A weekly publication by Loras College students
Vol. 90, Issue 17
May 10, 2012
my lorian.com
Last, but certainly not least The vocal and instrumental ensembles perform at the First Annual Last Concert of the Year by Andrea Berns staff writer
Last Saturday night, the Fieldhouse was filled with the music of the First Annual Last Concert of the Year. This fun, laid-back concert consisted of both vocal and instrumental ensembles such as the Wind Ensemble, Bella Voce, Con Brio, Chamber Singers, the Jazz Ensemble, and the Concert Choir. There was even a special duet played by Dr. Roy Carroll and Dr. David Pitt. The concert opened with the Wind Ensemble, performing music by PDQ Bach such as “March of the Cute Little Woodsprites” and “Grand Serenade.” Included with the music were quirky elements of humor and physical comedy that could be mistaken as unscripted. The composer, PDQ Bach, actually is fictional, one concocted by Peter Schickele, a musician who combines classical music and slapstick comedy through his satirical works. The last PDQ Bach supposedensemble of ly was born in 1807 as the 21st of the 20 chilthe evening dren of Johann Sebastian Bach. His parents was the never blessed him with Concert Choir, a real name, settling who performed on PDQ as his full first name. He supposedly the beautiful passed away in 1742, 65 years before he was chant, born. In addition to instru“Adiemus,” a mental music by PDQ collection of Bach, the choirs perrepeated vocal formed beautiful and refreshing music. Belsounds ... la Voce performed two songs: the title song from the musical Anything Goes, and “The Seal Lullaby” by Eric Whitacre. Con Brio sang a Doo-Wop medley and Chamber Singers sang two songs: the popular “What a Wonderful World” with Megan Moore as a soloist and “Light of a Clear Blue Morning” with soloist Alexa Tuescher. After the Chamber Singers performed the Jazz Ensemble with “Chameleon,” “Hickory and Twine” with soloists Melissa Kula and Blake Neebel, and the ever-popular “I’m So Excited,” by the Pointer Sisters. The last ensemble of the evening was the Concert Choir, who performed the beautiful chant, “Adiemus,” a collection of repeated vocal sounds; the title finale from The Gondoliers; and the last song of the night, Offenbach’s “Neighbor’s Chorus.” The Loras ensembles viewed the concert as a way to end the year on a strong note and give the seniors one last hurrah. The combined elements of PDQ Bach, well-known music, as well as some music many might never have heard before, suggest that the First Annual Last Concert won’t be the last.
illustration by AYUSH SUBEDI
Technically Teaching
Professors share their approaches to technology in the classroom by COLIN HALBMAIER
assistant features editor
It’s a common occurrence here at Loras: minutes before class starts, there is a room filled with students gazing at their laptop screens. Some are on Facebook, some are sending an e-mail, and some are catching up on a little work. The minute hand on the clock stands up straight and the professor strides in. “Close your laptops!” they announce as they set their belongings down. The students grumble a little at having their activities halted and they return their beloved laptops to their bags. The common sentiment among students at Loras is that, because they are paying a recurring technology fee for laptops they won’t be allowed to keep, they should have the right to use their laptops in class at their own will. Professors have a more diversified opinion of the subject, some agreeing and other disagreeing with the students. One common approach for professors is to give direction as to when laptop usage is or is not appropriate. Professor Breyan Strickler, Associate Professor of English, is one such person. Her policy is simply, “Use it, but don’t abuse it.” As an educator at Loras, Professor Strickler values participation in the learning community, particularly within the classroom. Her approach to settling the problem is a simple one. “They aren’t participating in the learning community, which is a big component of the Loras experience, so they don’t receive credit for being engaged in class.” Professor Strickler is not the only one with a stance on the usage of laptops in the classroom. Dr. Sharron Hope, assistant professor of Communication Arts, also values the power of laptops in the learning environment. Her opinion has evolved over her time teaching, changing from “laptops are fine under all circumstances” to “laptops are acceptable under certain circumstances.”
“To me, using a laptop for solitaire or Facebook in class is a waste.” That isn’t to say that laptops have no place in education, of course. From a teaching perspective, she appreciates the power of services such as eLearn. She also understands that they’re necessary for writing papers and doing research. However, there are some habits she doesn’t want her students falling into. As one of the professors teaching a course in Public Speaking, which first-year students are required to take, Dr. Hope knows first-hand the kind of distraction the internet can be to incoming students. She prefers her students in that class not use their laptop, even for note-taking. “I don’t want the first-years to get into the habit of paying attention to the diversions on the laptop rather than what’s going on in class.” Some professors find themselves in a more difficult position when it comes to laptop standards. Professor William Hitchcock teaches Computing and Information Technology at Loras, which makes putting laptops away a difficult decision. He requires his students to bring their laptops to class every day for purposes such as working on applications and searching for information in real-time, as well as quizzes, tests, and feedback online. “Students need to be mature and professional enough to manage their own activities in class. If they choose to do something non-class related, it’s their choice, but they shouldn’t waste their professor’s nor their classmate’s time asking a question about something that was covered when they weren’t paying attention.” Dr. Marcie Hinton, assistant professor in Communication Arts, feels similarly. From the front of her classroom, she sees many things that students believe they are getting away with.
continued on page 2
graphic by Emily Full
Senior Edition: Pages 12-24, in particular, are dedicated to members of the Class of 2012, some of whom will be looking for jobs