A non-profit publication of the Office of the University Relations of Virginia Tech,
including The Conductor, a special section of the Spectrum printed 4 times a year

CALENDAR
Thursday, 23
YMCA Open University Registration.
CPI Workshop, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Donaldson Brown Hotel and Conference Center: "Tools for Organizational Improvement." Sponsored by University Leadership Development. Registration required.
Bloodmobile, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Squires Commonwealth Ballroom.
YMCA Slide Show, 12:10 p.m., Cranwell Center: "Tidewater, Virginia--Land of the Life Worth Living," by Jim Wightman.
Science Study Center Discussion, 12:30 p.m., 132 Lane: "Cyberschool; ATECH; LIT; CICs; Hypertext," by Len Hatfield.
Art/Architecture Video Series, 7 p.m., Hancock auditorium: "White Garment of Churches: Romanesque and Gothic Architecture."
Writers Harvest Benefit, 7 p.m., Volume Two Bookstore.
White Ribbon Campaign Speaker, 7 p.m., Squires Colonial Hall: "Preventing Sexual Assault on College Campuses: The Special Role of Men," by Christopher Kilmartin.
125th Anniversary Event, 7:30 p.m., 100/102 Vet Med: New Horizons in Veterinary Medicine, "A New Threshold for Veterinary Medicine: For Animals and Clients," by Earl Strimple.
Friday, 24
YMCA Open University Registration.
International Club Coffee Hour, 5-7 p.m., Cranwell Center: "That's Entertainment: The Public Media and Culture in the Modern Middle East," by William Ochsenwald.
VTU Film, 7 p.m., Squires Colonial: "Face/Off" (second show at 9:30 p.m.).
Music Department Concert, 8 p.m., Squires Recital Salon: Early Music Ensemble, medieval and renaissance music.
Midnight VTU Film, Squires Colonial: "Leaving Las Vegas."
Saturday, 25
VTMNH Activity, Natural History Museum: Science Saturday.
YMCA Hike, 9 a.m., meet at Y parking lot: Rice Fields (very difficult).
Football, 3:30 p.m.: At West Virginia.
VTU Film, 7 p.m., Squires Colonial: "Face/Off" (second show at 9:30 p.m.).
Music Department Recital, 8 p.m., Squires Recital Salon: Music of Rebecca Clark, composer and violinist.
Midnight VTU Film, Squires Colonial, "Leaving Las Vegas."
Sunday, 26
Music Department Concert, 8 p.m., Squires Commonwealth Ballroom: University Concert Choir and The Meistersingers, "A Musical Portrait."
Monday, 27
Soup and Substance, noon, 116 Squires: "Simple Living: A Lifestyle of the Future," by Frank Levering and Wanda Urbanska.
Multicultural Programs Event, 1-2 p.m., Multicultural Center: MAPS Brown Bag Discussion Series, "Part II: Ethnic Minorities in Engineering."
Tuesday, 28
Immunization Clinic, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Squires Old Dominion Ballroom.
Wednesday, 29
YMCA "Mornings," 9:30-11:30 a.m., Luther Lutheran Church: Halloween party.
Multicultural Programs Event, 1-2 p.m., Black Cultural Center: "Food for the Soul" Lunch Discussion Series, "Images of Blacks in the Media: Better or Worse?"
VTU Hitchcock Festival, 6:30 p.m., Squires Colonial Hall: Lecture and two films. Free.
"With Good Reason," 7 p.m., WVTF-FM, "Good Morning, Vietnam: Twenty-five Years after the Fall," with Roger Ford, JMU, and Alan Farrell, VMI.
Thursday, 30
YMCA Slide Show, 12:10 p.m., Cranwell Center: "Copper Canyon by Rail (Mexico)," by Virginia Currie.
Science Study Center Discussion, 12:30 p.m., 132 Lane: "What Does a Corporate Research Center Have to Do with a University, Anyway," by Joe Meredith, president, Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center.
VTU Film, 6:30 p.m., Squires Haymarket: "Vertigo" and "North by Northwest."
125th Anniversary Event, 7:30 p.m., 100/102 Vet Med: New Horizons in Veterinary Medicine, "Life Sciences in Space," by Richard M. Linnehan, NASA.
Seminars
Thursday, 23
Intercollegiate Optics/Communications, 3:30 p.m., 654 Whittemore: TBA.
Physics, 3:30 p.m., 2030 Pamplin: "The Beautiful Physics of the Bottom Quark," by Adam Falk, Johns Hopkins.
Electromagnetics, 4-5 p.m., 654 Whittemore: "Making Interesting Material by Connecting the Quantum," by R.O. Claus.
Friday, 24
MCBB, noon, Fralin auditorium: "Ca²⁺-binding Proteins and Secretion," by Carl Creutz.
Economics, 3:30-5 p.m., 1045 Pamplin: "The Theory of Rent Seeking," by Robert Tollison, George Mason.
Botany, 4 p.m., 1076 Derring: "Comparative Studies on Wall Structure and Development in Selected Genera of the Sordariaceae," by Fred Fredericks, Howard.
Monday, 27
Economics, 3:30-5 p.m., 3028 Pamplin: "Marriage, Divorce, and Cohabitation," by Steven Stern, Virginia.
Biochemistry, 4 p.m., 223 Engel: "Role of Phospholipids as Molecular Chaperones in the Assembly of Membrane Proteins," by William Dowhan, Texas Medical School (Houston).
Wednesday, 29
Science Study Center, 4 p.m., 132 Lane: "Was It the Plague?" by A. Lynn Martin, Adelaide.
Horticulture, 4 p.m., 102 Saunders: "Computer-Based Farm Planning," by Mary Leigh Wolfe.
Bulletins
Medieval/Renaissance concerts to feature collaboration
Virginia Tech's Early Music Ensemble joins voices with the vocal ensemble Deo Gloria of Salem's Covenant Presbyterian Church in a program of Medieval and Renaissance Music for Chamber and Chapel, October 24, at 8 p.m. in the Squires Student Center Recital Salon. An encore performance of the program, featuring a wide variety of Medieval and Renaissance music, is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 26 at 3 p.m. at St. Andrew's Catholic Church in Roanoke.
The Early Music Ensemble approaches its music as chamber music, with a variety of instrumental forces and a small core of singers, while Deo Gloria is an 8-voice madrigal ensemble.
The concert is free to the public. For more information, call the Virginia Tech School of the Arts Information line at 1-5200.
University Concert Choir and Meistersingers to perform
The University Concert Choir and Meistersingers of Virginia Tech School of the Arts and the Department of Music will perform together under the direction of Kevin Fenton. The concert will take place Sunday, October 26, at 8 p.m. in Squires Commonwealth Ballroom. Featured selections will highlight compositions of several American composers, with the theme "A Musical Portrait."
Tickets for the concert will be $2 sold at the door. For more information please contact the School of the Arts at 1-5200.
`The Music of Rebecca Clarke' recital scheduled
The School of the Arts and Department of Music at Virginia Tech will present a faculty/guest artist recital entitled "The Music of Rebecca Clarke," Saturday, October 25, at 8 p.m. in Squires Recital Salon. Featured performers will include musicians from the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra and the Virginia Tech and Radford University faculty.
Linda Plaut, who teaches Humanities and Women's Studies at Tech, is associate concertmaster of the RSO. Other RSO musicians are Lisa Bazuzi, viola, and Elizabeth Austin and Lisa Liske-Doorandish, cellos.
The concert is in celebration of British composer Rebecca Clarke. Clarke (1886-1979) was a professional violist who wrote one of the few great sonatas for her chosen instrument.
Tickets for the recital are $5 general admission and will be sold at the event. For more information call the Division of Performing Arts Information Line at 1-5200.
Kagan to speak on early care and education
Sharon Lynn Kagan, senior associate at Yale's Bush Center in Child Development and Social Policy and a visiting scholar at Virginia Tech, will be on campus Thursday, Oct. 30, as part of the university's "Building Learning Communities" initiative, of which the Great Duck Pond Project is a part. She will make a formal address entitled "Creating a Vision for Early Care and Education" at 12:30-2 p.m. in the Donaldson Brown Hotel and Conference Center auditorium. The presentation is sponsored by the Office of the Provost, the Department of Family and Child Development, and the College of Human Resources and Education.
Kagan is recognized nationally and internationally for her work related to the care and education of young children and their families. She is a frequent consultant to the White House, Congress, the National Governor's Association, the U.S. departments of Education and Health and Human Services, and numerous national foundations, corporations, and professional associations. She serves on over 40 national boards and panels, including the National Education Goals Panel Committees on Assessment and Ready Schools. In her more than 100 publications, Kagan has investigated such issues as the development of policy for children and families, family support, early childhood pedagogy, strategies for collaboration and service integration, and the evaluation of social programs. She has recently completed a national study, Quality 2000, and co-edited new volumes on "Reinventing Early Care and Education," and "Children, Families and Government."
Personal finance conference to be held in Roanoke
A conference on "Personal Finance Employee Education: Best Practices" will be held at the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center on Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 5 and 6. Participants will have the opportunity to share research information and resources that promote the best practice of personal finance and employee education in the private and non-profit sectors, with the goal of increasing employee productivity. Topics will include employer-sponsored retirement plans, employee benefits, credit and money management, consumer laws and regulations, and financial education and worker productivity. For information, contact E. Thomas Garman, professor and fellow with Virginia Tech's Center for Organizational and Technological Advancement, at 1-6677; fax 1-3250; or e-mail pfee@vt.edu. The Personal Finance Employee Education Web site is located at www.chre.vt.edu/~/pfee.
Excellence in Education Awards to be held at Tech
The 14th Annual Excellence in Education Awards Conference will be held at Virginia Tech on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 6 and 7. Wayne Worner, retired dean of the College of Education at Virginia Tech, and most recently Quillen chair of excellence in teaching and learning at East Tennessee State University, will be the keynote speaker. His address, "Virginia Education: a 25 Year Retrospective," will be at 7:30 p.m. in the Donaldson Brown Hotel and Conference Center auditorium Thursday, Nov. 6. Presentation of the award winning programs will take place from 9 a.m.-1 p.m., November 7. Since its inception in 1983, the Excellence in Education Awards Conference has recognized innovative approaches to teaching and learning in Virginia's public schools and community colleges. The Awards Conference, presented annually by the College of Human Resources and Education at Virginia Tech, has become a forum in which public school educators from Virginia gather to present ideas and exchange information with Tech education professors. Selection of award winners is highly competitive. The conference provides much needed recognition for educators and strengthens the partnership between Virginia Tech and public schools.
Johnson to speak on the American family
Colleen Johnson, professor emeritus of the School of Medicine at the University of California at San Francisco, will speak on "The American Family in Later Life: A Personal Research Perspective" on Wednesday, Nov. 19, as the third in a series of fall forum presentations of Tech's Center for Gerontology. The presentation will take place at 3:30 p.m. in the Fralin auditorium on the Tech campus. The forum series is free and open to the public. A reception will follow Johnson's presentation. Persons with disabilities or those who require auxiliary aids, services, or other accommodations can contact the Center for Gerontology at 1-7657. The Center for Gerontology forum series is sponsored by Virginia Cooperative Extension.
Keough to speak on the future of schools
Katherine Keough, president of St. John Fisher College in Rochester, NY, will deliver an Outstanding Alumni Lecture on Wednesday, Nov. 12, as part of Virginia Tech's 125th anniversary celebration. She will speak on "Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow--What Is Ahead for Schools?" Keough received her doctorate from Virginia Tech in school administration. Her presentation will begin at 7 p.m. in room 214 at Virginia Tech's Northern Virginia Center on 7054 Haycock Road in Falls Church.
Museum to hold mineral and fossil sale
The Virginia Tech Museum of Geological Sciences will hold its Annual Mineral and Fossil Sale on Saturday, Nov. 1, in 2062 Derring.
The sale provides an opportunity to view and purchase minerals, gems, fossils, jewelry, and gifts pertaining to minerals and geological processes. All proceeds go to the Museum of Geological Sciences. For more information, contact Nancy Mignone at 1-3001.
Housing research meeting for faculty members
Ted Koebel, Director of the Center for Housing Research, invites faculty members interested in any aspect of housing policy, technology, design, etc. to join with their colleagues to discuss research interests on Wednesday, Nov. 19 from 3:30-5:30 p.m. in Conference Room A, Donaldson Brown Hotel and Conference Center. The purpose of this meeting is to assemble faculty members from numerous disciplines to identify opportunities for joint research efforts. Koebel will inform faculty members of ways the Center for Housing Research can provide support to them in their pursuit of housing research. This forum also presents the opportunity for faculty to meet Stuart Rosenthal, a noted housing economist, who recently joined the Department of Economics. Please call 1-3993 for more information.
Exhibit and speaker explore Knoll design
An exhibit titled "The Knoll Spirit" will examine the design excellence of the legendary furniture manufacturer throughout its 60 years of existence. The exhibit will be on display in the Wallace Hall gallery Wednesday, Oct. 15 through Friday, Nov. 7. In conjunction with the exhibit, Albert Pfeiffer, vice president of design management for Knoll in New York, will give a slide-illustrated presentation on "The Knoll Spirit" Monday, Oct. 20, at 5 p.m. in the Wallace Hall atrium. The public is invited to attend.
Bloodmobile on campus October 23
The Virginia Tech bloodmobile is on campus October 23, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., in Squires Commonwealth Ballroom.
It must be 56 days since your last blood donation. Eat before donating. No cold or flu symptoms the day of the drive. Last dose of antibiotics must be taken 48 hours before donating.
Call 961-2207 for more information.
Hitchcock films, lecture planned for October 29
As a "Pre-Halloween Special," on Wednesday, Oct. 29, film professor Stephen Prince will give a short lecture in Squires Colonial Hall about Alfred Hitchcock and his influential film-making, followed by free screenings of Vertigo and North by Northwest.
Tom's Creek Route offers service every 15 minutes
Blacksburg Transit Tom's Creek Route is now offering service every 15 minutes from 7 a.m.-10 p.m. This service enhancement will be in effect for both the Tom's Creek A and Tom's Creek B Loops, Monday through Friday during the Virginia Tech academic year.
With the new 15-minute service there will be an A Loop bus leaving the Library Plaza on the hour, at quarter past, half past, and quarter till each hour. The B Loop bus will leave Burruss at the same times. Under the new plan, this 15-minute service in both directions will be in operation all day, from 7 a.m.-10 p.m., on weekdays while Tech is in session. After 10 p.m., there will be no service on the B Loop and the A Loop will operate every 30 minutes, leaving the Library Plaza at quarter after and quarter till each hour. On Saturdays and Sundays, on weekdays during the summer and over holiday breaks, service will continue to be provided by the A Loop every 30 minutes.