The Art and Poetry of War: Understanding the Military Experience

A panel discussion and multimedia presentation on how artistic depictions of war may influence medical professionals is the focus of an interdisciplinary collaboration between NYIT’s School of Health Professions and College of Arts and Sciences.

"The Art and Poetry of War” will be held on Tuesday, April 21 at 12:30 p.m. in Rockefeller Auditorium, Old Westbury campus.

The event features a panel discussion on literature and paintings about war, with a special emphasis on how art can help health care professionals better understand the trauma of combat their patients may have experienced.

“We hope that students take away a greater appreciation for the power that words and images have to shape thinking, and how the skills they are learning in their core classes are applicable to a wide range of professional situations, such as the medical treatment of a returning veteran,” said College of Arts and Sciences Associate Professor Elizabeth Donaldson.

Among the presenters are West Point's Colonel Michael Stoneham, who will discuss "From 'Break of Day in the Trenches' to Johnny Got His Gun: Celebrating the Antiwar Sentiment in WWI Literature at West Point," and NYIT's Jacqueline Taylor Basker, who will present "War: The Glory and the Gore in Art."

Patricia Chute, Ed.D., dean of the School of Health Professions, initiated the event to follow her school’s participation earlier this year in a simulated case of a wounded soldier who returned home with numerous physical and emotional issues. Health professions students joined students from the College of Osteopathic Medicine in “Wounded Warrior: Teamwork in Action,” a joint session designed to share their professional insights on the soldier’s condition and recommendations for his treatment.