Campus Events

"In the Cloud" (2013), a striking 4' x 14' mixed-media painting by VWU Professor of Art John Rudel, will be on display through February in the Eleanor and Henry Watts Grand Lobby and Gallery inside the Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center.

In its twenty-first year, the Young Singers Project is the Virginia Chorale’s flagship educational outreach program in which talented high school singers from across Hampton Roads prepare and perform gems of chamber choir repertoire alongside professional singers and conductors from the Chorale. In this concert, singers perform works by Copland, Beethoven, and Schubert’s glorious Mass in G. The Chorale’s artistic director Charles Woodward conducts, and Christina Bartholomew, Kathryn Kelly, Christopher Burnette, Randall Ball, and Andrew Lusher serve as mentors with Max Holman, collaborative pianist. Tickets: $10. For more information or to purchase, visit vachorale.org or call 757.627.8375.

The twelfth class of Virginia Wesleyan University's Athletic Hall of Fame will be inducted during the annual luncheon on Saturday, February 1.  The Hall of Fame was established in 2007 to honor those who, by outstanding achievement in athletics, by service to athletics, or through significant contributions to athletics, have made lasting contributions to Virginia Wesleyan's intercollegiate athletic program.

The Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges’ (VFIC) annual Ethics Bowl competition brings together student teams from each of the 15 VFIC member institutions for lively debate and consideration of applied ethics—real-world dilemmas that affect people’s lives in increasingly complex ways. As the Virginia Wesleyan team prepares to compete at the 2020 VFIC Ethics Bowl, the Center for the Study of Religious Freedom hosts a debate demonstration that gives the audience the opportunity to interact, critique, and discuss. Please come help students prepare for the VFIC competition, held on February 9 and 10 at the University of Lynchburg. The Virginia Wesleyan 2020 VFIC Ethics Bowl team members are Anitra Howard ’24, Celine Maharaj ’25, Katy Niedzwiecki ’24, Alex Powers ’21, and Criofan Shaw ’25 (alternate), with VWU Professor of Communication Dr. Kathy Merlock Jackson as faculty coordinator.

Former British Royal Marine and Theatre and Classics professor Peter Meineck will discuss the Warrior Chorus Project, a program that teaches veterans to perform works from ancient literature. Collaborating with scholars, veterans develop their own sense of artistry and interest in the humanities through performance. Thursday’s talk will be followed by a performance of Greek classics by local veterans on Friday evening. More information on the Warrior Chorus Project is available at http://www.warriorchorus.org/.  This event is free and open to the public. The following night (Friday, 2/7 at 7:30), a performance of the Warrior Chorus Project will occur in the same location. This event is sponsored by generous grants from the Lighthouse Center for Exploration and Discovery and Virginia Humanities.

Former British Royal Marine and Theatre and Classics professor Peter Meineck will direct a performance of the Warrior Chorus Project, a program that teaches veterans to perform works from ancient literature. Collaborating with scholars, veterans develop their own sense of artistry and interest in the humanities through performance. Dr. Meineck will coordinate with veteran-actors recruited from community partners such as the Virginia Stage Company to craft a staged reading of scenes from Greek tragedy. This event is free and open to the public. More information on the Warrior Chorus Project is available at http://www.warriorchorus.org/.

As an activist and former community organizer--and in the spirit of Ella Jenkins, Pete Seeger, Adrienne Rich, and others—Sarah Browning uses poetry in showing possibilities for political and social change. As a co-founder and Executive Director of Split This Rock, a socially-conscious literary organization, Browning has highlighted the importance of poets working in community, so as to lead to social change. Why is poetry important to leaders today? That is the focus of this time together. Sarah Browning is author of Killing Summer (Sibling Rivalry Press, 2017), cofounder and immediate past executive director of Split This Rock, and associate fellow of the Institute for Policy Studies. Part of the Center for the Study of Religious Freedom's "Leading for Change" series. Free and open to the public.

Abraham Lincoln’s two inaugural addresses, along with the Gettysburg Address, do much to capture his principles and politics and the challenge of adapting principles to circumstances. The two inaugural addresses are end pieces—Lincoln is trying, first, to keep the Union from coming apart, and second, to bring it back together. In the first, Lincoln, despite his abhorrence of the practice, sees the continued existence (but confinement) of slavery as the price for maintaining the Union. After Gettysburg and with the Second Inaugural, he recognizes that the Civil War has preserved the Union in a way that makes the abolition of slavery not only possible but essential—bringing America's Constitution in line with its founding ideals set out in the Declaration of Independence. In all three addresses, Lincoln seeks to establish the common ground—or, indeed, the hallowed ground—that can bring Americans together. Timothy G. O’Rourke, Vice President Emeritus, served as Chief Academic Officer at VWU from 2007 to 2019, first as the Kenneth R. Perry Dean of the College and Vice President for Academic Affairs and then through his 2016 appointment to Provost and Vice President. Dr. O’Rourke is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and earned a Ph.D. in Political Science from Duke University. Part of the Center for the Study of Religious Freedom's "Leading for Change" series. Free and open to the public.

Are you thinking about studying away, but something is holding you back? Academic requirements? Family commitments? Finances? Friends? Join us for this session that will address your concerns about studying away. Take the Fear Out of Studying Away! For more information, visit The Lighthouse's webpage and The Lighthouse’s page on MyBeacon, or contact the director of the Study Away Program, Ms. Mandy Reinig, in The Lighthouse: Center for Exploration & Discovery at 757.455.3116 or set up an appointment online.

Future Marlins and their families are invited to visit Virginia Wesleyan for our Marlins Day Open House on Saturday, February 15. Prospective students will have the opportunity to tour the beautiful 300-acre campus, meet VWU faculty and staff, and learn about academic offerings, scholarship opportunities, and the financial aid process. More

How does someone work for peace in a deeply fractured part of the world? What steps can be taken? Join 15 VWU students who—in a CSRF-sponsored travel course in January 2020—visited kibbutzim, experienced homestays with Palestinians, had Shabbat meals in homes, talked with Lutheran farmers, met Bedouins and members of the Druze minority communities, and talked with Jewish and Muslim parents whose children were killed in armed conflict. In addition, the students met with a variety of organizations that work toward peace in the region—with people very different from themselves. Join us as these students share their research on the challenges of this fascinating country.

Discover where your journey will begin by learning more about VWU's study abroad programs offered through the International Student Exchange Program (ISEP). Students interested in studying abroad for a semester with VWU's Global Scholars Program are invited to stop by to learn about the 250 programs in 50 countries that ISEP offers. The deadline to apply to study abroad in spring 2021 is Wednesday, March 11, 2020. For more information, visit The Lighthouse's webpage and The Lighthouse's page on MyBeacon, or contact the director of the Study Away Program, Ms. Mandy Reinig, in The Lighthouse: Center for Exploration & Discovery at 757.455.3116 or set up an appointment online.

Pianist Michael Manning has enjoyed an eclectic professional life that encompasses academia, journalism, scientific research, software engineering, and performance. His work as Broadcast Director of WGBH, Public Broadcasting’s flagship station, and with the Boston Globe earned him the industry’s highest awards, including Gold Medals from the New York International Festivals and Columbia University’s Major Armstrong Award. Join us at 11:00 a.m. as Manning explores how music reflects mathematics, how mathematics can be used to study music, and the deeper similarities of these two abstract intellectual frameworks. At 7:30 p.m., Manning will present a piano concert.

Pianist Michael Manning has enjoyed an eclectic professional life that encompasses academia, journalism, scientific research, software engineering, and performance. His work as Broadcast Director of WGBH, Public Broadcasting’s flagship station, and with the Boston Globe earned him the industry’s highest awards, including Gold Medals from the New York International Festivals and Columbia University’s Major Armstrong Award. 

The Tidewater Guitar Orchestra, PC Duo, Anibal Acosta, and Duo Thalassa perform. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.tidewaterclassicalguitar.org. Tickets: $10-30.

VWU’s Center for Sacred Music presents its annual Evening of Bach in a joyful exploration of Cantatas 23, 84, and 140 from this master of the chorale cantata art form. Free and open to the public. No reservations necessary.

Dr. Michael Hall, Lambuth M. Clarke Professor of English

In Life Matters, members of the Virginia Wesleyan community offer autobiographical reflections on their emotional, intellectual, and spiritual experiences. These deeply personal talks create meaningful opportunities for greater understanding and connection, encouraging each of us to think about what has shaped us and given our own life meaning. The series is sponsored in partnership with the Center for the Study of Religious Freedom, the Chaplain’s Office, and the Center for Innovative Teaching and Engaged Learning (INTEL) at Virginia Wesleyan University. Please feel free to bring a bag lunch or purchase lunch in the Boyd Campus Dining Center.

This workshop introduces students to Virginia Wesleyan’s research grants, provided by the Undergraduate Research Program (URP). The URP offers grants to students both to conduct research and to present research off-campus at professional and academic conferences. The URP also works with external organizations to secure research grants for VWU students. This workshop reviews the components of a grant application and provides instruction on writing successful grants. Hosted by Virginia Wesleyan’s URP in The Lighthouse: Center for Exploration & Discovery. For more information, visit the Lighthouse’s webpage or contact the URP Director, Dr. Soraya Bartol, at 757.455.3372 or sbartol@vwu.edu.

James Thomas is an associate professor of sociology at the University of Mississippi. His research focuses on race and racism, inequality, and empire. He is the author of four books, including the forthcoming Diversity Regimes which draws from ethnographic fieldwork at an American public university to illustrate the conflicts between core actors over how to define, organize, and implement diversity within the institution. Thomas’s research has been featured in The New Yorker, The Washington Post, The Pacific Standard, and Slate Magazine. Join us on Wednesday, 2/26 at 7:00 p.m. for a lecture by Thomas and on Thursday, 2/27 at 11:00 a.m. as Thomas leads a workshop on “Coalitions for Change on College Campuses.”

James Thomas is an associate professor of sociology at the University of Mississippi. His research focuses on race and racism, inequality, and empire. He is the author of four books, including the forthcoming Diversity Regimes which draws from ethnographic fieldwork at an American public university to illustrate the conflicts between core actors over how to define, organize, and implement diversity within the institution. Thomas’s research has been featured in The New Yorker, The Washington Post, The Pacific Standard, and Slate Magazine. Join us on Wednesday, 2/26 at 7:00 p.m. for a lecture by Thomas and on Thursday, 2/27 at 11:00 a.m. as Thomas leads a workshop on “Coalitions for Change on College Campuses.”

March 5-7: 7:30 p.m.
March 8: 2:00 p.m.

The VWU Theatre Department presents its spring production of "The Shield," by Menander and adapted for the stage by Travis Malone, VWU Professor of Theatre. When a soldier's broken shield is found in battle, all presume the worst. Greedy relatives lay claim to the family estate, lovers are separated, fortunes taken, and it falls to the soldier's servant to set everything right. In this daring new adaptation, a servant's brilliant plan and a surprise reunion help the survivors discover laughter, love, and hope in the aftermath of war. Directed by Dr. Travis Malone.

Tickets are $10 for general admission, $5 for military/students/children/seniors, and are available at www.vwu.tix.com. Free to VWU students by emailing GoodeCenter@vwu.edu.

The Center for the Study of Religious Freedom's Nexus Interfaith Dialogue series uses the deliberative dialogue format supported by the Kettering Foundation to explore this crucial issue for our country. Deliberative dialogue is participatory and is best when conducted in small groups that are facilitated by trained moderators. To help the CSRF plan for a good experience, please RSVP to 757.455.3129 or csrf@vwu.edu. Sponsored in partnership with the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities (VCIC) and Hands United Building Bridges (HUBB).

Regardless of whether they are called comic books or graphic novels, works like Maus or V for Vendetta use not just compelling characters and engaging plots, but also striking art to shape how readers enter the story. Reflecting on an early comic-book story about the Holocaust—Bernard Krigstein's Master Race—Dr. Stephen Hock highlights how to effectively read comic books and shows the distinctive ways in which they make an impact. Stephen Hock, Associate Professor of English at VWU, has a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature and Literary Theory from the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to teaching a variety of courses in American literature, he also teaches "The Art of Comic Books," a course that focuses on formal analysis of the narratives produced by the union of words and images. Part of the Center for the Study of Religious Freedom's "Leading for Change" series. Free and open to the public.

Applications to study abroad during the spring 2021 semester through Virginia Wesleyan’s Global Scholars Program are due on Wednesday, March 11, 2020. The application and information are on The Lighthouse's page of MyBeacon. For more information, visit The Lighthouse's webpage and The Lighthouse’s page on MyBeacon, or contact the director of the Study Away Program, Ms. Mandy Reinig, in The Lighthouse: Center for Exploration & Discovery at 757.455.3116 or set up an appointment online.

In combatting the terrorist group Boko Haram, the Nigerian military used counterinsurgency tactics that resulted in widespread human-rights violations, rape, and gender-based violence against the civilian population. Dr. Modupe Oshikoya highlights the violence perpetrated by those who were supposed to be in charge of protecting the civilians, shows how leadership and oversight came to be distorted, and brings us all to ask “Who guards the guards?” Dr. Modupe Oshikoya, Assistant Professor of Political Science at VWU, has served as a Research Associate at the Interfaith Mediation Centre in Kaduna, Nigeria, and as a Senior Officer at the International Affairs and Defence Section, of the House of Commons, Houses of Parliament in London. Her research on the Nigerian military led to her receiving the APCG-Lynne Rienner Best Dissertation in African Politics 2019 award. Part of the Center for the Study of Religious Freedom's "Leading for Change" series. Free and open to the public.

The Model NATO Challenge will take place at Virginia Wesleyan University, as part of the Norfolk NATO Festival, on Wednesday, March 18, from 4:00-9:00 p.m. in Boyd Dining Center. The Model NATO Challenge is a scholarship competition in which the top 29 high school applicants along with six alternates are chosen to participate in a mock global-crisis simulation, confronting issues facing today’s NATO Alliance. Student diplomats are chosen to represent each of the 29 NATO Member Nations and must work together to address a crisis scenario such as piracy, immigration, or another issue that faces the NATO Alliance today. Diplomats are assigned mentors—military officers from each of the 29 countries—who assist in preparing them for the challenge while teaching about the country's culture, national military resources, and political backgrounds. Based on their leadership and diplomacy skills, the top three finalists are awarded scholarships.

The Robert F. Boyd Institute will feature Rev. Olu Brown as keynote speaker on March 23-24, 2020. Rev. Brown is the lead pastor of Impact Church near Atlanta. In 2016, Impact Church was listed as one of the top 100 fastest growing churches in America. A graduate of Jarvis Christian College and the Interdenominational Theological Seminary, Rev. Brown says he is “truly a church planter at heart.” He is the author of Zero to 80: Innovative Ideas for Planting and Accelerating Church Growth, and Leadership Directions from Moses. His latest book, 4D Impact: Smash Barriers Like a Smart Church, was released in April 2019.

How to lead change? How to look at technology, hospitality, worship, and church systems in the 21st century? This two-day seminar focuses on how to anticipate and embrace change, particularly in an institution—the church—that frequently is reluctant to do so. Rev. Olu Brown is the lead pastor of Impact Church near Atlanta, GA. In 2016, Impact Church was listed as one of the top 100 fastest growing churches in America (and the fifth fastest growing United Methodist congregation). Brown is well-known as the author of Zero to 80: Innovative Ideas for Planting and Accelerating Church Growth, Leadership Directions from Moses, and 4D Impact: Smash Barriers Like a Smart Church.

This seminar, which includes lunch on Monday and light breakfast on Monday and Tuesday, is on Monday, March 23, 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., and Tuesday, March 24, 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. This $75 seminar is open to all, but also awards one continuing education credit for clergy from the Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church. If you are interested in registering for the 2020 Boyd Institute, please contact Kelly Jackson (kjackson@vwu.edu) at the Center for the Study of Religious Freedom.

The New York Times bestselling author of Body Drama and Diet Drama, Nancy Redd, will explore body positivity and the ways that media shapes people’s perceptions of body image. A former Miss Virginia and swimsuit winner at Miss America, Redd is an award-winning on-air host, The New York Times's Wirecutter beauty and health writer, and an NAACP Image Award nominee. This event is held in conjunction with National Eating Disorder Awareness Month and Women's History Month. It is co-sponsored by VWU’s Women's Resource Center, Psychology Department, and Women's & Gender Studies Program.

Join The Lighthouse:Center for Exploration and Discovery for a day in Washington, D.C. Buses depart from the Jane P. Batten Student Center parking lot at 7:00 a.m. Busses leave D.C. at 6:00 p.m., returning to campus at approximately 10:00 p.m. Reservations are required. The cost is $5. Register and pay in The Lighthouse (Clarke Hall, Office 113) by Friday, March 1. Space is limited, so reserve your seat early.

This workshop explains the qualities of an effective abstract and reviews strategies for writing abstracts. It is especially helpful to students who will present their research at Virginia Wesleyan’s Port Day on April 30, 2020. This workshop is hosted by Virginia Wesleyan College’s Undergraduate Research Program (URP), located in The Lighthouse: Center for Exploration & Discovery. For more information, visit the Lighthouse’s webpage or contact the URP Director, Dr. Soraya Bartol, at 757.455.3372 or sbartol@vwu.edu.

The world-renowned American Shakespeare Center takes up residency to perform Shakespeare’s timeless masterpiece. In Midsummer, there are no easy solutions, no black and white, no good guys or bad guys. In Midsummer, love is not a thing to be won, but is rather a thing to be lost, to fight for, and to regain. The American Shakespeare Center casts a theatrical spell powerful enough to make audiences of all ages believe in anything. This mischievous comedy of lovers, heroes, fairies, and rude mechanicals is his tribute to humankind’s power of imagination, and it reveals that the course of true love can be altered with just one touch of magic.

Join the Wesleyan Vox Vera for a fun evening of popular songs from all eras, including songs by Chicago and OK Go, songs made popular by The King's Singers and The Real Group, as well as classics like "I Wish You Love" and "My Funny Valentine." Dr. Bryson Mortensen, Conductor. Free to all.

Future Marlins and their families are invited to visit Virginia Wesleyan for our Marlins Day Open House on Saturday, April 4. Prospective students will have the opportunity to tour the beautiful 300-acre campus, meet VWU faculty and staff, and learn about academic offerings, scholarship opportunities, and the financial aid process. More

Get ready for Virginia Wesleyan’s next Port Day, on Thursday, April 30th!! This workshop explains how to create a poster that effectively represents an internship or undergraduate research experience. It focuses on the technical elements of poster design as well as content. We also discuss strategies for effective oral and poster presentations. Hosted by Virginia Wesleyan’s Career Development Program (CDP) and the Undergraduate Research Program (URP) in The Lighthouse: Center for Exploration & Discovery. For more information, visit the Lighthouse’s webpage or contact the URP Director, Dr. Soraya Bartol, at 757.455.3372 or sbartol@vwu.edu.  

Professor and Goodrich Endowed Chair for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Alabama, Patrick J. Murphy explores how to navigate in a society that increasingly focuses on social entrepreneurship in every aspect of life. During the last twenty years, many Americans shifted their self-understanding from an industrial/organizational paradigm to one that is primarily entrepreneurial. This talk highlights how shifts today are illuminated by travelers during the Age of Discovery and through the vision they had and the mutinies they encountered. Part of the Center for the Study of Religious Freedom's "Leading for Change" series. Free and open to the public.

Based at Windsor Castle, Queen's Six members are Lay Clerks of Windsor Castle's St. George Chapel who perform regularly for the British Royal Family. They perform repertoire that spans austere Medieval chant, florid Renaissance polyphony, lewd madrigals, haunting folk songs, upbeat jazz, and pop arrangements of modern classics. Co-sponsored by the VWU Concert Series. 

"Everyone knows somebody with a mental health challenge, you just don't know who until we tell you." The VWU Camerata performs a new composition by librettist Deborah Kennedy and composer Rob Redei, "Open Minds Save Lives," explores the stigma surrounding mental health with opportunities for openness and change. Dr. Bryson Mortenson, Conductor. Free to all.

Free to all.

The Center for the Study of Religious Freedom's Nexus Interfaith Dialogue series uses the deliberative dialogue format supported by the Kettering Foundation to explore this crucial issue for our country. Deliberative dialogue is participatory and is best when conducted in small groups that are facilitated by trained moderators. To help the CSRF plan for a good experience, please RSVP to 757.455.3129 or csrf@vwu.edu. Sponsored in partnership with the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities (VCIC) and Hands United Building Bridges (HUBB).

A concert by the Wesleyan Jazz Ensemble led by Dr. Jason Squinobal, conductor. Free to all.

Dr. Larry Hultgren, Professor of Philosophy and Batten Professor

In Life Matters, members of the Virginia Wesleyan community offer autobiographical reflections on their emotional, intellectual, and spiritual experiences. These deeply personal talks create meaningful opportunities for greater understanding and connection, encouraging each of us to think about what has shaped us and given our own life meaning. The series is sponsored in partnership with the Center for the Study of Religious Freedom, the Chaplain’s Office, and the Center for Innovative Teaching and Engaged Learning (INTEL) at Virginia Wesleyan University. Please feel free to bring a bag lunch or purchase lunch in the Boyd Campus Dining Center.

A concert by the Wesleyan Orchestra led by Kelby Schnepel, conductor. Free to all.

Free to all.

Free to all.

Born in Alabama to a Korean mother and African-American father, Paul K. Chappell is a West Point graduate, former Army captain, and Iraq War veteran. His military service taught him that people don’t simply gravitate toward peaceful behavior, in large part because they aren’t trained to do so. In an era when humanity has the technological capacity to destroy itself, and when humans frequently don’t control their own dispositions, Chappell realized the pressing need for us to become as well-trained in waging peace as soldiers are in waging war. During the 2020 Justine L. Nusbaum Lecture, he shows how peace literacy frames peace not merely as a goal but as a practical skill-set that addresses the root causes of our human problems.