NOVEMBER 2014 l 1 EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2014 continued on back Department of Biology makes excursion to Ecuador and Galapagos Islands » By Clint Urick Eighteen members of the Department of Biology recently returned from a 12-day excursion to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands in September. John Zenger, chair of the Biology Department, said the purpose of the trip was twofold: 1) To bind the department together, and 2) To gain first-hand experience with unique plants, animals, and places that have become so foundational to our understanding of biology. “A trip like this allows you to grow closer to your colleagues more so than a one-day retreat,” said Rob Coleman, a member of the Biology Department faculty and organizer of the trip. e duration of the trip allowed the faculty to get to know each other better and engage in deeper conversations. “We wanted to fellowship, but we also wanted to learn,” he added. ey were able to learn relevant and applicable things for their various classes. Coleman said that everyone gained something that they could take back to their students. “When I’m talking about certain plant structures I can show my student’s personal pictures to help them better understand it,” Coleman said. “We now have experiential knowledge, not just theoretical knowledge.” e Department of Biology is hoping to be able to do similar but smaller trips in the future. Shanghai Quartet mentors BYU-Idaho music students during visit to campus » By Clint Urick e world-renowned Shanghai Quartet spent half of a week with BYU-Idaho students in a coaching and teaching setting. e famous quartet from China was in Rexburg for four days as part of a multi-day residency working with faculty and students. e quartet participated in a similar residency here in 2006. e multi-day residency is an opportunity for students to learn from professional musicians. Students auditioned for the class and began preparing for the residency at the beginning of the semester.
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1 l BYU- IDAHO NEWS & NOTES NOVEMBER 2014 l 1
EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2014
continued on back
Department of Biology makes excursion to Ecuador and Galapagos Islands » By Clint Urick
Eighteen members of the Department of Biology recently returned from a 12-day excursion to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands in September.
John Zenger, chair of the Biology Department, said the purpose of the trip was twofold: 1) To bind the department together, and 2) To gain first-hand experience with unique plants, animals, and places that have become so foundational to our understanding of biology.
“A trip like this allows you to grow closer to your colleagues more so than a one-day retreat,” said Rob Coleman, a member of the Biology Department faculty and organizer of the trip. The duration of the trip allowed the faculty to get to know each other better and engage in deeper conversations.
“We wanted to fellowship, but we also wanted to learn,” he added.
They were able to learn relevant and applicable things for their various classes. Coleman said that everyone gained something that they could take back to their students.
“When I’m talking about certain plant structures I can show my student’s personal pictures to help them better understand it,” Coleman said. “We now have experiential knowledge, not just theoretical knowledge.”
The Department of Biology is hoping to be able to do similar but smaller trips in the future.
Shanghai Quartet mentors BYU-Idaho music students during visit to campus» By Clint Urick
The world-renowned Shanghai Quartet spent half of a week with BYU-Idaho students in a coaching and teaching setting.
The famous quartet from China was in Rexburg for four days as part of a multi-day residency working with faculty and students. The quartet participated in a similar residency here in 2006.
The multi-day residency is an opportunity for students to learn from professional musicians. Students auditioned for the class and began preparing for the residency at the beginning of the semester.
2 l BYU- IDAHO NEWS & NOTES
Seven ensembles got to work with the Shanghai Quartet—five quartets, one trio, and one duet. A total of 25 students received invaluable instruction from the quartet.
Ted Ashton, a member of the Department of Music and organizer of the residency, was very pleased with the outcome.
“The tremendous value of having the Shanghai Quartet here is that the students get the chance to work with world renowned coaches,” Ashton said. “In a very short time they can demand a great deal from the students. They bring expectation, but beyond that students return to their own ensembles with new knowledge and experience. Not that the quartet members are necessarily teaching the students drastically new things. In fact, in many ways they were validating what we teach, but the students can see a new way to do what it is that they do.”
Ashton added that the guest coaches and instructors were giving the students tools to teach and coach themselves.
“The students learn a different way to think about the music. They return to their classes with different ears, and the faculty notices a difference,” Ashton said.
After arriving in Rexburg, the Shanghai Quartet tweeted, “In Rexburg Idaho for the 2nd time in 8 years. nice to be reminded of how generous this community truly is. #byuidaho.”
After three days of coaching and rehearsing the Shanghai Quartet performed in the Barrus Concert Hall.
At the intermission of the concert, cellist Nicholas Tzavaras stood up and thanked the university and the Rexburg community for
the hospitality they showed the musical group during their stay. “We didn’t think we could be treated any better than the last time we were here,” Tzavaras said, “but you’ve proven us wrong.”
News & NotesA monthly publication of University Relations
A D V I S O R Marc Stevens
W R I T E R S Austin Cary, Clint Urick
PHOTOGRAPHERS Michael Lewis, Ryan Chase, Leanna Davidson, Tyler Rickenbach
If you have any ideas for future issues, please e-mail [email protected].
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Continued: Shanghai Quartet mentors BYU-Idaho students
