From the Neumann Inspires Film Festival to a collection of programs sponsored by the Cultural Arts Forum, campus arts have embraced the celebration of America 250.
The Film Festival’s April lineup featured screenings of short films, all organized around familiar American themes: Life, Liberty, The Pursuit of Happiness, The Home of the Brave, and The Melting Pot.
Normandy, a 52-minute documentary, was an audience favorite. The film follows four young adults as they accompany World War II veterans back to the beaches and battlefields where they fought. Along the journey, the young travelers begin to grasp the true human cost of freedom.
A panel discussion on “The Influence of Film in Preserving (and Erasing) History” featured panelists Sam Katz, a former Philadelphia mayoral candidate and documentary filmmaker, and Tilottama Karlekar, a scholar whose work explores the connection between media and social movements.
After the panel, audiences were treated to screenings of Episodes 3 and 4 of Katz’s new project, In Pursuit: Philadelphia and the Making of America. The series explores American history, democracy, and identity through the story of one city.
The Cultural Arts Forum hosted a variety of history-related events in its popular lecture series this spring. Several events featured historical impersonators: “George & Martha Washington: A Love Story,” “Meet Mr. Jefferson,” “Cathay Williams: Female Buffalo Soldier,” and “High Tea with Abigail Adams.”
Professor Andy Miller is doing his part to support the America 250 celebration. In March and April, he spoke four times at the Middletown Free Library, sharing a collection of presentations that he calls his “Revolution Series.”
He will also be involved in a July 4 event at Brandywine Battlefield, participating in a debate among a rebel, a loyalist, and a neutral who argue the case for or against independence.
In addition, Miller will offer the American Revolution (HIST 210) class in the fall, right here on campus.