Celebrating 80 Years of Service to LIU

Arts & Entertainment
Resnick Gallery Celebrates Women’s History Month
LIU ushered in Women’s History Month with the
Women in Science exhibit displayed in the Nathan
Resnick Gallery.
Incredible women such as Dorothy Crowfoot
Hodgkin, Grace Murray Hopper and Rachel Carson are
pictured with a summary of their life’s
work beneath the photo. Although
these photos vary in size the accomplishments
of the subjects are large
and have changed science and
improved life for woman all over.
This exhibit was put together by
LIU philosophy professor Margaret
Cuonzo. Some of the pictures displayed
were contributed by the history
department.
Cuonzo explained that there are a
series of stereotypes attributed to
women in the science field. Most people
believe that math and science are
more suited for men while English and
the arts are geared towards women.
Those stereotypes did not stop Ida
Henrietta Hyde, the first woman to
receive a PhD from the University of
Heidelberg. Hyde was also the first
woman allowed to do research at
Harvard Medical School. While there,
she developed the microelectrode
which changed neurophysiology for all time.
Contributions of women like her have helped make science
what it is today.
This exhibit also displays the founder of The American
Red Cross, Clara Barton. Philanthropist Madam C. J.
continued from Page 11
By Leonica Valentine
Staff Writer
in her pieces. She enjoys classical musicians, but blues and
jazz are also interests. She dislikes music with a constant
beat (which she calls “canned music” and does not use it
in her routines, as she feels it is too demanding on the
dancers
“Canned music” bluntly put by Weare does not breathe.
Although she believes choreography has its own music,
music that breathes allows the dancers a chance to interpret
the breath and put interesting steps in between. In her
previous piece, Drop Down (2006), “the music for that
was atmospheric, creating a dark space” Weare said.
Weare plays with music while working and listens to
contemporary composers to see how they think. The work
in progress was shown to the audience not just as a sampling
but more for her to get audience feedback and read
the reactions to movements purposefully placed in the
show.
The show on the surface looked like a couple dancing
and slapping each other but the more as it progressed, the
audience saw the meaning behind it. “The friction of relating
shapes you over time,” said Weare, who finds relationships
of all kinds intriguing.
Walker, thought to be the first African American millionaire,
who made her fortune by selling her own beauty
products was also featured.
Maria Sklodowska, also known as Madame Curie, was
the first woman to hold the position of professor of general
physics at Sorbonne in Paris. She was also the first
woman to receive a Nobel Peace Prize for her work on
spontaneous radiation.
Madame C.J. Walker
(Photo Credit: HighBridNation.com)
The brilliant mind of Virginia Apgar, who was appointed
Director of the March of Dimes in 1959, is famous for
creating a newborn scoring system also called the Apgar
Score. The Apgar test is given immediately after birth, and
measures an infant’s appearance, pulse, grimace, activity
and respiration to quickly determine if a child needs med-
This project was put together mainly by improvising.
When the dancers hit one another “it felt stupid
and when something feels awkward I follow that feeling”,
said Weare. This caused her to step back and
observe instead of moving with the dancers. She
believes a choreographer needs to know how to move
but it’s important to observe. Most dancers consider
how dance looks and how the movement should feel to
be the same but Weare says no.
When she visualizes which movements to use in a
piece, “there is a lot of trial and error.” Often how she
imagines the movement to be is different from how it
feels in regards to the message of the show. Thus, here
is a dangerous line to walk when choreographers
observe (due to the risk of thinking of dance formulaically).
Contemporary choreographers jump in and
out, maintaining a balance.
The last piece in the show has a flare of unique
salsa, which was comically named “Slappy Dance” by
Weare. This routine had all three dancers on stage in a sort
of love triangle. In the planning of this routine, all of the
dancers put in their individual input which made this one
of the most unique, slap happy numbers in the show.
Through May, the Kate Weare Company will be in res-
Seawanhaka
Madame Curie
(Photo Credit: Dept. of Chemistry/Michigan St.)
ical care.
One controversial addition to the exhibit according to
Cuonzo is that of Maya Lin, a famous architect. Seeing
that Lin is an architect, some felt she does not belong in
this exhibit because she is not a biologist, chemist or
physicist. In order to become an architect however, her
studies included mathematics, physics, and structural systems,
which gave Lin the same basics an acknowledged
scientist would have.
Besides this controversy, Lin has done
incredible works. In fact, while still in college,
Lin won the national competition for
a design idea of the Vietnam War Veterans
Memorial in Washington D.C.
At the end of the gallery. a few of LIU’s
own science professors are featured.
Hannia Lujan-Upton graduated with a
Ph.D. from Polytechnic University here in
New York City. She is currently an assistant
professor in the Chemistry Department
with a specialty in organic and polymer
chemistry. Upton is a proud supporter of
the Mighty Mutts organization.
Denise Chung, a Biochemistry professor,
graduated from NYU where she
received her Ph.D. in biochemistry. Carole
Griffiths, an associate Biology professor,
received her Ph.D. from CUNY in evolution
and ornithology. Grazia Stagni, an
associate Pharmacy professor, received her
Bachelor’s degree from University of
Bologna and a Ph.D. from the University of
Texas at Austin.
The Women in Science exhibit shows women’s contribution
to the sciences. Without these women, science
would not be what it is today. This exhibit encourages
women to join the science field and proves that stereotypes
can be overcome.
Weare Performs Bridge of Sighs at the Kumble
Kate Weare and Adrian Clark perform Drop Down.
(Photo Credit: KateWeare.com)
idence at Dance New Amsterdam, in New York City. They
will be giving performances from May 1-4, 2008.For more
information about these shows you can visit
www.dnadance.org. It is sure to be one of the most interesting
things you see this year.
March 12, 2008 Page 16