Read details of the winning evening, and see a photo of Liz with the ball that marks this milestone.

PPA Trivia Night Is Here!
On Saturday, February 4, the Principia Parents Association hosts an enjoyable night of competition and conversation. All funds raised support PPA activities that benefit the School. This year’s event will also feature a silent auction of unique services or products offered by Principia community members. The fun begins at 6 p.m.

Upper Schoolers Celebrate Our World—February 6–10
International Week kicks off on Monday, February 6, with a chapel talk by Principia College senior Nina Francisco. In her role as Miss Angola-USA 2011, Nina worked tirelessly to draw attention to the needs of educating Africa’s youth, especially girls. Each day of the week will focus on the countries and cultures represented by Upper School’s diverse student body; activities include geography quizzes, displays, and demonstrations. The week will end with the traditional Friday-night event, where dances—and delectable snacks—from around the world will be shared.

Choir Concert at Ridgway on February 11
Upper School singers will present a “bistro” choir concert that is sure to delight all with favorites old and new. The program begins at 8.00 p.m. in Ridgway Auditorium.

Shakespeare and other Dramatic Delights—February 17 & 18

• Middle School students in the Shake It Up Shakespeare class, taught by the redoubtable duo of Becky Stevens and Holly Morris, will be staging an action- and laughter-filled Twelfth Night on February 17. Their peers, part of Mike McMullin’s hands-on stagecraft class, will be in charge of the scenes behind the scenes. How’s that for experiential learning exemplified? See them in the Lower School Gym beginning at 7:00 p.m.

• Upper schoolers in the Advanced Theatre Arts class will be performing monologues, duologues, and a three-person scene in the Drama Workshop. There will be two performances of the show, February 17 and 18, in the Drama Workshop, starting at 8 p.m. each night.

Feb 11
Winter Festival Alumni Games
Crafton Center and Hay Field House
Men’s and women’s swimming, diving, and basketball teams take on alumni athletes throughout the day. At 4 p.m. in Wanamaker Hall, All-American basketball player, Division I College Coach, and motivational speaker Greg White talks about achieving success in athletics and all aspects of life.

Feb 14
St. Louis New Jazz Concert
Davis Music Hall, 7:30–8:30 p.m.
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with an exciting concert of original jazz compositions and standards. From 6–7:15 p.m., visiting jazz artists present a workshop for members of the Principia Jazz Ensemble. Come and watch or bring your instrument and sit in.

Feb 17–18
Men’s and Women’s Swimming & Diving Liberal Arts Championships
Crafton Center, 10–6 p.m.
Visit the College athletic website for details.

Feb 18
SPEAK for Women 2012
Davis Black Box, 7–8:30 p.m.
Don’t miss the College’s 4th annual SPEAK for Women event. SPEAK stands for Students of Principia for Education, Awareness, and Kindness for Women. In this performance event, women and men come together to present poetry, monologues, music, scenes, and dance pieces addressing challenges women face worldwide and to share gratitude for the progress being made. This performance is not intended for children under 13.

Feb 23
Orchestra Concert
Cox Auditorium, 7:30–8:30 p.m.
The College orchestra presents a special performance of Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A Minor.

Feb 24
Monitor Night Live
Wanamaker Hall, 7:30–9:30 p.m.
Christian Science Monitor editor John Yemma moderates another thought-provoking panel presentation by senior Monitor correspondents in a discussion of breaking news and current events. Audience members will be invited to participate in a lively question and answer forum.

Feb 25
Whole World Festival
Wanamaker Hall, 7–10:30 p.m.
All are welcome at this campus-wide multicultural celebration organized and led by Principia’s international students.

March 1–3
Spring Theatre Production of Almost, Maine
Davis Theatre, 7:30–10 p.m.
This touching, funny, tender, honest, and sweet look at the emotional duality of love is comprised of eight vignettes, all of which take place in the fictional town of Almost during Maine’s magical midwinter season. The performance is appropriate for all ages.

Amuka was one of four nominees from the College chosen to compete at this year’s festival. Each was selected based on his or her performance in last spring’s musical production of A Tale of Two Cities and/or this fall’s Pericles. Hunter Hoffman competed with partner Jordan Zwick; Kendra Scott (a December graduate) with partner Kyle Whitney; Ben Frederick with partner Dana Gaubatz; and Jay Amuka with his partner, Lila Morse. The run of Pericles wrapped up in late November, with the performances evaluated and the nominees chosen and announced the final night of the show. But the tight timing didn’t prove to be any limitation to Amuka or his fellow Principia actors.

All four nominees and their respective partners performed scenes in the first round, competing against 300 college actors from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Jay and Lila made it to the second round of 32 competitors, during which they performed two scenes—one from Neil LaBute’s Some Girls and the death scene from Shakespeare’s Othello. From there, the duo moved on to the final round of just 16 nominees, making Amuka Principia’s first finalist in the ACTF regional competition! In the finals, they repeated the scenes and Jay performed an additional monologue from Charge by Eric Kaiser, presenting a full six minutes of dramatic material.

Yes, Amuka admitted, the experience was “tense and a bit nerve-wracking” at times. “We didn’t have mics and it was a huge place,” he shared. “My biggest fear was that they wouldn’t be able to hear us.” Theatre professors Chrissy Steele and Trish Schmit were instrumental in helping the actors relax and focus on what was most important. “Trish reminded us, ‘You’re not here to impress, or even to compete. You’re here to show your work and enjoy it all. Just listen and respond,’” Amuka recalled.

As a result, Amuka said, “The process was beautiful and harmonious. That’s the beauty of the theatre department. We’re like a big family, always supporting each other. And I was especially grateful to have Lila as my partner.”

What was the highlight of being a finalist at this prestigious competition? Amuka shared, “One of the judges said I reminded him of a young Sidney Poitier. Now, that was amazing!”

Love, loss, airport layovers—you name it, our students had something to say about it. One could only marvel at the dedicated effort (and editing) that went into crystallizing into just a few sparkling minutes the myriad thoughts, experiences, and communication styles found among our large and diverse senior class.

The task of guiding the students was ably and joyfully taken on by English teachers Nancy Heimerl and Steven Henn, who are familiar with the challenges the students face—starting with defining a topic. “We spend considerable time discovering what it is they want to write about,” says Henn.  “And then we focus on what the ‘take away’ message of each speech should be.” He and Heimerl aim to support students’ expectant listening for right ideas and to alleviate a feeling of pressure or of having to force a topic to work.

Of course, the biggest hurdle for many students is the fear of speaking in front of a large group. And this year, as always, they “met this challenge head on, and made some wonderful demonstrations,” Henn observes. With teachers ready to share an inspiring idea—such as Moses overcoming his own fear of “public speaking”—that is not surprising.

By far, gratitude for the role and contribution of family members and of the School topped the list of topics. Listeners were captivated by our students’ memories of childhood homes and holiday traditions, by their ability to overcome extremely challenging situations—such as the loss of a home in a fire or the passing of a young friend—and by their witty observations about family members, friends, and Principia staff and faculty.

The spiritual and character growth from participating in sports and artistic endeavors was wonderfully illustrated time and again as well—one of the deepest lessons being how to learn from failure or challenge. And occasionally, to laughter, a few students acknowledged that, perhaps, just perhaps, mom or dad does sometimes know best.

Watch the video about this year’s Senior Speeches.

That question kept members of a College leadership study group talking late into the night this past semester. Besides being larger-than-life film characters, these on-screen fictional heroes (and antiheroes) proved to be great discussion starters about the qualities—or essence—of leadership.

David Wold, director of Principia’s Leadership Institute, came up with the idea to organize a Leadership in Film group as a novel way to explore leadership concepts that don’t normally present themselves through more conventional activities. Interested students applied to participate; ten were selected and met every two weeks to hash out vital components of leadership including motivation, likeability, decision-making style, influence, and effectiveness. Of course, it all boils down to the essential question: would you follow this leader—into battle, after a prison break, or even to the world’s end?

In case you’re tempted to think a pirate, boy wizard, ranger turned fantasy king, or unjustly imprisoned and persecuted banker have little to do with real-life leaders, consider what influence they may have on our collective cultural ideas about positive and negative leadership. For instance, is it okay to break some rules as long as your motives are pure? Is it acceptable to manipulate others as long as they benefit in the end? Should a leader focus on accomplishing a task, taking care of people, or fulfilling an ideal? You get the idea—along with millions of viewers worldwide.

While movie watching is mostly a passive activity, participating in the leadership group was not. Sophomore Sierra Powell explained how the activities helped her think more deeply not only about leadership qualities but also about “how best to act on them.” She described her new inclination to “constantly evaluate the qualities, leadership styles, and achievements I see in the people around me, as well as in the books I read and the movies I watch. It makes me question what we are really holding in our thought as ‘the best.’ ” Abbie Steckler, also a sophomore, found it fascinating to analyze movies from the perspective of leadership. She commented, “You realize you’re subconsciously forming opinions about how a leader should look and act. In many ways, heroes in movies are unrealistic, and yet we hold our societal leaders to that standard. I’m excited to explore this subject further.”

The group will continue meeting this semester with each member bringing his or her nominees for “the best leaders in film.” From this list, the group will work to create a ranking of on-screen leaders and explore their qualities in more depth.

Later this semester, the Leadership Institute will team up with professor Jeff Steele to offer a workshop on leadership and the principles of improvisation, open to all interested students. The Institute will also present Quiet Time talks by professors Mike Hamilton, on leaders in the Bible, and Brad Stock, on Mrs. Eddy as a leader. Looking forward to next fall, Wold is planning a new program called Leadership Across Borders, exploring how leadership—and leaders themselves—differ from culture to culture.

To learn more about the range of leadership training opportunities currently available to College students and plans for future expansion, listen to a recent Principia Chat featuring David Wold.

Although communications technology and media are evolving faster than ever—think podcasts, e-readers, streaming, social media, the cloud, and more—the principles upon which effective communication rests remain the same. And Principia students have been exploring and mastering these principles for 100 years with the guidance of exceptional faculty members (including eight emeriti faculty). Our current English and mass comm professors are published writers and poets, sought-after speakers, and communications professionals.

As senior and creative writing student Brent Gaudette discovered his love and talent for writing as a freshman in a short fiction class, he also discovered how special Principia’s teachers are. He recalls, “My English teachers just have an air of competency about them. They each bring unique perspectives and so much experience. I’ve learned about the art of writing, conventions, literature . . . . They’ve pushed me to be my best.”

Let’s meet today’s professors.

English

The chair of the English Department, Dr. Elizabeth Toohey, teaches film, gender studies, and U.S. and postcolonial literature. Toohey also reviews books for The Christian Science Monitor in the areas of film studies, women’s studies, and American culture, and she writes, presents, and is currently teaching an upper division class on the impact of 9/11 on Hollywood films.

Dr. Lynn Horth, a professor at Principia since 1992, has chaired the English Department and recently worked to restructure the Writing Program to support the innovative General Education curriculum, with its emphasis on critical and creative thinking, which is now being put in place at the College. Horth is a world-renowned expert on Herman Melville, so much so that she is regularly asked to authenticate objects from his life—from personal letters to his writing desk. She co-edited Melville’s Journals, published in 1989, and edited Melville’s Correspondence, published in 1993, which contains more than 40 previously unknown Melville letters.

Embracing a cross-disciplinary professional practice, Dinah Ryan is a fiction writer, critic of contemporary art and visual culture, and an independent curator. She is a contributing editor for Art Papers Magazine and has been a fiction Fellow three times at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. Professor Ryan developed and instituted Principia’s creative writing track in the English major and led the Prague Abroad this past spring. Students on the abroad had unique opportunities to explore connections between creativity, critical thought, and responsible citizenship through creative writing, studio art, and the study of modernist and contemporary Czech literature.

Dr. Heidi Snow’s research spans three centuries of British literature, from the Renaissance through the Victorian era, with the Romantic period as her area of specialization. Her publications focus primarily on the writings of William Wordsworth, particularly the intersection of religion and poverty throughout his poetry. Before joining the faculty, Snow served as an editor for the Christian Science Sentinel and held various writing positions at The First Church of Christ, Scientist in Boston, Massachusetts. This fall, Snow was one of the faculty advisers for the England Abroad, traveling with students to London and Stratford to explore Shakespeare’s work as literature and theatre.

Mass Communication

In the Mass Communication Department, chair George Cooke brings nearly 30 years of experience in film, video production, and photography to his work with Principia students. He’s a three-time winner of the Creative Excellence Award from the U.S. Industrial Film and Video Festival and winner of a Silver Cindy Award from the Association of Visual Communicators in Los Angeles.

Paul Van Slambrouck joined Principia’s faculty in 2011. Van Slambrouck served as editor of The Christian Science Monitor from 2001–2005, after working as a national and foreign correspondent, as well as foreign editor, in both print and radio. As a member of the San Jose Mercury News staff from 1989–1997, Van Slambrouck was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.

Fortunately, you don’t have to be a current Principia student to take a class from Professor Van Slambrouck. From March 26–April 16, he will be teaching an online course entitled Mary Baker Eddy and the Founding of The Christian Science Monitor. Principia Lifelong Learning is offering the course; registration begins February 15. Read the full course description.

Prior to coming to the College in 2010, Paul Wesman worked for more than 20 years in the field of corporate communications—as director of communications for an international consulting firm, industry researcher, writer, photographer, video producer, speech consultant supporting the work of Christian Science lecturers, and radio newscaster and features editor for the World Service of The Christian Science Monitor.

Also new to the Mass Comm faculty, Joan Wesman comes to Principia from her work as a producer for NPR’s Fresh Air program with Terry Gross. Before that, she served as part of a government delegation sent to South Africa to train new radio journalists to cover democratic elections in their country. Wesman also worked as an associate producer for the World Service of The Christian Science Monitor, and she has taught English in Paris, France, as well.

You’re invited to peek inside the doors of today’s English and mass communication classes in this month’s In Pictures.

The recent series of “etiquette dinners” for Upper and Middle School students is just one piece in the wider mosaic of social graces that faculty, staff, and parents aim to develop and reinforce level by level, year by year. The senior speeches delivered in Ridgway are another element, epitomizing the skill of public speaking and the development of quiet confidence that are so valued in the working world. In a similar vein, seventh and eighth grade students have been honing their communication and listening skills by preparing and delivering speeches to peers and parents. Learning to pay attention to speakers for 30 to 40 minutes at a stretch without fidgeting and whispering isn’t easy, as most of these students would testify!

“We’d like our students to feel comfortable in any setting—from dinner with the president, to a business dinner, to the most informal social occasion,” Upper School Student Events Coordinator Connie Dennett notes. Events like the recent “Meal of Fortune”—a semi-formal dinner where juniors participated in a game-show style quiz on points of etiquette—provide a gentle reminder of the joy of “being considerate of others and not drawing attention to oneself in negative ways,” Dennett says.

Parents appear grateful for Principia’s help cultivating students’ poise and attentiveness. The mother of a senior, who has watched her sons and their friends sometimes grumble, but always grow, through these experiences, appreciates the opportunities they provide for “the expression of grace and composure and for giving. The kids panic at first, but they later realize these are great opportunities for getting to know people they may otherwise not have sought out.”

In fact, on a daily basis Principia’s classrooms, dorms, and athletic venues offer dozens of opportunities to practice consideration. In the younger classes, manners may often be a simple matter of remembering to say “please” and “thank you,” but they are grounded in the Golden Rule, which teachers in our Early Childhood program establish as the foundation for children’s interactions.

In Lower and Middle School, the increasing inclusion of project-based learning—where students work in pairs or small groups to obtain information and solve problems—requires young people to communicate and collaborate effectively and respectfully. Teachers regularly help students themselves identify and understand how too much chatter, arguing, or ignoring each other’s views can lead to complications or delays in their project work.

So, yes, by the time Principia students graduate, they know which fork to use when—or, if in doubt, to follow what the host and hostess do! But they also know that courtesy is not just an affect donned for special occasions but “the result of real love for others,” as the quote noted above goes on to explain.