Clubs and Activities
The Timmins-Gentry Music Society
For over fifty years, the Timmins-Gentry Music
Society has cultivated cadets' taste for and knowledge of classical music. Members attend
local concerts by major artists, such as the Beaux Arts Trio or Guarneri Quartet, have monthly
lectures and discussions about music with guest speakers, can draw on the huge Timmins
Collection of CDs and LPs for their edification and pleasure, and every Spring make a trip to
New
York. The Timmins-Gentry Music Society New York trip has become one of the most enduring
traditions at VMI. Cadets attend the Metropolitan Opera and a concert by the New York
Philharmonic, see at least one Broadway play, and visit at least one museum. In recent years, they
have seen Mozart's Marriage of Figaro, Verdi's Otello and La
Traviata, and Puccini's La Bohème. Society funds pay for
transportation, lodging, and tickets to the opera and the Philharmonic concert. The Timmins
Society was founded in 1951 in honor of John Timmins, VMI Class of '49, a lover of classical
music who died in Korea in 1950. Prof. Tom Gentry was the faculty adviser from its inception to
his retirement in 1998 and led the New York trip for 40 years. In 1998, in honor of his long and
extraordinary service in John Timmins's memory and through the generosity of the Timmins
family, the organization was renamed the Timmins-Gentry Music Society. For information about
the Society's activities during the current year, click
here.
Advisers: Prof. Baragona and Prof. Rachels
The English Society
In the tradition of the Timmins-Gentry Music Society, the English
Society has fostered cadets' appreciation of literature and the fine arts for nearly a decade.
The Society's speaker series includes writers, artists, and scholars from the famous (like Allen
Ginsberg, Lee Smith, and filmmaker John Waters) to the up and coming. They also sponsor
theatrical events, like yearly visits by the innovative Shenandoah Shakespeare Express. Twice a
year, the English Society makes trips to the Virginia Film Festival and Washington, D.C. The
annual D.C. excursion, partly underwritten by the Navas-Read
Shakespeare Fund, includes a tour of the Folger Shakespeare Library and a play at the
Washington Shakespeare Theatre.
Advisers: Prof. Baragona and Prof. Ayau
Sigma Tau Delta English Honors Society
The newest addition to VMI's academic and cultural societies is the local chapter of the national
English Honors Society, Sigma Tau Delta. Limited in membership according to grade point
average, members represent the highest tradition of academic achievement. In addition to
sponsoring speakers and other events in conjunction with the English Society, Sigma Tau Delta
offers its members chances for publication and scholarships for post-graduate study.
Adviser: Prof. Ball
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Last modified September 26, 2005