Feature
PSU Hazleton welcomes...
James Robert Gibson
We have among us a
composer whose works have
been performed by
prestigious orchestras. He is
the new music teacher here
at Hazleton, Dr. James
Robert Gibson.
Gibson came to Highacres
to get back into civilization,
believe it or not! He had
previously taught at the
University of Maine at Fort
Kent, which is quite removed
from Washington or NYC and
Jon Bonner
On October 19th, the
women in the dorm were
treated to an excellent lec
ture on rape-prevention,
Curtis Manning
You may have seen a little
red car with Texas plates in
the parking lot, and wondered
who in the world could be
here in the Hazleton campus
from Texas! It is Captain
Curtis Manning, the new
ROTC instructor who
replaced Major Hicks
beginning this fall term.
Capt. Manning, 30, was
born in Colorado Springs,
other cultural centers he
wished to be closer to. Gibson
has also taught at Cornell
University (part time while
working on his Doctorate.)
Gibson is happy with our
campus; he thinks the faculty
is "well-informed and
dedicated", and the students
he finds "refreshing, because
at Fort Kent, most of them
had gone through grade
school together, so they had
basically the same views on
followed by a mini-workshop.
On November 9th, the same
speaker appeared again in
the dorm, this time ac-
Colorado and went to Texas
Christian University at Fort
Worth where he received a
BA in International Affairs
and an MA in Political
Science. He was recently
attending Army School (for a
routine update on
technology) in El Paso for six
months, thus the Texas
license plates.
Manning came to
by, Pamela Eppinger
most things".
Gibson, 34, was born in Ann
Arbor, Michigan, and at
tained his Bachelors Degree
at the University of
Michigan, his Masters at the
University of Maryland, and
his Doctorate at Cornell. He
met his wife Heidi while at
Fort Kent.
He has a lengthy list of
achievements and interests.
He is a professional piano
player, a conductor in
musical theatre and opera,
and has had articles on Or
nathology (study of birds) in
major magazines. Some of
his compositions have been
performed by the Rochester
Philharmonic, the Aeolian
Chamber Players, the
American Theatre in Berlin,
Germany, and on New•
England and European
television and radio.
"I would stop everything
else to continue writing,"
says Gibson.
Gibson is also interested in
travel. He's been to Europe
on five occasions to perform,
to Central America, and to
the West Indies, and he is
looking forward to visiting
other places.
Gibson teaches Music 5 and
companied by several of his
students who helped him in
an equally good presentation
of the Martial Arts that was
enjoyed by all.
The speaker was Jon
Bonner, a new speech
professor here at Hazleton,
who is simultaneously
teaching at the Schuykill
campus. Bonner came to
Hazleton this fall term to fill a
faculty vacancy, and says he
really likes the campus,
although he hasn't gotten a
chance to see it all yet.
"I have an office
somewhere; I really don't
know where anything is yet",
said Bonner. He notes that
the students here seem
cooperative and ambitious,
though he has not been able to
Highacres as a second
choice; he wanted to go to
Foreignary Officers School,
but when he heard the name
Penn State, he was pleased
with the Army's second
assignment for him.
"But when they said
Hazleton, I said 'Where the
heck is Hazleton?' But now
I'm pleased that I'm here. I
love the campus; I love this
whole area of the nor
theastern United States. I get
along well with the faculty,
too. They have a very good
reputation in the community
and out at U-Park. They have
gone out of their way to make
me feel at home. I was
shocked at the number of out
of-state students; there must
be something really good
here," said Manning.
Manning did become
acquainted with Major Hicks,
his family, and his way of
running the ROTC program,
while staying with him this
8, Chorus, and private voice
and music lessons for one
credit per term. The piano
and voice cost an additional
$3O or $4O per term, which is
still much less than hiring a
teacher outside of PSU, and
this way you receive credit.
He suggests that any students
who are considering
becoming involved with the
Musical, but are hesitant
because of limited vocal
training, should see him.
"You don't have to be
musically trained to take
lessons", he says.
What kind of music does a
Doctor in Music enjoy? Sure,
he likes classical, as many of
us would have guessed. But,
he also enjoys 60's rock, Jazz,
and Country (Dolly Parton,
Willie Nelson, Emmylou
Harris are favorites).
Gibson's views on how
music should be taught are
much less varied than his
musical preferences. He is
(acutely) aware of the
rumors that Music 5 was "an
.easy A" last year, and that
the students enrolled in the
course Fall Term had quite a
shock!
"It's better in the long run
if you have to strive above
meet many of them yet.
Bonner is a talented young
man with many interests. He
grew up in Coaldale, Penn
sylvania, and attended East
Stroudsburg and Ship
pensburg State to receive a
BS and Masters degree in
Speech and Communications.
He presently resides in
Tamaqua with his wife,
Jackie and two-year-old
daughter, Jaime.
Another major facet of
Bonner's life is his interest in
the martial arts. He is a third
degree blackbelt in Goshin-
Budo Ju Jitsu, and is the
Director and Chief Instructor
of the Goshin School of Ju
Jitsu in Tamaqua. This
school has many awards,
distinctions, and trophies
past summer for a few days
until his Conyngham
residence was ready. Man
ning presently resides there
with his wife and 16-month
old daughter, Megan Tyler
Manning.
He doesn't plan to make
any major changes in the
program, aside from his
personal lesson plans. The
freshman course lends itself
more to the political science
aspect of the service. The
Department of Defense,
influences of the President
and Congress on the military,
and clearing up misin
formation about the Armed
Forces are some of the major
topics covered in the ROTC
program.
"It's important that ROTC
be offered in the major
universities for the sole
purpose of. offering an
alternative for students. The
Army isn't for everyone; of
the approximately 120
Page 5
which you fell you are
capable. You'll produce
more. Education is the ex
change of ideas with a
challenge,, not just
memorization, or it doesn't
mean anything," said Gib
son. He thinks this kind of
challenge has made PSU a
university students can be
proud to hail from.
Gibson feels that the ideal
teacher "maintains high
standards and believes in
challenge, but can be a warm
and available person one can
really talk to." This reporter
feels that all of these
qualities couldn't be per
sonified any better in anyone
than they are in Dr. James
Robert Gibson.
NOTE: Be sure to attend the
musical in late winter or
early spring; it will hopefully
be the first in a series of
musicals. See him in S-104 if
interested. On December 8,
1982, James Robert Gibson
will be giving a free piano
recital in C-1 at 7 p.m. He will
be playing popular classical
pieces by Brahrns, Debussy,
and Schubert, and will be
performing his work
"Threshold" for the first time
in public.
under its yellow, orange,
black (etc.) belt from tour
nament competition.
Bonner has been involved
with self-defense and
Oriental weaponry for over
ten years, and is now a
nationally recognized in
structor in the National
Karate and Ju Jitsu Union,
the President of the Tatsu-Do
Ju Jitsu Association, and a
member of the Board of
Directors of the Penn
sylvania Society of Black
belts.
It is clear that Bonner's
talents and achievements are
diverse and noteworthy. He is
truly a credit to our campus
and the Collegian wishes him
continued success.
students enrolled, most of
them probably won't con
tinue, but they'll be exposed
to the real military instead of
only the influence of the
media. They can form
opinions by their own ex
perience. For example, the
Army was blamed by the
media for the Vietnam War,
but they actually had no
control over what happened
because the executive branch
commits us to war," said
Manning.
Manning says the ROTC
program in universities is not
designed to get people in the
Army. "The program is two
fold; it is to provide public
information and also, for the
people who stay in it for 4
years, it can mean corn
mission and becoming an
officer."
The Collegian extends their
best wishes to Captain
Manning and his family.