Constitution Week 2014

So, today is the 227th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution.

I did not know that it was written in secret with guards outside the door.  I knew that George Washington established the first national Thanksgiving Day, but I didn't know that it was a way of giving thanks for the Constitution. (http://constitutioncenter.org/constitution-day/about-constitution-day/10-fast-facts-on-the-constitution/)

Here at Gadsden State we have worn red, white, and blue, had discussions about immigration and social issues, and yes, we even read the Constitution.  We even complained about the switching of nouns from Citizen to Person.  Which did they really intend?

Students are quite amazing when you engage them with issues and open a dialog with them.  Many of them are willing to do the research, take the time to think, and really work at expressing their opinions in a thoughtful manner.  It's quite refreshing when you think of the political landscape today in is fractured state.  When did those elected officials forget how to stop and think and talk to each other?

There is one more day this week to share thoughts and information about the U.S. Constitution with our students.  Should we take a sample Naturalization Test or just have fun and make an Amendment Cootie Catcher.  Perhaps we should watch a Naturalization Ceremony and give thanks that we have the Constitution.

Getting on Board for a New School Year

Did we have get on board days back in the dark ages?  I don't know.  I think we wandered into the classroom and started to work.

I happen to like the idea of a special time to celebrate the beginning of the school year.  That way you know that your instructor isn't someone who stands inside the classroom and lectures for 45 minutes or so.  You get to see them eating popcorn, laughing, and gossiping with their fellow instructors.  

You also get a chance to glean a few new facts like it's good to graduate and have that piece of paper (and it's free).  

You find out that the library isn't a stuffy place with someone making those shushing noises at you.  The librarian is out there waiting for a chair massage and handing out popcorn.  Gasp!  Could the librarian be a PEOPLE? 

It's good to take a few minutes from the hectic pace of starting a semester and celebrate.  Take a moment; draw in a deep breath.  Look around you at the other students, faculty, and staff.  They are hopeful and wanting to have a good semester too.  See you on the 9th, and then we'll all get back to work making sure that everyone is moving forward to a good new life.

Kathleen O'Connell

The Meadows Gallery announces
Kathleen O'Connell: New and Recent Works
The exhibition is on display August 4 –September27
Reception August 5, 6-8pm


Gadsden, AL - The Art Department at Gadsden State Community College in partnership with the Meadows Library presents New and Recent Works, a solo exhibition of mixed media sculptures and works on paper by Kathleen O’Connell at the Meadows Gallery.  The exhibition opens with a reception and gallery talk on Monday, August 5, from 6-8 p.m.  Admission is free and the reception is open to the public.   

Presented in this exhibition are distinct series of works that share a love for color and whimsical form. "I think of these works as visual poetry of the day-to-day. All were inspired and influenced by living in Lima, Peru: an enormous chaotic city begging to be understood; offering up incredible fruits of the sea; spotted with over-manicured gardens and my desires to have them grow lush" - Kathleen O'Connell.

Speak of Me as I Am

Tonight at the McClellan Center KB Solomon, an Anniston native, will be performing portions of his one man show "Speak of Me as I Am" which honors Paul Robeson who was a graduate of Columbia Law School, an NFL player, an actor, and a member of the Council on African Affairs.

Solomon is widely recognized for his music.  In opera circles he is known as a basso profondo (able to descend as low as three Gs below middle C.  He has also released an R&B album titled "Inexplicable."

Solomon's performance at McClellan is part of the ground breaking for the Freedom Riders Park in Anniston, AL and will begin at 6 p.m.

More information is available at:
http://www.annistonstar.com/view/full_story/20477718/article-Opera-singer-brings-his-one-man-show-back-home?instance=home_lifestyle

Under the Auspices of Assessment

You are invited to the opening reception of "Under The Auspices of Assessment" by David Gibbs.  The reception is Thursday, August 2, from 6-8pm, in the Meadows Gallery.  The show will remain on display through Sept 10. The reception is free and open to the public.

David Gibbs lives in Tuscon, Arizona and is a practicing studio artist in addition to working full-time in the Art Department at the University of Arizona. He received his MA in Sculpture in 2003 from the University of Alabama and his MFA from the University of Arizona in 2010.  His work has been exhibited throughout the country in solo and group exhibitions and his work was included in the 2011 Arizona Biennial.--MG

"I aim to examine and understand the people in my life.  I choose objects with a history, form or function speaking to an aspect of my relationships and work to distill those experiences. Through casting, I remove all specific history of the individual objects shifting attention to how the objects are used and what they are doing rather than where they came from.  I hope my work might move the audience to pause in self-reflection and to perhaps grow to understand their own realities in a new light. " - David Gibbs

Collages Anyone?

Have you every complained about making a collage in school?  Almost everyone has, but the collage has been around a long time.  It appears in graphic work and in written work.

Faculty Book Spine Poem

Way back in really olden times, some Roman poets and scholars thought this would be a good way to have fun and spark their own creativity.  The rules were simple: 

1. Use bits and pieces of someone else’s poem 
2. Make a new poem

The official name of joining these bits of other author’s words was cento, a Latin word meaning a piece of patchwork.

At the McClellan Library we are celebrating National Poetry Month by creating book spine poems with books that are in our library.  Drop in make a poem or sentence. MJH

"cento, n.". OED Online. March 2012. Oxford University Press. 3 April 2012 <http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/29675?redirectedFrom=cento>.

Remember Your Ebenezer

Meadows Library is hosting an archival training consortium presented by Samford University on Saturday, April 14 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  The program is designed to help people who want to start an archive/history room including those in churches, businesses, or schools.  If you are interested in attending, please register at https://s07.123signup.com/servlet/SignUp?Info=&PG=1535175182300&P=15351751911424115100 by April 6.

Please share the following information with anyone else you think would be interested.

Workshop Title ­ - Remember Your Ebenezer: Starting an Archive to Preserve Your History.

Description – This is an introductory level archival workshop. Participants will learn how to define basic archival terms, create a policy statement, evaluate your building/church for storage, choose supplies, prepare documents for storage, create a scheme of organization, and create an inventory. Participants will also receive archival materials and enjoy an opportunity to fellowship and network with other organizations. Snacks will  be provided.

Cost is $30 (to cover all necessary supplies and materials for participants)
Seating is limited.

The workshop will be led by Jennifer Taylor (jrtaylor@samford.edu), Technical Archivist at Samford University. DOF