Third Presidential Lecture & Performance Series

This fall, words and music will dominate the 2008 Presidential Lecture & Performance Series as organizers hope this season will not only build upon last year’s success, but also expand the series’ appeal to campus and community alike.

“In the third year, we’ve continued to seek programs with a broad appeal,” said Mary Jane Hurst, performance series organizer and faculty assistant to the president. “We’re going to continue to get all parts of the campus involved by seeking events with specific academic connections. That is how the series is different from just an entertainment venue.”

Hurst said the series seeks to enrich the lives of Texas Tech students, faculty, staff and citizens of the Lubbock community. For more information, visit the Presidential Lecture & Performance Series Web site.

The Events

• Author David Callahan and “The Cheating Culture” – 3:30 p.m., Sept.  8, the Allen Theatre located in the Student Union Building. Callahan has written extensively about American history, business and public policy. He is author of “The Cheating Culture: Why More Americans Are Doing Wrong to Get Ahead.” Callahan will sign books from 2-3 p.m. outside the Allen Theatre. Free and open to the public.

• “From the Top with Christopher O’Riley” – 7 p.m., Sept. 16, the Allen Theatre in the Student Union Building. Heard locally on KOHM, “From the Top with Christopher O’Riley” will tape a performance of outstanding young classical musicians to broadcast nationally at a later date. Tickets are $15 for students and $20 for general admission, which does not include a $2 surcharge from Select-A-Seat. For reservations, call Select-A-Seat at (806) 770-2000.

• Marc-André Hamelin, Pianist – 7:30 p.m., Oct. 19, Hemmle Recital Hall in the Music Building. French-Canadian pianist Marc-André Hamelin won first place at the 1985 Carnegie Hall Competition and has become one of the most acclaimed pianists in the United States. A reception follows the event. Tickets are $20 for general admission and $3 for students, which does not include a $2 surcharge from Select-A-Seat. For reservations, call Select-A-Seat at (806) 770-2000.

• Presidential Book Award Winners Panel – 3:30 p.m., Oct. 28, the Matador Room of the Student Union Building. The three most recent recipients of the Presidential Book Award will talk about their work and their award-winning books in a panel discussion. Panelists are first-place winner Michael Borshuk, author of “Swinging the Vernacular: Jazz and African-American Modernist Literature;” John Beusterien, author of “An Eye on Race: Perspectives from Theater in Imperial Spain,” and Stefan Estreicher, author of “Wine from Neolithic Times to the 21st Century.” Authors will sign books following the event which is free and open to the public.