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<img src="http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmpr/images/features/burlingtonbay_300x212.jpg" height="212" width="300" />As Margaret Tamulonis and Aimee Marcereau DeGalan guide me through the Fleming Museum's "Beckoning Country" exhibit, the co-curators of the show point out particular favorites among the artworks and objects. But as we walk through galleries structured around Earth, Water, Flora, and Fauna, their greatest enthusiasm isn't so much for individual pieces as for the connections among them.

<OBJECT CLASSID="clsid:02BF25D5-8C17-4B23-BC80-D3488ABDDC6B" WIDTH="430" HEIGHT="300" CODEBASE="http://www.apple.com/qtactivex/qtplugin.cab"> <PARAM name="SRC" VALUE="/~uvmpr/videos/diogenes.mov"> <PARAM name="AUTOPLAY" VALUE="false"> <PARAM name="CONTROLLER" VALUE="true"> <EMBED SRC="/~uvmpr/videos/diogenes.mov" WIDTH="430" HEIGHT="300" AUTOPLAY="false" CONTROLLER="true" PLUGINSPAGE="http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/"> </EMBED> </OBJECT>Diogenes, founder of the Cynic school of philosophy, is a dog on the loose as portrayed by classics professor Mark Usher in his new children's book. The canine character is apt, the Greek word for cynic translating as "dog-like" &#8212; a term applied to Diogenes for his pointedly offensive lifestyle. Listen to Usher talk about his representation of the philosopher and see illustrations from the book in this audio slideshow. <span id="caption">QuickTime Player is required to view this video. <a href="http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/">Download QuickTime here.</a> <a href="/~uvmpr/videos/diogenes.mp4">View a smaller, faster loading version of the video.</a></span>

<img src="http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmpr/images/features/buffalosoldier_300x212.jpg" height="212" width="300" />The arrival in Vermont of the Tenth U.S. Cavalry &#8212; one of four all-black regiments in the U.S. Army collectively referred to as the Buffalo Soldiers &#8212; is being commemorated on Saturday, Aug. 1 at Fort Ethan Allen in Colchester, Vt. and two women with strong ¶¶Òõ̽̽ ties are spearheading the festivities.

<img src="http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmpr/images/features/bronx_300x212.jpg" height="212" width="300" />"School administrators don't fear angry parents," says Stephanie Deffinbaugh, whose five-year-old daughter Kristyn was diagnosed with severe dyslexia. "They fear knowledgeable, positive ones."

<img src="http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmpr/images/features/austinboston_300x212.jpg" height="212" width="300" />In 1977, Garrison Nelson first argued that a so-called "Austin/Boston connection" kept the speaker of the House position and the House majority slot filled by politicians from Texas and Massachusetts for more than 40 years. That connection, he said, was responsible for the passing of some of America's most significant pieces of legislation &#8212; from the New Deal to just about every major piece of civil rights legislation.</span>

<img src="http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmpr/images/features/beliveau_300x212.jpg" height="212" width="300" />Jean-Guy B&#233;liveau taught structural engineering at ¶¶Òõ̽̽ College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences from 1985 to February 2009 when he retired. He lost his courageous fight with cancer and passed away peacefully on Friday, July 17, 2009 at the Vermont Respite Home in Williston, Vt.</a></span>