Spring 2006 Arts and Lecture Series to Start Jan. 31

By Juli Reppert, student writer/photographer

The Spring 2006 Arts and Lecture Series at Pennsylvania College of Technology will begin Jan. 31 with an Open Mic Night hosted by musician Scott Celani.

The musical performances, lectures and activities are sponsored by the Student Activities Office at Penn College with the exception of the Feb. 8 lecture, "Behind the Swoosh," which is sponsored by the Student Government Association; and the March 16 and April 18 Open Mic programs with Tim Blane and Causeway, respectively, which are being sponsored by the Wildcat Events Board.

All of the programs begin at 8 p.m. except for the Feb. 7, March 21 and April 11 "My Last Words" lectures, which will begin at 6:30 p.m. The activities will be held at three locations on campus: CC Commons, on the first floor of the Bush Campus Center; Penn's Inn, on the second floor of the Campus Center; and the Klump Academic Center Auditorium. All of the events are free and open to the public.

Open Mic Night With Musician Scott Celani
8 p.m. Jan. 31, Penn's Inn (CC, second floor)
If you sing, play an instrument, are in a band or write poetry, this event is for you. Come out and share your talents with the rest of the Penn College community and special guest Celani, who has shared the stage with the likes of Our Lady Peace, Jimmy Eat World, Vertical Horizon, Sum 41 and Good Charlotte.

Lecture, "My Last Words"
6:30 p.m. Feb. 7, Penn's Inn
A Penn College faculty member will present this program, the first of three throughout the semester. What would you talk about if you knew you had only one more chance in your lifetime to speak to a group of students? In this new lecture series, Penn College professors will be challenged to do just that. During the presentation, you will find out what is most important to the guest lecturers as they answer the question, "What would my last words be?"

CoffeeHouse Performer, Chinua Hawk
8 p.m. Feb. 7, CC Commons
Hawk has known from a very young age that he was destined to be a singer. Performing at the Friendship Baptist Church in Trenton, N.J., taught him how to connect the spirit with his music. He has performed with Celine Dion to a crowd of 30,000 at Madison Square Garden in New York City and has also written songs with Wyclef Jean and worked in the studio with producer/rapper Kanye West on rapper Talib Kweli's song "Just to Get By."

Lecture, "Behind the Swoosh: Sweatshops and Social Justice"
8 p.m. Feb. 8, Penn's Inn
Leslie Kretzu and Jim Keady will explain the month they spent in an Indonesian factory workers' slum, living on $1.25 a day, a typical wage paid to Nike's subcontracted workers. The two will present their personal accounts, as well as the latest information on Nike's labor and environmental practices. They will challenge the audience to consider the human side of women, men and sometimes children who are the foundation of global manufacturing, with an interactive, multimedia presentation. The lecture will include slides, role-playing and powerful video footage.

Lecture, "Exposed"
8 p.m. Feb. 15, Penn's Inn
Rebekka Armstrong aspired to become a Playboy Playmate since the age of 18 and was chosen out of hundreds of thousands of young women to become Playboy's Miss September 1986. She became an immediate fixture in the star-studded Hollywood scene and thought she had her life made. As time passed, Rebekka noticed herself becoming fatigued easily and was plagued by a general feeling of malaise. After many tests, she learned that she had contracted the HIV virus, and, in only three and a half years, it had grown into full-blown AIDS. Today, she is dedicated to educating others about the consequences of unsafe sex, alcohol abuse and the reality of AIDS.

Lecture, "The Meeting"
8 p.m. Feb. 21, ACC Auditorium
Have you ever wondered what it would be like if the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X met each other before they were assassinated? "The Meeting" has won six NAACP Theatre Awards and is an entertaining, dramatic and educational depiction of a fictional event.

Female Musician Showcase Kickoff With Julie Stenstrom
8 p.m. March 14, CC Commons
Stenstrom, a Penn College student, is the first of three female CoffeeHouse performers who will share their talents in March in honor of Women's History Month.

Open Mic Night With Performer Tim Blane
8 p.m. March 16, CC Commons
All are welcome to share their talents with the audience and listen to Blane, a Boston-based singer/songwriter. Blane's music is described as having the melodic flow of mainstream pop, the harmonic nuance of jazz and the lyrical honesty of country. His sound has been compared to artists like Jason Mraz, Ryan Adams, Peter Gabriel and Lyle Lovett.

March 21 Lecture, "My Last Words"
6:30 p.m., Penn's Inn
The second of three "My Last Words" lectures will be presented by a college faculty member.

Female Musician Showcase, Bari Koral
8 p.m. March 21, CC Commons
Koral, from Long Island, N.Y., has played in the New York City club scene alongside some well-known performers like Lisa Loeb, Jeff Buckley and Joan Osborne. She was voted one of the best acts of the year by Newsday and was among those picked by The Village Voice as most likely to succeed.

Female Musician Showcase, Tamara Bedricky
8 p.m. March 28, CC Commons
Bedricky has received local and national acclaim for her captivating voice and excellent songwriting abilities. She has performed in New York's Central Park with Michelle Branch and at the 2003 Detroit Music Awards. She was also chosen as one of five up-and-coming female artists in the Pantene Pro-Voice Competition.

Lecture, "My Last Words"
6:30 p.m. April 11, Penn's Inn
This will be the last of the "My Last Words" lectures featuring Penn College faculty.

Open Mic Night With Acoustic Duo Causeway
8 p.m. April 18, CC Commons
This is the last chance in the semester to take the stage and show your talents. Causeway recently self-produced a full-length acoustic album, "Parallel Lines," and has been performing all over the East Coast. Radio play, college shows and regular New York City gigs have helped the group acquire an ever-increasing fan base.

For more information about the Spring 2006 Arts and Lecture Series at Penn College, call (570) 327-4763, send e-mail or visit online.