The Big Game dominates this weekend, which means all eyes will be on the basketball court in Detroit where Davidson College will take on the University of Wisconsin Friday, starting at 7:10 p.m.

All eyes, but maybe not all ears, because Davidson College Presbyterian Church is going ahead with its Bach Birthday Bash, which will be taking place at the same time that the hoopsters are crossing their court. Bach fans, we salute you! The weekend also features a town forum on education issues, a violin concert, a work day at Fisher Farm, a 225th anniversary for Ramah Church and more. Plus, we have everything on The Big Game from how to watch in Dubai to where the Davidson Dream Team would play their Elite Eight game.

Weekend of March 27-30

EVENTS –

The Cornelius Public Library will host a two-part class, “Computer Basics for Beginners,” to be held Thursday and Friday mornings, 9:15-10:30 a.m. This free, low stress introduction to using a PC is aimed at adults will little or no computer experience. Contact the library at 704-655-9409 for more information.

The first of two Community Education Forums will take place Thursday, 6:30 – 8 p.m., at the Davidson Town Hall. The event will be hosted by Mayor John Woods and Hugh Hattabaugh, area superintendent for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ North Learning Community. This forum focuses on issues related to public elementary schools. A second meeting, April 3, 6:30-8 p.m. at Town Hall, will address issues related to public middle and high schools.

Summit Coffee will have live music this weekend, featuring Billy Jones and Kate Minogue Thursday, The Humans on Friday and The Orsons Saturday. Bands play from 8-11 p.m.

The accomplished pianist Paul Gillies, who is on the faculty of North Carolina School of the Arts, will offer a Musical Interludes concert Friday, starting at 12:30 p.m., in the Davidson College Sloan Music Center. Dr. Gillies will also give a master class at 3 p.m.

The Davidson College men’s basketball team will face Wisconsin in the Midwest semifinal game of the NCAA championship tournament Friday, starting at 7:10 p.m. This Sweet 16 game will be played in Detroit, Mich., but fans can gather to watch locally at the college union, Fuel Pizza and at the Brickhouse. If (or is it better luck to say “when”) the Wildcats win, they advance to the region championship, also known as the Elite Eight, and will play the winner of Friday’s 9:40 p.m. game between Kansas and Villanova. The Elite Eight game for the Midwest region will be held in Detroit on Sunday.

Related to The Big Game, click here for the college’s latest list of telecast events. For example, if you’re planning to watch the game from Dubai, then you’ll want to connect with “two guys in an apartment,” while if you’ll be in New York City Friday night, then plan to catch the game at the Mercury Bar on Third Avenue. Hankering for ice cream? Ben & Jerry’s on Main Street will be offering the Davidson Wildcat Sweet 16 Sundae for $3.16 for as long as the Cats are in the Big Show. And, finally, keep in mind that WDAV-FM, 89.9, will be cheering on the Wildcats each hour on Friday. A special tribute (featuring the Cats’ unofficial theme song “Sweet Caroline”) will air at 11 a.m. Friday. Tired of mumbling the lyrics to the Neil Diamond classic? Then, please, click here.

The student-organized arts festival, planned for Friday and Saturday, has been postponed until May 2-3 due to the NCAA tournament basketball game.

Davidson College Presbyterian Church may have “Go Wildcats” banners hanging from its balconies, but the church is also celebrating Bach. The church will hold its 2nd annual Bach Birthday Bash on the church’s rebuilt Wicks organ Friday, starting at 7:30 p.m. Organists invited to share their favorite Bach pieces are Susan Talley, Adam Ward, Patrick Pope, Bill Rainey, Stephen Vogel, and Lewis Deaton. The event is free and there will be a post-concert reception with birthday cake and balloons. For directions and more information, click on: http://www.dcpc.org.

Liviu Prunaru

Romanian-born violin virtuoso Liviu Prunaru will perform Saturday, starting at 7:30 p.m. in the college music center’s Tyler-Tallman Hall. Mr. Prunaru is currently a professor at the Menuhin Academy in Switzerland and concert master of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam. His performance in Davidson will include Tartini’s “Didone abbandonata,” Beethoven’s “Sonata Kreutzer,” Korngold’s “Much ado about nothing,” and Grieg’s Sonata Opus 45, No. 3 in C Minor, accompanies by pianist Dana Protopopescu. Tickets $20 adults, $15 for seniors, free at the door for students. Details: 704-894-2848 or on the college website.

The next work day at Fisher Farm will be Sunday from 8 – 11 a.m. Volunteers will be helping to clear hiking and walking trails, led by experienced trail builders. They should bring their own work gloves and a lunch. Work days are sponsored by the Davidson Parks & Recreation department. For more information contact Jim Mead (JJMead@Duke-Energy.com).

Ramah Presbyterian Church in Huntersville will celebrate its 225th anniversary Sunday with a Hymn Sing Celebration. The event will begin at 6 p.m. at the church, located at 14401 Ramah Church Road (off of Sam Furr Road/Co. Rd. 73). Anyone can request their favorite hymn to sing and a special appearance will be made by “The Memorials.” Following the hymn sing, commemorative Ramah mugs will be given out along with hot chocolate and birthday cake. The church was formally established in 1783, and the church building and cemetery are on the National Register of Historic Places.

SPORTS –

Besides the men’s basketball NCAA tournament, several other Wildcat teams will be playing this weekend. The men’s tennis team will play UNC Greensboro Thursday at 2 p.m. and Georgia Southern Sunday at noon. Wildcat baseball will host a series with Wofford this weekend with games Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. The women’s lacrosse team will play Navy at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Click on Wildcat Athletics for more details.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

• MONDAY, MARCH 31, 7 p.m., Town Hall, 216 S. Main St. – March Planning Board meeting with special guest Thomas E. Low, director of town planning for Duany Plater-Zyberk & Co. He will talk about New Urbanism. Also, presentation on integrating local agriculture into planning, by planning board member Christy Shi. Details on the town website.
• WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2 , 7:30 p.m., Davidson College Alvarez College Union 900 Room – William G. Ross, Jr., Secretary of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, presents a free talk. For more information, call 704-894-2201.
• THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 7 p.m. and Friday, April 4, 2:30 p.m., Davidson College – Public lectures by N. David Mermin, Horace White Professor of Theoretical Physics at Cornell University. Thursday in the Alvarez College Union 900 Room, he will discuss “Spooky Actions at a Distance?” And Friday afternoon, he will talk about “What Has Quantum Mechanics to Do with Factoring?” in Room 146 of the Dana Science Laboratory. For more information, call 704-894-2073.
• THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 6:30-8 p.m., Town Hall, 216 S. Main St. – Community Education Forum with Mayor John Woods and Hugh Hattabaugh, area superintendent for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ North Learning Community. Second two meetings (see March 27 listing above). This one focuses middle and high school issues.
• SATURDAY, APRIL 5, all day beginnng at 9 a.m., Catawba Wildflower Glen – The Davidson Lands Conservancy and the Catawba Lands Conservancy sponsor guided tours or hands-on wildflower identification classes. To register, call Davidson Lands Conservancy at 704-892-1910 or Catawba Lands Conservancy at 704-342-3330. No pets. Registration limited.
• SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Davidson College Sloan Music Center Tyler Tallman Hall – Regional Undergraduate Research Symposium in Classics. Students from numerous colleges and universities will present and discuss academic papers on Greco-Roman antiquity. Free. For more information, call 704-894-2934.
• SATURDAY APRIL 5, 8:30 a.m., Davidson College Alvarez College Union 900 Room – Alexander Capron, Bice Chair in Healthcare Law, Policy and Ethics at the University of Southern California, will present the keynote lecture “Authority and Responsibility in Medicine and Health Care” during the annual Frederick Womble Speas Symposium. Free. For more information, call 704-894-2482.
• APRIL 12, 8 a.m. to noon, Village Green, Downtown Davidson – Community Rummage Sale. Details in our Feb. 9 news item.
• WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 7 p.m., Davidson College Duke Family Performance Hall – Lecture “Do We Want to be the New Rome?” by Ambassador Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations. In the final installment of the college’s Bank of America Lecture Series, Mr. Haass will be speaking about principles, power, and the future of American leadership. Admission is free, but tickets are required. They may be obtained in person at the College Union ticket office from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, or at the door beginning an hour before the talk. For more information, call 704-894-2135.
• SUNDAY, April 20 , 7:30 p.m., Davidson College Alvarez College Union 900 Room – Free literary reading by Catherine Gilbert Murdock, prize-winning author of young adult novels. Ms. Murdock will read from her books “Dairy Queen” and “The Off-Season” For more information call 704-894-2254.
• THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 12:30 p.m., River Run Country Club – Fourth Annual Dick Sanderson Driving 4 Life Golf Tournament, raising money for research into ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease and to help Mr. Sanderson and his family, who live in Davidson. Registration now underway. Details at http://www.dicksandersondriving4life.org/
• MONDAY, APRIL 28,, 10 a.m. -6 p.m. , River Run Country Club – Russell B. Knox Memorial Golf Tournament, sponsored by Cornelius/Lake Norman, Davidson, Huntersville, North Charlotte Lions Clubs. Range opens 10 a.m., registration and lunch at 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m. shotgun start, 5:30 p.m. prize drawings, 6 p.m. award ceremony. The tournament in memory of former Davidson Mayor Russell B. Knox raises money for Lions programs and charities. For information, call Ed Roberts at 704-892-0276.
• SATURDAY, MAY 3 – Davidson Town Day.

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