Planned Activities and Events
Today’s Lincoln: The 16th President in Popular Culture
Lecture by Marcy May and Leslie Lindenauer, WCSU History Department, Monday, November 9, 2009, 2:30pm, Warner Hall Lyceum.
Digital film:
Students from the fall 2009 COM 274, Television Workshop class will create a short digital film documenting some area(s) of Abraham Lincoln’s legacy. This class is a workshop on the application of creative, technical and management skills to television, video, and digital film production. Although student input from the class will inform the final production, resources such as still images, artifacts, interviews, coverage of related events, approach, style, target audience and distribution /presentation possibilities will be explored and implemented. (Organizer: JC Barone, Communications baronej@wcsu.edu )
The meaning of Lincoln in contemporary American culture:
This project will explore the intersection of the historical and mythical Lincoln, analyzing his life and legacy through the lens of popular culture and American memory. Students in survey courses (History 148 and 149) and historiography (History 350), and in Danbury High School Advanced Placement courses will study Lincoln’s life and then examine historical memory and popular culture. They will write or create a graded essay/project both at the beginning and the end of their study of Lincoln and his place in American culture. During that study, they will also solicit Lincoln memorabilia, such as film, video, musical and other treatments of Lincoln, objects, printed material, or advertisements, as well as oral histories or recollections. Written submissions will be categorized; physical objects will be accessioned. This may be an appropriate part of the project for the public history student internship.
Students will assess the material in class discussions and in written exercises. Members from all participating classes will meet to review material and findings. In Summer 2009, an exhibit of material will be prepared, to be shown in Fall 2009. Faculty and teacher participants complete an article on the project for the journal The History Teacher. (Organizers: Martha May and Leslie Lindenauer, History mmay89@gmail.com lindenauerl@wcsu.edu )
Habeas Corpus and its suspension in the Civil War era and in the present:
A panel discussion on the right of habeas corpus, and government suspensions of that right, in international perspective. A comparison of Lincoln’s suspension and its effect with similar actions in contemporary Latin America and the post-9/11 U.S. will take place, with questions and comments from the audience. (Organizer: Joshua Rosenthal rosenthalj@wcsu.edu )
Coffeehouse presentation: Songs from Lincoln’s time:
A Thursday evening Coffeehouse presentation of music of Lincoln's time. Songs might include: Aura Lee, Oh Susannah, Beautiful Dreamer, Camptown Races, Lincoln and Liberty, Amazing Grace, Eternal Father, When Johnny Comes Marching Homes to name a few. (Organizer: Walter Cramer cramerw@wcsu.edu )
Political Fight Night at Westside Campus Center:
One night in this monthly series will be devoted to discussing (and fighting over) this idea: “If Lincoln were alive today, he’d be a Democrat.” (organizer: Chris Kukk kukkc@wcsu.edu )
Dramatic reading:
An unstaged reading of excerpts from “Mr. Lincoln,” a new play by Thomas Klingenstein. (organizer: Karen Wright wrightk@wcsu.edu )
Women’s History Month presentation
Professor Leah Stambler will create a research based PowerPoint presentation about the role of Northern and Southern women in the Civil War, to be delivered in March during Women's History Month. The PowerPoint presentation will be put on the Library website for public viewing. Students in ED 420, Social Studies in the Elementary School, will produce project tasks that will be presented in an educational "Share Fair." In addition, students in ED 206, Introduction to Education, will perform project tasks focused on education issues during the Lincoln administration. These also will be included in the "Share Fair." (Organizer: Leah Stambler, Education stamblerl@wcsu.edu )
Moments to Remember from Lincoln’s Life
A series of reader’s theater scripts researched and written by students in Dr. Darla Shaw’s ED 440, Integrated Language Arts Class. Scripts will be distributed to Danbury Elementary Schools for use during the month of February. They have also been recorded and will be played during the week of Feb. 12 on the WCSU Radio Station. Children’s books on Lincoln may also be put on display in Haas library during February. (Organizer: Darla Shaw, Education shawd@wcsu.edu )
“Mr. Lincoln”
Lecture and readings from a new play, featuring the playwright, Thomas Klingenstein, 12 noon, Wednesday, April 29, Alumni Hall
“Gender and the Sectional Crisis”
Lecture by Dr. Nina Silber, Department of History, Boston University, 3:00pm, Monday, May 4, Alumni Hall
--and more to come!
