appointed poet laureate for the State of Iowa by Gov. Chet Culver in 2009 and in addition to "Girls on the Roof" is also touring her play "Farmscape." She is the author of numerous books of poetry and memoirs, as well as individual poems, essays, short stories, and articles in such publications as The Nation, The New Yorker, and The New York Times Magazine. She is a professor of English and a Distinguished Professor of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Iowa State University. Monica Leo founded the Eulenspiegel Puppet Theatre in 1974 as a touring puppet troupe. The Eulenspiegel puppeteers have collaborated with musicians, playwrights, directors, designers, and other theatre companies and have performed at national and international puppet festivals. Eulenspiegel is known for witty scripts, original and expressive puppet designs, and strong graphics. "Girls on the Roof" is sponsored by the Grinnell College Center for Prairie Studies, the Writers@Grinnell program, and the Grinnell Area Arts Council. The Rosenfield Center is located at 1115 8th Ave. on the Grinnell College campus. -30- webguys@grinnell.edu (Grinnell College Communication) http://wm.grinnell.edu/cgi-bin/relish.dll/showrel?UniRef=deppec1105095841 Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 CST Official media releases http://wm.grinnell.edu/cgi-bin/relish.dll/showrel?UniRef=deppec1105095841 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Cindy Deppe, media relations, 641-269-4834 November 5, 2009 FIRST MELLON MAYS FELLOWS NAMED AT GRINNELL COLLEGE GRINNELL, IA-Four Grinnell College students are preparing to go to the head of the class as the next generation of college professors. The first cohort of Mellon Mays Fellows, made possible through a $500,000 four-year grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, has been selected from among third-year students at Grinnell who aspire to teach at the college level. The Mellon Mays grant program encourages students, especially those in culturally underrepresented groups, to earn Ph.D.s in the arts and sciences, pursue college teaching careers, and demonstrate a commitment to eradicate racial disparities. The Grinnell fellows are mentored by current faculty and receive funding for conference attendance, loan repayment support for graduate school, and other resources that will connect them to a national network of future college professors. The four aspiring professors are: Rane Baldwin, a history major from McPherson, Kan.; Juan Garcia, a Russian and sociology major from Woodbridge, Va.; Laura Garcia, a mathematics major from Los Angeles, Calif.; and Rosalie "Zasha" Russell, an anthropology major from Houston, Tex. Shanna Benjamin, assistant professor of English and faculty coordinator for the Mellon Mays fellowship program at Grinnell, said that the students are beginning their fellowships by conducting independent research under the guidance of faculty mentors. "Faculty mentors provide an important connection in this program because they reflect the success to which these students aspire," Benjamin said. "The Mellon fellowship helps the students selected to be intentional and deliberate about their choices to teach, plan, and invest in their own success." -30- webguys@grinnell.edu (Grinnell College Communication) http://wm.grinnell.edu/cgi-bin/relish.dll/showrel?UniRef=deppec1106090815 Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 CST Official media releases http://wm.grinnell.edu/cgi-bin/relish.dll/showrel?UniRef=deppec1106090815 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Cindy Deppe, media relations, 641-269-4834; Caitlin Wells, media relations, 641-269-4834 November 6, 2009 BIOLOGIST TO DELIVER SCHOLARS'' CONVOCATION AT GRINNELL COLLEGE GRINNELL, IA-David Sloan Wilson will present "Evolving the City: Using Evolutionary Theory to Understand and Improve the Human Condition" at the Scholars'' Convocation at 11 a.m. on Thurs., Nov. 19 in Room 101 of the Joe Rosenfield ''25 Center on the Grinnell College campus. Wilson, an evolutionary biologist, will talk about the relevance of the theory of evolution to many aspects of human affairs, including how evolutionary theory can help solve problems ranging from the quality of neighborhoods to large-scale social interaction. Wilson has a wide range of interests, including natural selection as a hierarchical process, the nature of intraspecific variation, the evolution of ecological communities, and human evolutionary biology. Publisher''s Weekly called his recent book, "Evolution for Everyone: How Darwin''s Theory Can Change the Way We Think About Our Lives," "by far the most accessible account of evolution for a general audience, as well as the farthest ranging." He is a professor in the Departments of Biology and Anthropology at Binghamton University and is a SUNY Distinguished Professor. Wilson''s lecture is part of Grinnell''s Scholars'' Convocation series. For more information about the speaker series, go to http://www.grinnell.edu/car/confops/convocation/. The Joe Rosenfield ''25 Center is located at 1115 8th Ave. on the Grinnell College campus. -30- webguys@grinnell.edu (Grinnell College Communication) http://wm.grinnell.edu/cgi-bin/relish.dll/showrel?UniRef=deppec1106091236 Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 CST Official media releases http://wm.grinnell.edu/cgi-bin/relish.dll/showrel?UniRef=deppec1106091236 FOR LOCAL RELEASE ONLY Contact: Cindy Deppe, media relations, 641-269-4834 November 5, 2009 MID-YEAR COMMENCEMENT FOR GRINNELL COLLEGE SENIORS GRINNELL, IA-Fourteen Grinnell College seniors graduating mid-year will be honored in a private ceremony on Nov. 18 at the home of President Russell K. Osgood. Professor of History Daniel Kaiser will address the graduates with "History You Can Use," encouraging the young alumni to value their own pasts and to use the past to explore their future. The graduates will also hear remarks from Vice-President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College Paula Smith; Dean of Religious Life Deanna Shorb; Director of Alumni Relations Jim Hess; and Osgood. Grinnell''s spring commencement is scheduled for May 24, 2010, when more than 350 seniors are expected to graduate. webguys@grinnell.edu (Grinnell College Communication) http://wm.grinnell.edu/cgi-bin/relish.dll/showrel?UniRef=deppec1106095814 Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 CST Official media releases http://wm.grinnell.edu/cgi-bin/relish.dll/showrel?UniRef=deppec1106095814 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Cindy Deppe, media relations, 641-269-4834 November 6, 2009 GRINNELL ENSEMBLES, GUEST ARTISTS, COMPOSER COMBINE FOR AFTERNOON OF JAZZ GRINNELL, IA--The Grinnell Symphony Orchestra and Grinnell Jazz Ensemble will combine performances with guest artists James Bovinette on trumpet, vocalist Kimberly Fitch, and composer Robert Nelson for an afternoon of jazz, Sun., Nov. 15 at 4 p.m. in Herrick Chapel on the Grinnell College campus. The jazz performance will feature Nelson''s "Up South" for jazz band and orchestra, with solos by Bovinette and saxophonist Damani Phillips. Nelson, who will be present for the performance, premiered "Up South" in 2003 while on the faculty of the University of Houston''s Moores School of Music. The program also includes Nelson''s arrangements of Creole songs sung by Fitch, mezzo-soprano. Fitch, who has performed with several Grinnell ensembles previously, is an active artist and accompanist for Des Moines area groups including the Des Moines Symphony and the Des Moines Gay Men''s Chorus. Guest trumpeter Bovinette directs the jazz ensemble at Iowa State University and has recorded with his own jazz quartet. Phillips, who directs the Grinnell Jazz Ensemble and teaches jazz composition, history, and improvisation, is actively sought as a guest artist, clinician, and adjudicator throughout the U.S. He joined the Grinnell faculty in 2007 and will release an album next year of original compositions and arrangements that combine traditional jazz with a string quartet. The Grinnell Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Eric McIntyre, associate professor of music, is an auditioned ensemble that performs five to seven concerts annually. The combined November performance is free and open to the public; no tickets are required. Herrick Chapel is located at 1128 Park St. on the Grinnell campus. For more information about the Grinnell ensembles, go to web.grinnell.edu/music/ensembles.html. -30- webguys@grinnell.edu (Grinnell College Communication)