The Fount

The Southern Studies Program launched the Fulghum Lecture Series (financed by a generous gift from Colonel Leonard C. Fulghum, Jr. (Class of 1951). With featured talks by John Shelton Reed, Professor of Sociology Emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; John T. Edge, Director of the Southern Foodways Alliance; and Josephine Humphreys, author of Rich in Love. Much more information is available at our web site located at: this link.

Professor Keith Knapp participated in an Islam in Asia Workshop in Savannah, Georgia; presented guest lectures at the U.S. Air Force Special Operations School; and delivered a paper at the annual meeting of the Southeast Medieval Association. Dr. Christopher Wright and Dr. Kurt Boughan also presented papers at the latter meeting. Professor David Preston presented a paper on colonial Indian agents at the Western Frontier Symposium in Johnstown, New York. Professor Jennifer Speelman presented a paper at the University of South Carolina's World War I Symposium conference on the southern campaigns of the American Revolution sponsored by the South Carolina Historical Society. Professor Joelle Neulander chaired a session at the annual meeting of the Western Society for French History. Professors Michael Barrett and Kyle Sinisi delivered public lectures on Ira Eaker and Omar Bradley respectively in the "Friends of the Daniel Library" series on commanders of World War II.

The recently launched study abroad programs. This past May, thirteen students (twelve undergraduates and one graduate) traveled to China to attend a Maymester course, the History and Culture of Northern China, which was designed and taught by Professor Keith N. Knapp of the History Department. After touring Beijing for two days, the group traveled by train to Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi province, which is in central China. For the following two weeks, in the mornings, students attended lectures that were provided by Professor Knapp and six members of the Shanxi University faculty. In the afternoons, they explored the city on their own, or visited sites within or near the city, including a vinegar factory, the exquisitely beautiful Jin Shrine, and the state of the art Shanxi Provincial Museum. During the weekends, day trips were made to many of Shanxi's wonderfully preserved historical sites. We visited Pingyao, a Ming dynasty (1368-1644) walled city, the Baoguo Temple, which includes a wooden hall that is over a thousand years old, and the Yungang Grottoes in the city of Datong. These fifth through tenth century grottoes enclose massive, stone Buddhist statuary. None of the students, though, seemed to be in a hurry to sample the local delicacy of hare brain. The students particularly enjoyed our three evening sessions with a retired professor who has an excellent command of English. He candidly talked about many of the problems that China now faces. After catching an overnight train to Beijing, the students went home, but with a much keener understanding and appreciation of its history and people than when they came.

In September, the Department sent fourteen cadets to England to study for the entire semester at Royal Holloway University located in the southern suburbs of London. The program was organized and directed by Professor Neulander who accompanied the cadets to England for a week of studying historic sites in London before the beginning of the regular English semester.

A new student club, the Middle Eastern Studies Student Association (MESSA) was organized by Professor Christopher Wright. The club sponsored talks by experts on the Islamic religion and on the War in Iraq. Both drew large audiences.