SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The 22nd season of the Wittenberg Series begins Wednesday, Sept. 3, with the Opening Convocation featuring distinguished Wittenberg alumna, Jennette Bradley, Ohio's Lt. Gov. The 159th academic year will be ushered in when Bradley speaks at 11 a.m. in Weaver Chapel on Wittenberg's campus.
The theme of this year's Series, "Cultural Discourses: Steps Beyond Stereotypes," suggests how the programming will enlighten all who participate in the diverse and stimulating free-admission events throughout the 2003-2004 season. "I encourage everyone to take advantage of the outstanding performances, lectures and events honoring Wittenberg's Lutheran heritage," said Baird Tipson, university president. "I am certain the artistic greats and famous lecturers of the Series will fulfill the high expectations of our audiences, and I look forward to seeing many of you there."
The speakers and artists carefully selected by a committee of faculty and students are all individuals who have made significant contributions to their professions. The Series continues to represent the benefits of a liberal arts education.
Lt. Gov. Bradley understands the benefits of a liberal arts education and of attending Wittenberg. She is both a 1974 graduate and a current member of the university's board of directors. In addition to her role as Lt. Gov., Bradley is also the director of the Ohio Department of Commerce, where she oversees the state's chief regulatory agency. She also serves as the chief policy adviser for community development and housing programs, and she chairs the Clean Ohio Council, which selects projects that will receive grants and low-interest loans from $200 million of the Clean Ohio Fund.
Following Bradley's opening of the Series, the month of September remains busy with three more Series events scheduled. On Wednesday, Sept. 17, the first official event celebrating the completion of the Barbara Deer Kuss Science Center will feature another esteemed Wittenberg alumnus, Elwood V. Jensen, class of 1940, as he presents the first of two IBM Endowed Lectures. Jensen is a native of Springfield, a graduate of Springfield High School and an internationally recognized and respected endocrinologist and cancer researcher whose career has afforded him many honors and awards and has taken him around the world. Jensen will speak at 7:30 p.m. in the Bayley Auditorium inside the new science center.
The second IBM Endowed Lecture will bring E.O. Wilson, biologist and two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author who is often referred to as "the new Darwin," to Weaver Chapel at 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19. Following his lecture, the official dedication of the new Barbara Deer Kuss Center will be celebrated with a reception and tours of the new facility.
Then on Tuesday, Sept. 30, the first artistic performance of the Series kicks off in grand style with the Twyla Tharp Dance Company taking the stage at 7:30 p.m. in the Kuss Auditorium at the Clark State Performing Arts Center. A Tony and Emmy Award-winning dancer, choreographer, director and writer, Tharp has created more than 125 dances and choreographed five Hollywood movies.
To find out more about the Wittenberg Series, please visit the university's Web site (www.wittenberg.edu). To make special arrangements, reserve a series poster or become a friend of the Wittenberg Series, contact Series coordinator Gwendolyn Scheffel at (937) 327-7918, or e-mail at gscheffel@wittenberg.edu.
