A large but cautious crowd gathered in the Olin Courtyard around Nathan Stodola's “fire and ice” pipe organ on Friday.
It was, Dean Kimmo Rosenthal noted, the only Steinmetz presentation that required an outdoor venue.
When the senior mechanical engineer fired up the propane burner and turned on the liquid nitrogen, the crowd took a step back.
“I call it a barbecue grill I made from scratch,” Stodola said of the obvious comparison before going on to explain how it works. The sound of the 14-note organ is produced by a resonator that transforms to acoustic energy the oscillations between the heated and cooled ends of each tube. Thermoacoustics, as the principle is called, has applications for refrigerators and engines, he said.
Stodola, who serves as student organist, was advised by Prof. Brad Bruno.
Stodola acknowledged one drawback to the thermoacoustic organ: it can take a few minutes to reach equilibrium and get in tune. The remark prompted Prof. Dianne McMullen, college organist, to suggest that the organist arrive early.
More than 300 students presented or performed at the 15th annual Steinmetz Symposium, an exposition of student scholarly, research and creative work.
At other Steinmetz presentations:
Nina Cutro-Kelly '06 (“Patriotism and Propaganda in Wartime”) found that during World War I, the press was tightly controlled and that officials understood that seductive stories were more powerful than logic. She said increasing press dissent today may split the public but wouldn't speculate on whether the press could ever have its former impact on public opinion.
Meg Vercillo '05 (“ETA and Politcal Violence in Spain”) was on term abroad in Spain during the March 11, 2004 terrorist attacks in Madrid. She found that even though the Basque separatist group ETA was not responsible for the attacks, they gained credibility after the attacks and their influence continues to loom over Spain.
Sarah Bills '06 studied two art songs, or Lieder, from two influential 19th-century composers: Johannes Brahms and Hugo Wolf. conducted research in both English and German on the two composers, and particularly on the settings of the poem “Agnes,” by Eduard Morike. She discussed their stylistic differences (Brahms emphasized melody, Wolf textual content). The music and German interdisciplinary major also treated the audience to an elegant mini-concert, soulfully singing both Lieder.
Ross Marvin '07, an interdisciplinary music and English major, did his sophomore honors project on “American Imagery in the Lyrics of Bob Dylan and Modern Roots Musicians.” Roots music, also known as “Americana,” is influenced by country, blues, bluegrass, rock, and especially folk music, he said. In the late '60s, Dylan and The Band were among the musicians performing in this genre – songs of struggle, religion, and outside observers of society. Their work perpetuated the folk myths that stemmed from earlier traditional songs. Ross has written music that makes use of similar imagery, paying homage to his own influences. He will perform his work during the annual Bob Dylan Birthday Bash, later in the month.
Gillian McCabe '05 studied the powerful Argentinian women's protest group, Las Madres de la Plaza de Mayo, which gave motherhood a political identity as they protested the kidnapping of dissidents during Argentina's “Dirty War” (1976-83). More recently, the group has expanded the fight to address human rights issues around the world, and they have had significant impact on political and social activism in Argentina ever since.