Virginia Military Institute welcomes James A. McLaughlin, acclaimed author of “Bearskin” and “Panther Gap,” for a reading of his work, Tuesday, March 19 at 7:45 p.m. in Gillis Theater. The event is free and open to the public.

The play, written by Russian American author Ayn Rand, is a courtroom drama centered on the trial of a secretary accused of murdering her employer, who defrauded his company of millions of dollars to invest in the gold trade.

The invitation-only event is for colleges that are National Security Agency (NSA) / Department of Homeland Security (DHS)-designated National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense. It was organized by the Center for Leadership and Ethics as part of its strategic engagement initiatives.

The Department of Facilities Management at Virginia Military Institute is tasked with keeping all the roads on post clear of snow and ice and safe for driving. One grounds supervisor at VMI had a creative idea to save money and keep roads safe.

Through a series of short biographical videos and his own words, author Robert Child shared an abbreviated version of the gallant stories of seven African American WWII soldiers chronicled in “Immortal Valor.”

Col. Dan Barr ’74 became interested in powerlifting last summer, after watching a young relative compete as a collegiate athlete. “I started probing around and looked at the state records for the bench-press, and I thought, my golly I do that in my workout for repetitions. Maybe I should compete..."

The Institute has launched a two-year pilot program called the Summer Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Program (SUEP) as a starting point for entrepreneurship education. It has been established for cadets who possess the mindset of an entrepreneur, regardless of academic major.

Virginia Military Institute will host the 46th Military School Band & Choir Festival, Feb. 16 -18. The festival will feature a concert band and a festival choir composed of military high school and college cadets, and a clinic for military high school and college drum majors.

The Superintendent regrets to inform the VMI community of the death of Capt. Jack Casey ’19 on Feb. 7. Casey was one of five Marines involved in a helicopter crash in California during a training flight.

Guest speaker Robert Child, Emmy nominated writer and director, and author of the book, “Immortal Valor: The Black Medal of Honor Winners of World War II,” will speak at VMI Monday, Feb. 19, at 7:45 p.m. in Gillis Theater in Marshall Hall.