By Jessica Miller, Staff Writer
An evening performing filled with song, laughter, poetry and desire! The performances of Lovemaking in Literature and the Oldyweds and Tiny Threads piece, Your Cheatin’ Heart, tell love in different perspectives. Which do you prefer: true love, desire, or a break-up? The evening begins with Professor Gianna Russo reading a collection of poems that tell what people think and feel, but rarely ever says. These poems remind people of how complex and simple love can be. In time, people discover that one of the best ways that anyone can express these feelings is through literature.
“We reach for poetry during moments that mark significant events, such as weddings and funerals, or significant emotions, such as love or grief. To connect with how others who have dealt with grief, loss, death or illness through poetry can indeed be healing,” said Professor Gianna Russo.
Literature is indeed healing, but that is not the only venue of which to release emotion. Another great way to help the body, spirit, and mind is through music. Brooke and David McGinnis put on an act that people cannot help but smile at. “We’ve performed as this duo before, but this particular set was quite different. Where we traditionally perform more ‘Americana’ than what one might call ‘straight country,’ the Valentine’s Day theme required us to perform new material. We knew that the songs would have to deal with love and such, but we still wanted to have some fun, so we went with the trashier side of the genre so that people could see that such music isn’t all buttoned down and moralistic,” said Professor Brooke McGinnis. It is hard not to get into the song and spirit of country with this dynamic duo. Both the poetry readings and music performances display the power and importance of the arts in everyday life. The L.E.D. (Learning, Enlightenment, Discovery) series encourages students to become involve in various art forms in their community. The arts help to develop skills and practices necessary to do better and to succeed further in life. Learning more in-depth about music or playing an instrument makes it easier to learn a foreign language. People who study English and read often do better researching in the science field. The L.E.D. series also encourages students to interact more with their professors, and presents the idea that the professors are so much more on campus than just instructors. Check out the future pretentions in the L.E.D. series and find what the arts can offer you today.
