AcaMedia: Current Issue


News for the Smith College Community //April 9, 1998

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Envisioning Our Future--Status Report

Life In and Beyond Smith Houses

This report is the third in a series of updates on the progress of proposals and projects that have emerged from Smith's self-study.

"We believe that the living environment of the college must connect closely with the intellectual life of the college. Our vision is one of students living in a setting that promotes intellectual development and exchange, social awareness, and leadership."
-- Envisioning Our Future

Making Connections
Envisioning Our Future, the report of the self-study steering committee, suggests a variety of initiatives designed to enhance the intellectual component of residential life at Smith and broaden students' campus experience beyond the houses in which they live.

The benefits of Smith's unique residential system are well known and often cited by alumnae. But the strength of the house system-the loyalty and sense of community it fosters among the residents of individual houses-can also be its weakness, in that it can encourage insularity in students. Thus a number of programs envisioned in the steering committee's report and instituted within the last year by Dean of the College Maureen Mahoney and her staff have been aimed at getting students to go beyond their houses to interact with other members of the Smith community and with the world beyond the Grécourt Gates.

Building Bridges in the Community
The most striking proposal affecting residential life -- and the one that has been waiting longest in the wings -- is the recommendation for the construction of a new campus center, for which the college's trustees have now approved a site adjacent to John M. Greene Hall. The center is expected to provide an alternative to the houses as a hub of social activity and relaxation. The search for an architect for the project is under way. A program committee including students and faculty and staff members will be convened next fall to decide how to allot space in the center. Groundbreaking is expected some time in 2000.

The Office of the Dean of the College (ODOC) is well along in planning and, in some cases, implementing other initiatives aimed at making it easier for students to broaden their residential horizons. One work-in-progress is "Smith Life and Learning," a series of dinner seminars for first-year students aimed in part at forming groups across houses and linking faculty, staff and students. Thirty noncredit seminars, each involving 20 students, will focus on such subjects as "Smith as a Global College," "Smith as an Athletic College" and "Smith as a Marketplace of Ideas: Free Speech and Campus Civility." Other features of the program will probably include limited-enrollment skill-development sessions as well as camping trips, picnics and retreats.

On the social scene, a new fee structure for social dues, approved last month by an SGA-sponsored referendum, calls for the dues to be charged on college bills rather than collected in houses. It is expected that opening up Smith social membership to all members of the student body and making more money available to underwrite the events of smaller houses will have at least two positive effects: the number and variety of weekend social activities available to students will increase, thereby encouraging students to move around the campus to take advantage of a broadened range of social options.

Another social innovation is the well-received "senior tap," launched this semester by ODOC. It operates at Davis Center on Thursday evenings and provides a special opportunity and space for seniors to gather.

A new initiative aimed at bringing together two different student populations is the Ada Affiliate Program, currently in a pilot semester. It pairs Ada Comstock Scholars who live off campus with a campus house where they may eat a dinner each week, attend Friday-afternoon teas and study or relax between classes.

This fall ODOC hopes to institute another initiative designed to cross house lines: the "sister-house" plan proposed by Wilder House in its winning entry in the House-to-House Unity and Campus Climate Contest held earlier this year. Under the proposal, houses would be paired for intramural sports, social activities, volunteer service projects and other ventures that would allow women in different houses to share their common experiences.

Bridges to the Rest of the World
Some of the most significant programs aimed at helping students reach beyond the Grécourt Gates are suggested in the section of the steering committee report that envisions Smith as a "world college." Along with various academic initiatives to increase the "globalization" of the college, the report endorses a move to a "home-school" tuition policy, beginning in 2000-01, under which any Smith student enrolling in an approved study-abroad program, whether sponsored by Smith or another institution, will pay Smith's comprehensive fee. The new policy will allow Smith students eligible for financial aid to "carry" that aid to any approved program and eliminate the current practice of providing aid only to students who study in nonEnglish-speaking countries. The same section of Envisioning Our Future suggests that the college should add more international internships tied to the curriculum. The Office of International Study is helping students pursue new opportunities for study abroad, including summer and one-semester programs, and international internships supported by new funding made available through self-study initiatives.

A couple of less-expansive but highly successful programs that connect students with alumnae are already under way and will continue next year. Through the ODOC Alumnae-in-Residence Program five Smith alumnae, including writer Madeleine L'Engle '41 and Harlequin romance novelist Barbara Keiler '74 (whose pen name is Judith Arnold), returned to campus during the course of this year to stay in a college house, visit with its students and participate in a public discussion. A second initiative, the Big Sister/Little Sister Program sponsored by the Student Alumnae Association of Smith College, made its debut in February, when most of the first-year class, along with transfer students and Ada Comstock Scholars, signed up to be paired with alumnae who agreed to share reminiscences of their days at Smith, an occasional care package and other forms of support.

Strengthening House Life
All of this activity should not imply that life in the houses is being neglected. On the contrary, some significant programs designed to invigorate and support house life are currently being implemented. Of particular note is the new system of residence supervision that will be instituted in the fall with the appointment of the first cohort of residence coordinators. This new system is an outgrowth of a desire on the part of ODOC and the student services self-study team to find a house-staffing arrangement that maintains the distinctive character of the Smith house system while allowing seniors to deal with the stresses of senior year without taking on an undue share of the responsibilities for house supervision. A search is under way for 15 residence coordinators who will join the residence-life team next year. Priority for these jobs will be given to Smith alumnae.

In a program directed toward meeting the steering committee's suggestion that the living environment of the college connect closely with its intellectual life, several members of the faculty have participated this year in "Conversations in Identity and Community." Topics for the program have included "Constructing Identities Across Cultural Boundaries," "Social Class and Elite Colleges" and diversity issues.

A Preview of Things to Come
Other important student-life developments that are currently in process include:

-- The search for a dean of religious life, called for by the Ad Hoc Chapel Committee that reviewed the mission of the Chapel and suggested new ways the college might attend to the spiritual development of students at a time of increasing diversity of religious beliefs;

-- The development of on-line systems to allow students to register for courses and review billing and financial aid accounts;

· - The expansion and refurbishing of several areas central to the athletic program, including work to take place this summer on the resurfacing of outdoor track and tennis facilities;

-- The establishment of satellite fitness centers -- the first of which is opening April 13 in the basement of Albright House and is accessible to students, staff and faculty;

-- The strengthening of the student leadership-development opportunities that already exist at Smith, including student-developed and

-- administered leadership conferences, the first of which is being planned for this fall.

The next report in this series will focus on initiatives dealing with workplace issues.

A Day to Let Young Daughters See Our Workplaces

Smith will celebrate Take Our Daughters to Work Day on April 23. The day will begin at 9:30 a.m. with a welcome session in the Alumnae House living room. Other events will include a computer workshop, science activities and a museum tour.

Take Our Daughters to Work Day was established some years ago by the Ms. Foundation for Women to introduce girls between the ages of nine and 15 to the workplace and encourage them to "imagine a day when girls are working absolutely everywhere -- in board rooms, city halls, union halls and concert halls." Although we may be closer to that goal today than we were when the program was established, the Ms. Foundation, an outgrowth of Ms. magazine, continues to promote the day as a way to develop high career aspirations among young women. (Gloria Steinem '56, who helped launch Ms. in 1972 and is a foundation member, is currently a member of Smith's board of trustees.)

Smith parents working where health, safety or other workplace concerns might present problems are asked to consult their supervisors before bringing their daughters to campus. Also, so that we may plan adequately for the day and inform participants of the schedule, we would like to hear from all whose daughters will be participating. Please call or e-mail Claire Kmetz (ext. 2170; ckmetz@colrel.smith.edu) by Wednesday, April 15.

Forum Skits Will Probe Work Roles

Dramatic interpretations depicting interpersonal relations in the workplace among staff, supervisors and faculty will be presented at a community forum matinee, Thursday, April 16, at 1:30 p.m. in Wright auditorium. Several faculty and staff members have agreed to take part in the role-playing sessions, which the program's planning committee sees as being part of "the never-ending process of learning a little more about one another."

Community forums are open to all members of the staff and faculty. The latter are particularly encouraged to attend next Thursday's forum. "We hope the skits will take away the titles and get to the humanity," said a planning committee member.

The forum, which is jointly sponsored by Staff Council and the Campus Climate Working Group, will include a question period and be followed by a reception in Wright common room (catered by an outside group to allow RADS staff to attend the event).

SASA Announces Diverse Program for 9th Africa Day

Ngugi wa Thiong'o, one of Kenya's most prominent novelists and playwrights, will give the keynote address at the ninth annual Africa Day, sponsored by the Smith African Students Association (SASA), on Saturday, April 18. His lecture, "African Languages and the Politics of Decolonization," will be presented at 3 p.m. in Wright auditorium.

Ngugi, the Erich Maria Remarque Professor of Comparative Literature at New York University, speaks of language as a way people have of not only describing the world but of understanding themselves. For him, English in Africa is a "cultural bomb" that obliterates memories of precolonial cultures and history. He sees the continued use of English as encouraging new, more insidious forms of colonialism. To rid African literature of the legacy of colonialism, he argues, African writers must write in their native languages.

Ngugi, who currently writes in his native Gikuyu, is the recipient of numerous honors, including the New York African Studies Association Distinguished Africanist Award and the Zora Neale HurstonPaul Robeson Award. His books and plays include Detained, a memoir of his confinement by the Kenyan government for his politically charged writing.

The theme of this year's Africa Day is "African Identity: Myths and Realities." Other events include performance and storytelling for children eight and older, led by Nkenge Scott '96, at 11 a.m. at the Smith College Museum of Art, and a final lecture, "Defining the African Identity," by Kassahun Checole, president and publisher of Africa World Press, at 2 p.m. in Wright auditorium.

The evening will feature three events for which admission will be charged: a buffet of dishes from Africa and the diaspora in Davis Student Center from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.; a cultural show, "Viva Africana," from 8 to 10 p.m. in John M. Greene Hall; and a party afterward in the Mwangi Cultural Center, Lilly Hall. For more information, contact Chiinga Musonda
(cmusonda@sophia.smith.edu) or Jacky Nyamwanda (jnyamwan@
sophia.smith.edu).

10 Things You Didn't Know About . . .

WOZQ Radio

1. WOZQ broadcasts at 91.9 MHz on your FM dial.
2. Our transmitter broadcasts at 200 watts, at a 10- to 15-mile radius, from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m., seven days a week when Smith is in session.
3. WOZQ broadcasts "standard college music" (rock acts from independent and not-so-independent labels) on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays and in the wee morning hours on Wednesdays and Fridays. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights are set aside for urban/hip hop/R & B. Sundays are given over to specialty shows -- everything from jazz to hardcore to goth to the notable Labor News Radio show.
4. WOZQ employs about 65 deejays and 14 executive board members. It's run entirely by students, all women. WOZQ is estrogen-powered!
5. WOZQ is on the third floor of Davis Center. The interior of the station is painted purple.
6. At WOZQ, unlike at other college radio stations, first-year students can easily get their own shows. Other, meaner stations make new deejays work for a long time first.
7. WOZQ deejays tend to be cuter than those at other stations.
8. We're funded by the SGA and through our fund-raising efforts such as underwriting and CD and T-shirt sales. And be on the lookout for our all-new, totally cool, silver-and-blue stickers!
9. WOZQ is home to some antique equipment dating back to the 1960s, when the radio station was called WRSC and only broadcast at 20 watts. Surprisingly, most of the stuff still works!
10. WOZQ has its own web page (www.smith.edu/wozq) which posts the programming schedule, our weekly Top 30 songs and a schedule of concerts that WOZQ sponsors.
-Prepared by WOZQ Station Manager Monique Daviau '98

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Relay Great Show

The Smith 1600m relay team -- Amy and Mary Saari '98, Kate Farneth '98 and Teresa Winstead '99-placed fourth nationally at the 1998 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships and earned All-American honors. They also set a school record of 3.56.60 in the qualifying heat. Pam Maryanski '01 placed 12th in the 5000m, while Amy Saari finished ninth in the 800m. The five-woman Smith team that went to the championships placed 30th out of 52 teams.

Poetry Poster Woman

Betsy Bell '92 designed this year's National Poetry Month poster for the Academy of American Poets (AAP). Bell, who majored in French at Smith, landed in her current job as a graphic designer with a firm in New York City through a series of serendipitous events that began with a photography course she took at Smith with Chester Michalik of the art department. After graduating from Smith, she worked for a photographer in Paris while developing an interest in computer design. Last year, Bell designed an advertisement for the AAP, which sponsors National Poetry Month. (The academy has at least one more Smith tie: Ethelyn Atha Chase '44, now the chair of the AAP board, was for years its president.) Bell's poster and other information about the AAP may be viewed at the academy's Web site, www.poets.org.

Sailing Along

For those who look longingly at the pond, wanting to be on the water as the temperature rises, the Smith College Sailing Club has returned not a moment too soon. After three years on the inactive list, the club is now sailing on Lake Arcadia in Belchertown. With some 40 members, the sailing club serves both novices and experienced sailors through lessons and participation in regattas. Maggie Smith '99, president of the organization, has high hopes for its future, despite the loss of SGA funding due to their previous inactive status. "Lots of things are possible," she says, "and the only thing holding us back is the monetary issue." But even a lack of funds has been overcome to some extent. Physical Plant employee Mickey Finn is currently providing storage for the club's boats and assisting in their maintenance and Steven Goldstein, professor of government, has donated two boats. With such teamwork on and off the water, expect great things from this growing organization.
-- Amanda Darling '99

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Calendar Key

Sources of further information, if any, are shown in parentheses at the end of event descriptions. An asterisk following a listing indicates that the event is open to the public. Admission charges, if any, are listed when known.

Monday 4/13

Résumé/cover letter deadline for John Hancock Life Insurance and John Hancock Signature Services (Boston). Various positions available.
8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., CDO

Language lunch tables.
French, Italian
12:15 p.m., Duckett House Special Dining Room

Meeting: Campus Climate Working Group. Bring lunch; fruit juice, soda and bottled water provided.
12:15 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room

CDO workshop: "How to Find a Summer Internship."
1:15 p.m., CDO

Lecture: "How to Look at a Greek Vase." Mary B. Moore, professor of art, Hunter College. Part of an open class meeting of Art History 110b, "Image and Word: Classical Mythology."
1:30 p.m., Hillyer 117*

Softball vs. Worcester State.
3:30 p.m., athletic fields*

Meeting: Amnesty International.
4 p.m., Seelye 102*

Meeting: Baha'i Club. Refreshments provided. (Kari, ext. 6362)
4 p.m., Bodman Lounge, Chapel

Lecture: "Masculinities: Men's Places in a Gendered World." R.W. Connell, professor of sociology and education, University of Sydney, Australia, an internationally recognized scholar on gender and author of Masculinities and Gender and Power. A reception will follow.
4:15 p.m., Wright auditorium*

Lecture: "Evolution in a Landscape: The Botanic Garden of Smith College." C. John Burk, Elsie Damon Simonds Professor of Biological Sciences. Illustrated discussion of the development of the garden from the founding of the college to the present.
4:30 p.m., Stoddard auditorium*

Informational meeting: "Student Life Abroad in Spain." Orientation for students preparing to study in Spain.
5-6 p.m., Hatfield 206

Informational meeting: "Student Life Abroad in Russia." Orientation for students preparing to study in Russia.
6-8 p.m., home of Professor Katya Woronzoff-Dashkoff

Lecture: "Towards a Definition of African Feminism." Abena Busia, poet and professor of English, Rutgers University, on the connection between African feminism and African identity. Sponsored by the Smith African Students Association. (Ext. 5677)
7 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room*

Informational meeting: "Student Life Abroad in Japan." Orientation for students preparing to study in Japan.
7-8 p.m., Hatfield 205

Meeting: Om, the Hindu students' organization.
7-8 p.m., Bodman Lounge, Chapel

Workshop: "Peer Sexuality Educators." One in a series of weekly student-led workshops presented by organizations campus-wide. (Heather Jones, ext. 2248)
7-9 p.m., Wright common room

Film: My America-Honk If You Love Buddha (1996). Renee Tajima-Pena, inspired by Jack Kerouac's On the Road, recalls her childhood back in the days when her family would cross five state lines without ever catching a glimpse of another Asian face. Part of Asian Awareness Week.
7 and 9 p.m., Seelye 106*

Lecture: "Sojourner Truth's Northampton: Women's Suffrage." Helen Horowitz, Smith College; Joyce Berkman, UMass; Martha Sexton, Amherst College. The women's suffrage movement of the ante-bellum period and Sojourner Truth's role in challenging its direction. Sponsored by Historic Northampton, the American Studies Program and the Department of Theatre. (584-6011)
7:30 p.m., Historic Northampton, 46 Bridge Street*

Concert: Informal recital by student musicians.
7:30 p.m., Sweeney Concert Hall*

Meeting: Al-Iman, the Smith Muslim students' organization.
8 p.m., Dewey common room*

Meeting: Student Labor Action Coalition.
8 p.m., Women's Resource Center (third floor of Davis)

Tuesday 4/14

Room draw. Times posted in all houses.

CDO extended hours.
8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. and 7-9 p.m.

Sigma Xi Luncheon Talk: Title to be announced. Professor Hermann Wolter, chair of the Theoretical Physics Department, University of Munich. Open to faculty, emeriti and staff.
Noon, College Club lower level

Episcopal-Lutheran Fellowship meets in the parish house parlor.
Noon, St. John's Church, Elm Street

Language lunch tables.
Deutscher Tisch
Korean
12:15 p.m., Duckett House Special Dining Room

Workshop: "Improving Your Project Management Skills: The Basics for Success." Registration required. Part of the Human Resources Training and Development Workshop Series.
1:30-4:30 p.m., Graham Hall

Film: Winter Ade. Documentary, produced shortly before the fall of the Berlin Wall, in which East German women speak about their personal lives. In German with English subtitles. Discussion follows. Open class meeting.
3:10-5 p.m., Seelye 110

Lacrosse vs. MIT.
4 p.m., athletic fields*

Opening reception for the exhibition "Islamic Art from the Collection," organized by Assistant Professor of Art Sussan Babaie.
4:30 p.m., Museum of Art*

Résumé critique by a peer adviser.
4:30-6 p.m. and 8-9 p.m., CDO

Lecture: "Is There an African Path to Democracy?" René Lemarchand, visiting professor for the Gwendolen Carter African Studies Program.
5 p.m., Seelye 201*

Lecture: "Political Crisis in the Great Lakes (Africa): Myths and Stereotypes-An Insider's View." Leonce Ndikomana of Burundi, assistant professor of economics, UMass, Boston.
6-7 p.m., Duckett Special Dining room

SGA senate meeting, including a student open forum at 7:15 p.m.
7 p.m., Seelye 201

CDO workshop: "Job Search for Seniors."
7 p.m., CDO

Workshop: "Child Labor." Hakan Demir, Igor Malanchuk and Mari Ostendorf of the School for International Training. Sponsored by the Coalition for Children as part of the Month of the Global Child.
7-9 p.m., Seelye 110*

Mandatory orientation meeting for all students preparing to study abroad next year on a Smith JYA program.
7-10 p.m., Alumnae House

Lecture: "Coral Reefs at Risk: Is There Any Hope?" Caroline Rogers '72, research biologist, U.S. Geological Survey in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
7:30 p.m., Stoddard auditorium*

Theater: Mister V: Searching for Mordechai Vanunu, by Israeli playwright Yigal Ezrati. Featuring Jonathon Cherchi and staged by the Israeli troupe The Local Theatre, the play portrays the life and imprisonment of an Israeli nuclear whistle-blower. Discussion follows. The fourth in the five-part series "Oslo Unravels: What Future for Middle East Peace?"
7:30-10 p.m., Sage Recital Hall*

Lecture: "Have We Created El Niño? The Real Story Behind Global Warming and Climate." Warren Leon, deputy director, Programs for the Union of Concerned Scientists and Dr. Raymond Bradley, head of the UMass Department of Geoscience. Sponsored by the Population Committee of the Pioneer Valley Sierra Club and the Project on Women and Social Change.
8-10 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room*

Concert: Squirrel Nut Zippers. Tickets: $10 for Smith students (available at the mailroom); $15 general (available at B-Side Records and For the Record). Sponsored by Rec Council. (Ext. 6726)
8 p.m., John M. Greene Hall*

Special event: "Contemporary Issues on Women in Academic Chemistry." Joan Valentine '67, professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA. Part of the Five College Chemistry Series.
8 p.m., McConnell auditorium*

CDO workshop: "How to Prepare for a Successful Interview."
8 p.m., CDO

Film: Amistad. Sponsored by Rec Council.
9 p.m., Wright auditorium*

Wednesday 4/15

Résumé/cover letter deadline for American International Group (New York). Position for an international legal assistant; Spanish required.
8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., CDO

Religious activity: Discussion and reflection for Catholic Adas.
Noon1 p.m., Bodman Lounge, Chapel

S.O.S. Community Education Luncheon: "Getting Credit for Your Good Deeds." Sandie Drury '98J will discuss how she combined community service with her special-studies projects. Lunch will be provided.
12:10-1:10 p.m., Dewey common room

Language lunch tables.
Chinese, Spanish and Portuguese
12:15 p.m., Duckett House Special Dining Room

President's open hour for students.
4-5 p.m., College Hall 20

Office of Institutional Diversity open hour with Carmen Santana-Melgoza.
4-5 p.m., College Hall 31

Art exhibit: "From Dar es Salaam to Scandinavia to Smith College: Contemporary Fine Art from Tanzania and Mozambique." U.N. Ambassador from Tanzania Daudi Mwakawago will officially open this exhibit featuring Makonde sculpture, etchings, watercolors and prints on handmade paper. Runs until May 3.
4-6 p.m., Chapel*

Workshop: "Make the Best of Your Stress" drop-in group. A let-your-hair-down, kick-your-heels-up look at stress.
4:30-5:45 p.m., Wright common room

Informational meeting: "Peer Recruitment and Ice Cream." Learn about peer education volunteer opportunities while you make your own sundae. Groups include Peer Sexuality Educators, Student Task Force on Eating Disorders, Eating TLC (nutrition and TLC) and the Alcohol Awareness Panel. New members will be trained fall semester to facilitate workshops in the houses.
7 p.m., Dewey common room

Meeting: Recycling representatives.
7-8 p.m., McConnell B15

Film: Who Killed Vincent Chin? (1984). Renee Tajima's Oscar-nominated investigation of the beating death of a Chinese-American in Detroit. Workshop will follow on anti-Asian violence (see Saturday, 2 p.m.). Part of Asian Awareness Week.
7 p.m. and 9 p.m., Wright auditorium*

Religious activity: Buddhist service and discussion.
7:15 p.m., Bodman Lounge, Chapel

MassPIRG weekly meeting.
7:30 p.m., Seelye 107

Slide Lecture: "Recycling at Smith: Behind the Scenes." Slide presentation and discussion on the recycling process, from collection of recyclables by the new Smith recycling truck to what occurs in a recycling plant. Sponsored by Smith Recycling. (Ext. 2447; skyte@sophia.smith.edu)
8-9 p.m., McConnell B15*

Thursday 4/16

CDO extended hours.
8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.

Liberal Arts Luncheon: "Deity as Archetype in Tibetan Painting." Marylin Martin Rhie, Jessie Wells Post Professor of Art and professor of East Asian studies. Open to faculty, emeriti and staff.
Noon, College Club lower level

CDO workshop: "How to Prepare for a Successful Interview."
12:10-12:55 p.m., CDO

Language lunch tables.
Japanese, Russian
12:15 p.m., Duckett House Special Dining Room

Community forum on human relations. See article, page 1. Open to campus community. Immediately followed by reception in Wright common room.
1:30-2:30 p.m., Wright auditorium

Workshop: "Customer Service Certificate Program-Session III." Registration required. Part of the Human Resources Training and Development Workshop Series.
1:30-4 p.m., Dewey common room

Panel discussion: "Peer Experiences with Complementary Health Treatments." Members of Five College Learning in Retirement, led by a panel, will discuss their experiences with such healing treatments as acupuncture, reiki, chi qong, yoga and tai chi. (Ext. 3754)
2-4 p.m., Field House

Lecture: "Is Democracy Possible in the Balkans?" Ivan Vejvoda, assistant professor of government. As he prepares to become executive director of Yugoslavia's Soros Foundation, Vejvoda will share his thoughts on how nongovernmental agencies can contribute to building democracy in the Balkans.
4 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room*

Lecture: "Popular Politics in 19th-Century Japan: An Indigenous Democracy?" Mark Ravina, associate professor, Department of History, Emory University. Sponsored by the departments of history and East Asian studies and the Committee on Community Policy.
4 p.m., Seelye 109

Lacrosse vs. Williams.
4 p.m., athletic fields*

CDO workshop: "How to Write an Effective Résumé."
4:30 p.m., CDO

Lecture: "From Script to Show: The Basics of Production." Mindy Farabee '95, David Kelly Productions.
5 p.m., Seelye 106*

Career-planning meeting: "Going to Grad School in English." With English faculty and CDO representatives.
5-6 p.m., Dewey common room

Informational meeting: "Academic Life Abroad in Florence (JYA)." For students preparing to study abroad, with '98'99 director Scott Bradbury, former director Victoria Poletto, and past student participants.
5-6 p.m., Seelye 107

Thursday -- continued

Informational meeting: "Academic Life Abroad in Geneva (JYA)." For students preparing to study abroad, with '98'99 director Howard Gold, a former director, and past student participants.
5-6 p.m., Seelye 109

Meeting: Newman Association, for Catholic students. A home-cooked meal and good conversation.
6 p.m., Bodman Lounge, Chapel

CDO workshop: "Using the Internet to Search for Jobs and Internships."
6:30 p.m., Seelye B03

CAD workshop: Exam Preparation.
7-8 p.m., CAD, Seelye 307

Seminar: "Cézanne: The Reluctant Printmaker." Carol Solomon Kiefer, adjunct professor of art, McGill University. Part of the Museum of Art series "Art, Culture and Society in the Nineteenth Century: Selected Works of French Art." Enrollment limited. Free for Smith students and museum friends; others, $5 per session. Register with Museum of Art.
7-8 p.m., Museum of Art*

Open meeting: The Student Task Force on Eating Disorders invites anyone interested to join our efforts on issues regarding body image, food, eating disorders and related concerns. Attending these meetings does not guarantee fall 1998 membership. (Ashley, ext. 6967)
7-8 p.m., Women's Resource Center (Davis Center)

Informational meeting: "Academic Life Abroad in Paris (JYA)." For students preparing to study abroad, with Paris director David Ball and past student participants.
7-8:30 p.m., Wright common room

Informational meeting: "Academic Life Abroad in Hamburg (JYA)." For students preparing to study abroad, with '98'99 director Gertraud Gutzmann.
7-9 p.m., Seelye 109

Animé: Subtitled Japanese animation. All welcome.
7:30-10:30 p.m. Bass 210

SAASC panel discussion: "Women in Entertainment and Media." Discussion with Mindy Farabee '95, assistant to Jeffrey Kramer, co-executive producer of television's Ally McBeal and The Practice; E.J. Klein '88, senior director of Scripps Cable Network; and Lauren Lazin '82, vice president of MTV's News Division. Refreshments served. After the panel, speakers will lead workshops on workplace issues and experiences. (Michelle Doyon, ext. 7685)
7:30 p.m., Alumnae House Dining Room

Dance: Master of Fine Arts Thesis Concert. Jeremy Lindberg, Sara Sweet Rabidoux and Kathleen Ridlon perform whimsical, serious and sexy new works. Tickets: $6/$4 students, seniors and children. Reservations, ext. 2787, Monday, 1-4 p.m.
8 p.m., Hallie Flanagan Studio Theatre, Mendenhall CPA*

Film: Amistad. Sponsored by Rec Council.
9 p.m., Wright auditorium*

Friday 4/17

Office of Minority Affairs deadline for applications for the SOAR Prize and the SOAR Summer Stipend Grant. (Marjorie Richardson, ext. 4945)
4 p.m., College Hall 24

Workshop: "Thinking Outside the Lines-How to Teach Yourself and Others to Find Innovative New Answers and Make Better Decisions." Registration required. Part of the Human Resources Training and Development Workshop Series.
8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room

Résumé critique by a peer adviser.
1-2 p.m., CDO

Softball vs. WPI.
3 p.m., athletic fields*

Special event: "Café Afrique." Sample coffees from African countries, including Kenya, Tanzania and Morocco, while mingling with African students in the Valley and Five College African and African-American studies faculty. Sponsored by SASA. (Ext. 5677)
4 p.m., Mwangi Cultural Center, Lilly Hall*

Concert: Student Recital. Ling Lin '99 performs works by Mozart, Mendelssohn, Chopin, and Chinese composer Luting He.
4 p.m., Sage Recital Hall*

Lecture: "Music and Persuasion." Antony Widoff, composer of TV commercial music for ATT, Van Heusen, MCI and Miller Lite, will discuss his work in the commercial music industry and television advertising. Sponsored by the music department.
4:30 p.m., Seelye 201*

Slide lecture: "Olmsted's Footsteps." Nancy Watkins Denig '68, ASLA, MLA and principal of Denig Design Associates. Her work at the National Zoo will be profiled as she discusses how issues of sustainable development relate to reconstruction methods on Olmsted historic sites.
4:30 p.m., Seelye 106

Meeting: Smith Science Fiction and Fantasy Society.
4:30 p.m., Seelye 208

Religious service: Shabbat eve service.
5:30 p.m., Dewey common room*

Religious activity: "Friday-Night Bible Study." Come for praise, Bible study and fellowship with Five College brothers and sisters. Sponsored by the Smith Koinonia Fellowship.
6-10 p.m., Seelye 106

Religious activity: Kosher for Passover Dinner.
7 p.m., Dawes House Kosher Kitchen*

Religious activity: Smith Christian Fellowship, a chapter of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship USA.
7 p.m., Dewey common room

Lecture: Native American Poetry. Mary Jo Moore, an American Indian poet. Followed by a discussion on American Indian poets and poetry.
7 p.m., Seelye 207*

Film: Woman in the Window (1944). Directed by Fritz Lang. Lured by a siren, Edward G. Robinson becomes involved in murder. Part of the Motion Picture Committee's Film Noir Series.
8 p.m., Stoddard auditorium*

Dance performance: Master of Fine Arts Thesis Concert. (See Thursday, 8 p.m.)
8 p.m., Hallie Flanagan Studio Theatre, Mendenhall CPA*

Performance: The synchronized swimming team's annual spring show. Tickets: $2.
8 p.m., Dalton Pool*

Concert: Joint Senior Recital. Allison Ihm '98 and Anna Lin '98, violins; Kenneth Fearn, piano. Works by Beethoven, Prokofiev, Chausson.
8 p.m., Sweeney Concert Hall*

Saturday 4/18

Sixth Annual Discovery Weekend. (Activities information, ext. 2500)

Five College Undergraduate Anthropology Conference. Presentations by Five College students based on research from seminar projects, independent studies, honors, summer internships, field schools and study abroad. Morning and afternoon refreshments provided; lunch for panel participants included. Opening welcome in Seelye 207.
9 a.m.-5 p.m., Seelye Hall

Performance/storytelling for children ages eight and up. Nkenge Scott '96 will use the art museum's African masks and Betye Saar's "Ancestral Spirit Chair" to weave together stories abut African traditions and how they have become part of American culture. Sponsored by the Smith African Students Association. (Ext. 2773 and 5677)
11 a.m., Museum of Art*

Lecture: "Daughters of Memory: the Muses in Ancient Greek Art," the eighth annual Phyllis Williams Lehmann Lecture. Diana Buitron-Oliver of Georgetown University, an independent curator. Sponsored by the Archeology Program and the Western Massachusetts Society of the Archeological Institute of America.
11 a.m., Stoddard auditorium*

Special event: "Hitting Back-Mobilizing Against Hate Violence." An anti-Asian violence workshop to educate participants on anti-Asian violence and give them tools to mobilize against it through civil rights activism, hate-violence law, bias indicators, case studies, calls to action, and advice on working with victims in the Asian Pacific American community. Part of Asian Awareness Week. (Ex. 4851; myoshiok@sophia.smith.edu)
2 p.m., Seelye 101

Lecture: "Defining the African Identity." Kassahun Checole, president/publisher of Africa World/Red Sea Press Distributors, who helped organize the 1995 gathering aimed at introducing blacks in publishing to one another. Sponsored by the Smith African Students Association.
2 p.m., Wright auditorium*

Lecture: "African Language and the Politics of Decolonization." Ngugi wa Thiong'o, professor of comparative literature, New York University. See story, page 1. (Ext. 5677)
3 p.m., Wright auditorium*

Special event: African Dinner. Sample a variety of African and Caribbean dishes, specially prepared by members of the Smith African Students Association. $6 includes admission to cultural show and subsequent party. (Ext. 5677)
5:30 p.m., Davis ballroom*

Double-Feature Movie Night, presented by the Smith College Film Collective. Titles to be announced. (moyama@sophia.smith.edu)
7 p.m., Seelye 106*

Film: Effie Briest (Germany, 1974). Directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Hanna Schygulla stars in one of Fassbinder's most visually exquisite films, about a love destroyed by society's constraints. Part of the Motion Picture Committee's Auteur Film series.
8 p.m., Stoddard auditorium*

Concert: "Smithereens Jam." A cappella concert with music, skits and a guest group.
8 p.m., Sweeney Concert Hall*

Dance performance: Master of Fine Arts Thesis Concert. (See Thursday, 8 p.m.)
8 p.m., Hallie Flanagan Studio Theatre, Mendenhall CPA*

"Viva Africana" Cultural Show. Includes dance, poetry readings, a hilarious skit and performances by SASA choir and gunboot from South Africa. Part of the Africa Day Celebration at Smith. Sponsored by the Smith African Students Association. $3 (included in dinner fee). (Ext. 5677)
8-10 p.m., John M. Greene Hall*

SASA Party featuring Soukouss, Zouk, Soca, Benga, Reggae, Calypso, R&B, Hip-Hop, rap and more. Deejay John Hoyle. Sponsored by the Smith African Students Association. $2 (included in fee for dinner/cultural show). (Ext. 5677)
10 p.m., Mwangi Cultural Center, Lilly

Sunday 4/19

CDO closed due to the City Fair.

Sixth Annual Discovery Weekend. (Ext. 2500)

Religious activity: Quaker (Friends) discussion group. Meeting for worship begins at 11 a.m.
9:30 a.m., Bass 210*

Religious service: Morning worship with the Rev. Richard Unsworth preaching. Coffee hour follows in Bodman Lounge. All welcome.
10:30 a.m., Chapel*

Antibias workshop with Jews for Racial and Economic Justice. Sponsored by Smith College Hillel. (Ext. 4079 to register)
1-4 p.m., Wright common room

CDO Annual City Fair. Information on relocation, apartment hunting, useful Internet sites, Smith clubs, how to find a roommate and a job.
1-3:30 p.m., Davis Ballroom

CDO panel discussion: Meet alums from Boston, New York, and Washington who will talk about their experiences with relocation.
1:30 p.m., Women's Resource Center (Davis third floor)

Special event: "The Dancing Church of Africa: Liturgy and Worship in Ethiopia, Malawi, Kenya, Zaire, Cameroon and Ghana." Presentation and video by Fr. Thomas A. Kane, CSP, ritual-maker, videographer and professor at Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge. Sponsored by the Ethnic Dance Series, the dance department, the Contemplation and Action Program and the African Students Association.
2 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room*

Film: Woman in the Window (1944). See Friday, 8 p.m.
2 p.m., Stoddard*

Informational meeting: "Student Life Abroad (JYA) in Paris, Geneva, Hamburg and Florence." For students preparing to study abroad. Hear from last year's JYA participants regarding student life, culture and logistics. Refreshments to follow in Seelye 207.
3-5 p.m., Seelye 201

Film: Effie Briest (Germany, 1974). See Saturday, 8 p.m.
4 p.m., Stoddard*

Student recital: Erika Knepp '00 performs works by Bach, Beethoven, Debussy, Chopin and Brahms.
4 p.m., Sage Recital Hall*

General meeting: Association of Smith Pagans.
4-5:15 p.m., Gillet House*

Religious service: Roman Catholic Mass with Fr. Thomas A Kane, CSP, celebrant, and Elizabeth Carr, Catholic chaplain. A supper will follow.
4:30 p.m., Chapel*

Meeting: Feminists of Smith Unite.
7 p.m., Women's Resource Center (Davis third floor)

Ongoing Events

Art exhibition: "Kate Millett, Sculptor: The First 38 Years." Sponsored by the women's studies and American studies programs, the Project on Women and Social Change, Smith Feminists Unite and LBTA. Through May 2. (Ext. 2970 or 586-7282)
Northampton Center for the Arts*

Art exhibition: "Sandy Skoglund: Reality Under Siege," the first retrospective exhibition of the work of the photographer, sculptor and installation artist. Call ext. 2760 for museum hours. Through May 24.
Museum of Art*

Memorial exhibit: "Margaret Storrs Grierson: 29 June 1900-12 December 1997." Artifacts, photographs and papers from the life of the long-time college archivist and founder of the Sophia Smith Collection. MondayFriday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sophia Smith Collection

Curio exhibition: "The Visionary Cabinet," curiosities created by Marjorie Senechal's History of Science 112a class. Through May 1.
McConnell west stairwell*

Exhibition: "Africa, the Caribbean and the Diaspora: Myths and Realities." Sponsored by the Smith African Students Association as part of Africa Awareness Week. (April 13-18).
Seelye first floor and basement

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Getting Your Word Out in AcaMedia

AcaMedia is the official vehicle for making announcements within the Smith College community. We urge all of our readers to let us know of any Smith-related stories in need of telling, any members of the Smith community in need of recognition, or any college events or notices in need of publicity.

Where to Send Copy
-- Submit copy or ideas for news stories to Ann Shanahan at Garrison Hall (ashanahan@colrel.smith.edu).
-- Submit calendar items to Mary Stanton at Garrison Hall (mstanton@colrel.smith.edu, or fax to extension 2174).
-- Submit notices to John Sippel at Garrison Hall (jsippel@colrel.smith.edu, or fax to extension 2178). Text for notices should not exceed 125 words. If its intended audience is not obvious, please indicate whether your notice applies to the entire Smith community, to faculty and staff only, or to students only.

Deadlines
Copy is due by 4 p.m., Wednesday, April 15, for issue 27 (which will include April 27-May 9 calendar listings). Late information cannot be accepted.

Sources of further information, if any, are indicated last in parentheses.

Blue-Pencil Alert
All calendar items and notices submitted to AcaMedia are subject to editing for clarity, brevity and style. Almost none see print exactly as originally written.

Smith-Wide

Interterm 1999
Following the success of this year's Interterm, a similar program is being planned for January 4-23, 1999. The planning committee is again seeking course and workshop proposals from students, faculty and staff. The review of proposals will begin early next fall, so plan on coming back from the summer with some wonderful and exciting ideas. The program brochure will be delivered to the Smith community just before Thanksgiving, and registration will occur just after. Bear in mind the dates for Interterm 1999 in scheduling returns to campus for the second semester.

New Fitness Room
The departments of athletics and exercise and sports studies announce the Monday, April 13, opening of a satellite fitness room at Albright House. The room is equipped with three Lifecycles, three Stairmasters, a recumbent cycle, a step mill, a Gravitron and a Nautilus multi-station weight machine. A water cooler and phone are available but rest rooms and lockers are not. The room will be open to all Smith ID holders seven days a week, 7:30 a.m.-11 p.m. The Ainsworth equipment booth can provide the access code you will need to get in. Enter through Albright's lower back door.

Volleyball Tournament
The Smith College volleyball team is having a three-on-three tournament Saturday, April 18, 6-9 p.m., and all day on Sunday, April 19. The tournament is open to the public. Admission is $10 per person, with all proceeds going to Smith volleyball. Registration deadline: Monday, April 13. (Tanna, ext. 6921; Nancy, ext. 5630)

Open Campus
The Office of Admission has invited admitted applicants (potential transfers or members of the class of 2002) to visit Smith for Open Campus, Tuesday and Wednesday, April 21 and 22. They will explore many aspects of campus life through contact with students, faculty and staff. Most of them will be making their final decisions on which college to attend. Please take the time during this busy week to welcome them and answer their questions. Approximately 325 applicants and 225 parents are expected. Residence and Dining Services will make every effort to accommodate applicants in the houses. Current students are encouraged to invite these Smith guests to meals on the days immediately before and after Open Campus. (Joyce L. Rauch, ext. 2523; jrauch@ais.smith.edu)

Five College Calendar Deadline
Entries for the May Five College Calendar must be received in writing by April 17. Please send them to Mary Stanton in Garrison Hall (mstanton@colrel.smith.edu).

Scheduling Events During Exams
All members of the Smith College community should remember that events are not to be scheduled during the preexamination study and formal examination periods. No events held during those periods will be announced in AcaMedia.

Faculty & Staff

Faculty Meeting
The eighth regular meeting of the faculty for 1997-98 will be held Wednesday, April 22, at 4:10 p.m. in the Alumnae House. Faculty members who have business for the meeting should notify Scott Bradbury in writing no later than Wednesday, April 15. Material to be included in the agenda mailing must be camera-ready and submitted to College Hall 27 by Monday, April 13.

Students

President's Open Hours
President Simmons will hold open hours for students 4-5 p.m., Monday, April 20, and 4-5 p.m., Wednesday, April 29, in College Hall 20. Open hours enable students to chat informally and individually with the president. No appointments are necessary. Visitors are seen in the order of their arrival.

Tax Credit Clarification
The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 is having far-reaching effects on students pursuing postsecondary education. In addition to the Hope Scholarship Tax Credit and the Lifetime Learning Tax Credit, it includes provisions for a student-loan interest deduction, education IRA accounts and an extension of the exclusion for employer-provided educational assistance, as well as new rulings on the taxability of qualified state tuition plans and canceled student loans.

Students and parents have been much confused by the word "scholarship" in the name Hope Scholarship Tax Credit. The emphasis should in fact be placed on the words "tax credit." The student will not receive an increase in her federal student aid in the form of a Hope Scholarship; rather, she or the parent who claims her as a dependent will receive a tax credit on the tax return filed the following year. For example, if all other qualifications are met, the parent of a dependent student can claim the tax credit in 1999 for expenses incurred in academic year 1997-98, thereby reducing tax liability for 1999.

The regulations governing eligibility for the Hope Scholarship Tax Credit are complex and depend, among other things, on the taxpayer's adjusted gross income, the student's year in school and the amount of tuition paid for the school year. For a complete explanation of who can qualify for this credit, consult your tax adviser or the IRS.

AMS Preregistration
The American studies office (Wright 12) has posted sign-up sheets for preregistering in the following fall 1998 courses: AMS 120a, "Scribbling Women"; AMS 220a, "Colloquium: New England Material Culture, 1860-1940"; AMS 221a, "Colloquium: Italian-American Experience"; and AMS 350a, "Seminar: Writing About American Society" (for which applicants must provide a writing sample). These courses are limited in enrollment and some only allow registration by permission of the instructor.

Celebrating Passover
The first night of Passover, Friday, April 10, will be marked by a Smith/Amherst seder at Lewis-Sebring Dining Commons at Amherst College, beginning at 6:30 p.m. On Saturday, April 11, a Smith women's seder will be held at the Field House starting at 6:30 p.m. During the remainder of Passover (through April 18) the Dawes House Kosher Kitchen will be open during meal hours (lunch, 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m.; dinner, 5:45-7 p.m.). Soups and main dishes will be on hand, as well as kosher ingredients to make your own meals. (Cooks in other Smith houses will upon request prepare entrees such as fish, chicken and meat without breading.) On Friday night, April 17, a Kosher for Passover Dinner will be held at the kosher kitchen at 7 p.m. It will be preceded by services beginning at 5:30 p.m. in Dewey common room. To reserve a place at the seders, call Jenna at ext. 2754.

Summer Housing
Beginning May 9, summer housing will be available in Sessions Complex for Smith students working on campus in grant, internship and other positions. The $93 per week cost includes a room and Monday-Friday meals. Contracts may be made for as little as one week. Applications will be available as of April 17 in the Office of Student Affairs (College Hall 24). Application deadline: Friday, May 1. All fees will be charged directly to residents' accounts or taken out of their payroll checks. Students who have graduated cannot be accommodated.

SIFP Deadline
Because of the large number of applications received to date, the Summer Internship Funding Program will not accept applications after April 30.

On-Campus Recruiter
Spear, Leeds & Kellogg, a Wall Street brokerage house and the largest specialty firm on the New York and American stock exchanges, will conduct interviews on campus Wednesday, April 22, noon-4 p.m. Sign up in CDO room 20. Learn more about the company at CDO or at www.slk.com.

Housing Summer Intern
Applications for the housing coordinator summer intern position are available in the student affairs office (College Hall 24). Responsibilities include but are not limited to data entry, making fall housing assignments, corresponding with students and assisting with summer housing in Sessions Complex. The position entails 30 work hours a week at $6 per hour, begins in mid to late April and ends August 14. (Randy Shannon, ext. 4940)

Health Peer Changes
The health peer position is going through some changes and next fall will be divided into two levels. Level one is "Health Peer Lite," with fewer duties and less time required than the current position. Level two will consist of up to 15 of the elected health peers being chosen to become health peer coordinators. They will decide on specific health themes on which to concentrate and provide programming. They will also support other elected peers. Elected health peers are encouraged to call ext. 2824 to get more information or apply for coordinator positions.

Fox-Boorstein Fellowship
The Department of Government is holding the annual competition for the Fox-Boorstein International Internship Fellowship. Made possible by the bequest of Pauline Fox-Boorstein '20 and the generosity of members of her family, the fellowship -- which provides stipends of between $500 and $1,000 -- is intended to support Smith students working at summer internships in governmental or nongovernmental, profit or nonprofit international organizations.

All students are invited to submit applications to Lea Ahlen at the social sciences office (Wright 15). Include a letter describing employment plans for the summer and the extent of other financial support; a transcript; and the names of two faculty references (no letters of recommendation are required). Application deadline: Friday, April 17.

Brown Fellowship
The Department of Government is holding the annual competition for the Leanna Brown '56 Fellowship. Made possible by the generosity of Brown's father, Harold Young, the fellowship-which provides stipends of between $500 and $1,000-is intended to support Smith students working at summer internships in state or local government or in government or nongovernment organizations focused on issues of particular concern to women.

All students are invited to submit applications to Lea Ahlen at the social sciences office (Wright 15). Include a letter describing employment plans for the summer and the extent of other financial support. Also include a transcript and the names of two faculty references (no letters of recommendation are required). Application deadline: Friday, April 17.

Faculty Teaching Evaluations
Faculty teaching evaluations will be administered Monday-Thursday, April 27-30, in Wright auditorium foyer. All students are advised to check their campus mailboxes during the week of April 13 for evaluation information. Students are required to complete these evaluations; SGA will issue $25 fines for unexcused noncompliance. Students are asked to enter their data according to this schedule: first-years, Monday, April 27; sophomores and Ada Comstock Scholars, Tuesday, April 28; juniors and Ada Comstock Scholars, Wednesday, April 29; seniors, Thursday, April 30. Data may be entered on each of these days between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Students who are off campus on their assigned day may complete their evaluations on another scheduled day. Evaluations cannot be completed after April 30.

Smith Jobs
Technical assistant (half-time), geology. Application reviews begin immediately.
Secretary (half-time), Kahn Liberal Arts Institute, Burton Hall. Application reviews begin immediately.

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AcaMedia staff: Ann Shanahan, editor; Cathy Brooks, layout; John Sippel, notices; Mary Stanton, calendar; Eric Sean Weld, writer
AcaMedia is published weekly during the academic year by the Office of College Relations for the Smith College community. This version of AcaMedia for the World Wide Web is maintained by the Office of College Relations. Last update: April 9, 1998

Copyright © 1997, Smith College. Portions of this publication may be reproduced with the permission of the Office of College Relations, Garrison Hall, Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts 01063; (413) 585-2170.
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