Week Ahead on Wednesday for February 12, 2020

Welcome to a special newsletter from the Public Relations staff at Washburn University.  This newsletter goes out every Wednesday when classes are in session.  It's designed to showcase events and story possibilities in the coming week.  For more information about any of these events or story tips, contact Washburn's Public Relations Department at wurelations@washburn.edu or at 785-670-1711.

Thursday, February 13, 2020

3:30 p.m.  – Memorial Union (Vogel Room) -- Free & Open to the Public

Repatriation Battles and the Ethical Crisis of Ancient DNA

For decades, Native Americans have struggled to reclaim their ancestors' skeletal remains from museums across the U.S. Now, revolutions in genetic technology have enabled scientists to look deep into the human past. How are repatriation and ancient DNA converging to challenge questions of Native American history, identity, and culture? Many of the Washburn sociology and anthropology faculty and students are reading the book "Plundered Skulls and Stolen Spirits: Inside the Fight to Reclaim Native America's Culture" by Dr. Chip Colwell, Senior Curator of Anthropology at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. His talk will follow-up on many of the issues he tackled in his book. Dr. Colwell's talk will be followed by a Q&A session led by additional guest archaeologists and anthropologists.

Friday, February 14, 2020

7:00 p.m.  – White Concert Hall -- $5 for the General Public

Washburn holds fourth annual step show

It’s a Greek thing.  Stepping is a complex performance that melds folk traditions with popular culture and involves synchronized percussive movement, singing, speaking, chanting and drama.

The tradition developed during the time when slaves were brought from Africa to the Americas. People used clapping and singing in lots of ways of communicating and to stay connected to their historic roots. Step shows were first developed by African American fraternities and sororities, but the tradition it is now practiced worldwide by a wide variety of “Greek” organizations.

Friday, February 14, 2020

Public Reception - 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.  – Mulvane Art Museum -- Free & Open to the Public

Exhibit Open through June 13

‘I Dream A World: Portraits of Black Women Who Changed America’ Exhibit Opens

Photographer Brian Lanker’s much-anticipated exhibit, “I Dream A World: Portraits of Black Women Who Changed America,” will open at Washburn’s Mulvane Art Museum this Friday with a public reception from 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Brian Lanker was a 1973 Pulitzer Prize winner and former photographer with the Topeka Capital-Journal. His book, "I Dream A World" was published in 1989, in conjunction with an exhibition that toured internationally. The exhibition features the critically-acclaimed photographs of African American women who changed America. Lanker photographed 76 women including Maya Angelou, Rosa Parks, Althea Gibson, Lena Horne, Ruby Dee, Coretta Scott King, Oprah Winfrey and Septima Poinsette Clark.

Thursday, February 20, 2020

7:30 p.m.  – White Concert Hall -- Free & Open to the Public

Percussion Duo "If + When" to Perform

Percussion duo "If + When" will perform in White Concert Hall on Thursday, Feb. 20 at 7:30 p.m. Their performance is free and open to the public. They will put on a free clinic for percussion students the same day at 4 p.m. Contact Von Hansen for more information.

"If + When" is a contemporary music duo devoted to creating new sonic and artistic possibilities through percussion. By working with composers from various countries, personalities and walks of life, "If + When" work to expand the classical music repertoire with the inclusion of world music, spoken word and theatrics into each of their lively and colorful performances.