June 2002
Program Notes
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First Week (June 1 - 7)
Is Painting Dead?
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In 1839 upon learning of the first steps toward photography, French painter
Paul Delaroche is said to have quipped, "From today on, painting is dead."
No one is quite sure Delaroche actually uttered these words. But the inherent
question about the relationship between painting and photography is one that has
been raised with each advance in ways to depict reality - whether film, video
or computer imaging. Is painting dead? Art professors Robert Sites (NSU)¸
recipient of a 2001-2002 fellowship from the Virginia Commission for the Arts,
and Richard Roth (VCU), chairman of the painting and printmaking department,
weigh in.
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Second Week (June 8 - 14)
Children of the Self-Absorbed
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Too many grownups are still nursing wounds their own parents unwittingly inflicted
in childhood. British poet Philip Larkin used verse to voice the sentiment of
many: "They [mess] you up, your mum and dad. They may not mean to, but they
do. They fill you with the faults they had. And add some extra just for you."
Counselor Nina Brown (ODU), author of Children of the Self-Absorbed:
A Grownup's Guide to Getting Over Narcissistic Parents, examines the impact
these parents can have on their children. Also featured: Developmental psychologist
Judy DeLoache (UVa), co-author of A World of Babies: Imagined Child
Care Manuals From Other Cultures, discusses the do's and don'ts of child rearing
in seven cultures around the world.
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Third Week (June 15 - 21)
Old Is Not a Bad Word
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In this world of facelifts, hormone replacement therapies and Viagra, it's
easy to fight the aging process. And many of us are reluctant to label ourselves,
let alone others, as "old." But does this fear of aging lead to discrimination
against the elderly? How is ageism manifested in our everyday speech? What misconceptions
do we have about the old? Sociologists Toni Calasanti (VT) and Kate
Slevin (W&M), co-authors of Gender, Social Inequalities and Aging, examine
the how the aging experience differs by race, gender and sexual preference. Also
featured: Gerontological nurse Ginger Burggraf (Radford) discusses the
approaches doctors and nurses are taking to address the physical and emotional
challenges facing the old.
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Fourth Week (June 22 - 28)
Medical Promises
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In laboratories throughout the Old Dominion, researchers are working to solve
some of the most vexing medical problems. We draw them from their labs to the
microphone for an explanation of their work. Joel Linden (UVa) is developing
an anti-inflammatory compound that could avert paralysis in some people who experience
spinal cord injuries. The compound could also reduce tissue damage that sometimes
occurs during heart surgery and organ transplants. Electrical engineer Jim
Squire (VMI) holds the patent on a "smart" catheter. The device
should allow physicians to properly inflate the stents often used to keep open
blocked arteries. Bruno Sobral (VT), director of the Virginia Bioinformatics
Institute, explains the science of "bioinformatics," which relies on
math and information technology to give form to complex biological processes.
Sobral is one of the leading forces behind the development of the "pathogen
portal," a tool that could aid in a fast response to bioterrorism.
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Fifth Week (June 29 - July 5)
Divorce Reconsidered
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It's an oft-quoted statistic: more than 40 percent of American marriages end
in divorce. One common assumption is that these break-ups can have deleterious
effects when children are involved. But psychologist Mavis Hetherington (UVa),
author of For Better or Worse:Divorce Reconsidered, says the outlook may
not be so grave. Divorce raises the risk of undesirable things happening to children,
she says, but most kids are going to do okay. Hetherington, who studied nearly
1,400 marriages over 30 years, shares her findings on the negative and positive
effects of divorce.
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