Blue Devil Notebook: Performance and Lecture Series coming in spring

Merced College is inviting the public to attend its Performance and Lecture Series during the spring semester. This series, with grant support from the Merced College Foundation, promises to provide some of the most relevant and entertaining topics of our time.

According to Arts Division Dean John Albano, the series “is dedicated to providing informative, enlightening and accessible cultural opportunities for the citizens of Merced County and surrounding areas.”

The events are free and will be held in either Merced College’s Little Theater (Lesher Student Services Center 111) or in the Merced College Theater.

The series kicks off with history professor Michael Lorenz, who will present “Dangerous History: Korea, Love and the Japanese American Internment” on Feb. 19 at 6:30 p.m. in Lesher 111.

“It comes as no surprise that the process of recording and interpreting history is subjective,” Lorenz said. “The process by which the historian creates a version of history is a complex process of competing forces which, if not carefully controlled, can lead to what could be referred to as ‘dangerous history.’ This would be a version of history that is, even with the best of intentions, a partial record that is oversimplified and misleading and, at its worst, can fall to the level of outright propaganda.”

During Lorenz’s research into the Japanese American internment, he found himself struggling with many forces while navigating the treacherous waters of academia, historical sacred cows, personal experience, Korean and American loyalty, and love. His experience, he said, “can hopefully serve as a window into the process of creating history and our need as historians and the public to be accepting of complexity, limitations of quick knowledge and, ultimately, historical humility.”

The series continues March 12 with “Living Above the Fossil Zoo: 23 Million Years of Geologic History Under the Central Valley,” a lecture by physical science professor Robert Davies. The lecture will be at 6:30 p.m. in Lesher 111.

“This lecture will provide a history of the Central Valley, from the Miocene Epoch (23 million years ago) when the whole Central Valley was part of the ocean,” Davies said. “We’ll progress forward through time, and on the way we’ll meet mammoths, camels and oysters as large as basketballs. Come learn about the rich fossil heritage of our Valley, and imagine a time when Merced looked much like the African Savannah.”

Davies’ lecture will be supported by a display of fossils that the public will be able to examine.

The series will conclude April 18 at 7:30 p.m. in the Merced College Theater with the production of an original theater piece, “In Search of Hallman.”

According to writer, producer and Merced College philosophy professor Lorraine Barnes, “In Search of Hallman” is a “collective performance piece that leads to an inquiry of what it means to be human, which is most profoundly addressed within the discipline of philosophy.

“While humans, in the modern era, may well be ensconced in the affairs of practical life,” Barnes said, “the deeper questions of meaning serve as do the roots of a tree – rarely noticed but essentially important.”

“In Search of Hallman” will present various philosophical categories to the audience in the setting of a cafe. At each table are seated “believers” of the categories (metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, politics and religion). The audience will be privy to the ongoing debate between the cafe-goers as to who holds the true answer of what it means to be human. As each group believes they are the sole benefactors of “the truth,” the debate illuminates the ongoing struggle inherent within human nature itself.

For more information about Merced College’s Performance and Lecture Series, contact the Arts Division at (209) 386-6644.

Student of the Month

Yadira Reynoso describes herself as “in the process of finding myself. I don’t know what’s out there or what’s waiting for me, but whatever is, it I’m going to find it.”

English professor Michael Barba, who nominated Reynoso for the distinction, said the Student of the Month for December “was a quiet, unassuming student when she joined our English 85 class, but as I got to know Yadira from our university field trips and mentor events, I began to see that there was more to Yadira than I saw in class. She was a thoughtful, insightful young woman.”

“As she moved from English 85 to English 1A, she became more and more confident in class, often leading discussions with her classmates in English 1A. Whether she was talking about characterization or debating immigration policy, her reasoning was always sound and supported by the text or research.”

She describes her time at Merced College as being “an extraordinary journey.”

“Merced College was the best decision I have ever made,” Reynoso said. “It surely has helped me out financially. I’ve have learned so much about myself as well as discovering my passion and my career.

The sophomore says she plans to transfer to San Francisco State University as a communications major.

This story was originally published January 15, 2015 at 8:12 PM with the headline "Blue Devil Notebook: Performance and Lecture Series coming in spring."