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orchestral pieces start playing in their heads. Inspiration can come from just about anything, from another song, the revving of an engine or wind howling through the trees.  It’s also a rather odd craft to explain. When pushed, many composers stall as they try to translate how an initial idea becomes an orchestral or a jazz piece. “It’s a lot of staring out the window for hours before you finally start writing something,” said David Joyner, PLU’s director of jazz studies. “Then you just have to reach

great teaching experience – he’s teaching some of his fellow players Spanish, and he’s learning some Norwegian. Taylor plans to major in global studies and journalism and take those skills back to Tumaco, Colombia, where he plans to do volunteer work in literacy camps. The region is very important to him – he was adopted at an early age and lived in Gig Harbor, Wash., but Tumaco is where his birth parents are from. He relishes the opportunity to return to the area and give back to those who have not

September 1, 2008 Mental skills coach remembers Olympics For the last month, PLU Professor of Movement Studies and Wellness Education Colleen Hacker has worked as the mental skills coach for the U.S. women’s field hockey team at the 2008 Summer Olympics, as well as working with individual players on the now-gold medal winning U.S. women’s soccer team. The event has been beyond description, Hacker said in an e-mail interview from Beijing this week. But she gave a go at it anyway, in an

said. This led to jazz band in middle school and another jazz band at Mount Lake Terrace High School, located north of Seattle. That’s where he met up with David Joyner, PLU’s director of jazz studies, who often trolls through high school jazz bands to recruit talent. But in this case, McEntire had already decided to come to PLU, the alma matter of his mother, Cindy ’82, father, Mike ’81 and sister, Erin ’08. McEntire hasn’t regretted the choice – of school or his future profession – for an instant

August 23, 2010 Remarkable good fortune, unparalleled generosity Dale and Jolita Benson are among PLU’s most generous donors. They have given the university just about $5 million in the last decade. In 2004, they established the Benson Family Chair in Business and Economic history, the first fully funded chair at PLU. Last spring, they established the Jolita Hylland Benson Chair in Elementary Education. They have also contributed to the Kurt Mayer Chair in Holocaust Studies, to Wang Center

they deserve it. Our students, more so than at other universities, have to deal with more demands on their time. They work their way through school, they work hard at their studies, they play sports, participate in the arts, they are excellent people. I only wish we had more to give.” Jerry and JeanMarie Foss Hometown: Fircrest, Wash. Giving history: Giving to Q Club since 2006 PLU affiliation: Current parents Activities: JeanMarie volunteers in PLU’s Office of Alumni and Constituent Relations

,” said Meade. Angela Meade ’01 has become a rising star is the world of opera. This month she won the Beverly Sills Award. Meade, who graduated from PLU with a bachelor of music, was in her third year of studies at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia  when she signed a contract with the Metropolitan Opera production of Verdi’s “Ernani.” Meade had signed on to serve a “cover” or understudy for star soprano Sondra Radvanovsky, in the role in Elivra, the female lead. On Wednesday, Meade was at the

include filmmaking, photography, public relations, advertising and other media content and services. MediaLab has received numerous awards since its inception, including an Emmy Award, five National Broadcasting Society Awards and many other honors. MediaLab is one of several programs within the Center for Media Studies at PLU, which is part of the University’s School of Arts and Communication. For more information about the campus premiere of Waste Not, contact the School of Arts and Communication at

Parkland community, where the center would be located, includes many residents who have not been able to access these kinds of services due to many reasons that include financial constraints and a lack of resources in this area.” PCAT hopes to offer classes on digital media and ceramics to local high school students, pointing to research and case studies from across the country that suggest participation in the arts can be a catalyst for at-risk students to continue moving forward academically. “We’ve

low-resource countries, and the ethics of changing dosing schedules for the human papillomavirus vaccine. The transition from her graduate studies to her current project work has been quite challenging, but it is a challenge she enjoys. “I think it’s going to be pretty similar when I make the transition from postdoc to faculty,” she said. “But I feel like I was exposed to enough at PLU, at Hopkins, through nursing, all of it, to where I have the skills and background to make my way on any new path