Wheaton College Alumni Magazine Winter 2013 | Page 10
WHEATON news
STUDENT NEWS
Wheaton Professor and Students Present at
Psychological Science Conference
Jacob Gordon ’13, Susie Lee ’13, and
when it really appeared all at once. The
Isaac Miller ’12 co-authored a presentation illusion occurs when the line’s appearance
titled “Anisotropies in illusory line motion” is preceded by an attentional cue. It is
with Dr. Raymond Phinney, associate
thought that one’s attention to the cue
professor and chair of undergraduate p syenhances visual processing of one end of
chology, at the Association for Psychological the line more than the other end, resulting
Science Conference held in May 2012.
in a perception of line growth rather than
Dr. Phinney’s research concerns how
sudden onset.”
humans process motion and depth
By measuring and recording how
information and use that information
the illusion varies depending on certain
to interact with the world. Dr. Phinney
variables, Dr. Phinney and his students
explains: “Illusory line motion is the
hope to gain a better understanding of the
perception that a line grew to its full length role of attention in visual perception.
On an excursion to Trolltunga, a scenic Norwegian
cliff. Last summer, David Ko ’14, Jeremy Petersen
Symphony Orchestra Wins Third
Under the direction of conductor Dr. Daniel Sommerville,
the Wheaton College Symphony Orchestra earned third place in
The American Prize for Orchestral Performance, college/
university division, 2012.
Founded in 2009, The American Prize is a series of new,
nonprofit national competitions for best-recorded performances
by ensembles and individuals each year at the professional, college/
university, church, community and secondary school levels.
“That our Symphony Orchestra has been given this honor,”
says Dr. Michael Wilder, dean of the Conservatory, arts, and
communication, “is a strong endorsement of the high musical
standards and accomplishments of our students and faculty.
This prize placed Wheaton College’s Symphony Orchestra among
top flight finalists, including Florida State University, Oklahoma
State University, University of Denver, and University of
North Carolina.”
The award-winning recording included performances of
Nielsen’s Symphony No. 2; Ravel’s Tombeau de Couperin; and
Mahler’s Songs of a Wayfarer, with Gerard Sundberg, baritone
(and voice professor at Wheaton’s Conservatory of Music). The
recording was made, mixed, and mastered at Wheaton, under
the direction of Brian Porick ’98.
The 80-piece orchestra also recently played for the 2012
College Orchestra Directors Association national conference
at Northwestern University. While there, orchestra members
worked with top graduate and undergraduate conducting
students at the conference conducting workshop, with Victor
Yampolsky as Master Teacher.
8
’14, and Julie Flaherty ’12 served in the city of
Bergen, Norway, with OCO’s Youth Hostel Ministry.
Students Serve in
Summer Ministry
This past summer, 76 Wheaton
students served through Wheaton’s
Office of Christian Outreach (OCO),
traveling to more than 13 countries
and three different urban centers
in the U.S. Thanks to partnerships
with international and national
organizations, they gained experiences
ranging from shadowing doctors in
hospitals in Ghana and Bolivia, to
teaching in the Dominican Republic
and Hong Kong.
Rev. Brian Medaglia, director of
OCO, traveled with students to visit
Hospitals of Hope, an OCO partner
organization in Bolivia. Andrew
Kilgore ’14 says, “This trip prompted
us to more intentionally consider our
role as Christians in a context like
Bolivia and how we can use medicine
as a platform for proclaiming the gospel,
even in the midst of pervasive poverty
and injustice.”