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“Innovation Research Park @ ODU demonstrates the priority the university places on leveraging research and academic strengths to support economic development, while providing additional space for our flourishing research enterprise centers,” said President Roseann Runte. “It offers an avenue for the university’s research platforms to develop in new directions, such as our world renowned modeling and simulation program addressing homeland security, transportation logistics and medical imaging.” Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade Michael J. Schewel and Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim are expected to be on hand for the announcement. To be located in the 75-acre mixed-use University Village (at the corner of 41st Street and Monarch Way, just east of the parking garage) and designed by UJNM architects of Philadelphia, the park’s first 100,000-square-foot, five-story building begins construction in January, with completion anticipated by spring 2007. The Class “A” office/lab building will feature a brick-and-glass frame and a precast façade. Old Dominion offices will occupy about 40 percent of the first building, including the Office of Research, Research Foundation, LEAN Institute, Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, Computational Intelligence and Machine Vision Laboratory, Center for Coastal Physical Oceanography, Center for Advanced Ship Repair and Maintenance, CHROME, National Center for System of Systems Engineering, Virginia Applied Technology and Professional Development Center, and Office of Spatial and Cartographic Information. With easy access to university faculty and students, plus a full complement of business, cultural and social amenities nearby, Innovation Research Park @ ODU is expected to be an attractive location for established and emerging high-tech companies. “Today’s progressive companies recognize that knowledge workers are as interested in quality-of-life issues as they are in business issues,” said Runte. “With an office in ODU’s research park, employees will have access to the University Village’s shops, fitness facility and entertainment at the Ted Constant Convocation Center, just outside their door.” Townsend Capital, a national real-estate investment firm headquartered in Towson, Md., is the project developer, and GVA Advantis has been appointed exclusive leasing agent and property manager. It is the first venture into the Hampton Roads market for Townsend, which has offices in Colorado, Missouri and New Jersey, and has also launched highly successful research parks in Philadelphia, Baltimore and New York. Back to top
An author, entrepreneur, fashion designer and historian, Poy is the first Canadian of Asian descent to be appointed to the senate. She has served since 1998 and in 2003 was elected to the honorary post at the University of Toronto. She founded Vivienne Poy Mode in 1981 and over the following 14 years enjoyed great success in fashion design, manufacturing and retail. She is currently president of Vivienne Poy Enterprises, chair of Lee Tak Wai Holdings Ltd. and a member of the Board of the Bank of East Asia (Canada). In the senate, Poy has been a voice for multiculturalism and respect for women and minorities, said President Roseann Runte. “She is a world traveler and has a breadth and depth of experience in understanding culture and the arts which is extraordinary. She represents the successful woman, the successful immigrant, the successful minority.” Poy is the author of three books: “A River Named Lee” (1995), which traces her family’s history in China; “Building Bridges: The Life and Times of Richard Charles Lee, Hong Kong, 1905 - 1983” (1998), about her ancestors, who played an important role in the development of Hong Kong; and “Citizenship and Immigration: The Chinese-Canadian Experience” (2002), based on her lecture as the first Nortel Networks’ Canadian Studies lecturer. Poy and her husband, patrons of the arts and education, gave funds to establish a chair at the University of Toronto. Back to top
This year’s 75th anniversary edition of Homecoming will be a blast from start to finish, erupting Nov. 11 with a Cultural Explosion, and wrapping up Nov. 19 and 20 with, respectively, a parade and Lady Monarch home basketball game against perennial powerhouse Duke. One of the hottest tickets for the week is the free Homecoming parade and party on Monarch Way in the University Village. The parade will start at 1 p.m., followed by a “Battle of the Halls” step show at 2:30 p.m., and a hot dog eating contest sponsored by Perfectly Frank and a free concert by local rock band Butter from 3:30-5 p.m. Eric Worden from BOB FM will also be on hand Nov. 19 for the post-parade party. For more information visit the Homecoming Web site or call 683-4818. Scheduled events include:
This marks the first year for granting these one-year awards, which are part of an overall effort to attract more top students to the university’s graduate programs and enhance ODU’s national recognition. “These students are among the top graduate students at Old Dominion University and we are proud to recognize their talents and accomplishments by awarding them University Fellowships.,” said Philip J. Langlais, vice provost for graduate studies and research. “This type of recognition and the level of stipend awarded to these students sends a message that ODU is committed to increasing the quality and reputation of its graduate programs. We have outstanding faculty and students and we intend to increase their numbers over the next several years through programs like these.” The University Graduate Fellowships were presented to the “best and brightest” students who were either entering or already enrolled in a doctoral/terminal program. Each recipient received a $15,000 nonservice stipend and $5,000 for tuition and fees. The Dissertation Fellowships are aimed at increasing the publication and dissemination of students’ scholarly accomplishments. Recipients received a $15,000 nonservice fellowship and up to $3,000 to cover registration, travel and lodging associated with presenting their dissertation or original work at a major conference or venue. The recipients are also required to present their dissertations/exhibits at an event sponsored by the Office of Graduate Studies that is open to the campus and local communities. Back to top
“The Lion’s Roar: Adolphus Hailstork in Perspective” will feature his compositions and accomplishments from the past decade, including manuscripts, scores, recordings, awards, work sketches, programs, posters and photos. His most recent composition, “The Lion’s Roar,” was written in honor of ODU’s 75th anniversary. The Diehn Composers room is located in the Diehn Fine and Performing Arts Center. Hailstork recently received the Vianne B. Webb Award for Lifetime Achievement in recognition of his longtime involvement in the region’s cultural community. He was honored Nov. 6 at the Alli Awards program, sponsored by the Cultural Alliance of Greater Hampton Roads. Back to top
The annual list highlights young, rising business people who are successful in their careers and involved in the community. The group was chosen from nearly 100 nominations. ODU alumni on the list are:
The concert will mark the premier performance of the newly formed ODU Jazz Choir, which will feature works such as “One Note Samba” and “My Funny Valentine.” The ODU Jazz Ensemble will perform works by Charlie Parker, Horace Silver and Sammy Nestico. For more information call 683-4061. Back to top
Developed by M’hammed Abdous, director, and Wu He, instructional technology specialist, the online tool enables faculty to easily create, adapt and share course syllabi without the inefficiencies, inconsistencies and time constraints associated with traditional ways of preparing course guides. “A well-designed syllabus provides students with a road map for an engaging and successful learning experience, whereas a poorly designed syllabus impedes communication between faculty and students, increases student anxiety and potential complaints, and reduces overall teaching effectiveness,” Abdous said. To learn more about the system, go to www.clt.odu.edu/sgen or call 683-6378. Back to top
“Teach, study, experiment” quoted a recent study conducted by William Owings, professor and graduate program director for educational leadership, that shows nine out of 10 principals surveyed say the former troops are very effective, particularly in areas of greatest need. According to the editorial, “They are more likely to teach in high-poverty schools. They are also more likely to teach hard-to-staff subjects such as math and science. The program also adds diversity: 37 percent of the former members of the armed forces are non-white, compared with 15 percent of the general teaching force, providing role models for minority children.” Back to top
The four-story, 83,000-square-foot building is the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified higher education facility in Virginia. The architect was Moseley Architects and the contractor was Hathaway Duke Construction Co. Among the judges’ comments were these: “Beautiful composition; appreciate the play between masonry, metal and glass; expresses engineering and computer sciences; like how the corner entry is achieved.” Back to top
According to the producers of a new training video for school counselors, when it comes to gay and lesbian teenagers trying to cope with their emerging sexual identities, counselors can play a vital role in helping them – and in some cases, may even prevent suicide. “The need for this work is striking, because this is the least publicly acceptable area of diversity, compared to ethnicity, gender and religion,” said Garrett McAuliffe, professor of educational leadership and counseling. McAuliffe and Angela Jones of the Counseling Center worked together to create “Counseling Gay and Lesbian Youth: A Multiethnic Demonstration Video,” a DVD produced at the university. It was written by McAuliffe, who also appears with Jones in the video to demonstrate effective counseling sessions. McAuliffe said he believes that controversy over gay and lesbian issues in general makes the subject matter taboo among many school counselors. “The cost is very high to the young people who are struggling with these issues.” The DVD takes the position that homosexuality is “a natural state of being” and not to be treated as a mental illness. It also makes clear that attempts by counselors to “re-orient” a client’s sexual preference from gay to straight would be unethical. “This is a life-saving operation. Particu-larly among the African American population, where there is some strong anti-gay feeling, it is very important that counselors be trained in dealing with these issues,” McAuliffe said. The video, which includes a leader guide, is being marketed to psychologists and licensed professional counselors at middle schools and high schools. It features students from Old Dominion who portray themselves at younger ages during a role-playing situation. McAuliffe and Jones act the parts of school counselors to demonstrate how conversations can be steered and how to pick up on emotional cues given by their young clients. According to McAuliffe, the consequences of silence and discrimination, whether from relatives, friends or counselors, are significant in that lesbian and gay youth “suffer depression and commit suicide at significantly higher rates than the rest of the population.” Said Jones, “Actually, not a lot of videos have been made on this subject. It looked like the only one out was from the ’70s. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues have not been addressed, and have been taboo, particularly in the South.” While McAuliffe said he expects to encounter resistance to the video from school boards, he points out that “students are becoming aware of their sexuality at younger and younger ages, and school counselors are just not equipped to help them through it.” Explaining his personal interest in making the DVD, McAuliffe said, “I am not gay – and I would say so if I were – but I am an ally, and that is a role any heterosexual person can play. We need to remember that 5 percent of the U.S. population is gay and lesbian. By using the techniques in our training video, counselors are not promoting certain sexual behavior, but rather acknowledging a largely biological fact and being responsive and proactive with their lesbian and gay students. As a result, they may even play a role in saving lives.” The video can be purchased from Micro-training and Multicultural Development Associates in Framingham or online at www.emicrotraining.com. Back to top
Wise was 89 and her husband, Dr. Harry S. Wise, former director of the Norfolk Health Department, was 91. Harry Wise had taught at Old Dominion in the 1970s as an adjunct professor of biological sciences. Polly Wise, who received her doctoral degree from the University of Maryland, joined the ODU faculty in 1963, but had a break in service before the end of the decade. She was rehired in 1970 and taught reading and early childhood education until 1982. She served for several years as graduate program director of reading and developed the education school’s reading clinic and master’s program in reading together with Betty J. Yarborough, eminent scholar emerita and Colgate Darden Professor Emerita of Education. Annabel L. Sacks, ODU director of student services emerita, who was a colleague of Polly Wise and a friend, said the victim had been in failing health for about a year and unable to socialize with other emeriti faculty. “Polly and I worked together very closely in the field of reading, and she was my mentor,” Sacks said. Another former colleague, Anne Raymond-Savage, also remembered Polly Wise as a mentor. “When I was a new faculty member in 1971, Polly was a senior member known for her reading instruction, and an excellent mentor,” said Raymond-Savage, associate professor emerita of educational curriculum and instruction and vice provost emerita for distance learning. “She was extraordinarily professional, a strong and a classy lady. She provided a lot of glue for the department and was well regarded by her students and her peers.” Wise was a founding member of the Great Book Group, past president and board member of the Louise Eggleston Center, historian for the World Affairs Council and a member of the ODU Round Table. Survivors include her daughter, Martha W. McCaffrey of Slidell, La.; her son, Michael T. Wise of Norfolk; and a sister, Shirley Wennerholt of Peoria, Ill. Back to top
According to a proposal prepared for the State Council of Higher Education, no other college or university in southeastern Virginia offers a Ph.D. in chemistry. The document states that the doctoral program would “build upon existing strengths in environmental and analytical chemistry, biochemistry, chemical and biological oceanography, earth sciences and ecological sciences that currently exist in the chemistry and biochemistry, oceanography, geology, ecological sciences and biomedical science graduate programs within the College of Sciences.” It further notes that the proposed program would enhance interdisciplinary collaboration on campus. Forwarded by the computer science department, the proposed Web development minor is designed principally for science and engineering majors seeking to enhance their computer skills with a less programming-intensive option than is afforded by the current minor in computer science. It would be of interest to students wishing to work in the rapidly growing fields of Web development and Internet-supported applications. In other action, the senate voted to endorse a university policy on emeritus appointments, forwarded by Provost Thomas Isenhour, but recommended minor wording changes so that no eligible faculty are overlooked. Back to top
He is one of approximately 850 U.S. faculty and professionals who will travel abroad to some 150 countries this academic year through the Fulbright Scholar Program. In addition, Old Dominion has been selected to host Fulbright Visiting Scholar Oleg Trubetskoy, senior researcher at the Institute of Fundamental Problems in Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences - Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia, from January to July 2006.Back to top
College and university advisers at the annual conference of the National Academic Advising Association in Las Vegas last month could attend one session titled “Parents Gone Wild.” Some conferees also discussed a recent newspaper article in which a university administrator promotes aggressive measures “to keep parents at bay.” But a presentation at the conference by administrators from Old Dominion and Radford University offered a different message: “Parents: Deal ’em In the Advising Game.” The ODU-Radford team asserts that parental involvement usually works to the advantage of college advisers and faculty, as well as students. “We had some people at our session who really challenged what we were saying,” said Terri Mathews, assistant dean and head of undergraduate initiatives for the College of Sciences. “There is a definite movement in higher education that is a backlash against parents. It was brought about by the ‘helicopter parents,’ who are called that because they are always hovering.” The “Deal ’em In” presenters acknowledge that helicopter parents sometimes thwart young students’ adaptation to campus life and cause headaches for advisers, instructors and administrators. Mathews can tell scary stories she has read over the past few years in education periodicals about a mother who travels cross-country to contest her son’s first-ever B, a father who loudly insists on accompanying his daughter to course registration or the parents who sue a university for allegedly not explaining graduation requirements to their son. But even scarier, she believes, is the decision of a prestigious university in the Northeast to assign “parent bouncers” to keep parents occupied and away from their children during certain freshman orientation sessions. ODU presenters teaming with Mathews were Sandra Waters, director of undergraduate services, and Janet Brunelle, assistant chair and chief adviser of the computer science department. They were joined by Radford administrators Steve Lerch, vice president for academic programs, and Mike Dunn, director of new student programs. All five of the presenters are parents as well as educators. Waters said the recommendations of the presenters stem in part from their personal experiences. “I have been encouraged since before my children were born to be involved in their every step. Elementary and secondary schools encourage parents to be active in the schools, and we are told to monitor what they do, who they chat with online, and where they are at all times. How does one stop this connection when the child turns 18?” In fact, research shows that the parent-child bond is stronger than ever in 21st-century families, according to Brunelle, and “parents are-or want to be-more educated about the university process from admission to graduation.” The “Deal ’em In” presenters recommend that universities not fret over the bond, but take advantage of it. They suggest a “flight plan” for helicopter parents. ODU has developed a “Family Connection” strategy to encourage parental involvement in the campus experience of students, and particularly of freshmen. The university is in the process of hiring a family liaison officer. It has developed a Family Connection Web site that parents can visit to get information about academics, fees, campus rules, university events and organizations, financial aid and advising services. Also, ODU’s flight plan includes a Family Connection booklet for parents of freshmen that Mathews developed for the College of Sciences. The booklet offers detailed information about expectations of students and graduation requirements, as well as answers to frequently asked questions about tutoring, student medical emergencies, course loads and career planning. The booklet also explains how the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which is something of a declaration of independence for college students, can prohibit a university from sending grades to parents or otherwise communicating with them about their students. In the booklet is a waiver that a student can sign to allow representatives of ODU to relate information about the student to his or her parents. In lieu of the signed waiver, Mathews said, “We tell parents that we can’t talk to them about their students, but that they can certainly talk to their children, and we encourage them to do so. We believe most students want their parents to be involved in their college education. To push students to break the bonds means we are being shortsighted.” “Millennials,” a term for students who started college after the turn of the century, tend to be closer to their parents than students of previous generations, according to the book “Millennials Go to College” by Neil Howe and William Strauss (LifeCourse Associates). Research done by the “Deal ’em In” presenters shows that recent entering freshmen at ODU and Radford expect to miss their parents even more than the parents expect to be missed. These students also stated in a survey that they would be returning home frequently to see their parents, although in the companion survey the parents were less likely to expect frequent visits. Also affecting academe today, according to the presenters, is a parental mindset that equates college costs with any other investment. The parents expect certain returns on investments and zealously monitor progress. This can sometimes lead to their blaming the university for student underperformance. “We parents want our children to be successful and we see college as a requirement for success,” Brunelle said. Mathews developed a simple handout that has drastically reduced angry parental calls and visits to the College of Sciences. It is a refrigerator magnet that lists “The Top 10 Questions You Should Ask Your Student.” “This encourages the parents to find out if the student is going to class, is taking advantage of professor office hours, has joined a study group and so forth,” Mathews said. “Now we aren’t getting the calls from parents saying we’re being unfair.” Waters said evaluations from attendees of the Las Vegas conference were positive over all, and some praised the Virginians for encouraging academicians to be more empathetic toward parents. “However,” she said, “one person wrote that we seemed to be wearing rose-colored glasses.” Back to top
First up is a Nov. 20 performance of Handel’s “Messiah” by the University Concert Choir and selected members of the Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of Nancy Klein. The free performance begins at 7 p.m. in the atrium of the Diehn Fine and Performing Arts Center. The annual Illumination program, scheduled for 5:15 p.m. Nov. 29 on Kaufman Mall, will feature the lighting of a wreath in front of Webb Center. Children are invited to take part in a cookie decorating contest starting at 4:45 p.m. The free program will include musical performances and greetings delivered by international students and area civic league representatives. Those who attend are asked to bring a canned good for the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia, which can be exchanged for a candle. Light refreshments will be available following the program. The music department presents its 31st annual Madrigal Banquet at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 2 and 3 in the Diehn Fine and Performing Arts Center atrium. This year’s banquet features a full dinner accompanied by the music of Germany, performed by the Madrigal Singers and Collegium Musicum on historically based instruments. Directed by Lee Teply, the program is the culmination of a semester-long residency in vocal and instrumental performance. Tickets are $30 for general admission, $25 for faculty, staff and non-ODU students, and $15 for ODU students. They may be purchased at the Arts and Letters box office in the Diehn Center or by calling 683-5305. Back to top
Aspiring Broadway star Amanda Batcher, 23, is hoping the customized education she received via ODU’s interdisciplinary studies (IDS) program will be her ticket to success in the Big Apple. The Virginia Beach senior, who will graduate next month with a bachelor’s degree in music theater, decided after enrolling that she would need more than voice training in a music major to prepare her for what lies ahead in New York City. At one point, Batcher, who also dances and acts, had considered transferring to a conservatory “where I could get a broader base with more performance features, theater history and other aspects I’ll really need,” she said. But then she learned about the IDS program where she, with the help of an adviser, created an individualized course of study that was a perfect fit. “It took some serious effort and research on my part in order to assemble a program that was really comprehensive and matched up with everything I could find at a top-notch conservatory,” Batcher explained. Along the way she discovered that she became even more “involved and motivated” in her studies because it was a curriculum she chose for herself. Her father, Bob Batcher, public relations manager for the city of Norfolk, is both proud and slightly panicked over his daughter’s impending graduation and her announcement that she plans to move to New Jersey, wait tables in New York City and plunge headlong into the melee that is the Manhattan music scene. “This is the culmination of a great education, I hope, the start of a bright future, and I’m a nervous wreck,” Batcher said in the tone of all protective fathers. Amanda Batcher has just one last hurdle in her chosen academic path. Her research showed that the best conservatories offer a course on the history of musical theater, and since ODU does not offer anything similar, she chose to satisfy this gap for her three-credit final project. “Since I’m a performance major it seemed only appropriate that it be an actual live performance,” said Batcher, who has performed on stage at Old Dominion in “All I Learned in Kindergarten,” “The Marriage of Figaro” and “The Fantastics.” It won’t be the typical recital-style performance, however. “From Then Till Now,” slated for the evening of Nov. 15 at the Diehn Fine and Performing Arts Center, will in effect be a hybrid of performance and educational montage which demonstrates the history of musical theater – from Mozart to her final song, “For Good,” from the current Broadway show “Wicked.” To ace the project, Batcher has pulled out all the stops, bringing in backup singers, dancers and a narrator who will work from a script crafted by Batcher herself. “The narrator will give the historic, social and musical history and place each song in its historic framework for the audience,” she explained. Sondra Gelb, a former ODU adjunct professor of voice and currently Batcher’s private vocal coach, said, “Amanda has bitten off a lot here, but she is so motivated and so strong I know she’s going to pull it off.” Batcher credits Gelb and Nancy Klein, associate professor of music, with helping her develop her musical talent. While there were many faculty she enjoyed working with at Old Dominion, the one at the top of her list is Klein. It was Klein’s influence as director of the All-High School District Chorus, which Batcher participated in during her sophomore year at Kellam, that brought Batcher to the university in the first place. “She is just very, very personal and an incredible musician,” Batcher said. “Working with her when I was in high school, I just couldn’t wait to have her as a professor here.” Batcher, who is a dean’s list student and member of Phi Kappa Phi, studied under Klein as a member of the Concert Choir. She added Gelb to her extracurricular study program in in order to further broaden her experience. Back to top
“This is a fine example of inter-institutional cooperation to the benefit of the entire community. Students will have the opportunity to learn about art and gain an appreciation for it, which will enrich them throughout their lives,” said Runte. “The interaction between the curatorial staff and the university faculty will open the door to increased collaboration and positive, creative exchange.” Under the agreement, Old Dominion will give a monetary contribution to the Chrysler and the museum will offer a museum studies course on campus, hire several student interns each semester and provide free space to student arts groups. “Our hope is that by offering easy and free access to students and young people, an ever larger and more diverse audience will make the museum a regular part of their lives, and we feel confident that we can show them a good time, and that they will recognize the Chrysler as a great place for learning, insight, and inspiration,” Hennessey said. In addition to offering free student admission, the Chrysler created The Young Enthusiasts Advisory Board, a group of young adults, including a number of ODU students, organized to brainstorm, plan and execute events designed to engage the student audience, focusing on the 18-29 age group. Its first program will be a movie night on Nov. 30, featuring tapas, a special gallery tour and a screening of “The Motorcycle Diaries.” Students interested in joining this group may contact Melissa Ball at 333-6298 or mball@chrysler.org. Back to top
Imprisoned at birth by his father, a young Prince Segismund awakens one day to find himself Crown Prince of Poland. But his need for vengeance upon his father leads to his banishment to his original prison cell, whereupon he wrestles with the idea that the events of the past few days were but a dream. Calderon’s poetic masterpiece is a shifting, metaphysical tale of intrigue that explores the nature of reality, love and revenge. Frequently hailed as the “Hamlet” of the Spanish stage, this sweeping drama uses brilliant juxtapositions of philosophy, sexuality and swordplay to create a compelling, powerful piece. Guest director Jose Zayas comes to Old Dominion from New York, where he is artistic director of The Immediate Theatre and a co-producer of Intar’s New Works Lab. “Life Is a Dream” will be performed at the Stables Theatre Nov. 18–20 and Nov. 29 to Dec. 4. Show times are 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. All tickets are $10. Call 683-5305 for tickets and more information. Back to top
Since its inception, the American Brass Quintet has maintained an extensive recording schedule, producing the largest body of serious brass chamber music ever recorded by one ensemble. The quintet will be in residence at ODU Nov. 12-14. The residency will include an outreach concert with the Virginia Wind Symphony at 3 p.m. Nov 13 at the Dr. Mary T. Christian Auditorium on the campus of Thomas Nelson Community College, followed by the Nov. 14 Diehn Concert at ODU. The Diehn Concert Series is supported by a grant from the Diehn Fund of The Norfolk Foundation. Tickets for the Nov. 14 performance are $15 for general admission; $10 for Old Dominion faculty and staff, senior citizens and non-ODU students; and $7 for ODU students with ID. Tickets may be purchased at the Arts and Letters Box Office in the atrium of the Diehn Center or by calling 683-5305.
In the world of public school issues William Owings’ road is all uphill – public school finance. Everest would be an easier climb. Owings began his steep ascent by sending his new book, “American Public School Finance” Tompson/ “I told them that you can’t decrease taxes and increase quality,” said Owings, professor and graduate program director for educational leadership. Owings and his wife, Leslie S. Kaplan, an assistant principal at nearby Newport News Public Schools, co-authored the tome, which condemns charter schools, the voucher system and the way America assesses students’ test scores on the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Tests). The book also offers solutions for teacher retention and student evaluation issues. “My goal with this book was not to teach accounting, but to help people become advocates for their schools,” Owings said. “It’s a total misconception that public schools are going to hell in a handbasket.” In fact, the book begins with a chapter on misconceptions about public school finance. It is divided into “What Is Being Said” and “What Should Be Said.” Owings and Kaplan do not mince words: “Those who say that increasing educational spending will not increase student achievement are wrong.” The book also debunks the method for rating SAT scores and their apparent decline over the past two decades, stating: “The most frequently cited misconception is that costs are increasing while test scores are falling.” Owings points out that the statistics most often cited fail to observe the correlation between the number of test takers per state and the resulting scores. In this case, Owings and Kaplan hinge their debate on the number of students taking SAT tests in the highest scoring states as well as where they fall in the overall picture as college-bound or non-college-bound high school seniors. Owings summed up the thrust of the book saying, “We need more money. There’s no doubt about that. Fifty percent of new teachers are leaving the field in their first year and the number one reason cited is salaries. We need to invest in human capital.” Back to top
Eastern Virginia Medical School will join Old Dominion and Norfolk State universities in the exposition, said Mohammad A. Karim, vice president for research, who issued the call for posters and demonstrations. Peter Doherty, a 1996 winner of the Nobel Prize in medicine, will deliver the keynote address. He is a researcher in the Department of Immunology at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. Registration/application forms can be found at www.odu.edu/research and must be submitted online. For more information contact Lee Furr at 683-3148 or rfurr@odu.edu. Back to top
Surely this haiku would get a response from my Japanese students. Or so I thought. It was a Saturday afternoon, our third straight day of classes, and I was still trying to connect with some 50 undergraduates taking my American culture course at the University of Kitakyushu. The right haiku might help. First I try it in Japanese: Nothing but blank faces in the large lecture hall. Must be my pronunciation. So I write the lines in Japanese on the blackboard, and then recite the haiku in English: I’d like to be drunk Still some quizzical looks, but also a few titters and giggles. OK, so no one said it was going to be easy. I was thrilled to be teaching Old Dominion University’s summer course offering at the University of Kitakyushu. But I knew it was a challenging task: three 90-minute classes a day for five consecutive days, including Saturday and Sunday. And don’t expect Japanese students to talk much in class, I was told. They lack confidence in their spoken English. They are used to being lectured to. They don’t want to call attention to themselves. So don’t expect much class discussion. I always expect class discussion, I told myself, and so set about designing my course. My plan was a roughly chronological survey of American culture and social history, using historical documents, poetry, song, art and video. The choice of unifying theme was easy: The American Dream. But I would pluralize it and give the course the perhaps too alliterative title, “American Dreams: Promises, Protest and the Struggle for Pluralism.” The problem was choosing which dreams to cover and what “texts” to illustrate them. Why not begin with Columbus’ first dream-filled letter from the New World, followed by the Puritan dream of a model religious “city upon a hill,” and the Americans dream of a model democracy based on the Declara-tion of Independence? We would explore the struggles of Native Americans, African Americans, women and immigrants. We would look at Hudson River School landscapes; talk about the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression, the internment of Japanese-Americans and the dropping of the A-Bomb; read and hear poems and songs of protest and affirmation; and watch the video “Road Scholar” – the immigrant poet Andrei Codrescu searching for America on a cross-country journey in a red Caddie convertible. Syllabus in hand, I felt ready for these Japanese students. But knew it wouldn’t be a stroll in a Zen garden. Wake up! Wake up! I soon stumbled on the idea of kicking off each day with a haiku by the great traveling poet, Matsuo Basho. “You know Basho, right?” I asked the students. “He’s your Walt Whitman.” I discovered a little late that almost all my students were majoring in international studies, not literature or history. The first day I noticed some students playing with hand-held computers. Probably text-messaging each other, making fun of the gaijin, or foreigner. But I soon realized they were working electronic dictionaries, translating English into Japanese. Of the 50 or so students, fewer than five were male. They were unfailingly polite and attentive, reminding me that I was not only a gaijin, but also a sensei, or teacher, with its connotation of “master.” Outside the classroom students engaged me in conversation. One young woman gave me a ride to the monorail station during an afternoon monsoon. Another day one of the guys and I tossed around a baseball and talked about Yankees outfielder Hideki Matsuo. Still, it was a bit of a struggle to get them to open up in class. One student explained, “I rarely attend a conversation-style class in my university.” Another said: “This is a good practice to express our idea openly, which most of Japanese students are not good at. I believe no matter how creative or revolutionary idea we have, if we keep silent, that means we were not thinking. I would like to speak my idea as much as I can.” And travel, many of them dreamed of travel – journeys already made and ones they hoped to make – as a path to better understanding other cultures and their own. Long conversations Where I was most privy to my students’ reactions, ideas and feelings were their daily journals. Here, many really opened up. One day they read “Internment Camp Haiku,” Violet Kazue Matsuda’s short narrative of her experiences in a World War II relocation camp. When I asked for reaction from the class, I got none. No response to the United States’ incarceration of some 110,000 Japanese-Americans, many of them American citizens. Little reaction when I brought up Pearl Harbor, the Rape of Nanking, the Bataan Death March, Hiro-shima and Nagasaki. These were timely issues. In the last couple of weeks, China and Korea had accused Japan of whitewashing its imperialist sins, even while Japan marked the 60th anniversary of the A-bomb attacks. I showed the students a survey indicating that 68 percent of Americans and 20 percent of Japanese believed the bomb was justified – Which figure was more shocking? – and got little response. Their journals for that class told a different story. Here the students spoke in eloquent, if not always perfect, English. One young woman said Matsuda’s narrative made her angry. “The story of Japanese camp was so cruel and American treated our ancestors as crap. I am so sorry for those Japanese and it’s a shame on Ameri-can. I don’t know I could say like this though. But it’s been 60 years since the war was over, we should not forget this huge incident and can’t repeat the same thing ever again.” Nearly all the students condemned the nuclear attacks, but were keenly aware that the Japanese weren’t simply victims, as they were taught in school. Wrote one: “We have to face our history of military aggression and human rights violations.” While the students could be critical of American hypocrisy, the gap between rich and poor, and our country’s historical misdeeds, they expressed great respect for America’s freedom of speech and spirit of dissent. One student said she initially thought America was intolerant of minorities. “Then I thought, if America is really intolerant, people could not protest against society bitterly.” Another student said: “I think the power of pen is important. Ameri-can people tend to protest against their unhappy situation naturally. On the other hand Japanese people hesitate to protest. Perhaps we should have self-expression.” I was surprised by some of the other things that struck a chord. They responded emotionally to the scale and wonder of the American landscape paintings. Living in a country where land is at a premium, the students instinctively appreciated how landscape stirred American cultural nationalism and shaped American national character. One student wrote: “Each picture was like a real picture, and I could imagine the atmosphere easily. I think the people who painted big nature of America wanted to show how beautiful the nature in America was.” The students knew shockingly little or nothing about Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan, but they liked songs of protest and affirmation, including Woody Guthrie’s Dust Bowl ballads. “Woody Guthrie’s songs show his strength and positive attitude toward life,” one student wrote. “I believe art gives the power to keep going to people so I guess his songs encouraged people who had faced many hardships in those days. His songs also encouraged me.” Somehow not yet dead Many have written about the inscrutability of the Japanese. My favorite parable comes from Lafcadio Hearn, the teacher and writer who perhaps knew and loved the Japanese more than any other Westerner of his time. In his last book, “Japan: An Attempt at Interpretation” (1904), Hearn writes: “Long ago, the best and dearest Japanese friend I ever had said to me, a little before his death: ‘When you find, in four or five years, you cannot understand the Japanese at all, then you will begin to know something about them.’” Hearn lived in Japan for decades, even became a Japanese citizen and took the Japanese name Koizumi Yakumo. I was there for 10 days. So I won’t presume to offer any sweeping conclusions. Well, maybe I’ll venture one: Based on my experience at the University of Kitakyushu, I can report that the future of Japan seems to be in good hands. Most of my Japanese students were engaged with the world and had hopes for a better one. Many realized that Japan was a society that, because of globalism and a very low birthrate, had to become more open and more multicultural – in a sense, more like America – in order to survive. One student wrote: “I realized again that it is not easy to integrate every group of immigrant, who has completely different languages, history and religions. When I think about integration in Japan, many Koreans has been suffered from prejudice and alienation from Japanese society for a long time. But things are getting change and better through Korean boom. Many Japanese people are getting interested in Korean culture very much.” If the comments on their last journals are any indication of their true feelings, and not just expressions of Japanese politeness, my students appeared to like the course. One said: “Thank you very much for your heated class!!” I'll take that as a compliment. Another student wrote: “We (you and other students and me) had some time to think about not only America but also Japan even the war between them. We had many rainy days during classes (even thunders!). But I am sure that this was precious time. And these five days were in an instant. Passing time is fast. So I made this haiku.” I told her it was a haiku that Basho himself would love. Here it is: Natsu no ame Summer rain
– “ExxonMobil profits soar to a record” “Places like Los Angeles and New York have very skewed distributions of income. There are lots of rich people, but lots of poor people. Most of the cities in this metropolitan area – Norfolk, Newport News, Virginia Beach – have a much less skewed distribution of income. There’s not as much poverty, but there aren’t as many rich.” (Gilbert R. Yochum, professor of economics) – “Richest cities in the U.S.” “It’s a journey. I think the emphasis is that it’s a research project, and with research projects it’s important to make progress. And we are making progress” (Jeremiah F. Creedon, director of transportation research) – “ODU asks for more time for its maglev program” “For leaders in the government, saving four hours is substantial.” (Osama A. Kandil, eminent scholar of aerospace engineering, on the high price of supersonic jets) – “ODU professor tackles business side of sonic booms” “It is so important to note that ODU’s thought leaders, led by President Roseann Runte, have extended ODU’s influence far beyond the campus to create meaningful global partnerships for development that positively impact a better world for the 21st century, significantly contributing to the Millennium Development goals.” (Brig. Gen. Ron Sconyers (USAF, Ret.), CEO, Physicians for Peace, Norfolk, in a letter to the editor) – “ODU is going places around the world” “If I were still a superintendent, I’d try to contact every Troops to Teachers person I could.” (William A. Owings, professor of educational leadership and counseling) – “Study: Ex-military often make better teachers” “I think ODU has become a pretty well-respected institution in the state now, and that is a great satisfaction to me because it wasn’t that when I came here.” (James L. Bugg Jr., president emeritus) – “On its 75th anniversary, Old Dominion University embraces a history of going against the grain”
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