Clubs & 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