Featured photo: Cornel West
Cornel West was 10 years old the first time he saw Martin Luther King.
“He was the real thing, and I could feel that in his words. I could feel that in his spirit. I could feel that in his soul as a 10-year-old—as a 10-year-old—and this as if I was there yesterday,” West says.
Headlining MLK Day 2022 at UT Chattanooga, West, the commentator with opinions on race, social justice and activism, spent 90 minutes speaking and answering questions, including from students at UTC and Chattanooga-based schools, on Jan. 28. The program was presented fully on Zoom. To watch the event, go to: www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hvshpA01H0&t=1s
Junior Creates Film
A junior in communication with a focus in radio, TV and film, Chanceton Lindsey spent his time during the early days of the pandemic learning how to play instruments, mastering the technical side of moviemaking and writing scripts.
His efforts evolved into “Time Off,” a 26-minute, music-focused film that tells the story of the fictional Dean Hawkins, who had recently left his job due to COVID-19. He decided to spend his time off investing in and learning new musical instruments.
The film was released on YouTube and Vimeo in December.
The Pipes are Calling
In warmer weather, Chris Johnson often spends his lunch hour in a large cemetery next to the UTC campus. He stands alone under an enormous oak tree with branches that hang almost to the ground, virtually cloaking him from sight. He may not be seen, but he’s certainly heard. Bagpipes are not shy.
Johnson, a senior instructional developer at UT Chattanooga, started playing bagpipes at 15 but quit when he began college. Now 41 years old, he picked them up again about a year ago. “To be honest, it’s something that I feel like I’m pretty good at, like I have a natural inclination at it and some technical ability,” he explains.
Graduate Student Presents at Prestigious Conferences
Joshua Tyler, a UTC master’s student in electrical engineering, recently presented papers at two prestigious conferences in the field. The papers are based on his thesis research. It’s rare that a university student’s work is accepted by such high-level conferences as the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers’ Global Communications and its Conference on Communications, says Don Reising, associate professor in electrical engineering.
Concert Reaches National Semi-Finals
“Power of Music,” an online concert, has made the semi-finals for a national arts award. A collaboration among pianist and UTC alumna Martha Summa-Chadwick, tenor Richard Cox and violinist Mark Reneau, the concert is nominated for the 2021-22 American Prize in Virtual Performance.
The American Prize organization is relatively new, but its annual performing arts competitions and awards are prestigious and receive entries from around the country.
