Reflect on Emory University’s past, enjoy the present and look toward the future during this year’s Charter Week, Feb. 5-11. This annual midwinter program showcases the depth and breadth of academic and campus life events available to the Emory community.
The celebration commemorates the inaugural meeting of the university’s Board of Trustees on Feb. 6, 1837, two months after Emory College was founded in Oxford, Georgia.
There are plenty of activities planned, from thrilling sports events to engaging concerts and introspective lectures. No matter what aspect of Emory is your favorite, there’s an event for everyone.
Check out the full events lineup below, and don’t forget to explore more activities throughout February in honor of Black History Month.
2024 Charter Week Schedule
Monday, Feb. 5
12 p.m., Robert W. Woodruff Library, Jones Room
This event is part of the James Weldon Johnson Institute’s weekly Race and Difference Colloquium Series, co-sponsored by Woodruff Library. Dawn Duke, professor of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Tennessee, will speak during this week’s program. The event is free but registration is required.
Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies Guest Lecture: “Make. Believe: Sexuality, Caste, Dissent”
4:15 p.m., Psychology and Interdisciplinary Sciences (PAIS) Building, Room 220
Guest lecturer Anjali Arondekar, professor of feminist studies and founding director of the Center for South Asian Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz, will lead a talk on suturing histories of caste and sexuality to archives of dissent in India. Arondekar’s discussion rearranges the grammar of our ethical engagements with the past and present. The event is free.
Tuesday, Feb. 6
5 p.m., Modern Languages Building, Room 201
Join students and faculty for an afternoon of coffee and conversation with the Emory German Department. This event is free and open to the public.
6:30 p.m., Emory School of Law, Gambrell Hall
The EPIC Inspiration Awards celebrate community members who demonstrate extraordinary commitment to public service. This year, the honorees are Lawrence J. Bracken II, Elizabeth Markowitz 90L and Atteeyah Hollie. Emory Law students can attend for free, but registration is required. All other attendees must purchase tickets online.
Wednesday, Feb. 7
Nix-Mann Endowed Lecture: “Sounds Wild and Broken”
7:30 p.m., Michael C. Carlos Museum, Ackerman Hall
David Haskell, William R. Kenan Jr. professor of biology and environmental studies at the University of the South, will present this year’s Nix Mann Endowed Lecture. In “Sounds Wild and Broken: Listening Beyond the Surface,” Haskell explores what sounds can teach us about the past and present. Sound is a great connector, passing through barriers and uniting disparate beings. Listening, then, opens us to the interconnections from which life is made and can be a ground for belonging, justice and joy. Registration is required for this free event.
Thursday, Feb. 8
9:15 a.m., Emory School of Law, Gambrell Hall
Hosted annually by Emory Law Journal since 1995, the Thrower Symposium honors the life and legacy of Randolph W. Thrower, a beloved attorney and veteran who left a mark on Atlanta and beyond. The 2024 Thrower Symposium will explore “The Promise and Challenge of Artificial Intelligence in the Information Age.” Registration is required.
5 p.m., Woodruff Library, Jones Room
Join the History Department Symposium, anchored by “The Allure of Empire: American Encounters with Asians in the Age of Transpacific Expansion and Exclusion,” written by Emory assistant professor Chris Suh. Beth Lew-Williams, an associate professor of history at Princeton University, will serve as a respondent. A reception will follow the symposium. Contact Becky Herring for more information.
Concert: The Magic Eastern Ensemble
7:30 p.m., Oxford College, Williams Hall
The Magic Eastern Ensemble is a musical performance group founded in 2018 and is under the leadership of music director Yao Lu. Comprised primarily of students from the Magic Eastern Music Studio, the ensemble is committed to performing music with traditional Chinese instruments. They have a passion for fusion with the aesthetics of Western music to provide a diverse audience with a new understanding of traditional Chinese instrumentation by combining electronic music, jazz and more to create a one-of-a-kind sound. This event is free and open to the public.
8 p.m., Schwartz Center for Performing Arts, Emerson Concert Hall
The St. Olaf Choir, conducted by Anton Armstrong, will perform at Emory University during its 2024 Winter Tour. For more than a century, the St. Olaf Choir has set the gold standard for choral singing, performing for millions around the world. Comprised of 75 mixed voices, the St. Olaf Choir is hailed as one of the nation’s premier a cappella ensembles, renowned for its artistry and beauty of sound. Emory students can purchase tickets for $10 and all other attendees can purchase tickets for $50 on the Schwartz Center website.
Friday, Feb. 9
Concert: Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta Cooke Noontime Series
12 p.m., Schwartz Center for Performing Arts, Emerson Concert Hall
Three of Atlanta’s favorite musicians, known as The Three Graces — pianist Julie Coucheron, cellist Charae Krueger and violinist Alice Hong — join forces for Mendelssohn’s “Trio in D Minor” and more. This is a free event open to the public.
12 p.m., Whitehead Biomedical Research Building, Whitehead Auditorium
During any conversation, our brain must interpret what we hear and control our vocal response. How does the brain transform these auditory sensations into action? Arkarup Banerjee, assistant professor at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, will lead a lecture on his lab’s work using singing mice as a model system to investigate the neural circuits in the brain that underlie vocal communication in mammals. This is a free event and is open to the public.
5:30 p.m., Woodruff P.E. Center Gymnasium
Cheer on the Emory women’s basketball team as they face Washington University. Admission is free for Emory students, faculty, staff, alumni and families.
Pajama Concert: Chinese New Year Celebration
7 p.m., Michael C. Carlos Museum, Ackerman Hall
Throw on your pajamas, grab your favorite stuffed animal and enjoy a steaming cup of hot chocolate to celebrate the Year of the Dragon on Chinese New Year’s Eve alongside the Vega Quartet. This is a free event.
7:30 p.m., Woodruff P.E. Center Gymnasium
Root for the Emory men’s basketball team as they compete against Washington University. Admission is free for Emory students, faculty, staff, alumni and families.
Saturday, Feb. 10
9:30 a.m., Michael C. Carlos Museum, Ackerman Hall
In this workshop, “Legend Has It: An Exploration of Animals and Their Depictions Across Cultures,” join educators from the Michael C. Carlos Museum, Georgia Aquarium and Zoo Atlanta to explore the scientific study of animals. During this workshop, educators explore animals and related myths featured in the galleries and then learn how to utilize classroom-friendly, STEAM-based games to create their own mythological creatures. Lunch will be provided for attendees. Space is limited and advance registration is required.
Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta: Masterclass Series
10 a.m., Schwartz Center for Performing Arts, Tharp Rehearsal Hall
Observe pianist Vijay Venkatesh working with some of Emory’s finest undergraduate talents as part of the Emory Chamber Music Society Masterclass Series. This is a free event.
11 a.m. and 2 p.m., Chappell Park
The Emory men’s baseball team takes on Berry College in a double-header game day. Admission is free for Emory students, faculty, staff, alumni and families.
Contemporary Dance Performance with Covington Regional Ballet and Kit Modus
7 p.m., Oxford College, Williams Hall
Enjoy a contemporary dance performance featuring the Covington Regional Ballet with Kit Modus and the Newton County Youth Strings. Purchase tickets through the Newton County Arts website.
7:30 p.m., Performing Arts Studio
Headlining this year’s CompFest is the internationally acclaimed New York-based piano and percussion quartet Yarn/Wire. The ensemble will perform the music of Annea Lockwood, a legendary composer, sound artist, acoustic ecologist and member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, who is renowned for her focus on the effects of sound in our environments. This is a free event and is open to the public.
Sunday, Feb. 11
Concert: Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta: Emerson Series Bach Bowl
4 p.m., Schwartz Center for Performing Arts, Emerson Concert Hall
This annual one-hour concert before the Super Bowl features world-renowned organist Alan Morrison on the great Jaeckel organ as well as Bach’s “Chaconne” in the original and in Busoni’s brilliant transcription for piano solo. The performance is free and open to the public.
12 p.m., Woodruff P.E. Center Gymnasium
Cheer on the Eagles as the Emory men’s basketball team takes on the University of Chicago. Admission is free for Emory students, faculty, staff, alumni and families.
2 p.m., Woodruff P.E. Center Gymnasium
Show your school spirit as the Emory women’s basketball team faces off against the University of Chicago. Admission is free for Emory students, faculty, staff, alumni and families.