Campus Events

Many neighborhoods in Coastal Virginia that have long suffered from the effects of redlining, exclusionary zoning, discriminatory lending, public housing policy, highway construction, hotter summer temperatures, and underfunded public schools are now some of the same communities that are most vulnerable to the impacts of recurrent flooding. As flooding in these marginalized communities increases, so do tensions surrounding socio-economic inequalities. Created by local artist Renee Calway, the Rising Tides, Rising Tensions exhibit seeks to engage the Hampton Roads community in conversations about how race has shaped and continues to shape the landscape of the region.

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In honor of Women's History Month, Wesleyan Engaged and the VB American Association of University Women will host a "Equal Pay Day" popcorn event in the Harbor Grille.

Learn more about Marlin Majors during this panel discussion. Join faculty from the Psychology Department for a slice of the liberal arts (and a slice of pizza!) Topics such as declaring a major, possible careers for this major, securing an internship and pathways available for graduate school with this major, will be discussed.

For more information, contact Nancy Rechkemer in the Learning Center, Clarke Hall: nrechkemer@vwu.edu.

Presenter: Steven Heller

For this discussion, please read “The Swastika and Extremist Iconography Today” (Allworth, 2019), and join us on Zoom as we have the opportunity to ask questions of noted writer and design historian Steven Heller. What happens when a spiritual symbol—one that has been used for thousands of years—is transformed into an icon for hate? Is it beyond being redeemed? How do symbols and icons function in the world? Steven Heller, author and editor of over 130 books on graphic design, satiric art, and popular culture, is the co-founder and co-chair of the MFA Designer as Author program at the School of Visual Arts, New York.

Free and open to the public. Contact the Robert Nusbaum Center at 757.455.3129 or NusbaumCenter@vwu.edu to register for the Zoom event.  

Presenter: Bob Shoup

In a world that seems to be defined by conflict and seemingly endless divisions, music continues to function as a steady thread through our individual and shared experiences. While music’s capacity to heal is well-known, is it possible we unwittingly contribute to the climate of divisiveness by the ways we listen, sing, or play? From political and religious animosities to racial and cultural contentions, music has long had a role in both binding and opening of wounds. In environments as varied and perhaps surprising as the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and The Norfolk Street Choir Project, Bob Shoup has long sought to deploy music as a vehicle for meaningful human connection. 

Free and open to the public. Contact the Robert Nusbaum Center at 757.455.3129 or NusbaumCenter@vwu.edu for more information.

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Presenters: Kelly Jackson, Carley Tantlinger ’23, and Kai Trehan ‘24

With an eye toward the street art of Banksy, art major Carley Tantlinger discusses the power of art to inspire social change. Kai Trehan, a political science and international studies major, looks at groups such as the Parents Circle Families Forum, a joint Israeli-Palestine organization that brings together in dialogue people on both sides who have lost a family member due to the conflict. Kelly Jackson examines how Bethlehem Bible College, a Christian Palestinian institution, equips students to work for peace and justice.

Free and open to the public. Contact the Robert Nusbaum Center at 757.455.3129 or NusbaumCenter@vwu.edu for more information.

From alumni socials and concerts in the Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center to the Marlin Family Picnic and athletic competitions and alumni games, Spring Alumni Weekend is the perfect time to come back to campus. Please make plans to join us on April 14-15.

View the schedule of events

TICKETS/Guestlist

Virginia Wesleyan University’s student-led business conference is scheduled for April 17-21. The theme for the spring 2023 semester’s conference is “A Greener Tomorrow.” During this eventful week, members of the community are invited to participate in free workshops, presentations and interactive panels, all planned and organized by students in Lecturer of Management, Business and Economics (MBE) Frank Futyma’s “Principles of Management” course. 

VWU will host speakers, panel discussions, presentations, an Arbor Day Tree Campus recognition and the Marlin Business Conference during this weeklong tribute to Earth Week. 

Earth Week Schedule

Presenter: Greg Melville

What American cemeteries say about race, politics, sustainability, hero worship, and unspoken values is stunning at times. With a nod to three Virginia cemeteries (Jamestown, Monticello, and Arlington), Melville explores how, where, and why we bury our dead, and the ways in which cemeteries reflect so many conflicting values. Greg Melville has worked as an environmental and outdoor journalist, a crime reporter, and a former editor at Men’s Journal and Sports Afield magazines. Melville is a decorated veteran who served in Afghanistan and is an award-winning instructor at the United States Naval Academy.

Free and open to the public. Contact the Robert Nusbaum Center at 757.455.3129 or NusbaumCenter@vwu.edu for more information.

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Presenter: Greg Melville

Is it possible to drive coast to coast without stopping at a single gas pump? Journalist Greg Melville, who's in love with the idea of free fuel, sets out on an enlightening road trip with his friend, seeking to be the first people to drive cross-country in a car powered on vegetable oil collected from restaurant grease. Join us for an upbeat, funny story about sustainability in the United States, about what we can do and where we’re going, through the lens of a very unusual journey.  Greg Melville has worked as an environmental and outdoor journalist, a crime reporter, and a former editor at Men’s Journal and Sports Afield magazines. Melville is a decorated veteran who served in Afghanistan and is an award-winning instructor at the United States Naval Academy, where he teaches English and writing.

Free and open to the public. Contact the Robert Nusbaum Center at 757.455.3129 or NusbaumCenter@vwu.edu for more information.

Around the globe, people are joining scientists, governments, and environmental organizations to understand and address climate change. VWU’s Robert Nusbaum Center and Joan P. Brock School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences are partnering with The Gunn Group and the City of Virginia Beach to host Generations Uniting to Address Climate Change, a symposium to prepare our community for our changing environment. Activities include two panel discussions: a panel of experts from scientific and political backgrounds discussing the climate crisis’ evolution and impacts; and a panel with a variety of individuals who are making a difference. A career and volunteer fair featuring local environmental organizations is being held in the lobby of the Goode Center throughout the symposium.

The symposium is free and open to anyone looking to be inspired by changemakers from across the generations. For more information, visit vwu.edu/climatesymposium

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While Americans are divided about some aspects of the climate-change issue, there is growing agreement that action is needed. In this deliberation, facilitated by trained VWU students, participants discuss the pros and cons of three options for addressing climate change that are based on the views and concerns of people from across the country. The three options offer a framework for deliberations that tackle tough questions: What should we do? What are the risks and potential trade-offs? What steps can we support and what might we be willing to give up? Where do we share concerns and priorities that point the way toward more effective action?

Free and open to the public. Contact the Robert Nusbaum Center at 757.455.3129 or NusbaumCenter@vwu.edu for more information.

The Louis and Prudence Ryan Research Symposium, featuring presentation of the Ryan Prize for Excellence in Research, will take place Thursday, April 27, at 6 p.m. at Brock Commons (parking at Godwin Hall). Gratefully named for longtime Virginia Wesleyan friends and benefactors, the Ryan Research Symposium explores complex environmental challenges in a global context. Three Batten Honors College students will be selected to present their research, and one will be awarded a cash prize. 

Presenter: Isaac Weiner

Walking down the street, you might hear church bells ringing, ISKCON followers chanting, the Muslim call to prayer, or hymns played over digital synthesizers. In American society, religious individuals rarely keep quiet; they practice their religion out loud. This lecture focuses on how religious pluralism isn’t just about different beliefs but about how those beliefs are expressed in public in ways that inevitably impact others. Weiner discusses how conflicts about religious sound can be negotiated, and how those conflicts and resolutions affect us. Isaac Weiner, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor and Director of the Center for the Study of Religion at Ohio State University. This lecture focuses on his groundbreaking work, Religion Out Loud; Religious Sound, Public Space, and American Pluralism (NYU Press, 2014).

Free and open to the public. Contact the Robert Nusbaum Center at 757.455.3129 or NusbaumCenter@vwu.edu for more information.

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