Spectrum - Volume 21 Issue 11 November 5, 1998 - BULLETINS

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

BULLETINS

Spectrum Volume 21 Issue 11 - November 5, 1998

OCS plans open house
The Office of Career Services will host an open house on Wednesday, Nov. 11, beginning at 8:30 a.m. Refreshments and prizes will be available.
Effective promotion strategies will be topic
The Organization of Women Faculty (OWF) is sponsoring a panel discussion on the promotion-and-tenure process, from 3:30-5 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10, in 315 Cheatham. This presentation is designed to help junior faculty members successfully plan, achieve, and document scholarly, service, and teaching contributions. The panel will include brief presentations by women faculty members from several colleges and will allow time for questions and discussion. For more information about this program, contact Carola Haasat at 1-9269; e-mail: cahaas@vt.edu .
The Organization of Women Faculty exists to aid in the professional development of women faculty at Virginia Tech. For more information about OWF, see the web page athttp://www2.cyber.vt.edu/owf/.
YMCA Craft's Fair announced
The Y's 29th Annual Crafts Fair will be held on November 13, 14 and 15 in Squires. Over 100 artisans, chosen by jury, will display wares. Live entertainment, children's activities, workshops, and demonstrations are planned. The Y Student Programs is running a cafe for the convenience of fair visitors. A free shuttle will be provided from the Litton Reaves parking lot on Saturday and Sunday. Craft Fair hours are noon-8 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, and noon-5 p.m. on Sunday.
Y-Cafe benefits student programs
The YMCA will open the Y-Cafe for three days to benefit YMCA student programs. The cafe will be in 116 Squires from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., on Friday, Nov. 13 and Saturday, Nov. 14, and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 15.
The Y-Cafe is part of the YMCA Craft Fair that will be held on the same days in Squires. Sandwiches and soups will be offered, and there will be vegetarian options available.
New procedures for purchasing furniture enacted
Beginning on November 9, Virginia Correctional Enterprises (VCE) is changing its product line and its method for providing customer service. For the past two years, VCE has had a contract with commercial vendors (Harris Office Supply in this region) to represent them. This contract has not proven to be successful on a state-wide basis and is being cancelled by VCE.
This means two things. First, persons must contact VCE directly for sales and product information and order directly from VCE (not from Harris Office Supply). Second, Herman Miller and Knoll brands of modular office furniture and seating will no longer be offered by VCE as they were for the last two years.
These brands will be available through newly established state and university contracts, however, purchasers will need to obtain a release from VCE before a commercial order can be placed. VCE will continue to offer the KI line of modular furniture which they assemble.
Detailed updated instructions and contact information is provided on the purchasing homepage, http:www.purch.vt.edu . Harry Biggs is the Virginia Tech buyer and may be contacted at hbiggs@vt.edu , or 1-3813.
Museum announces mineral and fossil sale
The Museum of Geological Sciences at Virginia Tech will hold its annual mineral, gift and fossil sale on Saturday, Nov. 7 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m in 2062 Derring. The sale of these specially purchased fossils jewelry and mineral specimens and other popular gift items will raise funds for educational programs and exhibits in the museum. For more information, call 1-6029.
Opera Gala! coming to Squires
From comedy with subtlety and depth to dramatic character tragedies, a celebration of musical classics comes alive and is brought to the concert stage through some of the most gifted and rich voices from the Department of Music faculty and from guest artists, both of whom have extensive opera credits throughout the world.
Opera Gala! will be Saturday, November 14 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 15 at 3 p.m. in Squires Recital Salon
The concert's diverse repertoire showcases some of the greatest and well-known operatic works, which range from slapstick comedy in Mozart's The Magic Flute to Puccini's La Boheme .
Opera Gala! opens with a lighter piece from The Magic Flut e. The "Three Ladies Opening Trio" combines the voices of three sopranos, Nancy McDuffie, Patricia Campbell and Deborah Burgess, who perform one of Mozart's greatest artistic endeavors.
Craig Fields performs " Largo al factotum" from Rossini's The Barber of Seville .
Complementing Rossini's The Barber of Seville , the rascally Figaro is brought again into the spotlight as the entire ensemble unites in Mozart's Act 2 finale of the comic masterpiece The Marriage of Figaro accompanied by pianist Mary Louise Hallauer.
As the curtain rises on the second half of the concert, excerpts from Mozart's twisted and seductive legend of Don Giovanni are presented. As Giovanni, Fields performs the "champagne" aria, Finche dal vino (Wine flows like a fountain). He and McDuffie perform the duet, La ci darem la mano.
To make clear just how many conquests Don Giovanni has had (2,065 in total), Branch Fields recreates the part of Leporello, and in the ironically twisted "Catalogue Aria" Madamina , he lists all of his master's lovers to one of the women included on the list.
Guest artists Scott Williamson and pianist James Bryant will be featured.
General Admission is $10. Students and senior citizens are $7 each. For more information call 1-5200; e-mail: http://www.sota.vt.edu.
Fourth number of journal now on line
The fourth number of The New River, an on-line journal, is now on the web.
This number of The New River includes "hot wax computage," art by Leslye Bloom, and a new hypertext poem by Curtis Harrell. The New River can be found at http://ebbs.english.vt.edu/olp/newriver/.
Ed Falco established the on-line journal. He is a professor of English and author of a book of hypertext poems and a hypertext novel, both published by Eastgate Systems, as well as printed books of short stories and a novel.
In The New River , Falco said, new writers and artists "will make culture-changing art on the computer."
"In the hypertext work," Falco said, "the reader controls or significantly influences the order of presentation. The authorial control of timing is eliminated, calling into question everything about traditional art, including the role and position of the author."
"Meal and Mini" workshop for review strategies set
Margaret Hable will be in the North Lounge of Johnson Hall on November 10 from 11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m. offering useful information on a variety of topics. This month's Meal and Mini workshop, Review Strategies , will focus on activities and processes that assist students in reviewing course content in preparation for writing or exams.
Promoting Active Learning Workshop planned
On Tuesday, Nov. 10, CEUT will sponsor a workshop on Promoting Active Learning. Recognizing that active learning is the key to deeper learning, this workshop is for faculty members who want to engage students more actively.
While it is difficult to make changes in instructional strategies, there are many ready-to-use structures that enable student involvement. Included in this session are strategies for paired learning, tips for promoting group discussion, activities for opening class session, processing information and closing a session, tips on providing for breaks and pauses, and lesson-design structures.
Participants will leave this workshop ready to take the risk of trying new strategies. The workshop will be in Hillcrest dining room from 3-5:30 p.m.
Mindmapping, Graphic Organizers Workshop set
On Thursday, Nov. 12, from 3-5:30 p.m. CEUT's Margaret Hable will be in Hillcrest Dining Room for a presentation on mindmapping and graphic organizers. Mindmapping is an organizing tool for note-taking and recall which can be used to initiate brainstorming, promote creative and critical thinking, and provide opportunities for learners to organize thinking, reach closure, and review for tests. This session provides an overview of the process of mindmapping for personal and teaching use. Participants will practice the technique individually and in a group format.
Practical Creative Thinking will be topic

On Saturday, Nov. 14, CEUT will be sponsoring a creativity workshop featuring Eric Pappas, director of Materials Science and Engineering/Engineering Science Mechanics, Advanced Communications Program at Virginia Tech.
Pappas has 10 years consulting experience in both academic and industry settings and has worked extensively in multiple public-school venues including his work with gifted and talented high-school students.
In the workshop, Pappas will cover a variety of creative thinking-related topics including creative problem solving, barriers to creative thinking, teaching creative thinking skills, and integrating creative thinking into instruction.

Informal in design, this interactive workshop will include discussion as well as writing and group exercises. The workshop will take place from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. in 104 Shultz. Lunch and snacks will be provided. For more information, contact Pappas at 1-5305, or epappas@vt.edu .
Pre-register by sending an e-mail to Ceut@vt.edu or calling CEUT at 1-6995 or 1-8553