The first of a new annual series of lectures given by Alpha of Colorado Phi Beta Kappa Scholars will be held Friday, April 14, at 7 p.m. in the Humanities Building, room 1B50, at the University of Colorado at Boulder. A reception will follow.
Professor Laurel Rasplica Rodd, chair of the East Asian Languages and Civilizations department, is the first scholar featured in the program. Her presentation, "The Day the Mountains Move: Yosano Akiko, 1878-1942," is illustrated with slides and introduces this celebrated Japanese woman poet and social critic, whose extraordinary poetry, distinctly female voice and sharp critical eye make her one of the leading figures of 20th century Japan.
Yosano is admired today for her new manifestation of women's potential, both in her own life and in a body of poetry that assures her a permanent place in world literature.
According to Jerry Peterson, president of Alpha of Colorado, the Campus Scholars program is modeled on the national Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholars program, which in the past has brought scholars to the Boulder campus. The new program honors CU-Boulder scholars by providing opportunities for lectures in classes outside of the professors聮 departments, in addition to public presentations.
Phi Beta Kappa is the oldest and best-known scholastic honorary, recognizing outstanding graduates in the liberal arts, including all majors in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Alpha of Colorado will initiate new members on April 23 at 5 p.m. in the Glenn Miller Ballroom at the University Memorial Center. For more information, contact Jerry Peterson at (303) 492-2889.