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Humanities
 
 
Cultural Events
 
The Humanities Program provides us with an opportunity to study the achievements of past cultures and to consider, in the main, the highpoints of their artistic, societal, and cultural achievements. We benefit by studying the record of past cultural successes and failures and can trace the evidence of our forebears' struggles to understand their place in the universe down through the ages to our own moment in time.
 
The humanities focuses on the art, literature, architecture, and the social and religious activities of the peoples that created our Western tradition. All of our present-day institutions are built on the foundations that we will spend the next two semesters examining. Though not the only source of our intellectual, political, and social vitality, we are strongly connected to a relentless, western cultural flow that is featured in our syllabus.
 
To better understand our dependence on the humanistic legacy of the past, it is appropriate for all of us to experience the richness of our present culture and to reflect on its connections to the humanistic traditions of the past. In addition to in-class activity, Humanities students are expected to attend three campus or community cultural events with Humanities-related content.
 
For each chosen event, students will:
  • arrive on time and stay until the end of the event;
  • write a 250-300 word written response to the event.
The written response should (1) provide the name of the event and where and when it took place; (2) a description of the highlights of the performance/presentation; and (3) a statement on how material presented relates to our study of the Humanities (for example, you might comment on how a work of art, music, or literature reflects that specific characteristics of a period we have studied).
 
Finally, the written response must be submitted to your instructor within two class meeting days from the date of the event. There are several starting points - generally in the West Michigan area - that can serve to provide us with at least three cultural experiences during the course of this semester.
 
The following is the Cultural Events Calendar for the 2007 fall semester:
Date/Time Event Location/Additional Information
Sept. 6-22

Pippin

A musical by Stephen Schwartz and Roger O. Hirson

Circle Theatre

Aquinas College Performing Arts Center

8 pm, Tickets $24

Sept. 14-15

Grand Rapids Symphony

David Lockington, Conductor

Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 2

Barber's Adagio for Strings

Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring

DeVos Performance Hall, 8 pm

Students are eligible for the $5 Student Passport

Click here for more information

Other tickets $11-60

Sept. 20

Jack Driscoll,

Award-winning Poet

Wege Ballroom; FREE! 7:30 pm

Part of the Aquinas College Contemporary Writers Series

Sept. 28-29

Oct. 4-7

 Shakespeare's Cymbeline

Grand Valley State University's Performing Arts Center; Allendale Campus

Sept. 28-29 and Oct. 4-6: 7:30 pm, Sept. 29-30 and Oct. 7: 2pm

Student tickets $6, general admission $14, alumni/faculty/staff/seniors $12

Oct. 4

Elaine Pagels: Adam, Eve and the Serpent

Fountain Street Church

FREE!

Presented by the West Michigan Women's Studies Council

Oct 5-6

Grand Rapids Symphony

David Lockington, Conductor

Dvorak's New World Symphony

DeVos Performance Hall, 8 pm

Students are eligible for the $5 Student Passport

Click here for more information

Other tickets $11-60

Oct. 20

Heritage Theater Group's

A Medieval Celebration

J.D. Reardon's 940 Monroe Ave.

Nobility tickets $50, Groundling tickets $20

616-459-2787 to reserve tickets

Nov. 1

Tom Lynch,

poet and essayist

Wege Ballroom; FREE! 7:30 pm

Part of the Aquinas College Contemporary Writers Series

Nov. 1-3 & 8-10

Godspell

A musical by Stephen Schwartz

Calvin College Gezon Theatre, 8:00 PM

$5-$15

November 2 & 3

Bizet's Carmen

Opera Grand Rapids


DeVos Performance Hall
7:30 pm

Tickets start at $20, but students may be able to see the final dress rehearsal for free or get $10 rush tickets the day of performance.

November 28-30 & December 1 & 2.

The Arabian Nights

A fantasy adapted by Mary Zimmerman

Aquinas College Performing Arts Center

8pm and a 2pm matinee Dec 2.

January 10

Brown Bag Lecture Series: Kathy Malinovska

Wege Center: Loutit Room

12:30 pm

Free!
January 25

Music from the New World

A benefit concert with proceeds going to the Rupert Kettle Scholarship fund, feauturing Aquinas students, faculty, and friends.

Kretschmer Recital Hall

Tickets: $5 Students, $10 Adults

February 13

Sounding the Celestial Spheres

Feauturing the Medieval chant trio Vox Angelica

Kretschmer Recital Hall

7:30 pm

Free!
February 10

Aquinas College Chorus Concert featuring Aquinas Faculty and Students

 

Kretschmer Recital Hall

4:00 pm

Free!
February 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24

"The Misanthrope"

A classic comedy by Moliere

Performing Arts Center

February 15, 16, 22, 23 at 8:00 pm

February 17 and 14 at 2:00 pm

Tickets: $12 general, $6 Marywood, Faculty, Seniors, $4 Students with ID

March 16

Spring Choral Concert

Featuring the College Choruse, Chamber Choir, and Valenti Handbell Ensemble

Kretschmer Recital Hall

4:00 pm

Free
March 18

Women Composers Aquinas Lecture Series

Wege Ballroom

12:30 pm

Free

March 30

College Band and Chamber Strings in Concert

Kretschmer Recital Hall

4:00 pm

Free

 
You are free to individually choose at least three activities from the following area institutions:
Grand Rapids Web links to Cultural Institutions:
Other Entertainment Sources...
  • The Saint, formerly the AQ Times (published twice monthly during the academic year)
  • Grand Rapids Press Weekend Magazine (available in the Grand Rapids Press every Thursday)
1607 Robinson Road S.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49506-1799 - (616) 632-8900
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