The seventh annual Penn State Alumni Association City Lights cultural and educational program series will kick off Feb. 12 with “Behind the Music: The Essence of Joy Choirs,” a presentation and concert at The Princeton Club in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.
Anthony Leach, associate professor of music/music education and choir director at Penn State, will give participants a backstage look at the dynamics of a choir and how a director infuses energy and inventiveness into choral music. The program also will feature performances of sacred and secular music from the African and African-American tradition by the Essence of Joy Alumni Singers. This special City Lights program begins at 1 p.m., with a reception and lunch.
The cost for this first City Lights event is $60 for Alumni Association members, $75 for non-members and $25 for children between the ages of 6 and 18 (children 5 and younger are free). For more information, or to register, visit http://www.alumni.psu.edu/events online.
The rest of the 2011 City Lights schedule is:
-- March 3, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.: “The Inside Scoop: A White House Reporter’s Story” by Penn State alumnus Ben Feller, chief White House correspondent for The Associated Press; co-sponsored by the Penn State College of Communications;
-- March 26, at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston: “To Infinity and Beyond: Defining the Human Limits of Space Exploration” by Jim Pawelczyk, Penn State alumnus, astronaut and associate professor of physiology and kinesiology; co-sponsored by the Penn State Eberly College of Science;
-- April 30, at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia: “The Naked Truth: Why Humans Have No Fur” by Nina Jablonski, Penn State professor and head of the Department of Anthropology;
-- May 12, at the ToonSeum in Pittsburgh: “From Comic Books to Hollywood: Superheroes at the Box Office” by Matt McAllister, Penn State professor of communications; and
-- May 21, at Gettysburg National Park in Gettysburg, Pa.: “The Battle of Gettysburg’s Courage, Carnage, and Commemoration” by Carol Reardon, the George Winfree professor of American history at Penn State.
City Lights engages Penn State alumni with programs that include lectures by Penn State professors and expert alumni on current topics, coupled with a social/networking aspect.
The Penn State Alumni Association works with alumni affiliate groups on City Lights events. Participating chapters include: Annapolis; Binghamton, N.Y.; Centre County, Pa.; Chester County, Pa.; New York City; Philadelphia; Potomac Valley, Md.; and The Woodlands, Texas. Participating college alumni societies include: Arts and Architecture, Communications, Engineering, Health and Human Development, and Smeal College of Business. Participating campus alumni societies include: Abington, Altoona, Behrend, Hazleton, Lehigh Valley, Penn State Dickinson School of Law and York. Additional groups include the African-American Alumni Organization of Metro Washington, D.C.; Alumni Admissions Volunteer Program; Essence of Joy Alumni Singers; Professional Women’s Network of Metro Washington, D.C.; and Smeal Business Club of Philadelphia.
All City Lights events require preregistration and are open to Penn State alumni and friends. Ticket prices vary, although members receive a discount. To register, or for more information, including exact times and prices for each event, go to http://www.alumni.psu.edu/events or call 800-548-LION (5466), option 0.