The Broncos’ Voice ^ ^
December 1993 JL J.
Dr. Rama Datta: World Class Professor
by Kathleen Barron
Dr. Rama D. Datta, Assistant
Professor in the Department of
Humanities, has a lengthy list
of credentials as an educator and
lecturer both abroad and in the
United States. She received her
Ph.D and M.A. in Philosophy at
Syracuse University, New York
as well as an M.A. at Calcutta
University in India. She received
her B.A. (honors) with a minor
in Economics and a major in
Philosophy at Presidency College
in India where she ranked first
among the Philosophy Honors
Students.
Dr. Datta has received many
scholarships and awards includ
ing the J. C. Jones Award for
Outstanding Teaching in the
Humanities at FSU a nomina
tion for Teacher of the Year in
the College of Arts & Sciences
in 1991. She has had a book
and numerous papers published
and is frequently invited to par
ticipate on panels and in semi
nars, both as a lecturer and as a
speaker. She is a member of
professional organizations on
Asian Studies and a lifetime
member of an organization on
Indian Philosophy. In 1985, she
received an Honorable Mention
in the Directory of Professors in
the United States and Canada,
and in 1991 she was accepted as
a member of the Aristotelian
Society at University College in
London, United Kingdom.
When selected philosophers
from American universities trav
elled to China for two weeks in
September of this year. Dr. Datta
was a member of the delegation.
At that time she received an in
vitation to speak in Switzerland.
As I compose this article. Dr.
Datta is again out of the coim-
try conducting a seminar in her
homeland, where she received
the prestigious honor of being
asked to conduct a seminar at
the University of Calcutta dvir-
ing FSU’s winter break.
Despite all of the honors in
her list of credentials and her
obviously busy schedvde. Dr.
Datta still has time to have a
personal interest in each and
every one of her students. She
goes out of her way to seek them
out and ask how they are doing.
Anyone who has had the privi
lege of meeting her knows that
she is a lady of class, a friend
and, most importantly, a woman
who sincerely cares.
FSU Group Hosts The Piano Lesson
Due to production errors in the
last issue, the following article is
being printed in its entirety here.
by Kathleen Barron
The Piano Lessonhy August Wil
son was a Pulitzer Prize winner in
1990. According to the program
from the play, the primary theme
underlying aU of Wilson’s plays was
the importance of connecting with
your past in order to imderstand
your relationship in society. This
enabled the self-proclaimed “cultural
nationalist” to use theater to raise
the consciousness of black people.
In the play, the woman is denying
her past in order to gain a sense of
self-worth.
According to Kevin Moore, the
play is a drama about a black fam
ily in Pittsbiu-g in 1936. The story
centers aroimd a piano that comes
into the family’s possession. The
piano had been the property of the
same family that had “owned” this
particular family’s ancestors. Lo
cated in various places on the piano
were marks carved by those former
slaves.
The controversy centers on the
question of what to do with the pi
ano. The sister wants to keep the
piano as a tangible reminder of those
bygone days. The brother argues
for selling the piano and use the
money to purchase the land on
which their ancestors had worked.
The play was directed by a sea
soned veteran in Educational The
atre, Dr. E. J. Fisher. Dr. Fisher
holds advanced degrees in speech
and theater from Grambling Uni
versity, Tennessee State University,
and the University of California. He
has performed as a professional and
served on the Mississippi Film Com
mission for several years. He has
directed over 150 theatrical produc
tions including several showcases
and, most notable, the centennial
production celebrating the history
of Jackson State University.
Kevin Moore, a native of Cali
fornia, is an instructor in the De
partment of Communications, as
well as the stage designer and tech
nical engineer. Mr. Moore would
like to see more interest in theater
classes such as mask making.
The cast consisted of Sherrie
Deil, Joleffa Brown, Roger Grimsley,
Owen Williams, Spencer Williams,
Denicia Rashmon Matthews, Iris
Joseph, and Gerald Puckett.
Members of the production staff
included Mr. Kevin Moore, Ms.
Aretha Bonds, Ms. Brenda Echole,
Ms. Lashawna Fitzpatrick. Gerald
Puckett, Jeffrey McLaurin, Porche
Pegues, Ms. Jennifer Lockett,
Michele Dresel, Tonya Hall, Loralie
Frenchette, Lillie Shelton, and
Ericka Williams.
The spring production will be
Female Transport by Steve Gooch.
It is the story of a prison ship trans
porting women from England to Aus
tralia when Australia was still a
penal colony.
Tryouts will be January 18-21
with parts for four men and six
women of any race.
Lyceum Committee Sponsors Play
om the Mississippi Delta — From
prostitute to professor and play-
•Tight, from wild country child to
vil rights marcher and feminist,
t dramatic life story of endesha
ea mae Holland is a moving per-
na.i portrait of a half-century of
tonishing social change. Dr.
olland’s acclaimed memoir is be-
toured by a trio of women whose
siderable theatrical skills range
their rich evocations of gospel
and blue to sharply-etched portray
als of a stage-full of friends and
neighbors, both lu-ban and country.
Fayetteville State University’s
Lyceum committee is sponsoring this
play on Friday, January 28,1994 at
8:00 P.M. in the Seabrook Audito
rium. Admission: FREE for FSU
students with valid school ID; $2.00
for high school and other college
students; $5.00 for the general pub
lic.