From a symphony performance in Philadelphia to a special look at New Jersey’s Adventure Aquarium, Penn State’s alumni and faculty stars will headline six City Lights events from February through May.
To register for a City Lights event or to find out more information on each, including cost, program schedules and speaker biographies, visit the Alumni Association’s website at alumni.psu.edu/events.
City Lights is presented by the Penn State Alumni Association and sponsored by The Village at Penn State.
“A Night at the Symphony”Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia5:30 to 8 p.m. Feb. 1, followed by symphony performance (included)In partnership with the Division of Development and Alumni Relations and the College of Arts and ArchitectureExperience Philadelphia’s world-class Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts with Maureen Carr, distinguished professor of music at Penn State. She will examine the compositional process and inspiration of three pieces by Eastern European composers, to be performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra following her presentation: Smetana, “The Moldau”; Bartók, Piano Concerto No. 3; and Dvorak Symphony No. 6.
“Lincoln’s Second Inaugural and the Meaning of the Civil War”National Civil War Museum, Harrisburg, Pa.6 to 9:30 p.m. March 6Explore the impressive National Civil War Museum with historian Jeffry Wert, Class of 1976, who’ll take you through Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, delivered nearly 150 years ago on March 4, 1865. Considered the shortest — yet finest — of all presidential inaugural addresses, Lincoln’s words gave meaning to our country’s watershed event.
“From the Pentagon to the Podium”National Press Club, Washington, D.C.6 to 9:30 p.m. March 27In partnership with Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and TechnologyVisit Washington, D.C.’s National Press Club, where global leaders convene and news happens every day. Retired Marine Cobra pilot Jake Graham will take you on his journey from the Pentagon’s halls to Penn State’s podium. Learn about Graham’s Analytic Decision Game, which he developed as a pedagogical approach to teaching security and risk analysis.
“Past, Present, Future: Baseball and the Media”PNC Park, Pittsburgh6 to 9:30 p.m. April 16Enjoy the scenic vistas from PNC Park, an intimate, classic-style ballpark that embraces Pittsburgh’s progressiveness while saluting the spirit of early ballparks. Marie Hardin will explain how baseball in the United States was key to the rise of modern sports journalism. Journalists, in turn, influenced the way the game is played and understood by fans, leading to a symbiotic relationship between baseball and the media.
“Behind the Seams on Broadway”The Pershing Square Signature Theatre, New York City7:30 to 10 p.m. May 12In exclusive partnership with Penn State’s College of Arts and ArchitectureEnter the world of renowned costume designer Carrie Robbins, Class of 1964 and her work of 40 years for Broadway, theatre, opera and ballet. Find out why Robbins has been ahead of the curve in technology in her field, as she shares visual aids, slideshows and actual garments. The new Frank Gehry-designed Pershing Square Signature Center and its Alice Griffin Jewelbox Theatre provide an unparalleled and intimate setting for this unique program.
“Adventures in Aquatic Animal Care”Adventure Aquarium, Camden, N.J.9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. May 31, followed by aquarium access (included) In partnership with Penn State AbingtonHow can you do surgery on a fish, draw blood from a hippo or remove coins swallowed by a penguin? Take part in a family-friendly day at the Adventure Aquarium and gaze upon a 550,000-gallon Shark Realm exhibit with more than 20 sharks, as former Adventure Aquarium chief veterinarian Donald Stremme, Class of 1971 captures the imagination with interesting, odd and funny aquatic animal care stories. The aquarium is the fifth largest in the country, the only one in the world to exhibit hippos and one of only two in the country to exhibit a hammerhead shark.