Electric Spark
Drawn from the eclectic trove of the former John M. Rivers Communication Museum, Lightning Speed charts the evolution of communication technology with a curator’s discerning eye. Here, the clunky elegance of Thomas Edison’s phonograph shares space with the sleek minimalism of an Apple III. A Motorola “flip” phone, that relic of the ’90s, sits not far from a “Magic Lantern” image viewer, its glass slides redolent of a pre-cinematic era. There’s a Sony Walkman, its cassette slot a portal to adolescent mixtapes, and an electrical telegraph transmitter, tapping out the Morse code of a world on the cusp of modernity. Each object is a chapter in a story that stretches from the crackle of antique radios to the soft glow of today’s mobile screens.
“The exhibit is a time capsule of technological breakthroughs,” says John White ’99, dean of libraries. “It captures these leaps in communication, the milestones that have shaped and reshaped how we interact with one another.” – Vincent Fraley
Class Act
One program showcased music’s power to build collaboration. Lee-Chin Siow, associate professor of music, held joint chamber music performances and master classes with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
At UNLV, CofC music majors Payton Lee ’25 and Julia Rhyne ’25 studied with UNLV professors and performed with UNLV students. At the College, two UNLV students studied under Siow and performed in the Violin Extravaganza! with CofC students (see video below).
“This experience provided a rare opportunity to step outside of our usual academic and musical environments and immerse ourselves in a new artistic community,” says Lee. “This experience pushed us to grow both individually and collectively, strengthening our musicianship and reinforcing the value of collaboration in artistic practice.”
Programs like Siow’s exceeded Howard’s expectations. She looks forward to expanding the program so more CofC students can broaden their perspective by interacting with students and faculty from other institutions.