Campus Culture

Pioneering and world-renowned forensic scientist Henry Lee visited Eastern last February to talk about lessons he has learned from investigating high profile cases. Lee's visit was part of Eastern's Arts and Lecture Series, and drew a capacity crowd in the Student Center. With unexpected humor, Lee discussed his childhood, career and philosophy on life.

To conclude the fall 2014 semester, the renowned musical "South Pacific" was performed in the Harry Hope Theatre. The musical is set during World War II on two islands in the Pacific Ocean where American sailors were stationed. The story focuses on the battle between true love and race and prejudice-and the cultural expectations of the time.

One of the Performing Arts Department's first productions of the 2014-15 academic year was "On the Verge." Performed in the Harry Hope Theatre, the play portrayed three Victorian women traveling through what they believe to be Terra Incognita (Lands Unknown). As the play advances, the women begin to realize that they are not on any ordinary journey, but are in fact traveling through time. The play starred three actresses whose characters were based on real-life female explorers during the Victorian era. Along their journey, the explorers meet a series of characters and creatures, ranging from a banker to a yeti. All nine of these characters were performed by one actor.

This past April, the Akus Gallery presented a unique exhibition titled "Aerosol Evolution: Graffiti Art Transcending Past, Present and Future Boundaries." Plywood was mounted in the gallery for six regional graffiti artists to use as their canvases just days prior to the opening of the exhibition. A time lapse video was taken of the exhibition. With graffiti being a controversial medium, one of the objectives of the exhibition was to show that it can be a positive and dynamic art form.

In the fall 2014 semester, the Akus Gallery at Eastern featured a rare collection of a prolific Holocaust-influenced artist. "Rosemarie Koczÿ (1939-2007): Process and Realization" was on display for a month and kicked off with a discussion by curator Marion Callis, and received input from the late artist's husband. A childhood witness to the Holocaust, Koczÿ survived the atrocities of her upbringing and went on to become an internationally known artist before passing away in 2007 at the age of 68. The installation at the Akus Gallery featured works rarely seen together or in the United States, and included paintings, tapestries and sculptures, as well as personal journals, photos and art tools from her estate.

Virtuoso oboist Andrea Gullickson kicked off Eastern's 2014-15 Arts and Lecture Series as she treated the Eastern community to an inspiring mixture of classical and contemporary compositions during her November concert. Gullickson demonstrated a flair and command of an instrument most often played as part of an orchestra or concert band. Her accompanist, Peruvian pianist Eugenio Urrutia-Borlando, was equally adept at his instrument, alternating from a deft, light touch running across the keys to delivering strident chords underneath Gullickson's confident stylings.