AcaMedia: Current Issue


News for the Smith College Community // October 30, 1997

..............................................................................................................................................................

Beyond Words: Communication in Many Forms is the Theme for This Year's Otelia Cromwell Day

Johnnetta Cole, former president of Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, will be the keynote speaker at Otelia Cromwell Day, the ninth annual celebration honoring a member of the class of 1900 who was the first African-American woman to graduate from Smith.

Cole's talk is only one of many activities that will mark this year's Cromwell festivities, the theme of which is "Language and Communication Across Cultures." According to symposium committee chair Brenda Allen, associate professor of phsychology, one goal of the varied events scheduled over six days is to show the different ways that information about human beings and their backgrounds is communicated, whether it is through speech, visual arts, music, theatre or dance. Allen says that last year's controversy over the teaching of Ebonics as an official language in some public schools "raised in my mind the question of what communication is and planted the seed for this year's Otelia Cromwell theme."

Events will begin on Sunday, November 2, with performances by the Howard University Chorale at the 10:30 a.m. morning worship service in Helen Hills Hills Chapel and at 2 p.m. in Sweeney Concert Hall. Some other highlights follow:

On Monday at 7 p.m. Nazca, a high-energy Latin American group that performs an eclectic mixture of folkloric and popular music on a fascinating array of ancient Andean instruments, will present a one-hour workshop in Sage recital hall. At 8 p.m., poet, actress and playwright Mariah L. Richardson will offer a one-woman performance all that..., a play about a young woman coming of age in today's society.

On Tuesday, November 4, evening events will include a lecture, "Puerto Rican Voices," by Carmen Hernandez, literary critic for El Nuevo Dia, San Juan's largest newspaper, and Martin Espada, a faculty member at the University of Massachusetts who is a scholar of Puerto Rican literature and poetry. The lecture will be in Wright Hall auditorium at 7 p.m. At 8:15 p.m. in Sweeney Concert Hall actress Christina R. Chan will present Unbinding Our Lives: Chinese Women in America (1850-1935), a one-woman show that shatters the exotic, subservient China-doll image of Chinese-American women.

A play, Exiles: A Color Scheme by Joy Voeth, a 1997 graduate of Smith, will be presented at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday in Sage Recital Hall. It is also a one-woman show, in which Voeth portrays Caribbean, African and European-American women.

Otelia Cromwell Day will begin with Johnnetta Cole's lecture, "Ten Years at Spelman College: Reflections on a Special Journey." Cole left Spelman last year and is working on two books before joining the faculty of Emory University in the fall of 1998 as Presidential Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, Women's Studies and African-American Studies. She is spending part of this semester as scholar in residence at Smith.

Later in the afternoon of Thursday, November 6, there will be a variety of workshops and exhibitions for members of the Smith community followed in the evening by a concert by the Morgan University Concert Choir.

On Friday, "Dance Visions of Community: A Symposium in Honor of Five African-American women in Dance" will take place at various locations in the Mendenhall Center for the Performing Arts and in Sage Hall.

For more detailed information about all of the Otelia Cromwell events, consult the official schedule which is being sent to students, faculty and staff.

Otelia Cromwell Day Symposium

Language and Communication Across Cultures
November 27, 1997

Music
Howard University Chorale Concert
Sunday, November 2, Sweeney Concert Hall, 2 p.m.

Nazca
Lyrical South American Folk Music
Monday, November 3, Sweeney Recital Hall, 7 p.m.

Morgan State University Concert Choir
Thursday, November 6, Sweeney Concert Hall, 7:30 p.m.

Art
Kimberly Mayhorn: A Woman Was Lynched the Other Day
November 3-6, Multicultural Center, Lily Hall, 3-5 p.m.
Theater
Mariah L. Richardson: all that
Monday, November 3, Theatre 14, Mendehall CPA, 8 p.m.

Christina Chan: Unbinding Our Lives: Chinese Women in America
Tuesday, November 4, Sweeney Concert Hall, 8:15 p.m.

Joy Voeth: Exiles: A Color Scheme
Wednesday, November 5, Sage Recital Hall, 7:15 p.m.

Lula Washington Dance
Company
Friday, November 7, Theatre 14, Mendenhall CPA

Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble
Friday, November 7, Theatre 14, Mendenhall CPA

Lectures/Workshops
Carmen Hernandez and Martin Espada: "Puerto Rican Voices"
Tuesday, November 4 , Wright Hall auditorium, 7 p.m.

William Cross: "Racial Identity Development"
Thursday, November 6, Seelye 106, 3:35 p.m.

Keynote Address
Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole, former president of Spelman College and scholar in residence, Smith College: "Ten Years at Spelman College: Reflections on a Special Journey"
Thursday, November 6, John M. Greene Hall, 1 p.m.

This is only a partial listing. Please consult the Otelia Cromwell Day program for further details on these and other events. Call extension 4946 for further information

With a Little Help From Her Friends

Birkby Program Celebrates Life of Radical Feminist
The name Noel Phyllis Birkby may not be well known, but the architect and radical feminist, who died three years ago, had numerous famous friends, some of whom will be on campus this weekend when the Sophia Smith Collection hosts a two-day program, "'Amazonian Activity': a Celebration of the Life of Noel Phyllis Birkby."

A New Jersey native, Birkby attended the Women's College of the University of North Carolina in the 1950s. She was expelled in her senior year, officially for drinking alcohol, but more likely because she publicly showed her love for a classmate. From the 1960s until the 1990s she participated in the women's liberation and gay rights movements in New York City and served as an unofficial archivist of the women's movement of her era. She collected and preserved memorabilia, pamphlets and periodicals and documented activities on film and in photographs. Her papers were given to the Sophia Smith Collection in 1994.

"Phyllis herself was not a household word," notes Sherrill Redmon, the collection's director, "but her friends are. She really did hang out with high rollers, many of whom first met in the early 1970s in a lesbian consciousness-raising group."

The Birky bash will begin on Friday, October 31, at 7 p.m. in Wright Hall auditorium, with readings by some of the authors in Birkby's circle of friends: Sidney Abbott, coauthor of Sappho Was a Right-On Woman; Bertha Harris, author of Lover; Kate Millett, author of Sexual Politics; and Julie Weber, reading from the works of her late partner, Alma Routsong, who wrote Patience and Sarah under the pen name Isabel Miller. The evening will end with a song by Joan Casamo, followed by a reception and book-signing.

On Saturday, November 1, at 2 p.m. in Neilson Library Browsing Room, an informal conversation among women's movement activists entitled "Radical Feminism and Lesbian Culture in the 1970s and Today" will feature Abbott, Casamo, Millett, Harris and Weber, as well as Dolores Alexander, Linda Clarke, Barbara Hammer, Barbara Love, Artemis March, Jane O'Wyatt, Arlie Scott and Jan Roby.
At 4 p.m., "'Amazonian Activity': The Life and Work of Noel Phyllis Birkby (1932-94)," featuring materials selected from the Birkby papers, will open in the Sophia Smith Collection reading room in Alumnae Gymnasium.

The weekend's events, which were organized by Redmon, manuscripts processor Maida Goodwin and student intern Crystal Daugherty '98, mark the opening of the Birkby collection to researchers and are free and open to the public. For more information call extension 2970.

There's No Place Like Home For the Holidays

President Announces Revised Staff Schedule
A new 1997-98 holiday schedule announced by President Ruth Simmons at the staff recognition community forum last week probably had some members of the audience singing "Joy to the World" two months earlier than usual. Under the new timetable, the college will be closed the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, adding three college holidays for staff normally scheduled to work during that period.

The reason for the amended calendar, says Simmons, is to give staff an opportunity to spend time with their families, to enjoy a good midyear break and to "recharge their batteries." She also stressed that she wants to help make Smith "a place that truly acknowledges the work you put in."

The new holiday schedule will apply to those staff who ordinarily work during the Christmas/New Year's week. Staff who already have a midyear break and who do not regularly work during the holiday week (i.e., those on academic-year schedules) will not be affected by the change.

In addition, while most offices and departments will shut down completely during this period, some essential services must continue, and thus some employees will be required to work. For example, says Simmons, the end of the calendar year is a time when the college typically receives many gifts from donors. "Someone," she points out, "has to be here to deposit the checks!"

Department heads, each of whom has received a detailed notice about the revamped schedule, will determine what responsibilities must be covered and which staff members will work during the holiday period. They will discuss arrangements with their staff as much in advance as possible. Because these days will be official college holidays, pay for the staff who must work will be consistent with the current holiday compensation policy outlined in the staff handbook (section 502) and in the various union contracts.

For more than a decade, Office of College Relations administrative assistant Claire Kmetz has taken part of her vacation time during the week between Christmas and New Year's. She calls the new holiday schedule "a gift from the college" and hopes to use the vacation days she'll now be "saving" to visit her recently widowed mother in Florida.

Adds her coworker, Patty Hayes, assistant director of publications, "I think it's a great idea to have everyone taking a break at the same time. When staff members take vacation time, their work piles up while they're away. They've had to work more frantically than usual before their vacation, so they're all the more exhausted when they leave. If the place is closed and most people aren't working, the workflow issues may not be as great a problem, and the time off will really be much more of a break."

Art Lecture Launches Series

"Five by Five" -- a series of lectures to be given during the 1997-98 academic year by each of the five Smith faculty members recently named to endowed chairs -- will begin on Monday, November 3, with a talk by John Davis, Priscilla Paine Van der Poel Associate Professor of Art History.

Davis' lecture, "Rethinking an Icon of American Slavery," will offer a new interpretation of what is perhaps the best-known painted image of American slaves, Eastman Johnson's 1859 Negro Life in the South. The work is of central importance to American art history, Davis says. "It is constantly reproduced and written about, yet very little is known of the conditions of its creation.

"After lecturing on the painting every year in Art 100, I found myself becoming increasingly disenchanted with the limited range of interpretations that scholarship at large offers," Davis reports. As a result, during his sabbatical last fall, he spent a lot of time in Washington, D.C., "investigating the local context of the painting." The nation's capital, he explains, "was the primary battleground for abolitionists; the unusual local conditions of slavery, as well as the specific neighborhood topography of Johnson's family home, greatly inflected the work."

In his lecture, Davis will highlight the uneasiness critics have felt about Johnson's references to slavery in the District of Columbia as well as the overall attempt to substitute the nostalgic notion of rural plantation life in their place.

The second talk in the "Five by Five" series is scheduled for Monday, December 1. Steven A. Williams, Gates Professor of Biological Sciences, will present "The World Health Organization-Sponsored Parasite Genome Project at Smith College."

The three remaining lectures, to take place in the spring semester, are "Magic and the British Monarchy: An Historian's View," by Howard A. Nenner, Roe/Straut Professor of History (March 9); "Betty Goldstein Friedan '42 and Smith College," by Daniel Horowitz, Sylvia Dlugasch Bauman Professor in American Studies (March 30); and "Evolution in a Landscape: The Botanic Garden of Smith College," by C. John Burk, Elsie Damon Simonds Professor of Biological Sciences (April 13).

All of the talks will be held in Stoddard auditorium at 4:30 p.m., with receptions to follow in the Alumnae House living room.

Hints from the Health Service: Fighting the Flu

by Elaine Longley R.N., nursing coordinator
Influenza, or "flu," is a viral infection of the respiratory tract that usually strikes from about November to April each year. Unlike many illnesses, one attack does not necessarily confer immunity, so it is possible to get the flu more than once. The virus is spread from person to person by direct or indirect contact. Individuals are most infectious for 24 hours before and after the onset of symptoms. It usually takes one to three days to come down with the illness after being infected.

Treatment:
Flu symptoms usually start with a sudden onset of fever, chills, headaches, lack of appetite, muscle aches, fatigue, sore throat and cough. As your fever and acute symptoms subside, your nose may become stuffy and your cough may get worse. You may not feel "up to par" for a week or more. Not all of these symptoms occur in everyone. If you should become ill with flu-like symptoms, you should do the following to help yourself feel better:

1. Go to bed and stay at a constant temperature until your fever has returned to normal (98.6) for 24 hours.
2. Drink plenty of fluids (e.g., water, juice, tea -- at least eight glasses daily). Solid food may be taken if you have any appetite.
3. Try warm saltwater gargles (1/4 teaspoon of salt in a full glass of warm water) four to six times a day to relieve sore throat symptoms.
4. Medications used to reduce fever, general achiness and cough may be helpful, but should be taken after reading labels carefully and only if you are certain you are not allergic. Aspirin is not recommended with viral illnesses, and antibiotics do not play a part in the treatment of uncomplicated flu.

Preventative Measures and Vaccination
You can help avoid getting the flu by taking care of yourself. Get enough sleep each night (at least seven or eight hours); eat a well-balanced diet; reduce your stress as much as possible; and wash your hands frequently, especially after contact with anyone who is ill.

The influenza vaccine is recommended for healthy persons age 65 or over, persons with chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma, chronic lung disease, renal dysfunction, immunosuppression, those on long term aspirin therapy and those living in close community settings such as dormitory housing. Anyone who has a serious allergy to eggs, who has had a serious allergic reaction to the vaccine in the past, has ever been paralyzed with Guillain-Barre syndrome, may be pregnant or is pregnant, or has a moderate or severe illness (with a fever) should not receive the flu vaccine.

The vaccine will begin to provide its protection approximately one to two weeks after an individual has received it. Immunity decreases over several months, so it's important to get the flu shot yearly. The shots will not fully protect all individuals who get them, and they will not protect anyone against other illnesses that resemble the flu. Most people have no problem with the vaccine. Some, however, may complain of soreness, redness, slight swelling at the site of the vaccination, fever and/or achiness for a day or two.

The Health Service will be providing the flu vaccine to students, employees and emeriti at a cost of $10, which is not covered by most insurance, including the Student Health Insurance Plan. Anyone who wishes to receive the vaccine may set up an appointment with Elaine Longley, R.N., by calling extension 2823. The best time to receive the vaccine is mid-October through November, but it will be available through spring semester or while supplies last. If you have questions, contact Longley at the extension above or discuss the in-jection with your personal physician.

Meet the Prez

November presidential open hours for students will be held on Tuesday, November 4, and Thursday, November 20, from 4:15-5:15 p.m., in the president's office, College Hall 20.

President Simmons will meet next with employees on Monday, December 1, from 1:30-2:30 p.m., also in College Hall 20.

These open hours offer an opportunity to chat informally and individually with the president. No appointments are necessary, and visitors will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis.

Whose Woods These Are...

New Floretine Film Tells Environmentalist's Story
The Boyhood of John Muir, a Florentine Films/Hott Production by Diane Garey and Larry Hott, will premiere Sunday, November 2, at 7 p.m. in Wright auditorium. It is the second Hott film to make its world debut at Smith this fall.

Billed as a "dramatic feature," this film abandons the documentary style for which Florentine is renowned. It tells of the early years of Scottish emigrant John Muir, known to-day as the founder of Yosemite National Park and the Sierra Club, and as America's first environmentalist.

Set in the landscape of 19th-century Wisconsin (but shot in western Massachusetts), the story takes Muir from his days on a hardscrabble farm to his work as a carriage factory foreman in Indiana, where he loses his sight and -- during his convalescence -- decides on a new course for his future.

Following the Smith screening, producer Garey, director Hott and members of the crew and cast will take questions from the audience. The film's leading actors, Gary Hollywood (John Muir), now starring in Alan Rickman's The Winter Guest, and Ken Drury (Daniel Muir), noted British stage and screen performer, will fly in from Scotland for the event.

Jill St. Coeur, the film's costume designer and Smith theatre department costumer, will also discuss her use of the costume and textile collection at Historic Northampton in her research for the film.

There will be a reception for the audience, filmmakers and actors following the presentation.

HR Director Search Update

During the summer, a committee was formed to conduct a search for a new director of human resources to replace Jan Keefe, who stepped down from the post in August. Chaired by Chief Financial Officer Ruth Constantine, the committee includes Bill Brandt, director of campus operations and facilities; John Connolly, dean of the faculty; Dottie Goulet, cook, RADS; Carmen Santana-Melgoza, assistant to the president and director of institutional diversity; Charles Staelin, associate professor of economics; Nancy Whittier, assistant professor of sociology; and Marilyn Woodman, assistant director of corporate and foundation relations, Advancement.

Over the past few months, the committee has worked with a search firm, Educational Management Network, to recruit and screen candidates for the position, which was advertised in national publications.

The search committee recently conducted short interviews with a number of candidates to help identify those who will return to Smith for more extensive sessions. "When preliminary reference-checking is complete, we expect to select three to five candidates for on-campus interviews in November," reports Constantine. The campus interviews will include meetings with a number of groups, as well as an open forum. The candidates and open sessions will be announced in advance.

Constantine hopes that the new HR director will move into 30 Belmont Avenue in January.

United Way Update

First the good news: As of Friday, October 24, the Smith United Way campaign had already received $75,371. According to Smith UW chair Carrie Hemenway, the tally at this time last year was $72,094.92.

However, the not-so-good news, reports Hemenway, is that 319 donors have given to date, which is 51 fewer than at this point in 1996. "In addition to meeting our goal, we would like to increase participation in the campaign," she points out. "If you haven't given before, even $1 would be greatly appreciated."

Hemenway also reminds prospective donors that "a gift of just $1.45 a week (or $75) entitles you to have your name put in a raffle to win airplane tickets for two to any destination in the U.S." (In the past, $1 a week was the required donation to be eligible for the airfare lottery, but the minimum was raised this year to mark the Hampshire County United Way's 75th anniversary.)

Back to top of page

First-String First-Years Come to Smith from Far Afield

by Kate Drake '99
At the beginning of every academic year, the sophomores who achieved the highest grade-point average during their first year at Smith are acknowledged with the Arthur Ellis Hamm Prize. This fall, the award was split three ways. In addition to each having a 4.0 GPA, the three recipients share the fact that they are among the 50 international students in the class of 2000.

Mirela Ciperjani of Albania, Sharon Seun of Hong Kong and Biliana Kaneva of Bulgaria all achieved the highest possible GPA in their first year at Smith, while thousands of miles from their homes. When asked about how hard they had to work to achieve this distinction, the students' responses were very similar: the academic system in the United States is not as competitive as in their home countries. According to Deb Shaver, associate director of admission, "International students are very well prepared academically to come to Smith, and there are always many very strong international students in our applicant pool."

All of the Hamm Prize recipients were attracted to Smith because of its excellent academic reputation. "I wanted to study in the U.S. at one of the top 25 colleges or universities in the country," Kaneva notes. According to Shaver, Smith appeals to international students for the same reasons that the college appeals to domestic students: it is a premier women's college with a history of women leaders, offering a first-rate liberal arts education and providing outstanding resources.

Although academics had a large influence on the three students' decisions to attend Smith, their enrollment here meant not only the challenge of demanding classes but also an adjustment to a new culture and to communicating in a foreign language. In fact, Seun says that it definitely wasn't the classes that posed the largest challenge for her; it was the simple things, such as taking part in conversations about television shows.

Ciperjani maintains that Smith's helpful faculty enabled her to make an easy adjustment, while Kaneva says that it was the close-knit atmosphere of both the academic and social life that eased her move into a new culture. "I like having small classes where I can get to know the students and the professor," Kaneva says. "And I also like that all the students live together. With this atmosphere, you can find many good friends and meet with a variety of people."

All three students are studying in the sciences: Seun's interests lie in physics and computer science, and she wants to study engineering in the future. Kaneva plans to major in computer science and has an interest in teaching and conducting research after she graduates. Ciperjani, a math major, sees herself attending graduate school and preparing for teaching or research as well.

The prize was endowed and first awarded in 1918 by Elizabeth Creevey Hamm '05 in memory of her husband, Captain Arthur Ellis Hamm. The document establishing the fund stated that the income is "to be awarded annually to a member of the freshman class on the basis of the mid-year record." In 1934, the basis of consideration for the prize was extended, and now the award is based on the full year's record. Since 1994, 20 prizes have been awarded, nine of them to international students.

Back to top of page

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, November 3

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

CDO workshop: "How to Find a January Internship."
12:20 p.m., CDO internship room

Meeting: Amnesty International. (Vicki, ext. 6613)
4-5 p.m., Seelye 102

Meeting and training session: Smith Debate Society. All welcome.
4-6 p.m., Seelye 110

President's open hour for students.
4:15-5:15 p.m., College Hall 20

Green Tara Meditation. With Geshe Lobsang Tsetan from Ladakh and the Tibetan Buddhist Learning Center of Washington, New Jersey. No prior experience required. 4:15-5:15 p.m., Wright common room*

Informational meeting: History Fair.
4:15-5:30 p.m., Dewey common room

Presentation of the major: Comparative literature.
4:30 p.m., Seelye 207

Lecture: "Rethinking an Icon of American Slavery." John Davis, Priscilla Paine Van der Poel Associate Professor of Art History. The first of five lectures to be given during the 1997-98 academic year by new chair-ed professors. (See story, page 4.)
4:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m., Stoddard auditorium

General meeting: ASA.
7 p.m., Unity House

Workshop: "Smith EMS." One of a series of weekly student-led workshops presented by organizations campuswide. (Heather Jones, ext. 2248)
7-9 p.m., Seelye 107

Opera auditions for Look and Long by Dana Maiben. Based on the play by Gertrude Stein, this new chamber opera has roles for five women and one man: three sopranos, one mezzo-soprano, one cabaret/jazz stylist (mezzo-soprano range) and one baritone/low tenor. Bring sheet music for one or two songs, ideally one from musical theater and one classical. Instrumentalists are encouraged to inquire. (584-2131)
7-10 p.m., TV Studio, Mendenhall CPA

CDO informational meeting: Educational Resources Group.
7:30 p.m., Dewey common room

CDO informational meeting: Mitchell Madison Group.
7:30 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room

Organizational meeting: SSFFS participants in the April 1998 Five College Sci-Fi Conference.
7:30 p.m., Seelye 208

Tuesday, November 4

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

Sigma Xi Luncheon Talk: "Probing Inside of Nucleons with Charm." Piotr Decowski, Department of Physics. Open to faculty, emeriti and staff.
Noon, College Club lower level

Episcopal-Lutheran Fellowship meets in the parish house parlor for worship, lunch and friendship. All welcome.
Noon, St. John's Church, Elm Street*

Hebrew language lunch table. Pizza provided.
Noon, Bodman Lounge, Chapel

Government department course fair. Come sample second-semester courses. Refreshments will be served.
Noon, Wright Hall common room

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

Music in the Noon Hour: "Five Gypsy Dances" by Joaquin Turina. With pianist Monica Jakuc and flamenco dancer Clara Mora.
12:30 p.m.-1 p.m., Sweeney Concert Hall

Lecture: "The Satsuma Habit: Siting Male-Male Desire in Turn-of-the-Century Japan." Greg Pflugfelder, assistant professor, East Asian languages and literatures and history at Columbia University.
4 p.m., Dewey common room*

Roundtable discussion: "Writing About America." With Joe Nocera, Shirley Abbott, Zane Kotker, Jonathan Harr, Jane N. Garrett and Tracy Kidder. Sponsored by the Department of American Studies
4 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room*

Résumé critique. Have a peer adviser look over your résumé.
4-6 and 7-9 p.m., CDO

Religious activity: Bible study with Hallie Cowan. All welcome, with or without faith or Bible knowledge. (HallieCow@aol.com; Chapel, ext. 2750; Mei, ext. 6269)
4:30 p.m., Bodman Lounge

Presentation of the major: Afro-American studies. Refreshments will be served.
4:30 p.m.-6 p.m., Wright Hall common room

Informational meeting: "Summer Internships and Research Positions in Marine Science." Five College students who received summer subsidies will give presentations. Pizza will be served.
4:45 p.m.-7 p.m., McConnell foyer

Presentation of the major: Dance.
5 p.m., Green Room, Mendenhall CPA

Presentation of the major: Afro-American Studies
5 p.m., Wright Hall common room

Presentation of the major: Philosophy.
5 p.m., Dewey House Philosophy Student Lounge

Presentation of the minor: Third World development.
5:15 p.m., Seelye 204

Model session. One of a free weekly series sponsored by the Art Resource Committee.
7-10 p.m., Hillyer 18

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

Crash course: "Beginning Hebrew: The Hebrew of the Prayerbook." To sign up, call Hillel, extension 2754.
7 p.m., Bodman Lounge, Chapel

Opera auditions for Look and Long by Dana Maiben. (See Monday 7 p.m. listing.)
7-10 p.m., TV Studio, Mendenhall CPA

Lecture: "The Nature of the Self." Geshe Lobsang Tsetan, Tibetan Buddhist lama from Ladakh and the Tibetan Buddhist Learning Center, Washington, New Jersey. Sponsored by the Department of East Asian Studies, the religion department's Ada Howe Kent Program and the College Lecture Fund.
7:15 p.m., Wright Hall common room*

CDO workshop: "How to Write an Effective Résumé."
7:15 p.m., CDO

Slide lecture: "Reweaving the Web: The Jajarkot (Nepal) Permaculture Program, Cutting Edge of Sustainable Development." Cynthia Edwards, international permaculture development worker. Sponsored by the Center for Mutual Learning at Smith.
7.30 p.m., McConnell auditorium*

MassPIRG film series: Films on so-cial issues and community activism.
7:30 p.m., Seelye 211

CDO informational meeting: Score@Kaplan, a program for teaching reading in grades 1 through 12.
7:30 p.m., Seelye 110

CDO informational meeting: The Tuck Business Bridge Program, which provides liberal arts students with a rigorous introduction to global business and develops the practical, analytic decision-making skills needed for business careers. For juniors and seniors.
7:30 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room

CDO workshop: "How to Find a January Internship."
8:15 p.m., CDO

CDO workshop: "Career Choices and Directions." How to start career planning.
8:15 p.m., CDO

Film: Contact. Sponsored by Rec Council.
9 p.m., Stoddard auditorium

Dress rehearsal of Celebration of Sisterhood.
10 p.m., Davis Ballroom

Wednesday, November 5

Religious activity: Discussion and reflection for Catholic Adas. Lunch served. All welcome.
Noon-1 p.m., Bodman Lounge, Chapel

Religious activity: Hillel at Noon. This week: "Art." Share poetry, photographs or any other favorite art.
Noon, Dawes House Kosher Kitchen

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

Special faculty meeting. Tea will be served at 3:45 p.m.
4:10 p.m., Alumnae House Conference Room

Presentation of the minors: Marine sciences and Environmental sciences.
5 p.m., Burton 101
Religious activity: Buddhist service and discussion.
7:15 p.m., Bodman Lounge, Chapel

CDO informational meeting: Coopers & Lybrand.
7:30 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room

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

Thursday, November 6

Otelia Cromwell Day. (See story, page 1.)

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

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

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

Résumé critique. Have a peer adviser look over your résumé.
2:30-4:30 p.m., CDO

Institutional diversity open hour. For students, with Carmen Santana-Melgoza, director of institutional diversity. Schedule meetings for other times by calling extension 2141.
4-5 p.m., College Hall 31

Meeting and training session: Smith Debate Society. All welcome.
5-6 p.m., Seelye 110

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

Religious activity: Beit Midrash. Study of Jewish texts and ideas with Rabbi Edward Feld. Pizza Served. Smith Students welcome.
6 p.m., Amherst College, Appleton 106

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

CDO Five College Information Session: Leo Burnett (advertising).
7:30 p.m., Amherst College Campus Center, Front Room

Lecture: "Will the Real Latina Please Stand Up: A Consideration of Hegemonic Representations of Latinas." Gennetta E. B. Candelario '90, professor of Puerto Rican and Hispanic Caribbean studies at Rutgers University. (Fradyn, ext. 6895; Lila, ext. 6317)
7:30 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room*

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

Friday, November 7

Latina Pride Day

Symposium: "Visions of Community," in honor of five African-American women in dance. Special events include "Honorees Stories," with moderator Martha Myers and speakers Brenda Dixon Gottshild and S'thernbile West, at 10 a.m. in Sage Hall; two workshops-one on intermediate performance in technique and repertory with Tamica Washington of the Lula Washington Dance Theatre, and the other in intermediate modern dance with Marci Freeman of the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble-to be held 1:303 p.m. in the Berenson Dance Studios; and, from 4 to 6 p.m. in Theatre 14, Mendenhall CPA, a keynote address, "Possessed: The Dizzying Politics of Afro-Atlantic Arts," will be presented by James Lorand Matory of Harvard University, followed by guest performances by the Lula Washington Dance Theatre and Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble. Sponsored by the Five College Dance Department in association with 651 Arts Center in New York, Five Colleges Inc. and Smith College. (Ext. 3232)
10 a.m.-6 p.m., sites as listed

Noontime Gallery Talk: "Cigoli's Dream of Jacob." Ann Sievers, associate curator of prints, drawings and photographs, Smith College Museum of Art.
12:30 p.m., Museum of Art

CDO workshop: "How to Write an Effective Résumé."
12:30 p.m., CDO

Class of 2000 Tea, with the class dean and dean of international study.
3 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room

CDO workshop: "How to Prepare for a Successful Interview."
3:15 p.m., CDO

Biological Sciences and Biochemistry Colloquium: "A Pox Upon Your Houses: Patterns of Ecosystem Stress in the South Florida Hydroscope." James Porter, University of Georgia Institute of Ecology.
4:15-5:45 p.m., McConnell 103*

Green Tara Meditation. With Geshe Lobsang Tsetan from Ladakh and the Tibetan Buddhist Learning Center of Washington, New Jersey. No prior experience required. One of a series.
4:15-5:15 p.m., Wright common room*

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: Shabbat eve dinner.
7 p.m., Dawes House Kosher Kitchen

Reading: "Voices for the Voiceless: Spoken Words for Underground Griots." Fifteen black and Latino poets read in honor of Luis Reyes Rivera. Sponsored by Nosotras as part of Latina Pride Day.
7 p.m.-1 a.m., Mount Holyoke College, Chapin Auditorium*

Play reading: Conversation And Time by Christopher K. France, Hampshire '97 and recipient of the Denis Johnston Playwriting Award. Directed by Jennifer Blodgett '98. Part of the New Play Reading Series.
7:30 p.m., Sage Recital Hall*

Saturday, November 8

Registration for Smith College Asian Students Association annual conference, "Defining Asian Pacific American Student Leadership-Organizing our New England Region." (Ext. 4851; myoshiok@sophia.smith.edu)
8:30-10 a.m., Seelye Hall*

Religious activity: Keystone Connections. Christian song, prayer and learning. Everyone welcome.
9:30-10:30 a.m., Dewey common room

Performance: Peeling the Banana, an Asian-American theatre group from New York City, will perform as part of the Smith College Asian Students Association annual conference. Tickets: $3 Smith, $5 general. (Ext. 4851; myshiok@sophia.smith.
edu.)
8 p.m., Scott Gymnasium*

Concert: "Autumn Serenade." With the Smith College Glee Club, Chamber Singers and Student Orchestra, all conducted by Jonathan Hirsh, and the College Choirs Alpha and Omega, conducted by Thomas Kim. Works by Telemann, Kodaly, Britten, Bach, Ruth Watson Henderson and Smith composers Clifton J. Noble Jr. and Ronald Perera.
8-9 p.m., Sweeney Concert Hall*

Party: Smith College Asian Students Association annual conference party. Tickets: $3 Smith, $5 general. (Ext. 4851; myshiok@sophia.smith.edu.)
9 p.m.-1 a.m., Scott Gymnasium*

Sunday, November 9

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

Religious service: Morning worship with the Rev. Richard Unsworth and the Smith College All People's Choir.
10:30 a.m., Chapel

CDO open hours.
1-4 p.m., CDO

CDO program: "Introduction to the CDO for International Students."
1:15 p.m., CDO

CDO workshop: "How to Find a January Internship."
2:15 p.m., CDO

CDO program: "CDO Orientation and Tour for First-Years."
3 p.m., CDO

Workshop: "Time Management with the CAD." (Shrinkhala Rai, ext. 4730)
4 p.m.-5 p.m., Unity House

General meeting: Association of Smith Pagans, for those who practice nature-based religions. All seekers welcome.
4-5:15 p.m., Women's Resource Center (Davis third floor)

Religious service: Roman Catholic Mass in Spanish and English with Fr. Juan Garcia, CRIC, celebrant, and Elizabeth Carr, Catholic chaplain. Supper will follow.
4:30 p.m., Chapel*

Religious activity: Smith Christian Fellowship, a chapter of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship USA. All welcome.
7-8:30 p.m., Dewey common room*

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

Ongoing Events

Annual Chrysanthemum Show. A community tradition since the beginning of this century, the show features a variety of multicolored chrysanthemums, including footballs, spiders and pom-poms. Many are the results of hybrids produced in Smith horticulture classes as long ago as the 1930s; others were started as seedlings by last year's students.
Hours: 11 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Lyman Plant House, November 1-6*

Art exhibition: "Cigoli's Dream of Jacob and Drawing in Late 16th-Century Florence." Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 1-4 p.m.; Thursday, 1- p.m. (585-2770).
Museum of Art Print Room, through December 14*

Book exhibition: "Colorful Tales: Artists' Books from the Purgatory Pie Press of New York." Vibrant and unusual examples of contemporary book art. Sponsored by the Mortimer Rare Book Room.
Neilson Library front hall, through December 15*

Exhibition: "'Amazonian Activity': The Life and Work of Noel Phyllis Birkby (1932-94)." Hours: Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.5 p.m. (585-2970).
Sophia Smith Collection reading room, through January 31*

Back to top of page

AcaMedia is the official vehicle for making announcements within the Smith College community. By action of the faculty, students are held responsible for reading AcaMedia's notices and calendar listings.

Submission Procedures
Submit calendar items and notices to Mary Stanton at Garrison Hall (mstanton@colrel.smith.edu) and noncalendar items for news articles to Sally Rubenstone at Garrison Hall (srstone@javanet.com or srubenstone@colrel.smith.edu). When submitting notices for which the intended audience may not be self-evident, please indicate whether they apply to the entire Smith community, to faculty and staff only, or to students only.

Deadlines
Copy is due by 4 p.m., Wednesday, November 5, for issue 11 (November 17-November 23 calendar listings) and by 4 p.m., Wednesday, November 12, for issue 12 (November 24-December 7 calendar listings). Late information cannot be accepted.

Five College Calendar Deadline
Entries for the December Five College Calendar must be received in writing by November 13. Please send all entries to Mary Stanton in Garrison Hall (mstanton@colrel.smith.edu).

Smith-Wide

Sweater Sale

S.O.S. is sponsoring a sweater sale, Monday and Tuesday, November 10-11, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Gamut CPA. Take advantage of this last chance to bundle up in hand-knit wool and alpaca sweaters, scarves, mittens, hats and ponchos from Dan the Sweater Man. Proceeds benefit S.O.S. and its work with local nonprofit community agencies.

Child Care Openings

Smith Child Care Center at Sunnyside has immediate openings for three-year-olds, with Smith affiliates being given enrollment priority. The center offers professional teachers and a secure, nurturing environment. For more information or application materials, call Debra Horton at extension 2293.

Flu Vaccinations

Health Services has doses of flu vaccine available to students, employees and professors emeriti. They cost $10 each and must be paid for at the time of the visit. The vaccine is recommended for healthy persons 65 years or older, persons with chronic medical conditions (such as diabetes, asthma, chronic lung disease, renal dysfunction, hemoglobinopathies or immuno-
suppression), persons receiving long-term aspirin therapy, and persons living in close community settings such as dormitory housing. Anyone wishing to receive the vaccine should make an appointment by calling extension 2823 Monday to Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. The vaccine is given by appointment only and is only available while supplies last.

Flu-Shot Clinic

A flu clinic will be held in the Wright Hall common room on Wednesday, November 12, from 12 to 3:30 p.m. Please dress to allow easy access for a shot in your arm.

Book Fair

The Campus School will hold its book fair at Gill Hall library, November 5, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; November 6, 8 a.m.-7 p.m.; and November 7, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. The library will also be the site for the first annual Meet the Local Authors and Illustrators Night, Thursday, November 6, 4-7 p.m.

Health Services Committee

The Health Services Committee will hold its annual meeting Sunday, November 9, at 11 a.m. in Dr. Leslie Jaffe's office, 69 Paradise Rd.

New International Offices

The offices of international students and international study are moving to the third floor of Clark Hall on November 6 and will reopen for business Monday, November 10.

Chemical Society Meeting

The American Chemical Society will hold a meeting and ice cream social Wednesday, November 12, at 4:15 p.m. in Sabin Reed 115. All are welcome. Information: Sarah, extension 7072; Laurel, extension 5554.

Students

Pay Voucher Deadline

Pay vouchers for work-study students must be submitted to the financial aid office by noon on Wednesday, November 5.

Application Deadlines

Résumés and cover letters for Andersen Consulting, Bankers Trust Information Technology and Merrill Lynch Enterprise Technology are due by 4:30 p.m. Monday, November 3, in Drew Hall 20. Résumés and cover letters for J.P. Morgan Investment Management and Mass Mutual are due by 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, November 5, in Drew Hall 20.

Five College Hillel Shabbaton

The Five College Hillel Shabbaton will be held November 79 at Sargeant Camp, New Hampshire. Discussions on Jewish spirituality will be led by Rabbi Saul Perlmutter, Rabbi Devorah Jacobson, Rabbi Edward Feld and Merle Feld. Cost: $35. Space is limited-call Hillel at extension 2754 to reserve yours.

Class of 2001 Meeting

The class of 2001 will hold a mandatory meeting November 10 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in Wright auditorium.

Ceramics Club

Students interested in joining the Ceramics Club should call Bethany Clark at extension 6719. Leave a message on her phone mail with your name (including its correct spelling) and your box number. You will then be sent introductory information. Previous members who would like to rejoin should mail a $12 check to Caroline Kellogg, campus box 7695.

Spring Leaves of Absence

Students planning to take leaves of absence for spring 1998 and return in the fall need to complete one of the fall 1998 housing forms now available in the Office of Student Affairs (College Hall 24). Avoid mailing delays while you're away: submit your spring-lottery housing preferences before leaving. Information: extension 4940; housing@smith.edu.

Truman Scholarship Deadline

Juniors applying for Truman Scholarships must submit a résumé by Thursday, November 7, to Lea Ahlen, Wright 15. Résumés should list public service activities (including those with government agencies, community groups, political campaigns and charities) and leadership positions held during high school and the first two years of undergraduate study, and include a statement of tentative career intentions.

Senior Physical

Students graduating in January will not be eligible to use Health Services after December, and so need to schedule senior physicals before December 17. Call extension 2823.

Mellon Fellowships

Mellon Fellowships, funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, are for the first year of graduate school and are intended to help exceptionally promising students prepare for careers in teaching and humanistic studies. The application request deadline is December 8, and applicants must have taken the GRE by December 1. For more information, see department chairs or inquire at the senior class dean's office, College Hall 23.

Room-Change Deadline

November 14 is the deadline for submitting fall-semester room-change requests, including requests for room changes between semesters at interterm. No room-change requests will be accepted between November 14, 1997, and February 9, 1998, so plan ahead. If you are interested in a room that will be vacant for spring semester, see your head resident now for a request form. For more information, see your HR or the housing coordinator (Office of Student Affairs, College Hall 24; ext. 4940; housing@smith.edu).

Rally Day Show

Rally Day (February 18) may seem a long way off, but some deadlines are in November and December-hence the need to plan now. Each class is being asked to select a Rally Day class chair or cochairs responsible for forming a class planning committee and a class show or skit. Needed immediately are people with experience, interest and time to serve in one of the following general committee positions: general show chair (or cochair), publicity chair, advertising chair or stage manager. The general show chair(s) will be selected through the SGA appointment process. Sign-ups will take place November 37 in the SGA office; interviews will take place November 1113. Information sheets with brief job descriptions are posted on the bulletin board outside College Hall 22 and the SGA office at Clark Hall. Get involved and join the fun of Rally Day.

SFFSF Library Hours

This semester the library of the Smith Science Fiction and Fantasy Society is open during the following hours: Mondays, 3-5 p.m. (under the direction of Dotty, extension 7422); Tuesdays, 8-10 a.m. (Amy, 585-0647) and 1-3 p.m. (Alyson, ext. 7642); Wednesdays, 7-9 p.m. (Allison, ext. 6660); Thursdays, 1-3 p.m. (Heather, ext. 6496); Fridays, 10-12 a.m. (Katherine, ext. 7352) and 1-3 p.m. (Kara, ext. 7543). The library is on the second floor of Capen Annex. There are no library dues for SSFFS members. Nonmember dues are $2 per semester, refundable if the account is clear at expiration. For more information, contact Heather Nichols (hnichols@sophia.
smith.edu; ext. 6496; box 8535).

Missing Preludes Banner

The 1997 Preludes banner, with the handprints and artistry of 160 women of the class of 2001, vanished during this year's convocation. Preludes banners are kept in the college archives as valuable pieces of living Smith history. If you took the banner that night or know anything about its whereabouts, please contact Anne at extension 6766. Also feel free to anonymously provide leads or return the banner to the Office of Student Affairs, College Hall 22.

Carnegie Junior Fellows

The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, D.C., is an educational organization that conducts programs of research, discussion, publication, and education in international relations and U.S. foreign policy. It annually offers up to 11 junior fellowships to students planning careers in international affairs. The fellowships provide one year of paid work experience on a variety of projects, including Foreign Policy magazine. Applicants must be either graduating seniors or students who have completed their A.B. within the past academic year. No one who has already started graduate studies will be considered. The monthly salary is $1,912 plus benefits. Where relevant, round-trip airfare between the individual's home (if it is within the U.S.) and Washington will be reimbursed. To be considered for a nomination, pick up the resource material from the Carnegie file in the "direct applications" box in the CDO Employer Room on the second floor of Drew Hall. Prepare an outline of your response to one of the suggested essay (not research) topics, and submit it with your résumé and a list of your relevant coursework (IR, peace studies, government, public policy, etc.) to the CDO by 4 p.m. Friday, November 17.

Echoing Green Fellowship

The Echoing Green Foundation provides fellowships of up to $20,000 for social entrepreneurs with the energy, talent and commitment to create and implement innovative organizations or projects that address social issues. The foundation is seeking socially oriented entrepreneurs to apply. On Wednesday, November 12 from noon to 1:15 p.m., CDO and S.O.S. will hold in the CDO group room an informational meeting for graduating seniors and Smith alumnae who graduated between 1987 and 1997. Please bring your own lunch.

Smith Jobs

This is a listing of jobs available at our publication deadline. For complete information, see the bulletin board in the Office of Human Resources or call the job hot line at extension 2278.

Administative assistant for gifts and records, Advancement. Apply by November 8.
Assistant museum educator, Museum of Art. Review of applications begins immediately.
Assistant director, college relations. Apply by November 10.

Back to top of page

AcaMedia staff: Sally Rubenstone, editor; Cathy Brooks, layout; Ann Shanahan, contributing writer; John Sippel, copy editor; Mary Stanton, calendar/notices
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: October 30, 1997.

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.
Smith College Notice of Nondiscrimination

Made with Macintosh