February 4, 2020 | UHCL Staff
Still looking for a Valentine’s gift for your special someone? UHCL’s Student Involvement and Leadership Office is hosting the Spring 2020 Vendor Fair, Feb. 11-13 from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. at Atrium I of the Bayou Building, 2700 Bay Area Blvd., Houston. Products will include candy and other sweets, scented products, jewelry, clothing and art. For more information, contact Becky Totty at totty@uhcl.edu or 281-283-2554.
The Black Student Association’s Black Fridays Film Festival is featuring Julian Schnabel’s “Basquiat,” starring Jeffrey Wright and David Bowie. The movie, which tells the story of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s life as a struggling artist in New York City, will be presented Feb. 21, 4-6 p.m. in the lecture hall in Student Services and Lecture Building at UHCL, 2700 Bay Area Blvd.,Houston. Snacks and admission are free.
Not yet a member of UHCL’s Recreation and Wellness Center? If you’re curious about what the facility has to offer, but you’re not sure if you want to join yet, Campus Recreation and Wellness is offering a free preview access to the community during normal business hours from Friday, Feb. 14 to Sunday, Feb. 16.
To participate, please bring a government-issue photo ID and complete the waiver forms at the front desk. Minors must have a parent or legal guardian present to complete the waivers. In addition to previewing the amenities and the space, you can receive discounted prices for select fitness and wellness services. For more information, visit https://events.uhcl.edu/index.php?eID=2650.
The Neumann Library at UHCL, 2700 Bay Area Blvd. Houston, will be hosting a panel discussion exploring the implications of XR — a combination of virtual and augmented reality, on Feb. 18 from 2-3:30 p.m. with a reception following. Panelists will discuss the potential for XR in teaching, learning and in future careers.
“XR technologies represent a new medium for storytelling,” said Neumann Library Executive Director Vivienne McClendon. “The Neumann Library recognizes the potential for spatial computing as a new benchmark in three-dimensional information sharing, pushing human understanding forward in ways we are just beginning to understand.”
UHCL plans to open a new XR lab in fall 2020.
For more information about the event, visit www.uhcl.edu/library.
University of Houston-Clear Lake has named Eric Despard as its new cultural arts director, beginning Feb. 3, 2020. Despard, who will oversee the university’s Bayou Theater as well as its Art Gallery, has spent his 30-year career as a professional musician, a professor of music and art, a community music school and a director of university cultural arts programs.
Despard said that during the interview process, he could almost immediately see himself in the job. “When I was applying, UH-Clear Lake seemed very attractive to me. Everything about it was what I was looking for,” he said. “I’m thinking about ways I’ll be expanding the program, and finding opportunities to create community music programs. I love working with the community.”
He has his Master of Music from Yale University and is an accomplished classical guitarist. In addition to his administrative work, Despard is an active performer, composer and champion of new music. His group, The Program Ensemble, has commissioned and premiered over 20 pieces by national and international composers.
For more information about the Bayou Theater, visit www.uhcl.edu/bayou-theater/
