CALENDAR OF EVENTSSt. John’s College

December 2012 January February 2013

Lectures

Theatre

Concerts

Classes

Seminars

Art Exhibitions

calendarLectures

Friday night lectures are held in the FrancisScott Key Auditorium at 8 p.m. Members ofthe Annapolis-area community are invited toattend the question period that follows eachlecture in the Conversation Room.

January 11 Steiner Lecture, “The NewAtheism and the Modern Novel,” by JamesWood, professor of the Practice of LiteraryCriticism, Harvard University

January 18 Topic to be announced, byMichael Grenke, St. John’s College tutor

February 8 “Surprises and Sweet Spots: OnDiscovery and Recognition,” by Dylan Casey,St. John’s College tutor

February 15 “Does Music Move?” by DanielHarrell, St. John’s College tutor

February 22 “Is the Soul a City? A Questionabout Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics,” byJacques Duvoisin, St. John’s College tutor

Concerts

January 25 Acclaimed pianist Frederic Chiupresents “The Piano: Invention andTransformation.” The program will includemusic of Chopin, Liszt, Debussy, Ravel, andProkofiev and will conclude with Liszt’sarrangement for piano of Beethoven’sSymphony No. 5. Chiu has toured in Europe

and the U.S. and is a recipient of the AveryFisher Career Grant. Francis Scott KeyAuditorium at 8 p.m.

February 3 Merlin Ensemble Vienna presents“Transfigured Night,” a performance featuringSchoenberg’s piece by the same name in anarrangement for piano trio. Founded in 1991by members of the Chamber Orchestra ofEurope and the Camerata Salzburg, MerlinEnsemble Vienna performs well-known worksfor various instrumental formations. TheGreat Hall at 4 p.m.

Continuing Education &

Fine Arts Program

This winter St. John’s Continuing Education &Fine Arts program offerings begin on February9 and include weekend seminars that meetthree times over the course of one weekend:from 10 a.m. to noon and from 2 to 4 p.m. onSaturday, and 10 a.m. to noon on Sunday,followed by lunch. Short fine arts workshopsare offered on weeknights and weekends. Forcomplete class descriptions and instructorbios, visit www.stjohnscollege.edu and click on“Outreach,” then “Annapolis ContinuingEducation.” (Class schedule and registrationwill be available on the college website in earlyDecember.) For more information, contactMolly Burnett at 410-626-2881 ormolly.burnett@sjca.edu.

All events are held at

St. John’s College

60 College Avenue

Annapolis, Maryland

unless otherwise noted.

All events are free and

open to the public unless

otherwise noted.

ANNUAL DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

CONCERT AND SEMINARS

Join the St. John’s community as some of the finest regional

vocalists, including the All Children’s Chorus of Annapolis and the

Singing Sensations Youth Choir from Baltimore, perform inspiring

gospel spirituals at the annual “Lift Every Voice” concert

honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The community is invited to this spirited, uplifting concert, and

to take part in seminars in which participants discuss a reading

relevant to human and civil rights.

The concert and seminars are free and open to the

public and will take place on January 12 and 13. The

“Lift Every Voice” concert will be held on Sunday,

January 13, at 4 p.m. in the Francis Scott Key

Auditorium. No tickets or reservations are required;

however, seating is limited. A reception takes place

immediately after the performance.

Seminars on Dr. King’s “Where Do We Go from

Here?” speech will be held on Saturday, January 12,

from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Arrive at 9 a.m. to

check in and for refreshments in the Francis Scott

Key Lobby. A keynote address will be from 9:30 to

10 a.m. in the Francis Scott Key Auditorium, followed

by a panel discussion featuring students and

educators from area schools.

Registration for seminars is required. To register:

www.stjohnscollege.edu/events.

St. John’s Treasurer Bronté Jones organized the first “Lift Every

Voice” concert in 2008. More than 500 members of the

community attended the performance last January. “While there

are many events in Washington, D.C., and in Baltimore, it

seemed appropriate for Annapolis to have an event that is free

and open to all in our community,” says Jones.

JOHNNIE FOR A DAY

Looking for a break this winter? Enjoy an

intellectual vacation on February 16 at St.

John’s College. Saturday Seminars bring

together members of the Annapolis

community to explore timeless questions

from classic works drawn from the

St. John’s academic curriculum. Thirteen

seminars, each on a different reading, are

led by St. John’s faculty members, called

tutors. Sponsored by the Friends of St.

John’s College, Saturday Seminars attract

about 200 participants of various ages,

experiences, and backgrounds.

Participants gather for coffee and donuts

before joining groups of about 20 for

their 90-minute seminar—and many

continue the conversation well after their

seminar ends.

Saturday Seminars will be held on

February 16 (snow date February 23)

from 9:30 to 11:45 a.m. Seminars will be

filled first-come, first-served. There is a

registration fee of $40 per person for

each seminar. To register, visit

www.stjohnscollege.edu, click on

“Outreach,” then “Saturday

Seminars.” All registrations

must be accompanied by

payments to hold your

space. Early registration is

recommended. Phone

registrations will not be

accepted until after February

1. More information: Alice

Chambers, 410 295-5544;

alice.chambers@sjca.edu.

Seminar offerings include:

1. Aristophanes: The Assembly of Women

2. Bacon: New Atlantis

Swift: Gulliver’s Travels (Part III)

3. Conrad: The Secret Sharer

4. Faulkner: Pantaloon in Black

5. Joan of Arc: In Her Own Words

6. Joyce: The Dead

7. Kant: Critique of Judgment (Sec. 43-50)

8. Plato: Phaedrus

9. Rousseau: Discourse on the Arts and

Sciences

10. Tanizaki: In Praise of Shadows

11. Tolstoy: Master and Man

12. Williams: The Glass Menagerie

13. Galileo: Sidereus Nuncius or The Starry

Messenger

SALUTE TO NATIONAL

ANTHEM’S AUTHOR

Annapolis President Christopher Nelson

shares his thoughts on a well-known St.

John’s College alumnus and the author of

“The Star-Spangled Banner” with junior

Nutchapol Boonparlit. Francis Scott Key

graduated from St. John’s in 1796.

In your office you have a writing desk,

or secretary as it was called, that

belonged to Francis Scott Key. What

is the story behind the desk?

It has an interesting provenance. In 1940,

Paul Mellon [philanthropist and heir to the

Andrew Mellon banking fortune] came to

St. John’s for a year and set up a home on

Market Street. He bought this desk and

had it in his home. When Mellon left the

college during World War II, knowing he

would join the cavalry, he donated it to the

college. Mellon also gave his home on

Market Street to the college to serve as

the office for the president and the dean.

Inside this desk today are volumes from

the first free public library on the North

American continent, which is the Bray

Collection. The St. John’s library was formed by the Reverend

Thomas Bray, who donated his “library of universal knowledge”

to the State of Maryland in 1701; the collection was transferred

to the college shortly thereafter. The books from that collection

are in three places; there are a few in my office, a dozen or so

in the college’s library, and in the Maryland Hall of Records. It

wasn’t a very large collection, but it’s kind of a cool piece of

history, so I want to keep those books with Francis Scott Key’s

desk.

Are you personally interested in collecting artifacts that

belonged to Francis Scott Key?

Not personally; Key artifacts will stay with the college. St. John’s

did receive from Key’s great, great, great, great grandchildren, a

copy of the original will. We have that preserved behind glass in

the Mitchell Gallery. Of course, there was nothing left to the

college, but that it is a valuable document these days, now that

we are celebrating the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812

and, in 2014, the 200th anniversary of the writing of the “The

Star-Spangled Banner.”

What was Francis Scott Key’s most notable

contribution to St. John’s?

His founding of the alumni association may have been the most

important thing he did for the college. I’m told that it was the

fifth oldest alumni association in the United States, formed in

1827. But, of course, the national anthem is such an

extraordinary contribution to the country that St. John’s gains

by association. We like to take

some credit that Key was

part of the college

community.

Are there any facts about

the national anthem or

Francis Scott Key that

one might not generally

know?

Something I didn’t know and

learned from Mark

Hildebrand’s new film Anthem

was that Key was sent by ship

[along the Chesapeake Bay]

to negotiate the release of a

prisoner of the British.

Returning to Fort McHenry

on shipboard, he saw the

battle at Baltimore, and it was

from this vantage point, under

British guard, that he saw the

battle and the flag. So he

actually saw this battle from

the standpoint of the British

and from the water. He could

see the bombs and the fury

unleashed upon them and the

banner still standing. Another interesting thing is that ours is the

only national anthem in the world that is dedicated to a flag as

opposed to the national spirit or the land.

St. John’s recently commemorated the 75th anniversary

of the New Program. How do you think Francis Scott

Key would have adapted to the curriculum?

I think he would have been quite friendly to it. He studied Latin

and Greek when he was here, and lots of mathematics and

science. Key was both a musician and a forceful speaker, so he

moved well in political circles and spoke with strength of

rhetoric, which was common to leaders who were gentlemen of

the time.

St. John’s College is featured in Mark Hildebrand’s new documentary,

Anthem, which will air on Maryland Public Television on December

19 at 9 p.m. To learn more about the film, visit www.mym-media.org.

In conjunction with the bicentennial of the War of 1812, the

Greenfield Library presents the exhibition “By the Dawn’s Early Light:

The Life of Francis Scott Key” on view from October 22 to January

29 in the Lillian Vanous Nutt Room located on the first floor of the

Library. The exhibition features original letters written by Francis Scott

Key, books, clothing, photographs, and other rare and unique items

related to Key’s life.

For more information, visit www.stjohnscollege.edu/events

—Nutchapol Boonparlit (A14)

JEN

BEH

REN

S

Theater

Unless otherwise noted, all playstake place in the Francis ScottKey Auditorium and are free andopen to the public. The KingWilliam Players, the St. John’sstudent theater troupe, typicallypresents two performances eachsemester. For more information:www.stjohnscollege.edu/events.

Special Events

December 1 Holiday Agora. Looking for theperfect holiday gift? Members of the St. John’sCollege community present an indoor bazaarfeaturing fine art, jewelry, food, and decorativewares. The event also features a raffle of festivegift baskets donated by Caritas members.Raffle proceeds go to Caritas Society of St. John’s College to benefit student aid. FrancisScott Key Lobby from noon to 4 p.m. The St. John’s College Bookstore will be open that day. For more information, contact Torii Campbell at 410-972-4518 ortorii.campbell@sjca.edu.

January 12 & 13 “Lift Every Voice.” Aweekend of events honoring the life and legacyof Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. begins onSaturday, January 12 with a keynote speaker,panel discussion, and seminars on Dr. King’s“Where Do We Go from Here?” speech. Theannual “Lift Every Voice” concert will be heldon Sunday, January 13. For more informationon these events, see page 2.

Mitchell Gallery

Unless otherwise noted all exhibits and eventstake place in the Mitchell Gallery. For moreinformation, hours, docent tours, and eventregistration, contact the Mitchell Gallery at410-626-2556. Thanks to the support ofmembers, exhibitions and most galleryprograms are free and open to the public.

Civil War Era Drawings from the Becker

Collection

On view through December 12

December 2 Sunday Afternoon Tour. ArtEducator Lucinda Edinberg will lead a tour ofthe “Civil War Era Drawings” exhibition at 3 p.m.

December 5 Next Generation Happy Hour.View the “Civil War Era Drawings” exhibitionand mingle with young professionals overcocktails and hors d’oeuvres in the FrancisScott Key Lobby from 6 to 8 p.m. Cost: $15;includes appetizers and a beverage. A cash barwill be available.

David Hayes: A Sculptor of Space and

Nature

January 11 – February 17

David Hayes’s ceramics, stained glass, paintings,and sculptures are included in many majorcollections, including the Museum of ModernArt, the Hirshhorn Museum and SculptureGarden, and the Guggenheim Museum in New York.

January 20 Opening Reception & FamilyProgram. Art Educator Lucinda Edinberg willlead a tour of the “David Hayes” exhibition,followed by a hands-on workshop from 3:30to 5 p.m.

January 29 Lecture. Artist David Hayes willlecture on his work in the “David Hayes”exhibition at 5:30 p.m.

January 30 Art Express. Art Educator LucindaEdinberg will give a lunchtime gallery talk onthe “David Hayes” exhibition from 12:15 to12:45 p.m.

February 2 Next Generation Happy Hour.View the “David Hayes” exhibition and minglewith young professionals over cocktails andhors d’oeuvres in the Francis Scott Key Lobbyfrom 6 to 8 p.m. Cost: $15; includes appetizersand a beverage. A cash bar will be available.

On Campus:

The French Monument

During the Revolutionary

War, a group of French

soldiers, en route to the

pivotal Battle of Yorktown

in 1781, died and were

buried near where the

St. John’s College

Boathouse now stands. The

13-foot granite “French

Monument” was erected in

their honor and publicly

unveiled on April 18, 1911.

President William Howard

Taft and French

Ambassador Jean J.

Jusserand each gave

addresses at the unveiling.

Henri Marion, a professor

at the Naval Academy,

proposed the idea for this

monument to the General

Society of the Sons of the

Revolution. Sculptor J.

Maxwell Miller, a Maryland

native, created the

monument’s

commemorative bronze

tablet. It is not known

exactly how many soldiers

were buried here or who

they were, but the

monument stands as one

of the first memorials in

the country to the

unknown dead and

commemorates the

sacrifice of soldiers and

sailors of France who gave

their lives for the cause of

American independence.

John F. E. Hillen, A Battle Two Miles West of Atlanta, 1864. Graphite, brown ink, and brownwash on wove paper.

February 5 Seminar. St. John’s tutor DavidTownsend and artist Ebby Malmgren will lead aseminar related to the exhibition at 7 p.m.Space is limited. Call 410-626-2556 to register.

February 7 Book Club. Join theMitchell Gallery Book Club for adocent tour of the “David Hayes”exhibition followed by a discussion ofThe Architecture of Happiness, led bysculptor Burton Blistein, from 2:30 to4:30 p.m. Registration is required.Contact Kathy Dulisse at 410-626-2530.

February 10 Sunday Afternoon Tour.Join Art Educator Lucinda Edinberg at 3 p.m.

Caritas Society Events

For more than 40 years, Caritas Societymembers have promoted relationshipsbetween St. John’s College and thelarger Annapolis community whileraising financial aid funds for St. John’sundergraduates who cannot meetcollege expenses. Caritas members andinvited guests gather monthly forluncheon programs (reservations arerequired). Annual fundraisers and otherspecial events are open to the public.For membership information, visit

www.stjohnscollege.edu and click on “Friends,”then “Caritas Society.” For event reservations,send checks payable to “Caritas Society,” POBox 2800, Annapolis, MD 21404-2800. Forinformation: 410-972-4505;caritassocietysjc@gmail.com.

A MID-WINTER JOHNNIE TRADITION:

BEGONE, DULL CARE!

How do Johnnies beat the winter blues? They sing and play music. More than

two decades ago, Annapolis tutor Eva Brann, while serving as dean, proposed

“Begone, Dull Care!” an eclectic, high-spirited performance in the Great Hall

to cheer up the community during the long stretch between winter and

spring breaks. This year’s “Begone, Dull Care!” will be held on February 17 at

2 p.m.

“Every year we each bring songs to the group that we would like to do,”

says Annapolis tutor Judy Seeger, a regular “Begone, Dull Care!” performer

along with her husband, Tony Seeger. Also performing at this year’s event are

St. John’s tutors Chester Burke, Henry Higuera, Jonathan Tuck, and Emily

Langston. “We try to include as many songs as we can with choruses that

others can sing,” says Seeger. The music varies every year, ranging from Dylan,

the Beatles, and Pete Seeger (Tony Seeger’s uncle, incidentally) to Woody

Guthrie and old union hymns, to political songs and self-penned parodies.

Visit us on the Web

At www.stjohnscollege.edu,

you can find detailed

information on college

events and educational

programs, download a

walking tour of campus,

and get directions, maps,

and general college news.

Visit the Graduate Institute

page to learn more about

the college’s Master of Arts

in Liberal Arts program.

Find out which books are

on the college’s reading list.

Preview Mitchell Gallery

exhibitions. Check the

operating hours for the

Greenfield Library and the

college bookstore, both

open to the public.

St. John’s College also

makes many of its facilities

available for rent for

weddings and other

special events.

David Hayes, “Untitled,” no date, painted welded steel.

December 14 Holiday Luncheon andProgram. José-Luis Novo, music director andconductor of the Annapolis SymphonyOrchestra, will comment on his artistic vision,programming, and collaboration with guestartists. Members and guests are welcome.Cost: $25. Reservations required. Forinformation: Pat Atherton, 410-849-8691;atherton6@verizon.net. Randall Hall DiningRoom at 11:30 a.m.

January 24 Luncheon and Program. LeoPickens, director of Alumni Relations, St. John’sCollege, Annapolis, will give a talk, “WhereHave All the Johnnies Gone? A Celebration ofthe 75th anniversary of the New Program atSt. John’s College.” Members and guests arewelcome. Cost: $25. Reservations required.For information: Pat Atherton, 410-849-8691;atherton6@verizon.net. Francis Scott KeyLobby at 11:30 a.m.

Save the Date!

March 2 Capitol Steps Fundraiser. The CapitolSteps perform a lively review of political satire,song parodies, and skits inspired by local issuesand newsmakers. The performance is followedby a champagne reception with the cast.Proceeds benefit Caritas grants for St. John’sCollege students in need. Francis Scott KeyAuditorium at 8 p.m. Ticket information:Caritas Society, 410-972-4505;caritassocietysjc@gmail.com.

April 6 In Vino Veritas. A spectacular winetasting event, the third annual In Vino Veritasfeatures more than 100 wines grouped byregion, as well as lectures and hands-onworkshops that showcase St. John’s alumnivintners and their wines. More information:Kathy Dulisse, 410-626-2530.

May 29 Join us for the opening of the MitchellGallery’s first national juried exhibition, “Less isMore: Small Works in a Great Space,” from 7to 9 p.m.  All items in the exhibition will be forsale; this will be the first opportunity for thepublic to purchase the wide array of two- andthree-dimensional works. More information:410-626-2556.

The Calendar of Eventsis published by theCommunications Office duringthe academic year.

All events are held at St. John’s College60 College AvenueAnnapolis, Maryland.

For more information call the Communications Office at 410-626-2539.

Gregory Shook, editorgregory.shook@sjca.edu

Jennifer Behrensart director

St. John’s College does not discriminatein appointments, conditions ofemployment, admissions, educationalpolicy, financial aid programs, athletics,or other activities on the basis of race,religion, age, sex, national origin, color,disability and/or handicap, sexualorientation, or other characteristicsprotected by any applicable federal,state or local law.

In its early years the performance was an

impromptu affair held in the Pendulum

Pit in Mellon Hall. There have been many

memorable moments through the years

of “Begone, Dull Care!” “One time we

had no power in the Great Hall and

discovered this at 12:30 on the day of

the concert,” says Tuck. “Henry Higuera’s

electric bass and Chester Burke’s pedal-

steel guitar were therefore inoperative.

Chester got an old 12-string from his

closet and Henry rearranged the bass

parts for it on the fly. These are

amazingly talented people.”

—Babak Zarin (A11)

Get St. John’s News and

Event Announcements

by E-mail

Would you prefer to get the St. John’s Calendar of Events by e-mail? Send a note withyour e-mail address to:calendar@sjca.edu. You willbe removed from the mailinglist for the print calendar andwill instead receive thecalendar by e-mail.

L>Mless is more

small works in a great space

P.O. Box 2800Annapolis, Maryland 21404

Non-profit org.U.S. Postage

PAIDAnnapolis, MDPermit No. 120

10 THINGS TO DO AT

ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE

IN HISTORIC

ANNAPOLIS

Concerts: Attend a performance in

the St. John’s College Concert Series.

Theater: Attend a play performed

by St. John’s student thespians, The

King William Players.

Executive Seminars: Busy

professionals meet once a month in

tutor-led seminars to explore

timeless readings and questions.

Walking Tour: Relive history by

taking a self-guided tour of the

campus grounds, buildings, and

monuments.

Fine Arts Workshops: Paint, sculpt,

and write by enrolling in Continuing

Education and Fine Arts (CEFA)

classes. Classes begin February 9.

Saturday Seminars: Read and

discuss great works with friends and

colleagues during this annual event,

held this year on February 16.

Graduate Institute: Earn a masters

of liberal arts through part-time or

full-time graduate study based on the

principles of the St. John’s

undergraduate program.

Mitchell Gallery: Explore world-

class traveling museum exhibitions,

curator talks, receptions, and hands-

on activities.

Caritas Society: Join community

members who host special events

each year to raise funds for students

in need.

On March 2 Caritas Society presents

the musical comedy troupe, The

Capitol Steps.

Formal Lectures: Join the college

community for Friday night lectures

on topics that relate to the program

of study.

www.stjohnscollege.edu

The next Calendar of Events will be

mailed in January 2013.