Goucher Celebrates Fusion 2009

Release date: March 23, 2009 |

Fusion, Goucher’s annual celebration of diversity and multiculturalism, will be held from Monday, March 23, through Friday, March 27.

Students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to reflect upon who they are, to confront the various issues of power and privilege, and to examine the various communities we are a part of—here on Goucher’s campus and in the global community.

This year’s theme, “Who Is an American?,” also runs throughout several of these events scheduled for Fusion 2009. All events are open to the public.

Monday, March 23
Opening Celebration
Kick off Fusion with a party in the Pearlstone Atrium. This event will feature remarks by President Sanford J. Ungar and music by student DJ Sam O’Brien. Refreshments will be provided.
Pearlstone Atrium, 4:30 p.m.

Who Is an American: Students Abroad
Students who have studied abroad will share stories and reflections on what it means to be an American abroad and how studying internationally has shaped what it means for them to be an American.
Welsh Hall Piano Room, 6 p.m.

Tuesday, March 24
Screening of Sledhead
Sledhead: The Story of Canada’s National Sledge Hockey Team follows athletes with different disabilities—and abilities—working together to compete in the World Sledge Hockey Championships. Following the film, Ed Duggan, Goucher’s Disability Initiative coordinator, and Geoffrey Miller, the college’s director of physical education and athletics, will lead a conversation on the role of American athletes.
Buchner Hall, 3 p.m.

Wheelchair Basketball
Students, faculty, and staff are invited to play the Maryland Ravens, a nationally ranked wheelchair basketball team, in Goucher’s Eighth Annual Wheelchair Basketball Game. Participants will play in specially designed wheelchairs. Pizza and soft drinks will be provided.  
Old Gym, 6 p.m.

Wednesday, March 25
Kids on the Block Disability Puppet Show
Kids on the Block, a theater company that performs puppet shows designed to help promote disability awareness among elementary schoolchildren, will hold a performance and question-and-answer session for Goucher community members. 
Pearlstone Atrium, 10:30 a.m.

“Women, Pop Music, and Pornography”
Singer, songwriter, and women’s issues speaker Meredith LeVande presents this multimedia lecture on why images of women in popular music are hyper-sexualized. She will examine how the connection between media ownership deregulation and the mega-media companies that profit from adult entertainment have pushed pornographic imagery into the mainstream.
Heubeck Multipurpose Room, 1:30 p.m.

Patapsco: Portrait of a Valley Book Party
Photographer Peggy Fox and Author Alison J. Kahn will discuss their new book Patapsco: Portrait of a Valley, which documents the changing life of the Patapsco River Valley in Maryland through personal narratives, evocative essays, and black-and-white photographs.
Rosenberg Gallery, 5:30 p.m.

Screening of Small Town Gay Bar
Set in rural Mississippi, Small Town Gay Bar follows members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community who manage and patronize LGBT bars and clubs in the rural South. The film addresses the sometimes-difficult experience of being LGBT in a conservative community, as well as the challenges faced by all who are considered “different.” Following the film, Mel Lewis ’02, a women’s studies lecturer at University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and Candace Doane, Goucher’s assistant director of community living, will lead a conversation focusing on the perceptions of gays in America.
Welsh Hall Piano Room, 7 p.m.

Musical Performance by Nicole Reynolds
Singer/songwriter Nicole Reynolds ’05 will perform original works featuring smart lyrics that subtly tackle big social problems. Free for Goucher community members with ID, $5 for the general public.
Gopher Hole, 9:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 26
Exploring Urban American Youth Identity: Wide Angle Youth Media Film Presentation and Conversation
The Goucher community is invited to watch selected examples of media created by Wide Angle Youth Media students. Students will reflect on their own identity and citizenship during a group discussion and critique. The discussion will be led by Siobhan Marie, the organization’s older youth coordinator, and several Wide Angle Youth Media producers.
Buchner Hall, 3:30 p.m.

Screening of Faces of Israel
Faces of Israel: A Discussion About Marriage, State, and Religion in the Jewish Homeland is a documentary in which Israelis from diverse backgrounds and viewpoints were asked questions about what it means to live in both a Jewish and democratic state. The film’s director, Amy Beth Oppenheimer, will facilitate a discussion highlighting the similarities between Israeli and American lifestyles.
Kelley Lecture Hall, 6 p.m.

Open Poetry Slam with the Bow Legged Gorilla
The Bow Legged Gorilla will perform beat-boxing and musical selections. Any student interested in participating with spoken-word poetry is encouraged to join in on some numbers.
Gopher Hole, 9 p.m.

Friday, March 27
America in the Face of New Leadership
Author, editor, and writer Ta-Nehisi Coates will discuss President Barack Obama’s role in the reshaping of America.
Buchner Hall, 4:30 p.m.