A "best of" exhibit of student art was on display in the Allison Gallery and selected student pieces were auctioned Saturday in front of the Niswonger Commons, above.
After a 20-year hiatus, the Old Oak Festival returned to the Tusculum College campus and brought students, alumni and community members out to see the artisans and crafters, visit the quilt show, see student art and digital media presentations and enjoy the literary readings and musical performances.
Student work was featured in the art exhibit, art auction, readings by the Curtis and Billie Owens Literary Prize winners and the “Big Box” interactive media experience by digital media majors.
Senior Justin Reed reads one of his poems during the reading Friday afternoon by the student winners of the Curtis and Billie Owens Literary Prize.
Theatre-at-Tusculum enjoyed a good opening weekend for its production of “The Diary of Anne Frank” in the Behan Arena Theatre. The production features both Tusculum students and alumni.
Students and staff were also featured among the musical performances. Ben Sneyd, a creative writing major, treated the crowd with a mixture of tunes from Bob Dylan to Levon Helm. He was accompanied for the performance by Joe Borden, another creative writing major, who performed a song he penned. Zach Wampler, another current student, drew an appreciative audience with his acoustic show featuring songs from the 1970s through today. Shiloh Road, an all-student band, kicked off the music performances with their brand of guitar rock on Friday afternoon. The band, which has won a local “America’s Got Talent” competition, includes students Robert Arrowood, Josh Davis, David Nunez and Chris Weems, who are all involved with the Tusculum band program. Women’s Soccer Head Coach Mike Joy performed all original material, including some humorous and heartfelt tunes, on Friday afternoon. Audiences Saturday afternoon enjoyed acoustic guitar by Reference Librarian Charles Tunstall, who was accompanied on vocals by his wife, Susan.
The Digital Media program's "Big Box" interactive presentation featured some footage from previous Old Oak Festivals.
The Tusculum band program was well represented during the festival. The Pioneer Jazz Band performed on Saturday on stage. The Marching Band and Flag Corps made an unscheduled parade through campus on Saturday morning with the cheerleaders. The three groups also did a “flash mob” in the afternoon that drew a crowd. The flash mob began with one musician playing on the sidewalk in front of the Niswonger Commons and was joined gradually by other members of the band, the flag corps and the cheerleaders.
The cheerleading squad joined band and flag corps members in the "flash mob" early Saturday afternoon.
Artisans set up booths throughout the quad between McCormick Hall and the Niswonger Commons with a variety of displays from woodworking to jewelry making. Art students had a tent that featured the Old Oak Festival poster, created and printed on the Vandercook press by Dr. Deborah Bryan, assistant professor of art. Students were also available to do portrait pencil drawings of visitors at the tent. Students volunteered at the information tent where signed copies of books by English professor Dr. Clay Matthews and Susan Vance ’91 were available. Students in the theater program manned a popular table as fortune tellers, who gave free fortune telling.
Shiloh Road kicked off the music performances Friday afternoon in the Library Bowl.
Authors, which included alumnus Dr. Bob Pollock ’65, Dr. Joel Van Amberg, associate professor of history and Matilda Green, admissions records and communications clerk, signed and sold copies of their books under the breezeway of the Niswonger Commons.
Ben Sneyd, left, was accompanied by Joe Borden during his performance Saturday afternoon.
Dr. Michael Bodary, visiting professor of English, provided a falconry demonstration with Gonzo, a red-tailed hawk. Gonzo, which was part of Theatre-at-Tusculum’s production of “Carnival!” in the fall, is now being desocialized by Dr. Bodary for release back out into the wilderness.
Zach Wampler performs a Jim Croce's "I Got a Name" in his acoustic set.
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Mike Joy, accompanied by Michael Hawkins, treated the audience to some of his compositions.
Susan and Charles Tunstall performed everything from bluegrass to pop Saturday afternoon.