October Packed with Campus Events - Updated

VALDOSTA - There are plenty of opportunities for employees, students and community members to get involved at Valdosta State University in the month of October. Many have already participated in events that honored peacekeepers or explained complex scientific topics and the events ahead promise culture, knowledge and entertainment as well.

Check out these opportunities and contact the respective departments for more information:

All month:
* Throughout the month of October, the Women’s and Gender Studies program is handing out purple ribbons in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Ribbons convey the powerful message that there is no place for domestic violence in the home, neighborhoods, schools or places of work, or the community. For more information contact Tracy Woodard Meyers, Ph.D., 293-6307.

Thursday, Oct. 4
* 4-5 p.m. in Powell Hall, Dr. Jin Wang, professor in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, will present a seminar titled “When is the Next Great San Francisco Earthquake? A Monte Carlo Simulation-based Analysis of Waiting Time Distribution.”
* 7-8 p.m. West Hall front lawn, the Department of Modern and Classical Languages is hosting a “Concert for World Peace” featuring progressive rock group Mia Medusa. A special exhibit honoring Mohandas K. Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Daisaku Ikeda, titled “A Legacy of Building Peace,” will be on display in Odum Library until 8 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 5
* 10 a.m. until noon in the UC Magnolia Room, the Access Office presents, “It’s a Deaf, Deaf World.” During this experience, students and employees can interact with the deaf world and participate in a panel discussion with members of the deaf/hard of hearing community. For more information, call Erin Salmon at (229) 245-2498, or e-mail her at epsalmon@valdosta.edu .
* 12:30-1:30 p.m. Palms faculty/staff dining room, employees and students can reserve a spot at a special Lunch-N-Learn feature special speaker Todd Smoot, who will cover topics such as developing health and fitness plans and safe ways to get active. Make reservations by calling Employee Development at (229) 259-5105 or going online at www.valdosta.edu/finadmin/training .
* 6-10 p.m. VSU’s Hispanic Heritage Celebration takes over Bennies Alley downtown during First Fridays offering Latin music and dancing with “La Fuerza Latina” hosted by Susan Wehling and the Department of Modern and Classical Languages. Call (229) 333-5948 for more information. Tickets are free of charge, however seating for each show is limited to 47. Tickets may be reserved in advance by calling the department at (229) 333-5752.
* 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. VSU Planetarium, the Department of Physics, Astronomy and Geosciences presents “Koroley’s Sputnik: Fifty Years Ago,” the first public planetarium show of the 2007-2008 season.

Friday and Saturday, Oct. 5-6
* Fine Arts Gallery, these are the final days of the Faculty Exhibition, which has been on display since Sept. 17.
Tuesday through Friday, Oct. 9-12
* 8:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Front Lawn, the Women’s and Gender Studies Program will a Clothesline Project in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The project is a participatory exhibit and a visual display that bears witness and attempts to break the silence surrounding violence against women and girls. Contact Tracy Meyers, Ph.D., (229) 293-6307, for more information.

Wednesday, Oct. 10
* 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. UC Magnolia and Cypress rooms, Valdosta State University’s Office of Career Services and Cooperative Education will host Fall Career Expo. Over 65 organizations are registered to attend the event, which is open to all VSU alumni and current students, as well as other seeking professional development. A list of participating employers is available from our website www.valdosta.edu/career or from the office, Powell Hall - West, second floor.

* 7 p.m. in the UC Theatre, the Council on Undergraduate Research of the College of Arts and Sciences will host an event in a colloquia series, “Travels in Egypt, Jordan & Palestine,” presented by student Landon Lasseter, sponsored by Dr. Mary Block, assistant professor of History. For more information, please call (229) 333-5753 or visit: http://www.valdosta.edu/cas/cur/colloquia/student-faculty-colloquia-f07.shtml .

Thursday, Oct. 11
* 4 p.m. Powell Hall, The Biology Department will host Anna Karls, University of Georgia, Department of Microbiology, who will present the next installment of the Science Seminar Series, “MooV’ing Right Along: ‘Piv’otal Roles for Novel Recombinases Controlling Phase Variation in Bacteria.”
* 8-9:15 p.m. University Center, Ellen L. Friedrich will host Latin Dancing in honor of Hispanic Heritage month. For more information, call the Department of Modern and Classical Languages at (229) 333-5948.

Wednesday, Oct. 14
* 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at John W. Saunders Memorial Park, 1151 River Street, he Big Read, a month-long reading celebration, kicks off as Dr. Philip Gunter, Dean of VSU's Dewar College of Education, and University Attorney Laverne Gaskins read excerpts from Zora Neale Hurston's novel “Their Eyes Were Watching God” at the celebration. Hurston's 1937 masterpiece, which chronicles a black woman’s journey to selfhood, was selected for community-wide readings and film viewings from October 14 to November 10.

Wednesday, Oct. 17
* 7-9:30 p.m. University Center, Filmmaker Dr. Juan Carlos Galeano will present a lecture and documentary “The Trees Have a Mother.” For more information, call the Department of Modern and Classical Languages at (229) 333-5948.
* 7 p.m. Fine Arts Gallery, the College of the Arts hosts the opening reception for “Ceramic Installations” by Holly Hanessian, associate professor of Art and area head of Ceramics in the department of Art at Florida State University. The exhibit will continue through November 2.

Thursday, Oct. 18
* 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Palms Quad, The Office of Alcohol and Other Drug Education will be observing the National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week by holding its Annual Alcohol Awareness Fair. There will be information to assist in making responsible decisions about the use of alcohol and also live demonstrations. Please come join us to get the information you need and also enjoy the music, food and giveaways.
* 4 p.m. Powell Hall, The Department of Math and Computer Science will host Dr. Jun Zhang, Department of Math and CS, Troy University, who will present the next installment of the Science Seminar Series, “Algorithms for Coefficient Calculation Based on Transform.”
* 6-9 p.m. Bailey Science Center, room 3009, Leah Cassorla will present a lecture on Hispanic Judaism. For more information, call the Department of Modern and Classical Languages at (229) 333-5948.
* 6:30 p.m., Fine Arts Building Amphitheatre (back of building), the College of the Arts presents “Pops in the Park.” The VSU Student Jazz Ensemble will provide an entertaining outdoor performance with tickets are $10 each.

Monday, Oct. 22
6-7:30 p.m. UC Rose Room, Students will share their study abroad memories in a special information session. For more information, call the Department of Modern and Classical Languages at (229) 333-5948.

Wednesday, Oct. 24
* 7 p.m. in the UC Theatre, the Council on Undergraduate Research of the College of Arts and Sciences will host an event in a colloquia series, “Sharp Skins: An Ethnography of Anti-Racist Skinheads,” presented by student Matthew Newsom, sponsored by Dr. Matthew Richard, associate professor in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice. For more information, please call (229) 333-5753 or visit: http://www.valdosta.edu/cas/cur/colloquia/student-faculty-colloquia-f07.shtml .

Thursday, Oct. 25
* 4 p.m. Powell Hall, The Biology Department will Dr. Tim Berra, Department of Evolution, Ecology & Organismal Biology at Ohio State University, who will present the next installment of the Science Seminar Series, “Chasing Nurseryfish and Avoiding Crocodiles in Northern Australia.”
*7:30 p.m. Whitehead Auditorium, the College of the Arts Presents the “Student Chamber Music Showcase, which will feature the finest students from the Music Department at VSU. The performance is free to the public.
* 8-9:15 p.m. University Center, Ellen L. Friedrich will host Latin Dancing in honor of Hispanic Heritage month. For more information, call the Department of Modern and Classical Languages at (229) 333-5948.

Friday, Oct. 26
* 7 p.m. on October 26 in the Odum Library auditorium, theater students from VSU's Department of Communication Arts will perform readings from “Their Eyes Were Watching God” as part of The Big Read.

Saturday, Oct. 27
* 7 a.m. until noon, VSU will host its annual Chili Cookoff, “Chillin’ with the Champs.” Prizes will be given to the top three in both the Restaurant and Individual categories, and to the team with the best tent presentation. For more information, call the office of Special Events, (229) 333-7446.
* 3-4:30 p.m. Bailey Science Center Auditorium, The College of Arts and Sciences and the Dewar College of Education will host a special presentation by Dr. Tim M. Berra titled “Charles Darwin: The Man 1809-1882.” Open to the public, the event will also serve as the keynote address for the annual meeting of the Southeastern Association of Science Teacher Educators.

Monday through Friday, Oct. 29-Nov. 2
* Various times and locations, VSU will host Hidden History tours, during which guides will lead participants around campus for a special viewing of some of the university's most hidden areas and interesting secrets. For more information, please contact Deborah Davis in Archives, (229) 333-7150.

Monday, Oct. 29
* 7:30 p.m. Whitehead Auditorium, the College of the Arts presents “Floboe! Masterworks for Flute and Oboe” with Elizabeth Goode on flute and Susan Eischeid on the oboe. The performance is free and open to the public.

Tuesday, Oct. 30
* 7:30 p.m., Whitehead Auditorium, the College of the Arts presents “New Jazz Ensemble.” For this special presentation, VSU’s vocal jazz group, The Spotlighters, will join the New Jazz Ensemble for an evening of traditional jazz. The performance is free and open to the public.