Campus talent impressive in concert, with visitors; come see game Thursday

Monday brought a wonderful first-time experience. I attended a Bass Ensemble Concert conducted by Dr. Alex Pershounin. The music performed by this ensemble of five of our exceptional CSU Schwob School of Music students ranged from classical (Handel, Mozart, Brahms and Bizet) to funk (Pershounin). It was an amazing display of exceptional talent. One of the students, Jack Meisburg, just received word that he has been selected to perform for the LaGrange Symphony. The Schwob School of Music level of talent is extraordinary, and its concerts are so very impressive. My thanks to our Enrollment Management team and all other participants, faculty, staff and students for a great Parents Weekend this past weekend, as well as our earliest-ever Visitation Day on Saturday. We had exceptional weather and a great tour of the Student Recreation Center. This was a wonderful team effort. Finally, our club football team plays a team from the U.S. Army's 3rd Brigade at Doughboy Stadium on Thursday. This gives us great connectivity to the Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning and offers a great platform for our student-athletes to compete.

Fall highlights include concerts, soccer, lectures, art and more!

The last few weeks have represented a whirlwind of activities that are clearly reflective of a busy, engaged university.

I had the great pleasure of attending two exceptional concerts at our world-class Legacy Hall in the RiverCenter. Professor Paul Hostetter, our new Foley Distinguished Chair of Orchestral Activities, led an incredibly spirited performance by our CSU Philharmonic Orchestra. This grand evening was followed by an exceptional concert led by Dr. Jamie Nix, the new Director of Wind Ensemble Activities. This too was a wonderful evening.

Other recent events: I rode with our women’s soccer team to Savannah as they continued their stellar season. Jim Morpeth, a truly classic entrepreneur and founder of Country’s Barbecue, spoke to a packed house in Davidson Auditorium in a program sponsored by the Turner College of Business and Computer Science. Colonel (ret.) Conrad Crane, a Distinguished Professor at the Army War College, delivered our fall Hallock Lecture. Our Center for International Education organized a campus event featuring a wonderful range of study abroad options, staffed by faculty, students and staff who all encouraged our students to GO! A terrific exhibit has opened at our Ilges Gallery, an Exhibition of Drawings from the Kentler Flatfiles, and the opening night had a terrific turnout.

Looking ahead: This weekend is our first-ever fall Parents Weekend, and we look forward to hosting both prospective students and families of current students on our campus. In all, a great run for a great U.