Crosser to speak about graphene research
Michael Crosser, associate professor of physics at Linfield College, will present “Graphene: The Present and Future of Biosensors,” on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m. in 201 Riley Hall.
Crosser will discuss research he has conducted on graphene, which is a single atomic layer of graphite. For the past four years Crosser has studied the transport properties of graphene, using the material to make sensors. Recently Crosser has collaborated with Ethan Minot, an associate professor of physics at Oregon State University, and his graduate student Morgan Brown ’02, who is currently completing a Ph.D. in material science.
“Graphene, in the presence of electrical signals, will change in a reproducible way,” Crosser said. “Biological cells talk to each other through electrical impulses, so graphene promises to be a good biosensor to detect their activity.”
Crosser, at Linfield since 2006, has worked with a number of Linfield students on the project and devoted his fall 2014 sabbatical to the project. He holds a bachelor’s degree in physics and mathematics from Centre College, and a Ph.D. in physics from Michigan State University, East Lansing.
The lecture is free and open to the public. The Linfield College faculty lecture series offers one presentation each month by a member of the Linfield faculty. For more information, call 503-883-2409.
Red Chamber, a Chinese string group, to perform
The Linfield College Department of Music will present Red Chamber on Thursday, Oct. 22, at 7:30 p.m. in Ice Auditorium in Melrose Hall.
Red Chamber is a Chinese string group that takes its inspiration from the traditional Chinese “plucked string” repertoire. Red Chamber creates a unique sound while performing a repertoire that spans centuries, including transcriptions from the Tang Dynasty (618-907) to modern compositions. The group also explores other genres of plucked string music like Bluegrass, jazz and other folk traditions.
Red Chamber is directed by Mei Han, who is recognized internationally as one of the leading virtuosi and authorities on the Chinese zheng (zither). Han has performed and lectured on Chinese music worldwide, recorded two Juno nominated CDs, and created a large repertoire of new music, contemporary chamber music, free improv and world music for the zheng.
Other members of Red Chamber include Guilian Liu, one of the world’s premiere pipa (lute) players, who graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music and was the winner of the Chinese National Instrumental Music Competition in 1989. She was featured in the Oscar winning documentary “From Mao to Mozart – Isaac Stern in China” (1979). Zhimin Yu is a versatile ruan (lute) virtuoso, who immigrated to Canada in 1989, and has since become one of the most sought after Chinese musicians in Vancouver. Yu is also a gifted composer, actively writing for a wide variety of Chinese and Western ensembles. Geling Jiang is an award-winning multi-instrumentalist, who started her professional training at age 10 and later graduated from the Wu Han Conservatory of Music. Trained initially as a sanxian (three-string fretless lute) player, she also regularly plays the zheng, pipa and ruan.
The concert is sponsored by the Linfield Department of Music and the Linfield Lively Arts Series, which features guest artists in concerts and outreach activities, including master classes, open rehearsals and “Meet the Musicians” events with students and local audiences. Admission is $10 at the door; Linfield students are free with current ID. For more information, call 503-883-2275 or visit linfield.edu/arts.
Flatland collaborative exhibit on display
“Flatland,” a collaborative exhibition by Eugene-based artist group Ditch Projects, will be on display Oct. 21 through Nov. 21 at the Linfield Gallery in the James F. Miller Fine Arts Center.
An artist panel will be held Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 5 p.m. in the Delkin Recital Hall in the Vivian A. Bull Music Center, followed by an artist reception at 6 p.m. with wine and light refreshments in the Linfield Gallery in the James F. Miller Fine Art Center.
Widely recognized as one of the leading artist-run organizations in Oregon, the members of Ditch Projects periodically work together as a collective, adhering to a collaborative framework of making that prescribes materials, colors, and working methodologies to ultimately create one cohesive installation.
For their exhibition at Linfield, Ditch Projects takes up the book “Flatland.” Written by Edwin Abbot as a social satire in 1884, “Flatland” chronicles the adventures of a character from an entirely two dimensional world, in which men are polygons and women consist only of lines, as he encounters one dimensional and three dimensional beings and worlds. In the exhibition Flatland, highly geometric prints, paintings, videos and sculptures function not as direct illustrations of Abbot’s writing, but as configurations of gestures and materials that use the text as a jumping off point to intuitively investigate the complexities proposed in the book, especially the interplay between two and three dimensions. The work is indebted to the book, while operating at a degree of creative remove, pointing crookedly back to it.
Ditch Projects is an artist-run studio, installation and performance space located in downtown Springfield. Since 2008 Ditch has featured over 70 exhibitions in their venue curating one-person exhibitions, group shows, and performances that have included over 170 artists. Ditch Projects is operated by a group of artists committed to exhibiting contemporary art that is of a critical, conceptual, and/or interdisciplinary nature. By providing opportunities for research and conceptual experimentation, Ditch Projects supports the practices of emerging and established artists from this region and beyond. Exhibiting artists have included Calvin Ross Carl, Patrick Rock, Oregon Painting Society, Alex Becerra, Ralph Pugay, Amy Yao, Roman Signer, Michael Snow, Diana Thater, Scott Reeder, Laura Owens and many more. In addition, Ditch puts on exhibitions by artist members, who also range from emerging to established. An active agent within Oregon’s cultural community, Ditch Projects provides a platform to artists producing challenging and innovative work in diverse media, cultivating a network of like-minded individuals, groups, and organizations. Ditch Projects members are Lee Asahina, Mike Bray, Isami Ching, Chelsea Couch, Sarah Mikenis, Donald Morgan, Jack Ryan, Rick Silva and Jessie Rose Vala.
Gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. For more information, call 503-883-2804 or visit Linfield Gallery online at http://www.linfield.edu/art/gallery-now.html
Campus set to welcome visitors for Family Weekend
Linfield will host Family Weekend Oct. 23-24.
Among events being offered are a presentation by Professor Janet Peterson on Friday, Oct. 23, at 3 p.m. in 201 Riley Hall. In addition, a number of academic open houses will be held Saturday, Oct. 24, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. These include:
- Arts and visual culture, English, music, theater and communication arts in the Ford Hall Foyer;
- Business and economics in the T.J. Day Foyer;
- Health and human performance in the Paul Durham Lobby;
- Modern languages and education in the Walker Hall Foyer;
- Nursing in Student Central, lower level of Melrose Hall;
- History, mass communication, philosophy, political science, psychology, religious studies, sociology and anthropology in the Fred Meyer Lounge;
- Biology, chemistry, computer science, environmental studies, mathematics and physics in the Murdock atrium.
For more information, go to at http://www.linfield.edu/parents/of-events/2015-family-weekend.html
Students take part in national day of service
Linfield students, faculty and staff will canvas Yamhill County to volunteer their time, energy and talents during Make A Difference Day Saturday, Oct. 24.
Make A Difference Day, the largest community service effort in the U.S., prompts corporations, government leaders, charitable organizations and individuals to volunteer and perform service projects for one day. Created by USA WEEKEND Magazine, Make A Difference Day is an annual event that takes place on the fourth Saturday of every October.
For more information, contact Hannah Ellsworth, hellswo@linfield.edu or go to http://www.linfield.edu/serve/days.html
Linfield music students to perform traditional liederabend
A traditional musical liederabend will be performed by Linfield College students on Thursday, Oct. 29, at 7:30 p.m. in the lobby of the Vivian A. Bull Music Center at Linfield.
A liederabend is a gathering of friends. It is an evening of song designed for an intimate atmosphere of a living room rather than the formal grandeur of a concert hall. The tradition began in Vienna in the early 19th century. Many romantic composers, including Schubert, Schumann, Brahms and Fauré, contributed to this genre.
Voice students of professors Anton Belov and Hannah Penn will present a program of English, German, Italian and French art songs, accompanied by pianist Susan McDaniel. Light refreshments will be served.
The recital is free and open to the public. It is sponsored by the Linfield College Department of Music. For more information, call 503-883-2275 or visit linfield.edu/arts.
Linfield hosts annual Halloween trick-or-treat tour
Local children will be offered a safe and fun way to celebrate Halloween when Linfield College students host the annual trick-or-treat tour of campus Saturday, Oct. 31, from 3 to 6 p.m.
McMinnville-area children of all ages are invited to participate in the trick-or-treat tour of participating residence halls. Linfield students will lead the tours, which will begin in the Fred Meyer Lounge in Riley Hall. Costumes and candy bags are encouraged. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
A donation of one can of food is suggested. All donations will be given to Yamhill Community Action Partnership (YCAP) Food Bank.
The event is free and open to the public. It is sponsored by the Residence Hall Executive Council. For more information, contact Hannah Mitchell, area director for residential experience at 503-883-5356 or hmitchel@linfield.edu.
Community news
Daniel Pollack-Pelzner, assistant professor of English, has had an article, “Why We (Mostly) Stopped Messing With Shakespeare’s Language,” published on The New Yorker website. The piece focuses on the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s new project to translate all Shakespeare’s plays into modern English.
Campus Calendar
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 21
5 p.m.: Artist panel, Flatland by Ditch Projects, Delkin Recital Hall
6 p.m.: Artist reception, Flatland by Ditch Projects, Linfield Gallery
7 p.m.: Michael Crosser, “Graphene: The Present and Future of Biosensors,” 201 Riley Hall
THURSDAY, OCT. 22
7:30 p.m.: Red Chamber, Ice Auditorium
FRIDAY, OCT. 23
Today and tomorrow: Family Weekend
7 p.m.: Men’s soccer at Pacific
7 p.m.: Volleyball at Puget Sound
SATURDAY, OCT. 24
Today: Make a Difference Day
11 a.m.: Alumni swimming
Noon: Women’s soccer at Whitworth
1:30 p.m.: Football vs. Whitworth
7 p.m.: Volleyball at Lewis & Clark
SUNDAY, OCT. 25
Noon: Women’s soccer at Whitman
2:30 p.m.: Men’s soccer vs. George Fox
