club NEWS – AAUW
The Manhattan branch of the American Association of University Women met Monday, March 11, at the Congregational Church. Following dinner President Nancy Bolsen called the meeting to order.
Program Vice President Tresa Landis introduced Dr. Laurie Curtis, Assistant Professor of Curriculum and Instruction at K-State’s College of Education. In July 2012 Curtis co-led a Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad to Ethiopia with Jacqueline Spears, director of K-State’s Center for Science and Education. Curtis received the Outstanding Local Adviser award from the Kansas National Education Association in 2010 and 2011. In 2012 she was recognized with the Commerce Bank Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award. She spoke about the intersection of science and the arts: music, literacy and the brain.
Dr. Curtis told of advancements in science that inform us about the brain and help us understand the effect music can have on the brain. Singing enhances literacy. People recall songs they repeatedly sang as children throughout their lifetimes, for repetition assists learning. Staying hydrated is important to our brains for they process up to eight gallons of blood per hour. Learning is encoded while we sleep. Test scores increase when students engage in exercises, such as running. Our brains develop 80% of their capacity after birth.
Music can change our state of mind by stimulating us or calming us down. When the center of emotion in the brain, the amygdala, floods us with emotion, it becomes difficult to focus. Actual differences have been observed in how trained musicians process music in their brains from those of non-musicians.
Membership VP Barbara Gatewood spoke of recent updates to the branch website. She encouraged members to check out Time Magazine’s feature on Sheryl Sandberg, author of the book “Lean In”. Sandberg is COO of Facebook.
Nancy Bolsen presented the recommendations of the Nominating Committee: Barbara Gatewood, President-Elect; Kathy Borck, Membership VP; Claudia Jones, Treasurer; and Patricia Floros, Director. Votes will be taken at the April meeting. All other current officers remain serving through the next year.
The next meeting will be held on April 8 at the Congregational Church. Dr. Noel Schulz, KSU’s First lady, Associate Dean of the College of Engineering and Director of the K-State Engineering Experiment Station will talk about “Balancing Professional and Personal Activities as a Woman Engineer”.
Membership in AAUW is open to anyone holding an associate or equivalent (RN), baccalaureate or higher degree from a regionally accredited college or university. Student affiliation is open to anyone who does not already hold an undergraduate degree and is enrolled in a two or four year regionally accredited educational institution. Students enrolled at K-State may receive a free e-Student affiliation. For more information, go to http//manhattan-ks.aauw.net, email manhattanksaauw@gmail.com or contact Barbara Gatewood at 539-8804.