Thinking about Grad School? Come to the free workshop tomorrow!

Tomorrow at 2 pm on the third floor of the library, there will be a Graduate School Workshop. The Center for Student Success, Career Services and a panel of faculty experts (including our own librarian Karen Preslock will discuss some truths and myths about graduate school: how to apply, how to get accepted, and how to pay for it! I attended the workshop last year, and it was extremely helpful. No matter where you are in your undergraduate studies, it's never too early to start thinking about that next step. If you even think you might consider going to graduate school someday, you really owe it to yourself to attend!

History... within walking distance!

Greetings, everyone! I wanted to tell you all about the upcoming speaker for the Year of North American Indigenous People. His name is Richard Thornton, and what he has to say should be of particular interest to all of you in the Reinhardt College community. Mr. Thornton is a member of the Muskogee (Creek) nation, and is an expert on their history and architecture. Tomorrow (Wednesday) night at 6 pm at the Funk Heritage Center, he will deliver a talk on the rich heritage of Northwest Georgia. This is going to be exciting, because he is going to identify several sites within walking distance of our campus where the Creek people and other tribal groups used to live, hunt, fish and gather materials. You won't want to meet this rare opportunity to learn about the history which is quite literally under our feet here at Reinhardt!

Accompanying this blog entry is a picture of a large town in the Georgia mountains. The town is divided by a stream. The commoners lived on one side of the stream, and the rulers and professional soldiers lived on the other side. Can you identify this town and where it was located? If you can, you could win a very nice prize at the lecture tomorrow evening.

The winner will receive a bowl made from red clay from Pickens County and white clay from right here in Cherokee County. The bowl depicts the "Long-Nosed Rain God." (Perhaps the Rain God singled us out for some special attention last week)? Mr. Thornton makes Creek and Mayan-style pottery professionally and also constructs exhibits for archaeological museums. He has an international reputation for his application of virtual reality computer graphics to archaeological and historic sites. He was the architect for the first state-funded Trail of Tears memorial in Oklahoma.

He has also been the Architect-of-Record for varied types of projects such as active/passive solar houses, townhouses, apartments, community shopping centers, local government buildings, fire stations, police stations, restaurants, retail shops, medical offices, office buildings, wineries, cheese creameries, veterinary facilities, horse breeding farms, and multi-block downtown historic preservation projects, Civil War battlefield preservation projects, among others.

You might call Mr. Thornton a Renaissance man, if that term didn't seem slightly anachronistic in light of his vast knowledge of pre-Columbian architecture and town planning practices! He has written several textbooks on the subject.

I just spoke to the man on the telephone, and he sounds fascinating. I'm certainly looking forward to his talk tomorrow. I hope to see you there! (And, no, he didn't tell me the answer to his question. We'll just have to find out)!

WINNERS! WOO-HOO!

Okay, I can't just scamper merrily off to Disney World without giving mad props to ASHLEY YOUNG and KAITLYN ELLIS!

Ashley is the very first winner in our "Year Of" contest! She submitted a review of Trudell, a film by Heather Rae. Ashley won a SNAZZY free t-shirt and a 4-gig flash drive! Kaitlyn is the runner-up for the month of September, and won a 1-gig flash drive for her review of the book Pretty Shield, Medicine Woman of the Crows by Frank Linderman.

Thank you to all who entered! Every student is welcome to enter every month. Remember, at the end of the year, all participants will be entered into a drawing to win a Nintendo Wii! The more times you enter, the better your chances are to win! Just read a "Year Of" book or watch a "Year Of" movie, and send your review to kp1@reinhardt.edu. You can even watch the movie-of-the-week Thursdays at the Funk and write your review of that!

The film schedule can be found here. A list of all the eligible books and movies is here.

Thanks to Karen Preslock for heading this up for us! And CONGRATULATIONS Ashley&Kaitlyn! Thanks to all who entered. Keep it up!

Things I'll be Missing Next Week (that you shouldn't)!

Hola, Reinhardt! Your faithful blogger will be missing you next week as I go to Orlando to visit the Mouse. (I'll be back on Monday, Sept. 28. Don't worry, you can't get rid of me)!

I just wanted to give you a heads-up on a couple of Year Of North American Indigenous Peoples events that are going to be happening while I'm gone. First of all, on the 24th at 2:00 in the Funk Heritage Center, they will be showing the 2005 movie "The New World." It's a retelling of the famous (and probably not scrupulously historical) story of John Smith and Pocahontas. The movie stars Colin Farrell as Captain Smith, Q'orianka Kilcher as Pocahontas and Christian "Batman" Bale as John Rolfe. Kilcher won several awards for her breakthrough performance (she was only 14 at the time). As always, library director and "Year Of" chairman Michael Martinez will be on hand to offer a critical and historical perspective on the film. Show up and pay attention, and you may win a t-shirt!

Also on the 24th, at 10 am and 7:30 pm, the Kevin Locke Native Dance Ensemble will perform at the Falany Performing Arts Center. This one-of-a-kind ensemble features performers from a variety of indigenous backgrounds and traditions. Their performance encompasses dance, instrumentals, song, storytelling, sign language and audience interaction. I can't believe I'm going to miss it! :( I hope all of you can go and tell me how it was!

Admission to the concert is $30 for adults and $24 for children and seniors. The first 50 Reinhardt students who come in with a valid student I.D. will be admitted free! For tickets and information, call the FPAC at (770) 720-9167, or go online at http://www.reinhardt.edu/fpac.htm.

"The Last of the Mohicans" today at 2 pm at the Funk

Today in the theater at the Funk Heritage Center, the Year of North American Indigeneous Peoples will present the 1992 film The Last of the Mohicans. Directed by Michael Mann and starring Daniel Day-Lewis, the film is based on the classic novel by James Fenimore Cooper and owes much to the 1936 film adaptation by George B. Seitz.

The film takes place in 1757 colonial America. It is the French and Indian War, and the colonists and the native peoples are forced to take sides. British colonists are being conscripted to fight for the British side, but many fear leaving their homes and families unprotected from raiders.

A dying tribe called the Mohicans (consisting of only two men, a father and son, as well as an "adopted" white man named Hawkeye) become the protectors of Cora and Alice, the daughters of British officer Colonel Edmund Munro. They find that a Huron warrior has targeted Munro and his family, seeking revenge for his village's destruction years earlier.

The Mohicans, who treasure their freedom, run afoul of both sides in the conflict. They anger Munro by helping his men, who only want to return to their families, desert. Hawkeye, who has fallen in love with Cora Munro, and his family continue to try to protect the girls from the Huron's vengeance, even as heavy casualties are suffered by all parties involved.

"Year of" chairman (and library director) Michael Martinez will speak before and after the film. His comments are always interesting, as he puts these movies in their proper historical context. I strongly recommend you attend this free film series if only to hear Michael give you the scoop!

Remember the ongoing contest we're running. If you see a "Year Of" film or read a "Year Of" book and write a one- or two-paragraph review, you could win a T-shirt and a flash drive. One t-shirt and flash drive is awarded each month. At the end, all participants will be entered into a drawing for a Nintendo Wii!

Submit your reviews to Karen Preslock at kp1@reinhardt.edu by the 15th of each month to be eligible for that month's competition. Good luck!

Student worker in the spotlight: Brielle Chinn

Staff member Nikki Preslock writes of student worker Brielle Chinn: "Brielle, my little library angel! She is a wonderful, sweet, bright, and compassionate person. The library seems to always be a happier place to be when Brielle is around. I always look forward to seeing her when I'm at main campus. One of my favorite student workers and a great asset to the school and students!"

Brielle is in her fourth year at Reinhardt and her second year working for us here at the library. She has quickly developed a reputation for quiet dependability.

"Brielle is self-motivated," said Stephanie Olsen, who supervises the scheduling of student workers. "She comes in and gets her work done." I can say from personal experience that she is a great help (and a calming influence). She's always willing to pitch in with a project, and it can really give you a sense of peace on an otherwise stressful day to know you can hand a task to Brielle, and it will be done and done well!

Brielle says she enjoys working at the library because she loves the smell of the books and the opportunity to help people. Working here, she says, has taught her "patience, that we have so much history and knowledge at our disposal that we take for granted, to smile more, and that staring at books while shelf reading can make you sleepy!" (I imagine it would--we appreciate your dedication, Brielle)!

The business major from Stone Mountain said she was initially attracted to Reinhardt for the beauty of the campus and the feeling of "being in the middle of nowhere." At Reinhardt, she says, she's learned that if she wants things to happen, the best way to make them happen is to go out and do them herself.

"I should not wait for someone else to do what I want done. If I want to be a leader, I go out and try to be the best leader I can be." (Brielle is president of the Residence Hall Association, is the student government representative for the McCamish School of Business, and is also active in Students in Free Enterprise).

"I can't wait for someone else to realize my potential," Brielle says. "I need to show them that I can lead by my actions and efforts. But most importantly, I learned that it's ok to be myself and that I must love myself. It's a strange effect this lil' college has had on me.

"I have had the honor of meeting some of the most wonderful people I have ever met. I have had the honor of growing into the good woman I am today because of the influences of the wonderful people, and most of all I've had the honor of finding a way to keep striving to be my best and to enjoy the journey along the way here at Reinhardt College."

As for her future goals, Brielle says "I want to be who I've always wanted to be, a strong woman who enjoys life, laughs and smiles much, cries when both happy and sad, a pillar and light to those around her, in a position to take care of those who helped me get that far. To sum that all up, a good Christian woman who is a lil' crazy, very unique and hopefully unforgettable!"

It was a dark and stormy afternoon...

Hello Reinhardt folks! Hope you all are staying dry. We had a full house in the library today with soggy students taking refuge from the storms outside.

I have some good news and bad news about the library databases. The good news is that we were recently able to expand our bandwidth here at the library. The bad news--as some of you may have found out over the past few days--was that some of our databases were unavailable for a little while as we handled the switchover to the new IP range. Happily, I can report that everything seems to be working smoothly now, and running a lot faster, too!

If it's a dark and stormy night tonight, why not stop by the library and pick up a good book to read? Perhaps a mystery in honor of Agatha Christie? Today marks the 119th birthday of the "Queen of Crime." We have Christie's novel Destination Unknown, along with many suspenseful yarns by her literary descendants--check them out!

9/11 remembered

"911 Shattered"--Stephanie Olsen

This painting by library staff member Stephanie Olsen is on display today in the library. In this work the World Trade Center towers are encircled by a shattered arm, which is unable to protect the people inside.

"Year of" movie TODAY at the Funk Heritage Center

Today at 2 pm in the theatre at the Funk Heritage Center, the Year of North American Indigenous Peoples will present the 1991 film Black Robe by director Bruce Beresford, based on the book by Brian Moore.

Black Robe takes place in 1634, in what is now Quebec. In the tiny French settlement that will eventually become Quebec City, a Jesuit missionary named Father Laforgue hires a group of Algonquins to take him and his helper, Daniel, up the St. Lawrence River. Laforgue hopes to reestablish contact with a Catholic mission that was established in a Huron village.

On the way, Daniel, who had expressed a desire to join the priesthood, falls in love with the daughter of one of the Algonquin guides, while some of the other men become suspicious of Laforgue, taking him for a sorcerer. The mission takes a tragic turn when a band of Iroquois attack the group.

Black Robe has been called "one of the most meticulously researched representations of indigenous life ever put on film." The movie has won several awards, including the 1992 Genie awards (the Canadian equivalent of the Oscars) for Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor for August Shellenberg, who played Chomina.

This movie is free and open to the public. Library director and "Year Of" chair Michael Martinez will be leading a discussion before and after the film. If you're thinking of entering this month's contest for a free t-shirt and flash drive, not to mention the year-end drawing for the Wii, this is a great opportunity for you. Come see the film and then submit a one- or two-paragraph review to Karen Preslock at kp1@reinhardt.edu.

Rosetta Stone available for checkout!!!

Hola! Bonjour! Nihao! Konnichiwa! Al salaam a'alaykum!

Did you know the Hill Freeman Library and Spruill Learning Center has Rosetta Stone language learning software available for checkout to Reinhardt College students, faculty and staff? We currently have the software available for Spanish, French, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese and Arabic, along with the headset microphone and earphones. The checkout period is one week.

Rosetta Stone uses what it calls the "dynamic immersion" method to teach a second language the way the first language is learned. Rosetta Stone gained publicity in 2007 when the United States military used it to teach Arabic to soldiers who were deployed to the Middle East.

Book Review: The White Queen, by Philippa Gregory

After six novels about the courts of King Henry VIII and his royal heirs (all books which I devoured, starting with The Other Boleyn Girl), historical novelist Philippa Gregory may believe she has finally exhausted the story potential of the Tudors. That may be why she has now turned to their Plantagenet predecessors for inspiration. I was a little disappointed when I saw her newest book was about the War of the Roses, but I soon found I had no reason to be. This cousins' war has more than enough dramatic potential (Shakespeare would have agreed), and The White Queen had me spellbound from the start.

I must admit, I knew little of Elizabeth Woodville before I started this book; I knew more about her unfortunate children Edward V and Prince Richard, the legendary Princes in the Tower whose cruel fate remains a mystery. That alone would be fodder for a whole shelf of historical novels, but Gregory combines history, rumor and her own imagination to present a portrait of a determined, ambitious, tragically flawed and remarkable woman.

In The White Queen, Woodville, a widowed commoner whose family supports the Lancaster line of kings, falls in love with Edward IV, the York claimant. Whether she ensnared him with her beauty and wits alone, or her mother's witchcraft is up for debate. Her family, now staunchly in favor of the House of York, sees their fortunes rise through their association with the monarch, but they also make dangerous enemies in those who would claim the same power for themselves. Elizabeth, who believes herself descended from the water goddess Melusina, plots, schemes and dabbles in sorcery as she endeavors to advance her family's interests and protect her loved ones from their enemies. These enemies, as it turns out, are not only in the Lancaster camp, but closer to home as well.

The White Queen is the first in a planned trilogy. The second, The Red Queen, is rumored to be about Margaret Beaufort, the mother of Henry VII, and the third, The White Princess will most likely be about Elizabeth of York, Elizabeth Woodville's daughter and the mother of Henry VIII. I for one am excited at the prospect of more great Gregory in the future!

You can find The White Queen in the Leisure Reading section on the main floor of the library. Also, keep checking this section over the next few days--I happen to know we have more exciting books coming very, very soon!

"YEAR OF" T-SHIRTS FOR SALE IN THE LIBRARY

The "Year of North American Indigenous Peoples" shirts are here, and as I promised you, they look good. 100% cotton and featuring the work of the Hill Freeman Library and Spruill Learning Center's own artist-in-residence Ms. Stephanie Olsen!

We are offering the shirts for sale in the library for $15 apiece, and all proceeds will go back into the "Year Of" program to help fund some of the wonderful events we have coming up. Plus, they just look sharp, don't they? I think they're well worth the money.

Of course, if you don't want to shell out the 15 bucks, you could try to win one, right?

Today's movie, and other notes

It was nice to see members of the community at today's "Year Of" movie, and of course to see a few students there as well! I understand that some of you can get class credit by coming out to see the flicks. You know,you can also go to the movie and write a review for our contest. I saw the T-shirts today, and even strained my blogging muscles by helping unload them from the boss's truck, and let me tell you, the shirts look sharp. I'll upload a picture soon!

I'd never been to the Funk's theater before. It definitely added to the atmosphere, and was a perfect setting in which to watch the movie. I enjoyed the movie too. If you missed it, come by the library to check it out. Thanks to Michael for his commentary too; he really helped put the story into context by providing some background information.

Tomorrow is College Colors Day! I'm dressing the blog in Reinhardt blue and gold for the occasion.

Oh! I just used the blog to help someone with an assignment for her R.H.C. class. She needed to know some Reinhardt history. Always happy to help!

NOW PLAYING: WINDWALKER!!!

The "Year Of" film and discussion series begins today with the 1981 film Windwalker from director Kieth Merrill.

Windwalker is an unusual Western for its time. It's not a "cowboys and Indians" story (you won't find a single cowboy). It's a deeply spiritual tale about an aging Cheyenne warrior at the time of his death. Windwalker is haunted by the slaughter of his wife and the kidnapping of his son by the rival Crow. On his deathbed, he is given another chance. He must return to solve the mystery of his missing son so that he can find peace in the afterlife.

Ten years after its initial release, Windwalker was awarded a Special Jury Prize at the Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival. Director Merrill won an Academy Award in 1974 for his documentary The Great American Cowboy and was nominated for an Emmy in 1993 for his work on the miniseries The Wild West.

Windwalker will be shown today at 2 pm in the theater at the Funk Heritage Center on campus. Library director and Year of North American Indigenous People chairman Michael Martinez will be leading discussion prior to and after the film.