News for the Smith College Community // November 13, 1997

NewsPeople NewsArchive

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

Staff Team Report Available

Last fall President Ruth Simmons appointed a special Self-Study committee composed of 17 college staff members. Headed by Sidonia Dalby, associate director of the Ada Comstock Scholars Program, the group's mission was to "consider strategic priorities for Smith as a working community." In preparing their final report, the team members cast a wide net across campus, asking fellow administrative, administrative support and service staff what they valued most about their employment at Smith and what they would like to see changed, in order "to make Smith the best workplace possible."
 
The committee's thorough 26-page report identified five priority areas: Community spirit/morale; Flexibility; Leadership; Personal/family issues; and Workload. Under each rubric were several specific recommendations, such as "Consider the options of flextime, telecommuting, part-time and four-day full-time work weeks;" "Appoint an ombudsperson," "Evaluate the availability and affordability of childcare, eldercare and sickcare;" and "Increase staff training and development to reduce workload stress."
 
The entire report is now available at the Neilson Library reserve desk and two or more copies have been distributed to each non-academic department. It is also available by contacting Maryann Ziomek at extension 2203.
 
The report has been read by President Ruth Simmons and Chief Financial Officer Ruth Constantine and distributed to several groups on campus -- the president's senior staff, Staff Council, the Human Resources Advisory Committee, and SAMS (Senior Administrative Management Seminar) -- for their review and comments.
 
According to Ruth Constantine, the college has begun formulating responses to the various recommendations and assigning many of these to specific administrators for implementation.
 
In addition, President Simmons will preside at the Community Forum on Thursday, November 20, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. in Sage Hall, where the self-study -- including the staff committee report -- will be the focal point of the agenda. All are urged to read the self-study reports and come with questions and ideas.
 

The Public Eye

This is the first in a series of occasional columns by B. Ann Wright, chief public affairs and college relations officer.
 
Once upon a time the American public went in search of college information by turning to large tomes such as Peterson's Guide and the College Board Handbook. But now, as we head into the late '90s, each fall brings new fashions, new cars and a new crop of college rankings in books, magazines and newsletters. The concept of ranking colleges has become big business, and as much as we in higher education dislike it, the practice appears to be here to stay -- at least for the near future.
 
Why has this happened? The short answer is that the public not only wants but demands so-called "objective" comparisons. The long answer is that rankings were born out of the rise in college costs and the consumerism that has developed over the last two decades. In recent years, as the price of a private college education approached a ceiling for many families, the public began to search for proof of value for their investment. The media, always seeking a new theme for public consumption, found that ranking colleges was even more popular than ranking toasters and cars.
 
The good news is that this trend has led to much broader publicity for many lesser-known colleges, especially the smaller regional institutions that do not receive much press. The bad news is that the public too often takes the rankings as absolute truth, assuming that school number 5 is much better than numbers 6 and 7. And those schools not in the elite "top 25" are too often seen as also-rans in the race for prestige and value-added. Worse yet is the fact that the ratings of colleges change from year to year, leading the public to believe that the institutions themselves have suddenly improved enormously or sunk precipitously. In fact, these changes are due to fluctuations in the formula, with the weighting process changed each year by the publications themselves.
 
Having said all this, I should point out that Smith has done very well in the rankings. We do not, of course appear in the Money magazine list of "best college buys" because of our high costs. Seven of Money's top 10 are public institutions, indicating the importance of comprehensive fees in its rankings. In fact, Harvard is listed as number 43 and Princeton as number 98, and both appear in the top 100 only because of their extraordinarily high SAT and class- rank statistics. Nonetheless, research indicates that most readers bypass the Money ratings for other, more conclusive lists.
 
Following a nationwide poll of students, this year's Time magazine/Princeton Review annual college issue ranked Smith in these categories:
Best Overall Academic Experience for Undergraduates -- #6
Their Students Never Stop Studying -- #8
"Dorms Like Palaces" -- #4
"The Best Quality of Life" -- #9
 
This publication tries hard to entertain as well as inform. (We did not, of course, appear on their "Dorms Like Dungeons" list!) The previous year Smith was listed in the category "Professors bring materials to life," and not listed under "Professors suck all life from materials." Similarly, Smith is known for "Great food" but is not on the roster for "Is it food?"; and rather than the "Reefer madness" category, Smith is under "Don't inhale." You can see that such publicity does get the attention of high school students.
 
In the much-heralded U.S. News rankings, Smith moved from #12 last year to this year's #14, tied with Grinnell and Wesleyan. The formula used is broken down by evaluating each of these groupings:
 
Academic reputation 25%
Retention 25%
Faculty Resources 20%
Selectivity 15%
Financial Resources 10%
Value Added 5%
Alumni Giving 5%
 
While Smith is extremely strong in academic reputation, faculty resources and financial resources, we are somewhat lower in the other categories. As at all women's colleges, there is more shifting among students to find the right "fit," there is less selectivity because we are dealing with only half the pool of high school students, and alumnae giving is somewhat more limited for women than for men. Thus, because those categories have played a larger role in the ranking formula in recent years, Smith has moved slightly lower in the listings.
 
The important thing to understand about the rankings is that we should expect Smith to move up and down as the formula changes each year, but we remain solidly among the elite liberal arts colleges in the U.S. As we move into a new period of innovations and programs, we can expect more publicity and more recognition for the uniqueness of Smith's education and preparation for the outside world. Meanwhile, readers should take those rankings for what they are: a crude but popular tool to group the strongest colleges so that consumers will buy magazines-and then, one hopes, look more closely at the colleges themselves.
 

Garage Gets Green Light

At their recent meeting, the Smith Board of Trustees voted to proceed with the planning of a multi-story parking garage to be located at 50 West Street, adjacent to Garrison Hall.
According to Bill Brandt, director of campus operations and facilities, the next step is to select an architect for the project, and a selection committee will soon be convened for this purpose. It is still much too early, notes Brandt, to predict when the first car will actually be parked at the new facility.
 

Rumor Buster

Rumor: The college is considering again offering a Voluntary Separation
Program (VSP) to staff.
 
The Real Story: According to Ruth Constantine, chief financial officer, the college offered a one-time Voluntary Separation Program in 1991 to help resolve repeated annual budget deficits. This goal was achieved, and therefore no plans are being considered to offer a similar program.
 

Chapel Change Approved

All on-campus AcaMedia readers should have recently received a copy of the Report of the Ad Hoc Chapel Committee. The committee, created last spring by President Ruth Simmons, was charged with reviewing the mission of the Chapel and with offering "new ways that we might attend to the spiritual development of our students at a time of increasing diversity of religious beliefs." The group was asked also to "consider how our religious ministries might best support the academic mission of the college," to determine "what role the chapel should play in enriching the moral and ethical dialogue of the Smith community," and to "review the current staff and administrative structure of the chaplaincy" in order to guide the search to replace the retiring interim dean and Protestant chaplain.
 
The committee was composed of students Saima Salim Dada '97, Erika Katske '98, Tiffany Sher-mei Wu '99 and Abigail Rupp '97; faculty members Thomas Derr, Myron Glazer, Steven Goldstein, Carolyn Jacobs, Christine Shelton and Taitetsu Unno; deans Maureen Mahoney and Richard Unsworth; and alumnae Deborah Sosland-Edelman '80 and Joyce E. Moran '69, the latter a member of the board of trustees who served as chair.
 
Central to the report was a recommendation to appoint a "dean of religious life" who would "function primarily as a community religious leader" and could be a member of any religious tradition. The ad hoc committee suggested that the individual chosen for this job would have "an easy rapport with students" combined with "an integrated vision for our diverse community in all its religious pluralism" and the ability to "articulate moral issues in a clear and compelling fashion."
 
At their fall meeting earlier this month, the Board of Trustees approved the new position, and so a search for a dean of religious life will soon be under way. Details will appear in AcaMedia as they become available.
 

America Reads...and Smith Helps

A new federal program is for the first time enabling Smith students to earn work-study income by helping elementary school children learn to read. Funding is in place, students have signed up, and a growing number of schools and agencies are stepping forward to accept the help -- for which they pay nothing.
 
The new work-study positions are being made possible by the federal initiative called America Reads, created to ensure that no American child graduates from third grade unable to read on his or her own. A major part of the labor for this effort is to be provided through federally funded work-study jobs filled by students from colleges across the country.
 
The local launching of America Reads began in earnest this summer. The Pioneer Valley effort is being coordinated through the Five College consortium, and Smith's participation is being directed by Valerie Schumacher, student employment/fund coordinator in the Office of Financial Aid.
 
"The Five Colleges have jointly made this opportunity known to agencies and schools throughout the area," Schumacher says. "We've also cooperated in making all Five College students aware of the tutoring positions. I've even done a mailing to Ada Comstock Scholars to let those who commute know that under the program they can tutor in their hometowns, even if they're out of state."
 
By the beginning of this November, 30 contracted Smith students were working under America Reads, and several others were in the process of applying. In all more than 50 Smith women have expressed interest in the program, and Schumacher is anxious to see that number grow. "Of course, only students eligible for federal work-study can participate," she notes, "but we have many more of those who might sign up. We're especially hoping to find students -- most likely Adas -- who have cars or are willing to use public transportation, so that we take on more of the many potential clients outside of Northampton.
 
"Smith students are at two programs run at the Jackson Street School -- the Jackson Street After-School Program and the Hampshire Youth 2000 Literacy Project," Schumacher adds. "Two of those students have also arranged to work at Holyoke Health Center, linking America Reads to a program called Reach Out and Read, which donates books to pediatric patients. Meanwhile, Nonotuck Childcare Center and the People's Institute are interviewing students. And we've gotten job notices from all over the valley -- Chicopee, Amherst, Granby, Hatfield and Williamsburg. We're posting them in books that we keep in the hallway by the job board in College Hall and in the Ada office."
 
The program's popularity comes as no surprise to Schumacher. "In the past we've funded off-campus work-study positions in community service fields, and we still do, " she says. "But the hiring agency has always had to pay at least 25 percent of the student's earnings, as well as all of her workers' comp and FICA. The America Reads funding provides schools and agencies with reading tutors at no cost to them whatsoever."
 
Schumacher meets monthly with the other Five College representatives. A central clearinghouse at UMass, overseen by a graduate student coordinator, tracks all of the program's responses, information and jobs. The student coordinator also provides the basic training for each America Reads employee: a mandatory, hourlong session for which the student is paid the tutors' $6.60 hourly wage -- 50 cents over the standard campus salary. Any further training is done by the hiring school or agency, which also handles the application, interviewing and hiring procedures. Students work an average four to six hours per week, and they teach children up through grade six.
 
While the program is too new to have much of a track record, early responses from clients have been good. "Hampshire Youth 2000 advertised throughout the Five Colleges, and had high praise for the enthusiasm of the Smith students in particular," Schumacher notes. "The program directors were favorably impressed by the turnout they received and are very grateful for the extra help they're getting."
 

Meet HR Top Job Candidates

The search committee for the position of director of human resources has selected three candidates for on-campus interviews. Each candidate will have an open forum in the Wright Hall common room from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. on the date shown.
 
November 14
Gretna Smith, 1991-present: director of personnel services, The College of William and Mary, Virginia; 1990-91: classification and compensation supervisor, The College of William and Mary; 1987-90: personnel practices analyst, Virginia Department of Transportation.
 
November 19
Peter Martel, 1994-present: director of personnel, Amherst College; 1988-94: director of human resources, North Kingstown (Rhode Island) School Department.
 
November 21
Lianne Sullivan, 1996-present: associate director, employee relations, Harvard University; 1985-96: employment manager and various positions in labor relations and employment, Harvard University.
 

United Way Update

With administrative assistant Claire Kmetz in charge of United Way lottery prizes, one might think that many weekly winners would hail from the Office of College Relations. Instead, there has seemed to be a paucity of prizes heading to Garrison Hall. But the jinx was broken on November 7, when Ann Shanahan's name was drawn as the winner of a one-hour massage from Lynn Koerbel, and Patty Hayes garnered a bottle of Smith College wine (with a label she herself designed). The other prizes in this drawing and the lucky UW donors were:
 
Free lunch at the Smith College Club: Jean Higgins; Eastside Grill $50 gift certificate: Robert Saltis; two tickets to the Academy of Music: Nancy Rich; reserved parking space: Linda Shaughnessy; $15 fruit basket from State Street Fruit: Chester Michalik; Davis Center $5 gift certificate: Nancy Rubeck; Packard's $25 gift certificate: Susan Daily; Beethoven by Kenneth Fearn, piano: Sue Stano; La Salle Florist $25 gift certificate: Judy Strong; Mobil Go Card $25: Kathleen Chatwood.
 
Smith UW Campaign Chair Carrie Hemenway reports the latest facts and figures: "As of November 7, we'd received $89,236.00 in donations compared to last year's $79,809.92. Gifts have come from 426 donors; there were 445 last year at this time.
 
"Smith College is making a difference in our community," notes Hemenway. "Besides the financial generosity, many members of the Smith community also volunteer in United Way agencies in a variety of capacities. Many of us have used United Way services ourselves, including the Y, the VNA, Necessities/Necesidades and the adoption services offered by Children's Aid and Family Services."

Back to top of page

People News

To Our Health: Women's Wellness is Ada's Quest

by Kate Drake '99
The ambition and drive shown by Ada Comstock Scholars never cease to amaze others in the Smith community. One Ada Comstock Scholar, however, is not only taking giant academic steps, but is also making leaps to improve women's health on a national level.
 
Devi O'Neill, a second-year student, interned last summer at the National Center of Excellence in Women's Health at the University of California, San Francisco. At the center, O'Neill did research for three different projects. One was a manual for medical research recruiters on how to recruit women from diverse populations that have been historically neglected in clinical trials and medical research. Now, back at Smith, O'Neill is writing the chapter on the lesbian population for the manual, to be submitted for publication in the spring.
 
O'Neill recently spoke about this project to the Lesbian Health Research Priorities Committee at the Institute of Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C. The conference focused on the lack of access and research methods in lesbian health.
 
O'Neill's other work at the UCSF center included a mental health project aimed at creating an assessment tool to be used in primary care for mental health disorders that are gender specific and a curriculum for lesbian health to be used by medical schools.
 
With seven years previous experience working as an AIDS emotional-support counselor, O'Neill is currently volunteering for AIDS Care of Hampshire County at Cooley Dickinson Hospital.
 
For the last few years, O'Neill has worked predominantly with women and children with AIDS. Before she came to Smith, she attempted to start a program for women with AIDS at the San Francisco Center for Living, but then she began to recognize she was "really just being paid lip service" when she was patted on the back for her efforts. "They had no intention on focusing their resources on women. I decided to go back to school for an education so I could do something about it myself," O'Neill explains. "After a few scholarships at my local community college and a few years of night school, the Ada Comstock Scholars Program found me and thought they'd give me a chance. So here I am, and I'm so appreciative."
 
O'Neill has designed her own major in women's health and public policy, and after receiving her Smith degree may pursue a master's in public policy or public health. Her interests for the future lie in medical anthropology and conducting research in women's health that will influence policy. In addition, O'Neill would like to teach at the university level.
 
"Maybe I'll just have to come to Smith and start a women's health department!" she adds with a laugh.
 

Sex-Ed Prize Pupils

by Jen Bayer '99
A few weeks ago, to publicize National Young Women's Day of Action, which was held on October 23, the Smith Peer Sexuality Educators organized a short awareness-raising quiz. Each participant had the chance to enter a drawing if all her answers were correct.
The winners of the drawing were Julie Lum, Sara Lacherman, Heather Bryant, Andrea Reece, Amy Kim, Caitlin Bolley, Carolyn Rogers, Michelle Mondoux, Jessica Linzmeier, Tamara Bruce, Sarah Thompson, Tamara Weiner, Jessica Phillips-Fein, Jennifer Bealer and Andrea Lee.
 
The Smith Peer Sexuality Educators thank all who took part, as well as the businesses that donated prizes. For those who didn't try the quiz last month, the questions (and answers) are below:
 
 
1) How many women die from illegal abortions each year (globally)?*
2) _______ are being infected by HIV the fastest.**
3) How often should you get a gynecological exam?
 
Answers: 1) 100,000. 2) Heterosexual men. 3) Every year.
 
* The answer choices given on the October 23 quiz were not correct. (The answer "10­23 million" on the original quiz was the correct response to "How many illegal abortion are performed per year?") Question 1 was disregarded when choosing entrants for the drawing.
 
** Heterosexual men are on the rise for contracting HIV by 11 percent and heterosexual women by 7 percent. However, since only three participants out of the 200 who entered actually chose the correct answer, those who selected "heterosexual women" were reintroduced into the drawing.
 
Anyone with questions about the quiz or the drawing can contact Jen Bayer at extension 4607 or by e-mail at jbayer@sophia.smith.edu.

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 17

Red Cross/S.O.S. Blood Drive. Help make a difference by donating blood. Walk-ins welcome. (S.O.S., ext. 2756; Cathy Lee, ext. 6721.)
11 a.m.-5 p.m., Davis ballroom*
 
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
 
Lecture: "Flipping and Frustrating Copolymers: Routes to Nanoscopic Structures." Thomas Russell of the University of Massachusetts, director of the Materials Science and Engineering Center. Refreshments served. Sponsored by the Department of Physics.
3:45 p.m., McConnell 404
 
Chemistry talk: "Chemical Use and Abuse: Pigments, Paints and Preservation." George Fleck, professor of chemistry. Sponsored by American Chemical Society.
4 p.m., McConnell B05
 
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
 
Green Tara Meditation. With Geshe Lobsang Tsetan.
4:15-5:15 p.m., Wright common room*
 
Lecture: "Dinosaur Lives." Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar John P. Horner, curator of the Museum of the Rockies and adjunct professor of biology and geology at Montana State University. Sponsored by Smith Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi and departments of geology and biology.
5 p.m., Wright auditorium*
 
General meeting: Sailing Club. The club promotes sailing as a lifetime sport. Agenda topics will include the Spring Sail to Shelter Island, New York. Please bring $10 for dues. (Maggie, ext. 6640)
5 p.m., ITT
 
Meeting of those who want to bring to Smith a Grass Roots Organizing Weekend to enable students to learn the rudiments of political organizing. (Marisa, ext. 6287)
6:30 p.m., Chase House living room
 
General meeting: ASA.
7 p.m., Unity House
 
Meeting: '01 class reps.
7 p.m., Seelye 301
 
Organizational meeting: Om, a Hindu student organization. All are welcome to celebrate Diwali and the Hindu New Year. (Elizabeth Carr, ext. 2751; Dhruti Suchak, ext. 6432)
7-8 p.m., Bodman Lounge, Chapel
 
Theater audition: (Under) Belly by Aaron Petrovitch MFA '97, directed by John Hellweg.
7-10 p.m., TV Studio, Mendenhall CPA
 
Organizational meeting: SSFFS participants in the April 1998 Five College Sci-Fi Conference.
7:30 p.m., Seelye 208
 
Concert: Informal Recital. Student performances.
7:30 p.m., Sage Recital Hall
 

Tuesday, November 18

CDO extended hours.
8:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m., 7-9 p.m., CDO
 
Red Cross/S.O.S. Blood Drive. Help make a difference by donating blood. Walk-ins welcome. (S.O.S., ext. 2756; Cathy Lee, ext. 6721.)
11 a.m.-5 p.m., Davis ballroom*
 
Literature at Lunch: Elizabeth von Klemperer reading from Virginia Woolf's "Street Haunting." Bring your own brown bag lunch; coffee and soft drinks provided. All welcome. Sponsored by the English department.
12:15-1 p.m., Seelye 207
 
Music in the Noon Hour: Soprano Karen Smith Emerson and pianist Constance LaSalle perform songs by Richard Strauss.
12:30 p.m., Sweeney Concert Hall*
 
Sigma Xi Luncheon Talk: "The Complete T. Rex." John P. Horner, curator of the Museum of the Rockies and adjunct professor of biology and geology at Montana State University. 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
 
CDO informational meeting: Mass Mutual. Full-time and internship opportunities in the company's information technology department. Computer science background not required.
12:15 p.m., CDO group room
 
Language lunch tables.
Deutscher Tisch
Korean
12:15 p.m., Duckett House Special Dining 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. (Chapel, ext. 2750; halliecow@aol.com; Mei, ext. 6269)
4:30 p.m., Bodman Lounge, Chapel
 
Lecture: "Union Organizing and Women Workers in the Global Economy." Martie Volland, assistant director of organizing for UNITE. Sponsored by the history department, Latin American studies, CCP and the Project on Women and Social Change.
5-6 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room*
 
Informational meeting: Oxford Summer Seminar. David Paroissien, director of the UMass/Amherst Oxford Summer Seminar, will describe the six-week seminar at Trinity College, Oxford, July 2­August 12, 1998. It will include tutorial courses in English literature, history, law and debate and enable participants to earn up to seven credits toward their degrees. Applications considered from all majors.
5-6 p.m., Seelye 201
 
Film screening and discussion: Japanese animation. Sponsored by SSFFS.
7 p.m., Bass 210*
 
SGA Senate meeting, including a student open forum at 7:15 p.m.
7 p.m., Seelye 201
 
Crash course: Beginning Hebrew. (Hillel, ext. 2754)
7 p.m., Bodman Lounge, Chapel
 
Model session. One of a free weekly series sponsored by the Art Resource Committee.
7-10 p.m., Hillyer 18
 
Theater audition: (Under)Belly by Aaron Petrovitch MFA '97, directed by John Hellweg.
7-10 p.m., TV Studio, Mendenhall CPA
 
CDO workshop: "How to Write an Effective Résumé."
7:15 p.m., CDO
 
Lecture/Workshop: "Mental Toughness: Creating the Mind of a Champion." With Allan Goldberg, a nationally known expert in sport and performance psychology who helps performers overcome fears and blocks, snap out of slumps and perform to full potential. Students should plan on participating in the workshop activities.
7:30 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room
 
Film: The Producers (1968). Mel Brooks' hilarious spoof of musicals, money and the American fascination with the Third Reich. Starring Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder. Screening introduced by Hans Vaget. Sponsored by the Department of German Studies and the German Club.
7:30 p.m., Seelye 106*
 
CDO informational meeting: Net Daemons Associates (Web developer).
7:30 p.m., Seelye 105
 
CDO workshop: "How to Find a January Internship."
8:15 p.m., CDO
 
CDO workshop: "CDO Orientation and Tour for Seniors."
8:15 p.m., CDO
 
Film: Men in Black. Sponsored by Rec Council.
9 p.m., Wright auditorium
 

Wednesday, November 19

Computer expo. Vendors demonstrate and display current technology being sold at the computer store.
10 a.m.-4 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room
 
Religious activity: Discussion and reflection for Catholic Adas. Lunch served. All welcome.
Noon­1 p.m., Bodman Lounge, Chapel
 
Language lunch tables.
Chinese
Spanish and Portuguese
12:15 p.m., Duckett House Special Dining Room
 
Meeting of the faculty. Tea served at 3:45 p.m.
4:10 p.m., Alumnae House conference room
 
Religious activity: Buddhist service and discussion.
7:15 p.m., Bodman Lounge, Chapel
 
MassPIRG weekly meeting. All welcome.
7:30 p.m., Seelye 107
 
Reading: Muriel Rukeyser's Irish memoir The Orgy, presented by Peggy O'Brian, Maddy Blais and others. Sponsored by Readers and Writers Live, Paris Press and the English department.
7:30-9:30 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room*
 
Film: Warrior Marks, about the practice of female genital mutilation and the sexual blinding of women. Includes interviews with circum-scribers, their victims, and activists fighting this practice. Sponsored by Feminists of Smith Unite.
7:30-9:30 p.m., Stoddard auditorium*
 
Concert: "An Evening of Songs and Romances by Clara and Robert Schumann." With baritone Richard Lalli and pianist Monica Jakuc.
8 p.m., Sweeney Concert Hall*
 

Thursday, November 20

CDO extended hours.
8:30 a.m.-6 p.m., CDO
 
Lecture: "The Fourth of July, 1954: Joe McCarthy, Jane Rule, Citizenship and Sexuality." Marilyn Schuster, professor of women's studies and French language and literature. One of the Liberal Arts Luncheon Series. Open to faculty, emeriti and staff.
Noon, College Club lower level
 
Language lunch tables.
Japanese
Russian
12:15 p.m., Duckett House Special Dining Room
 
Student-led CAD workshop: "Reading Retention." Sign up at CAD.
12:05-12:50 p.m., Seelye 307A
 
CDO workshop: "Job Search for Seniors."
1 p.m., CDO
 
Community forum: "Future Directions for the College." An evaluation of self-study proposals.
1:30-2:30 p.m., Sweeney Concert Hall
 
Résumé critique. Have a peer adviser look over your résumé.
2:30-4 p.m., CDO
Thursday, November 20 - continued
 
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
 
Student open hour in the president's office.
4:15 p.m., College Hall 20
 
Global Issues Forum: "Military Prostitution in U.S.-Korea Relations." Kathy Moon '86, professor of political science, Wellesley College. Sponsored by the International Relations Program and the government department.
4:30 p.m. Neilson Browsing Room*
 
Informational meeting: Paris and Geneva Junior Year Abroad Programs. Returning seniors will share their stories and experiences. Bring your questions. Refreshments served.
4:30-6 p.m., Dewey House living room
 
Lecture: "Environmental Activism in the Foothills of the Himalayas." Ruchika Mandhyan '99J reports on her summer internship at an NGO that helps conserve biodiversity and traditional agriculture in India.
5 p.m., Dewey common room
 
Meeting and training session: Smith Debate Society. All welcome.
5-6 p.m., Seelye 110
 
Lecture: "Mozart Scholarship and Mozart Performance: Life Along the Border Between the Music Library and the Practice Room." Neal Zaslaw, professor of music, Cornell University.
5-6 p.m., Sage Recital Hall*
 
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
 
Slide lecture: "Giulio Cesare Procaccini's Apollo and Minerva." Craig Felton, professor of art. Part of the Museum of Art's New Acquisitions Series. A gallery viewing in the museum will follow.
7 p.m., Hillyer 117*
 
Coffee house with President Simmons. Chat with her about the residence-life proposals made in the self-study.
7-8:30 p.m., Gamut
 
Film: A Midwife's Tale. Prerelease screening of a documentary based on the diary of an 18th-century midwife and the work of historian Laurel Ulrich. Followed by discussion with independant filmmaker and screenwriter Laurie Kahn-Leavitt.
7­9 p.m., Seelye 201*
 
Film: Life or Death. A drama set in 1956 Cairo. In Arabic, with English subtitles.
7:30 p.m., Seelye 101*
 
Film: Out at Work. Kelly Anderson and Tami Gold chronicle the struggles of gay, lesbian and transgendered workers for legal protection and pride at work and within unions. Sponsored by the Student Labor Action Coalition.
7:30 p.m., Stoddard auditorium*
 
Slide lecture: "The Biology of Strangler Figs." Irwin P. Ting, professor of botany, University of California at Riverside, and Smith College William Allan Neilson Professor. Reception to follow in Wright common room.
8 p.m., Wright auditorium*
 
Dance performance: "Various and Sundry." Smith's own Celebrations Dance Company presents its annual visual extravaganza. Tickets: $4 students, $6 general public. (585-ARTS)
8 p.m., Scott Dance Studio*
 
Performance: The Strong Breed by Wole Soyinka, directed by Heather McClure '98. A visually dynamic exploration of the significance of cleansing ritual in society. Tradition and fate merge in a world completely liberated from the constraint of linear time. All tickets $1 for this performance only. (Ext. 2787)
8 p.m., Hallie Flanagan Studio Theatre, Mendenhall CPA*
 
Lecture: "The Sculpture of Spaces: The Works of Isamu Noguchi." Bruce Altshuler, director of the Noguchi Garden Museum. Sponsored by the Museum of Art, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the religion department's Ada Howe Kent Program.
8:15 p.m., Seelye 106*
 
Film: Men in Black. Sponsored by Rec Council.
9 p.m., McConnell auditorium
 

Friday, November 21

Gallery talk: Art professor Gary Niswonger on the exhibition "Kinships: Alice Neel Looks at the Family." (Ext. 2760)
12:30 p.m., Smith College Museum of Art*
 
CDO workshop: "How to Write an Effective Résumé."
12:30 p.m., CDO
 
CDO workshop: "How to Prepare for a Successful Interview."
3:15 p.m., CDO
 
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
 
Performance: The Strong Breed by Wole Soyinka, directed by Heather McClure '98. Tickets: $5 general, $3 students and seniors. See Thursday listing for description. (Ext. 2787)
8 p.m., Hallie Flanagan Studio Theatre, Mendenhall CPA*
 
Dance performance: "Various and Sundry." Smith's own Celebrations Dance Company presents its annual visual extravaganza. Tickets: $4 students, $6 general public. (585-ARTS)
8 p.m., Scott Dance Studio*
 
Special event: The Siren Open-Mike Event, to raise money for Siren magazine. Admission: $1. (Ext. 4079)
8:30 p.m., Field House*
 

Saturday, November 22

Special event: "Animals." Part of the Storytelling Series for Children at the Museum of Art. In addition to hearing stories, the children will get to view selected works at the museum and create their own artwork. All children must be accompanied by an adult. (Ext. 2779)
10:30 a.m.-noon, Museum of Art*
 
Swimming vs. Wheaton
1 p.m., Dalton pool, Ainsworth gym*
 
Religious activity: Keystone Connections. Christian song, prayer and learning. Everyone welcome.
9:30-11:30 a.m., Wright common room
 
Performance: The Strong Breed by Wole Soyinka, directed by Heather McClure '98. Tickets: $5 general, $3 students and seniors. See Thursday listing for description. (Ext. 2787)
8 p.m., Hallie Flanagan Studio Theatre, Mendenhall CPA*
 
Concert: The Pioneer Valley Gay Men's Chorus, the Smiffenpoofs and the Smithereens present an evening of choral and a capella music designed to enhance the cultural richness of the Pioneer Valley and raise money for the Hampshire County Friends of AIDS Care. Admission: $5. Sponsored by the Smith AIDS Education Committee. A reception will follow in the Green Room.
8 p.m., Sweeney Concert Hall*
 
Dance performance: "Various and Sundry." Smith's own Celebrations Dance Company presents its annual visual extravaganza. Tickets: $4 students, $6 general public. (585-ARTS)
8 p.m., Scott Dance Studio*
 

Sunday, November 23

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. All welcome.
10:30 a.m., Chapel
 
CDO open hours.
1-4 p.m., CDO
 
Concert: "Can't Stop Singing." Join the Smith College All Peoples Gospel Choir for some ecstatically good music. Tickets: Smith students, $3; general public, $7 in advance and $8 at the door.
2 p.m., Sweeney Concert Hall*
 
Concert: "Music for Thanksgiving." Vocal and instrumental chamber music performed by Philipp Naegele, John van Buskirk, and friends and relations. Works by J.S. Bach, Brahms and Beethoven.
2-3:30 p.m., Museum of Art*
 
CDO workshop: "How to Find a January Internship."
2:15 p.m., CDO
 
CDO workshop: "CDO Orientation and Tour for Second-Years."
3 p.m., CDO
 
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 with Fr. Warren Savage 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

Art exhibition: "Cigoli's Dream of Jacob and Drawing in Late 16th-Century Florence." Tuesday­Saturday, 9:30 a.m.­4 p.m.; Sunday, noon­4 p.m. (Ext. 2770)
Museum of Art, through December 14*
 
Photography exhibition: "Edward Weston." Tuesday­Saturday, 1­4 p.m. (Ext. 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)." Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (Ext. 2970)
Sophia Smith Collection reading room, through January 31*
 
Exhibition: "Kinships: Alice Neel Looks at the Family." Tuesday-Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, noon-4 p.m. (Ext. 2770)
Museum of Art, through January 11*
 
Exhibition: "Family Images." Drawn from the permanent collection and designed to supplement "Kinships: Alice Neel Looks at the Family." Organized by Stefne Lynch, undergraduate intern, and Sarah Powers, graduate intern. Tuesday-Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, noon­4 p.m. (Ext. 2770)
Museum of Art, through January 4*


Back to top of page

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 Sally Rubenstone at Garrison Hall (srstone@javanet.com or srubenstone@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, November 26, for issue 13 (which will include December 8-January 4 calendar listings) and by 4 p.m., Wednesday, December 3, for issue 14 (January 5-24 calendar listings). Late information cannot be accepted.

Smith-Wide

Mid-December Scheduling

All members of the Smith community should remember not to schedule events during the preexamination study period (Friday-Monday, December 12-15) or the formal examination period (Tuesday-Friday, December 16-19).

Crocheters Needed

S.O.S. has boxes of knitted squares that need to be crocheted together to make baby blankets for local shelters. If you're willing to help, please stop by the S.O.S. office in the Chapel to pick up some squares. Needles and hooks are also available. Information: Sara, extension 5631; Cindy, extension 6187.

Web Job Board

The Web and Graphics Center, in the back of the Jahnige Center in the basement of Wright Hall, maintains a Web-design job board where designers and those in need of their services can find one another.

Crew Team 'Ergathon'

The Smith crew team will hold a rowing "ergathon" November 21 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in front of Neilson Library. The team is raising funds for a new boat, a spring training trip and local charity. Donations or sponsorships would be appreciated, as would encouragement of any kind. Information: extension 2717.
 

Faculty & Staff

United Way Leadership Circle

Smith College United Way has created the Leadership Circle, a new category for donors who contribute between $500 and $999 to this year's drive. If you would like to make such a contribution, please notify Cheryl Donaldson at Information Systems, Stoddard Hall Annex. Elliot Offner of the art department has generously offered to provide an original print to each circle member, as well as to any Key Club members (donors of $1,000 or more) who request them.

Winter Party

Smith faculty, staff and emeriti are invited to a Winter Party to be held Saturday, December 20, from 8 p.m. to midnight in Scott gym. Each invitee may bring a guest. Dance music will be provided by Doc Bastarache's Big Band, and hors d'oeuvres, desserts and an assortment of beverages will be served. Admittance will be by invitation only, so don't forget to RSVP by December 1.
 

Smoking-Cessation Workshop

The Office of Human Resources is sponsoring "Smoking Cessation: Gear Up to Quit," a workshop to be held Wednesday, November 19, in the Dewey common room. Space is limited, so call extension 2297 soon to reserve a spot. And visit 30 Belmont Avenue on Thursday, November 20, when a respiratory therapist will be on hand to explain the benefits of becoming tobacco-free. Stop by between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. for a free lung-capacity test and food, fun and freebies.
 

Students

Spring '98 Registration

Students taking spring courses should make note of their assigned days for submitting registration forms to the registrar's office. Anyone needing to register at some other time may do so until Friday, November 21, which is also the final deadline for Five College spring registration. If you did not receive a spring registration packet and need one, call the registrar's office at extension 2550.

Interterm Registration

Students taking interterm courses for credit should make note of their assigned days for submitting registration forms to the registrar's office. Anyone needing to register at some other time may do so until Friday, November 21. Instructions are included in the registration packets.

Exam Workers

Students interested in being exam workers should sign up in the financial aid office. Exam supervisor aspirants should sign up in the registrar's office.

Faculty Teaching Evaluations

Faculty teaching evaluations will be collected Monday-Thursday, December 1-4, in the Wright auditorium foyer. Evaluation forms will be distributed in student campus mailboxes during the week of November 17. Students are required to complete these forms and will be fined $25 by the SGA for unexcused noncompliance. Completed forms should be submitted between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. on the following days: classes of 2001J and '01: Monday, December 1; Ada Comstock Scholars and the classes of 2000J and '00: Tuesday, December 2; classes of 1999J and '99: Wednesday, December 3; class of '98: Thursday, December 4. Students who cannot submit forms at their appointed times may do so on one of the other scheduled days. No evaluations will be accepted after December 4.
 

Final Examinations

Information on scheduled and self-scheduled examinations is posted at the registrar's office, in the houses, and on official bulletin boards in academic buildings. Examinations will be given during three periods each day Tuesday-Thursday, December 16-18, and during two periods on Friday, December 19 (there will be no examination period that evening). Students should check the schedule carefully and report any conflicts to the registrar's office immediately. Examinations cannot be repeated. Students who miss them through carelessness will be failed.

Smokeout Table

Visit the Great Smithie Smokeout Table in the student mail center foyer, Wednesday and Thursday, November 19 and 20. It will offer free quit kits, information and a smokeout contest with lots of prizes and surprises. (And check out the "Women and Smoking" bulletin board your house health peer has put up. The house with the best board will win $100.)

Student Recruiters Needed

The Office of Admission encourages students who have been on campus
for at least one year to participate in the Take Smith Home Program, under which student recruiters return to their high schools or community colleges to tell interested students about college life in general and the Smith experience in particular. Mandatory training sessions for recruiters will be held in Seelye 201 on December 2, 3 and 4 at 5:15 p.m. Information: Nicole Danks, extension 6731 or 2523; ndanks@sophia.smith.edu.

Health Services Hiatus

Health Services will be closed between noon on Wednesday, November 26, and 8:30 a.m. on Monday, December 1. Students needing emergency medical care during that period should go to Cooley Dickinson Hospital.

Foreign Service Exam

Applications for the Foreign Service Office exam are now available in the CDO. The registration deadline is January 30, 1998. The exam will be held Febraury 28 in locations throughout the U.S.

Job for a January Graduate

The Office of Financial Aid has a training position for a January graduate interested in a career in financial aid: a temporary job working on the office's toll-free telephone line explaining financial aid application forms and procedures to prospective students and their families. Qualifications include general knowledge of the subject, excellent communication ability, detail-mindedness and strong data-entry and word-processing skills. Training will take place the week of January 5. The job itself will last from January 15 through June 15. Hours: Monday-Thursday, 2-9 p.m.; Friday, 2-4:30 p.m. Send résumés to Ann Playe in College Hall.

Senior Physical

Students graduating in January must have their senior physicals before December 17. To schedule one, call extension 2823.

AIDS Education

The AIDS Education Committee is again soliciting creative efforts in HIV/AIDS education for the Smith community, either for World AIDS Day (December 1) or any other time during the academic year. Projects might include but are not limited to educational programs, workshops, plays or vignettes, as well as posters, exhibits, displays and pamphlets. Accuracy of information, creativity and "do-ability" are important. Projects must enhance knowledge and awareness of HIV/AIDS. Applications or information may be obtained from your house health peer or Connie Peterson at