Capitol times. (Middletown, Pa.) 1982-2013, December 09, 1987, Image 7
Faculty Profile: Troy Thomas By Kimberly Anastas Dr, Troy Thomas, assistant professor of humanities and art, will spend 5 months in Rome to gather research on the 17th-century artist Cara vaggio,. Thomas, who is in his 13th year at The Pennsylvania State Uni versity at Harrisburg, will be on sabbatical from May 1988 until August 1989 to gather information for his book entitled Caravaggio and the Counter Reformation, which he hopes to publish in 1991. Thomas, who said that "teach ing is [his] idea of heaven on earth," earned his bachelor's fine arts, as a painter. He received his second master's degree and his doctorate in art history. Thomas said he has been doing research on Caravaggio since 1981 when he attended a National Endowment for Humanities (NEH) summer conference and worked with Howard Hibbard, an "acknowledged expert" on Caravaggio. Thomas said that "Caravaggio is [his] fust love in terms of research." According to Thomas, Cara vaggio lived an unusual, violent life. He said that Caravaggio began a police record at age 29, killed a man six years later in 1606, and fled from pciice until his death at age 38. During his years on the run, Caravaggio created many "gruesome" paintings that featured his own face, said Thomas. For example, he did a self portrait of the severed head of Goliath, which, according to Thomas, has "fas cinated psychologists to think that a man would portray himself in this manner." Thomas said he's "not particu larly interested in psychoanalyzing Caravaggio but [he is] fascinated with the speculations that the severed head [symbolizes] the impotency of the male." Thomas said that his "own research is less speculative and perhaps less fascinating in that [he's] dealing more with research on how to account for this new style of realistic art in religious terms." The fact that Caravaggio led such a violent life, said Thomas, has Murder of Lehigh Coed Leads to Security Information Act By Jan Travers If legislation recently introduced in the state House of Representative passes, it will be mandatory for college campuses to release security information to prospective students and their parents. The bill, introduced on November 2, by Richard McClatchy, Jr., Republican Chairman of Appropriations Committee, comes as a result of the brutal rape and murder of a Lehigh University student in April 1986. Jeanne Anne Clery, 19, was attacked and strangled in her dormitory room by another Lehigh student. Later investigation showed that Clery's murderer gained entrance to the dormitory because all three automatically Dr. Troy Thomas indicated to some researchers that he was not interested in religion. Thomas said Caravaggio "fo cused on naturalistic realism" rather than trying to "idealize forms." He also said that there are those who see "no mystical or religious side of Caravaggio's art, that his paintings seem. secular and modem in character." Thomas said that his "research is to examine the art in light of the Counter-Reformation of [Caravaggio's] time and fit his art into a tradition of religious symbolism and explain how his art does indeed deal with issues that were central to religious thought in his time." Thomas has gained recognition for the publication of two articles on Caravaggio. The first article appeared in the December 1985 issue of "Art Bul letin," and the other one will appear in a 1988 issue of "Studies in Iconography." The Institute of the Arts and Humanistic Studies (lAHS) of The Pennsylvahia State University has awarded Thomas a grant to help sponsor his research in Rome. He also received a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). For anyone interested in learn ing more about Caravaggio, Thomas will be teaching a course called Masters of Art next semester. This course will focus on three artists from the 17th century, including Michelangelo, Ber nini, and, of course, Caravaggio. Thomas will also be teaching a course called Modern Art next semester. locking doors were propped open by her fellow students. In addition, no security personnel were stationed at the dorm entrance. Moved to action by unanswered questions of how this could have happened, Clery's parents, Connie and Howard Clery of Rosemont, PA, began investigating on their own, security at Pennsylvania's colleges and universities. "Parents expect their sons and daughters to live in a safe environment while attending college. They assume the climate is secure and that property protective measures have been taken," said McClatchy. "The sad fact is that parents are woefully uninformed about crimes on campuses and what security precautions Around Capital College By Judy L. Hricak Questions: What do you think it's going to take to get more student involve ment on campus? nMF=PMMTWW7M'irZWMM Marty Jordan - There needs to be more and better publicity of events Kevin Clark - The commuters should get more involved. There also should be better planned activities on the weekends so people stay here Jeff Umberger - This campus needs the creation of a joint student center, comparable to the one at HACC, where both commuters and residents can get together. Everything should be centralized to bring everyone together. Todd Hamm aker - Lots of returning students already have lives estab lished off campus. Being an upper-division college, it's hard to get students involved. Maria Rusynyk - Lots of people are commuters and live separate lives off campus. I don't think that anything can be done about it. Dave Skok - There should be activities that the students want to do Steve J. - Students should stay on campus for the weekend Carol Kilko - Things need to be advertised better. Each bulletin board should be designated for certain things. Angi Jones - The activities need to be more interesting for the students Ramo Lord - The barrier between commuters and on-campus students needs to be broken. Eileen Heckman - When activities are planned, they should be publicized better. Erin Jablonski - Students should take advantage of what is offered instead of complaining about it. Deann Hess - Capital needs a more committed student body to student activities. Michelle Sutton - Less student segmentation Dale Zartman - Brainwashing Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the Capital Times. If you have a question you would like answered, please drop it in the Capital Times comment box located in the stairwell off the lobby. have been taken," he added. According to comments made by Howard Clery during the introduction of the College and University Security Information Act, the "majority of colleges do not divulge their crime statistics to prospective students and parents when asked." In an effort to help prospective students question campus security and crime rate, the Clery's have designed a College Security Questionaire. To date, they have filled requests for over 5,000 questionaires from people in over 10 states. If the Security Information Act is adopted, all institutions of higher education will be required to furnish a printed brochure to all prospective students about campus security and crime statistics. Failure to comply will result in a fine of up to $lO,OOO. omeworkers Wanted! Top ' Pay! C.I. 121 24th Ave., N.W. Suite 222, Norman, OK 73069 ir/////Z///jilifl / TYPISTS Hundreds weekly at home! # / Write P.O. Box 17 / Clark, NJ 07066 4, il 'ffff 'ff Mffffe r#