News for the Smith College Community //September 7, 2000

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Copyright © 2000, 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

All You Need to Know About Student Finances

What's Smith been up to this summer? Quite a bit, as a quick look around campus will show. From the construction of the parking garage to the relocation of Wesley House, it's been a summer of campus-altering changes. But one of the most significant changes didn't involve any cranes, concrete or hardhats. Rather, it happened quietly, and without scaffolding, in College Hall 10: As of July 1, the Office of Financial Aid and the Bursar's Office merged to create the new Office of Student Financial Services (SFS).

As the name suggests, the office merger is all about service. It's a way for the college to more effectively assist students and families with billing, financing, and financial aid. The merger came out of Smith's 2020 self-study, a campuswide project initiated by President Ruth Simmons to reinvigorate and strengthen Smith for the 21st century. The study's exploration of student services led to a yearlong review of the former offices of financial aid and the bursar. Using focus groups, student surveys, and studies of other colleges' operations, the evaluation team made more than 100 service recommendations.

"They ranged from very easy to very tough," says Myra Smith, director of Student Financial Services. "Forming the SFS was one of the big recommendations. And we implemented it because we believed it was the best way to offer students a comprehensive financial services unit."

The first step was to determine the scope of the new unit. In the end, it was decided that anything involving educational financing would be handled by SFS. "Anything that involves students [and finances], that's us," explains Smith. "Whether it's about student employment, tuition payments or financial aid, SFS is where students should turn."

The overriding goal, according to Smith, was the consolidation of services. She explains how, in the past, a billing inquiry from a parent may have taken a week or more to investigate. That's because the former Office of Financial Aid would have had to explore any financial aid dimensions while the Bursar's Office would have had to examine its half of the bill. Now, with personnel and data housed in one location, an answer can be provided within an hour.

To offer this consolidated service, staff members of the merged offices were trained in all of SFS's responsibilities. Training session topics covered monthly payment plans, refunds and advances, state grants, study away, and Ada-specific issues. The person who had previously specialized in each function led the workshop and remains available to help coworkers in developing their own expertise.

The only service that has been redirected since the merger is the processing of student pay vouchers. While SFS is still involved in posting student employment opportunities, vouchers should now be taken to the Payroll Office in College Hall 8.

Meanwhile, the staff of SFS is adjusting to the increased volume of inquiries that has accompanied the merger. But they're also excited about being better able to serve Smith students.

"The creation of SFS has greatly improved how we deal with both students and parents, and that's gratifying," says Smith. "We're striving to offer comprehensive answers. We want to answer a question once, answer it right here, so that the whole process of financing an education is easier for them. We want to save them legwork-and worry."
Comprehensive answers, consolidated services-now provided in College Hall 10, the home of the new Office of Student Financial Services.

Picker Hosts Engineering Exemplars

The Picker Program in Engineering and Technology will host four exemplars of professional engineering this fall during its first colloquium, designed to inspire Smith students to explore the field.

The colloquium, titled "Executive Access: Top Engineering Professionals Share Their Work and Insight," will begin on Tuesday, September 12, with a lecture in Seelye 201 titled "Engineering Cultures: Knowledge for the Global Engineer," given by Gary Downey, director of the Center for Science and Technology Studies at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Downey is known for his research in cultural studies of science, technology and medicine as well as the ethnography of engineering education.

On October 5, Assistant Surgeon General Robert C. Williams, chief engineer for the U.S. Public Health Service, will lecture on "Public Health Services Engineers: Engineering for Life." Williams is also the director of the Division of Health Assessment and Consultation Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

Later in the semester Iwona Turlik, vice president and director of the Motorola Advanced Technology Center, will give a presentation. A fourth colloquium speaker is yet to be scheduled.

Domenico Grasso, director of the Picker Program, says the objective of the colloquium is to present Smith's engineering students with forward-thinking ideas that lend a cultural perspective as well as professional experience in addressing issues in the field.

"We want students here to have access to fairly high-level thinking," he says. Toward that end, Downey was invited to share with students his theories on engineering cultures, "a perspective on engineering that might not otherwise be considered."

A question-and-answer session will follow each lecture in the colloquium.

Now in its second year, Smith's engineering department -- the first of its kind at a women's college -- recently moved into its new location in a temporary building constructed next to Lawrence House. The new department currently has 20 first-year students and sophomores designated to major in engineering and 25 students enrolled in its first-semester class, "Fundamentals of Environmental Engineering."

Students Stand to be Counted

Early this year, Northampton formed a Complete Count Committee to prepare for the federal census that took place on April 1. Members of the committee, who represented public agencies, schools and private businesses, worked for several months to develop strategies to encourage participation in the Census 2000. Each person counted represents $1,400 per year in federal dollars coming into the city for the next 10 years. With 2,500 students, Smith was an important part of Northampton's count (the city has approximately 30,000 residents who are not Smith students).

Enumerating the Smith population seemed like a daunting task, but as it turned out, Smith students did a fabulous job of counting themselves. Only seven students did not respond to the census -- likely some kind of a new world record! Congratulations everyone. Thanks for participating.

Online Art Assisted by Davis Grant

Are Smith's art and art history buffs out of luck? It would seem so, considering the major construction pro-jects that have rendered the Museum of Art's impressive collection unavailable to students and faculty during the next two years. Thanks to a substantial grant Smith received on May 1, however, now may be a better time than ever to undertake a course, or a course of study, in art history.

The $300,000 grant, awarded by the Davis Educational Foundation, will support Smith's project of developing digitized images for use across the college curriculum. The project began two years ago when the art department, supported by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and $260,000 in museum and college funding, started digitizing their slide collection and selected pieces from the Museum of Art. Facing the museum's two-year closing, the art department decided to step up the digitizing project and dedicate "an extraordinary commitment of time and financial resources to capture many of the museum pieces electronically prior to the closing of the museum in December 1999," says the college's proposal to the Davis Educational Foundation. Smith's digitizing efforts, adds the proposal, were assisted by "recent developments in electronic imaging capabilities [that] have revolutionized pedagogical possibilities for integrating digitized images in the arts and humanities curriculum."

With many of the college's 300,000 slides, 75,000 mounted photos, and 24,000 museum objects already successfully digitized, the art department will use the Davis grant to begin a "careful, systematic cataloging of the existing resources in order to ensure that they are useful to faculty, students, staff, and outside visitors," states the proposal.

Daniel Bridgman, a member of the art department, explains, "This Davis grant will enable us to do a very major upgrade of [our current] visual resource, making it available to users wherever they are." Thanks to the grant, a student interested in researching impressionist art will be able to conduct her research by searching for and examining images from any computer with an Internet connection -- in a computer lab, in her home or even from abroad. Even an up-and-running on-campus art museum couldn't match that kind of convenience.

"It's all very new and exciting," says Bridgman, who expects an early version of the searchable database to be available to students this month, and a major upgrade to take place midsemester. Eventually, he says, "the Davis grant will enable us to build multiple collections, so we will have separate collections for the Smith museum, the art department slide collection, for the geology department -- we'll gradually move into other areas that require visual database resources. We've even begun to talk to the Rare Book Room about putting highlights of their collection on-line."

Cabinets Showcase Smith News

It's no secret to some here on campus that Smith College is frequently in the news. But now everyone can sample the headlines and articles written about the college from publications across the country and around the world. Three custom-designed display cases have been posted in central locations on campus to showcase Smith news items from various publications. The glass-faced, enclosed cases are located in the foyer of the Alumnae House, the reception area of the Office of Admission, and the main reference area of Neilson Library.

"Smith has been making quite a bit of news lately," notes Laurie Fenlason, director of media relations, and that's something to be proud of. We want the people who visit here and the people who study and work here to see what the world is reading about Smith."

The display cases were designed by Lisa Lukas, Smith's interior designer, who planned each one to complement its campus locale. The setting of the case also determined its size and type of metal finish, she said. The content of the display cases will be continually updated by the Office of College Relations as Smith continues to generate news stories. Right now, they feature a range of items about Smith's people, programs and alumnae. While each display generally holds a different selection of clippings, prominent articles may be included at multiple sites.

Currently featured in two locations is an August 4 New York Times article describing how New Yorkers are benefiting from the renovations at the Smith College Museum of Art through an exhibition of 74 paintings and sculptures to the National Academy of Design Museum in Manhattan. The display case at Neilson includes a July 31 Daily Hampshire Gazette article that commends Smith as a standout in Northampton's census efforts, and an op-ed piece from the Miami Herald that was written by President Ruth Simmons. Meanwhile, in the admission office, visitors and prospective students can read about Smith's top-ten standing in the Yahoo! rating of the "100 Most Wired Schools."

So make it a point to check the new campus display cases -- and read all about Smith. You also can access summaries of Smith news items on-line. They're available around the clock on the college's Web site at www.smith.edu/newsoffice/inthenews/.

It's Back: The Annual Plant Sale

If you've ever wanted to own something from Smith's Botanic Garden, now you can. On Saturday, September 16, the Botanic Garden will hold its annual plant sale, which will offer a vast assortment of perennials, houseplants, trees and shrubs, all of which have been propagated from the collections in the conservatory and outdoor gardens. This year's sale will be held in Capen Garden (off Prospect Street), a new location from past sales, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Members of the Friends of the Botanic Garden are invited to a special "early bird" hour at 9 a.m.

Among the offerings this year are some plants that are rare or unavailable in the nursery trade. "What truly distinguishes this sale is the range of plants," says Michael Marcotrigiano, new director of the Botanic Garden. "We have tropical to hardy plants for sale in one location. It represents the breadth of the Botanic Garden collections."

Some highlights of this year's perennials include Amsonia hubrechtii, Aster "September Ruby," Clematis heraclifolia, Digitalis "Strawberry Pink," Heuchera "Chartreuse," Meconopsis cambrica, Phlox "Scarlet Flame," and Platycodon grandiflorus "Apoyama." Among the trees and shrubs offered are Stewartia pseudocamellia, Magnolia denudata, Sciadopitys verticillata, Cryptomeria japonica "Globosa Nana," Enkianthus campanulatus, Syringa "Scotia," and Zenobia pulverulenta. The houseplant category includes Columnea gloriosa, Costus speciosus, Podocarpus falcatus, and Stanhopea insignis.

Marcotrigiano describes the sale as an opportunity to introduce the public to a wider range of plants than may be available in common trade. "Along with sharing our rich plant community, we also regard the sale as educational outreach," he says.

Proceeds benefit the programs and activities of the Botanic Garden of Smith College, including funding for internships, Web site development and plant publications. To further support the Botanic Garden and take advantage of the "early bird" shopping hour, come to the plant sale at 9 a.m. and join the Friends of the Botanic Garden. Memberships cost $10 for students, $25 for individuals, and $50 for families. Along with receiving the Botanic Garden's biannual newsletter and a copy of C. John Burk's Celebrating a Century: The Botanic Garden of Smith College, members are invited to plant show preview parties and travel study programs.

Whether you have a green thumb or just want a Smith-propagated plant on your windowsill, the staff of the Botanic Garden welcome you to this annual event. For more information, call extension 2742.



ScoreBoard

No ScoreBoard this week.


Sue Payne, head coach of the riding team and a lecturer in Exercise and Sport Studies, has been awarded the 2000 Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Lifetime Achievement Award. Citing Payne as "an all around caring human being who has introduced, provided for and improved the intercollegiate riding program for hundreds of students," the IHSA commended her for her 26 years of service to Smith. Payne, who serves as president of the local IHSA chapter and chair of the IHSA Nominating Committee, as well as a member of the NCAA membership and ad hoc committees, has coached two Cacchion Cup riders, two national champions, and four reserve champions at Smith. Payne has also coached two Regional High Point riding teams to national tournament competition.



Peter Rose, Sophia Smith Professor of Sociology and Anthropology, served as the principal speaker at the official opening and first commencement of Utrecht University's University College. An English-language honor college, the new University College enrolls 600 students and operates on a curricular system modeled after Smith's, with a tutorial and residence system based on those at Cambridge University. More than 900 people attended the opening ceremonies. Rose also serves as chair of Utrecht University's International Board.


Smith alumna Sybil Holloway '89 was selected by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators as a financial aid success story. Nominated by Smith's Office of Student Financial Services, Holloway underwent a rigorous state and regional selection process before being selected as one of seven individuals from a pool of 135 nominees nationwide. Holloway, along with the other six selected candidates, attended the National Association of Student Financial Aid's annual conference, where they participated in a video about how financial aid helped them achieve their educational and professional goals. "We're thrilled that she was selected," says Susan Stano, associate director of Student Financial Services. "She was a wonderful student employee who was unfailingly dependable and cheerful."


At the invitation of the President's Information Technology Advisory Committee (PITAC) , Herb Nickles, director of information technology Services, went to Washington this past June to participate on a panel of Information Technology experts. In that capacity, Nickles helped develop recommendations to PITAC, addressing the next generation of the Internet and the expansion of advanced networking services.


A 1999 book by Lois Dubin, associate professor of religion, has been selected as a finalist for the 1999 National Jewish Book Awards in History. Dubin's book, The Port Jews of Habsburg Trieste: Absolutist Politics and Enlightenment Culture, is a study of Jewish merchants in the multicultural port city of Trieste. Analyzing how commerce, enlightened absolutism and Italian Jewish traditions fostered improved status and inclusion of Jews within a reforming Old Regime state, Dubin's book has been hailed as providing a unique and important new perspective. Dubin received her award at a March 23 ceremony in New York City.


Alumna Sushma Raman '89 will spend the fall traveling to European cities while meeting business and political leaders through an American Marshall Memorial Fellowship, presented by the German Marshall Fund. Raman was one of 15 recipients from the United States who will travel with other fellows, beginning with a stay in Brussels, to study European issues such as economy, politics and culture. "I am particularly interested in issues of migration, the impact of globalization on local economies and national identity politics," says Raman. She is the program director in the Los Angeles office of the Emma Lazarus Fund, a division of the George Soros Foundation.


Sources of further information, if any, are indicated in parentheses. Notices should be submitted by mail, by e-mail eweld@smith.edu) or by fax (extension 2171).


College Wide

Plant Sale
The Botanic Garden of Smith College will hold its annual plant sale on Saturday, September 16, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., at Capen Garden. Perennials, houseplants, trees and shrubs propagated from the collections in Smith's conservatory and outdoor gardens will be on sale. Members of the Friends of the Botanic Garden are invited to a special "early bird" hour at 9 a.m. (Nonmembers may join the Friends group at 9 a.m. the day of the sale.) Proceeds from the sale support the programs and activities of the Botanic Garden of Smith College. (See story, page 4.) Questions? Call ext. 2742.

Athletic Locker Signups
New faculty, staff and students can sign up for lockers in the Scott Gym women's and men's locker rooms Thursday-Friday, September 7-8, and Monday, September 11, 4-9 p.m. To sign up for a locker, you must bring a padlock and find an open locker before completing the form available in the equipment booth. Lockers can only be reserved in Scott Gym. There are no permanent lockers available in Ainsworth. Return completed reservation forms to the equipment booth on the ground floor of Ainsworth Gym.

Fine Arts Center Addresses
As part of the Fine Arts Center complex, the Smith College Museum of Art is closed for renovation and expansion until early 2003. Temporary administrative offices are located at Leonard Hall, at Clarke School for the Deaf, 32 Round Hill Road. Hours are Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. The museum's mailing address remains Smith College Museum of Art, Elm Street at Bedford Terrace, Northampton, MA 01063. To contact the museum, call ext. 2770, send e-mail to artmuseum@smith.
edu, or visit the museum's Web site at www.smith.edu/artmuseum. The art department and art library are in Bell Hall, 45 Round Hill Road.


Faculty & Staff

Faculty Meeting
The first regular meeting of the faculty will be held on Wednesday, September 13, at 4:10 p.m. in the Alumnae House. Tea will be served at 3:45 p.m.

ESS Fitness Classes
Smith employees: Why not take an exercise class? The exercise and sport studies department offers fitness classes for a fee, including aerobics and conditioning, yoga, and aqua-aerobics, to all college employees and their immediate family members. Classes begin the week of September 11. Registration deadline is September 15, and class sizes are limited. Watch the mail for registration information.

College Club Evening Hours
The Smith College Club will open for fine dining on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings beginning Tuesday, September 12. The social hour will begin at 5:30 p.m. and the buffet will run from 6:15 to 7:15 p.m. Reasonably priced at $15 for members, $18 for nonmembers, the buffet will include soup or salad, dessert and coffee along with several entrées. Reservations are encouraged, and walk-ins will be welcome on a seat-available basis. To make a reservation, call the club, ext. 2341, or e-mail smithclub@ais.smith.edu. For special club membership, call Patty Hentz, ext. 2326, or e-mail phentz@smith.edu.


Students

JMG Storage
Students who stored items in John M. Greene Hall basement may pick up their items during the following times: Thursday-Friday, September 7-8, 1-3 p.m.; Monday, September 11, 7-9 p.m.; Saturday, September 16, 10 a.m.-noon. Students are required to present IDs and receipts in order to obtain their belongings. Any items unclaimed after September 16 are left at the owner's risk and will be removed by the college.

Make-up Examinations
Students who were granted an extension for final examinations in the spring semester must complete their examinations during the first two weeks of the semester. Please call Jan Morris (ext. 2554) in the registrar's office to make arrangements. All examinations must be picked up by 2 p.m. on Wednesday, September 20.

Course Registration/Changes
Students will be permitted to make registration changes on-line beginning Thursday, September 7, at 8 a.m. However, students are encouraged to attend the first class meeting before adding a course to their schedules and are required to do so before adding a limited course.

Five-College Registration
The deadline for registration for Five College courses is Wednesday, September 20. Registration forms may be obtained in the registrar's office, College Hall 6. Five College registrations cannot be accepted after this date.

Major Certifications-'01J
Certification forms were mailed to seniors who will be completing requirements in the fall semester. Major certifications for class of 2001J members are due in the registrar's office by September 20.

Honorary Degrees
The Committee on Honorary Degrees seeks names of individuals for consideration as honorary degree candidates. The committee considers women who are exemplars of excellence in a range of academic and nonacademic fields, and women and men who have had a special impact on Smith, the education of women, or women's lives. Send nomination letters to the Committee on Honorary Degrees, Office of the Board of Trustees. Briefly describe the candidate's qualifications, field, place of work and why you think the candidate is deserving. Include supporting material, such as curriculum vitae, newspaper articles or entries from biographical reference works. All nominations will receive careful consideration. The review process is lengthly, and it will not be possible to guarantee that a nominee will receive an honorary degree or to provide a timetable for when the degree would be awarded.

Parking Lottery
The parking lottery for the class of 2001, on-campus residents only, will take place in Stoddard Auditorium on Wednesday, September 13, 4:15-5:30 p.m. Please bring Smith ID, driver's license and current car registration. Each permit costs $150 for the year, to be paid at the Department of Public Safety when you pick up the sticker. Anyone eligible who wishes to draw but cannot attend should send a proxy with the car registration, license, and a note authorizing her to draw. Students planning to enter the parking lottery must pick up a temporary permit from the Department of Public Safety between 10 a.m. and noon, Monday-Friday, which will be good from the date they arrive until September 29. The parking lottery results will be posted at the Department of Public Safety on Friday, September 15, after 2 p.m.

Freidman Parking
A parking sticker will be issued to one resident in each Freidman apartment. Each member of the apartment must sign a letter specifying the apartment member who is to receive the allotted parking sticker. The signed letter must be received by the Department of Public Safety no later than noon on Monday, September 11. Other Friedman residents may enter the parking lottery.

SGA membership
SGA is looking for a few good women. Whether it is your first year at Smith or your last, there are plenty of ways to get involved in SGA. Run for a position in your class cabinet. Check out the Jolt or Clark Hall for position descriptions and sign up Monday-Saturday, September 11-16. Call Erin, ext. 4958, for information.

Voter Registration
Students who wish to vote in Northampton in the November 7 presidential election and have not registered here can get voter registration forms from the registrar's office in College Hall, the Registrar of Voters office at City Hall downtown, the Forbes Library on West Street or the U.S. Post Office on Bridge Road. It is also possible to register at the Web site of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (www.
naicu.edu) by clicking on the "Register to Vote" icon. On-line registration takes longer than in-town registration because you must wait for your information to be processed and then for a written acknowledgment to be mailed to you.

The registration deadline for the November election is October 18. Those who wish to vote in their hometowns should apply for an absentee ballot now to ensure that they can cast their votes in the November election.

Riding Information
Registration for riding classes will take place on Monday, September 11, at 7 p.m. in Ainsworth Faculty Lounge. Bring your academic schedule and fee for the semester. You must attend this meeting, even if you have preregistered. Riding classes are scheduled after the meeting. Questions? Call Sue Payne, ext. 2734.

S.O.S. House Reps
House Presidents: Have you elected your S.O.S. house representatives yet? S.O.S. reps are an important link between S.O.S. and the campus community. Keep your house informed and in touch with voluntary services and elect your reps soon. A mandatory training session for all reps is scheduled for Thursday, September 14, at the Bodman Lounge, 6-8:30 p.m. (dinner provided). Call the S.O.S. office, ext. 2756, with questions.

Equestrian Team
Tryouts for the equestrian team will be held on Saturday, September 9, at the equestrian center from 1 to 4 p.m. Sign up for a tryout time at the center by September 8, at 5 p.m. Open and intermediate riders try out at 1 p.m.; novice riders at 2 p.m.; walk-trot-canter riders at 3 p.m.; walk-trot riders at 4 p.m. Show clothes are required for tryouts. (If you do not have a jacket, then breeches and boots are acceptable.)

President's Open Hours
President's open hours for students will be held from 4 to 5 p.m. on Mondays, September 11 and 18, in the Office of the President, College Hall 20. No appointments are necessary; visitors will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis.

New Student Payroll Office
The Student Employment Office is no longer responsible for processing student payroll. The new Student Payroll Office (ext. 2230), located in College Hall 8c (off the back porch), has assumed responsibility for all matters regarding the student payroll process. Please refer to the Student Employment Guide for more details. The Student Employment Office will continue to handle student employment issues only.

Travel Reservations
Students should be making end-of-semester travel reservations now, keeping in mind that final examinations are scheduled from December 19 to 22. Students will not be permitted to take examinations early.

Josten Carrel registration
A limited number of carrels in the Josten Library will be open for priority assignment on the following dates to graduate students and undergraduate majors in the music, theatre, and dance departments for the fall semester: performing arts graduate students, Monday, September 11; performing arts undergraduate majors, Tuesday, September 12. All other students may register for unassigned carrels on Wednesday, September 13.

Sunnyside Positions
The Sunnyside Child Care Center, at 70 Paradise Road, is hiring work-study students for fall classroom aide positions. Morning and afternoon jobs are available. Call Debra Horton, ext. 2293, to apply.

Photograph the Poets
The Poetry Center is looking for two staff photographers for a dozen events this year. Must be creative, adaptable, good at catching candid moments, and available Tuesdays, either late afternoon or evening. The photos will be used for Poetry Center publicity and on our Web site, and will be attributed. The positions pay an hourly rate plus film expenses. Interested students should contact Ellen Watson, ext. 3368, or ewatson
@smith.edu, for an appointment to show their portfolios.

Jacobson Center Jobs
The Jacobson Center for Writing, Teaching and Learning, in Seelye 307, is seeking candidates for:
* Master tutors in French, Spanish and economics. Master tutors provide peer tutoring and study skills counseling to students, and conduct group tutoring sessions and possibly workshops in study skills. Candidates must receive faculty approval for tutoring specific courses. Selected candidates must complete an orientation session on Saturday, September 16, and participate in ongoing training throughout the academic year.
* Reception desk staff. Work Study students are invited to apply. Qualifications include strong customer service, organizational and office skills.

To learn more about these jobs, stop by the center to pick up descriptions, fill out applications and sign up for an interview. For more information, call Leslie Hoffman, ext. 3037.

S.O.S. Project
Join S.O.S.'s first short-term project of the year at the Food Bank on Saturday, September 16, 8:15 a.m.­1:30 p.m. Food Bank is a local nonprofit business that provides food for low- and middle-income families as well as the unemployed, victims of domestic violence and others. Meet in the parking lot of Helen Hills Hills Chapel at 8:15 a.m. Wear old clothes and shoes. Contact the S.O.S. office, ext. 2756, with questions or to sign up.

Sophian Meeting
Smith's independent student press invites students interested in writing, editing, photography, print and Web design, business, accounting, advertising, circulation and computers to its general interest meeting on Thursday, September 14, at 9 p.m. in Capen Annex. Those at all levels of experience are encouraged to attend. Call ext. 4971 (TTY ext. 2072) with questions. If you have disability- related access concerns, please call as soon as possible.

S.O.S. Fair
The S.O.S. Community Service Fair is here! On Tuesday, September 19, 7-8:30 p.m., in Davis Ballroom, representatives from more than 40 nonprofit community-based agencies will be available to provide information on how you can make a difference. Questions? Call S.O.S., ext. 2756.

Sophian Press Workshop
Learn the basics of newswriting, organization and style from Smith's own student newspaper staff on Sunday, September 17, at 2 p.m. in Capen Annex. Workshops on features, sports, arts, and opinion writing, as well as photography and layout, will be held. Call ext. 4971, TTY ext. 2072, with questions. For disability-related access concerns, please call as soon as possible.

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. Items for this section must be submitted on Event Service Request Forms.


Monday, September 11

Meetings/Workshops
Study abroad informational meeting Learn about opportunities and procedures from Office of International Study personnel. 4 p.m., Clark Hall third floor

Meeting for sophomores interested in careers in the health professions. The Board of Prehealth Advisers will provide information on requirements for health-profession schools. 5-6 p.m., Burton 101

Other Events/Activities
President's open hours First come, first served. 4-5 p.m., College Hall 20

Auditions for the Food Chain, by Nicky Silver. Maggie Wood '01, director. Hilarious comedy about our bumbling search for love. Auditions are open to all students and community members. Callbacks will be held on Tuesday, September 12, 7-10 p.m. 7-10 p.m., Mendenhall Center for the Performing Arts*

Field Hockey vs. Becker. 7 p.m., athletic field*


Tuesday, September 12

Lectures/Symposia
Sigma Xi luncheon talk "Are You Being Served? Benefits of the New Science Web Server." Eric Jensen, UNIX Systems administrator, Clark Science Center. Open to all faculty, emeriti and staff. Noon, College Club lower level

Lecture "Deep Ocean Circulation and Atmospheric CO2 During the Past 400,000 Years." Benjamin P. Flower, Department of Marine Science, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg. Sponsor: Department of Geology. 4:15-5:30 p.m., Sabin-Reed 101A.

Meetings/Workshops
Meeting for juniors and seniors planning to apply for admission to health-profession schools. The Board of Prehealth Advisers will provide information on application and admission procedures, exams, and other topics. 5-6 p.m., Burton 101

Welcome back meeting for students returning to campus after studying abroad. Meet other returning students as well as deans and faculty. View last year's yearbooks. Refreshments provided. 5-6 p.m., Seelye 207

SGA Senate meeting Open forum. All students welcome. 7 p.m., Seelye 201

Religious Life
Ice cream social Sponsored by the Ecumenical Christian Church at Smith College. To welcome students and introduce the Rev. Dr. Leon Burrows, Protestant chaplain. Ice cream from Herrell's, nondairy products included. 7-9 p.m., Wright common room

Other Events/Activities
Lecture "Engineering Cultures: Knowledge for the Global Engineer." Gary Downey, director of the Center for Science and Technology Studies, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. First event in the colloquium, "Executive Access: Top Engineering Professionals Share Their Work and Insight," sponsored by the Picker Program in Engineering and Technology and the Ford Motor Company (see story, page 1). 4-5:30 p.m., Seelye 201*

Volleyball vs. Babson. 7 p.m., Ainsworth Gym*


Wednesday, September 13

Meetings/Workshops
Lunch meeting for all new transfers. Come for lively conversation and an opportunity to connect with the dean of the sophomore and junior classes and with other transfers. Noon-1 p.m., Duckett dining room

Faculty meeting Preceded by tea at 3:45 p.m. 4:10 p.m., Alumnae House

Informational meeting for the class of 2003. Discuss important academic issues and policies. Attendance strongly recommended for all sophomores. 7-8 p.m., Wright auditorium

Gold Key Guide meeting First all-guide meeting of the year. 7-8 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room

Fine/Performing Arts
Film Olympia (part one), 1939. Leni Riefenstahl, director. Documentary of the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, where Jesse Owens made track history and Riefenstahl, film history. For students of HST 255. Open to all. 7:30-9:30 p.m., Seelye 106

Religious Life
Catholic Adas gathering and informal discussion/reflection. Lunch served. All welcome. Noon, Bodman Lounge, chapel

Other Events/Activities
Field Hockey vs. Connecticut College. 7 p.m., athletic field*

Thursday, September 14

Lectures/Symposia
Liberal Arts Luncheon lecture "Why Take Geology Students to a Greek Island When There Are Lots of Rocks in Massachusetts?" John Brady, geology. 12:15 p.m., Smith College Club lower level

Lecture "Using Literature by Ethnic American Women as a Creative Coping Technique." Edith Blicksilver '48, professor emerita of literature, Georgia Institute of Technology, and author of The Ethnic American Woman: Problems, Protests, Lifestyle. Reception and booksigning will follow. 5 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room*

Meetings/Workshops
Language lunch tables Russian, Korean. Noon-1 p.m., Duckett dining room

Religious Life
Drop-in class on meditation and stress reduction with Hayat Nancy Abuza. Open to all students, staff and Five-College faculty. Sponsor: Office of the Chaplains. 4:30­5:30 p.m., Seelye 211


Friday, September 15

Meetings/Workshops
Language lunch table Japanese. Noon-1 p.m., Duckett dining room

Smith Science Fiction and Fantasy Society (SSFFS) meeting 4:30-6 p.m., Seelye 208

Religious Life
Shabbat service Dinner follows. 5:30 p.m., Dewey common room

Other Events/Activities
Tennis vs. Tufts. 3:30 p.m., tennis courts*

Opening reception for "Standing Women of Callanish," an exhibition of mixed media sculptures by Smith alumna Mary Craig McLane. 4-6 p.m., Alumnae House Gallery*


Saturday, September 16

Performing Arts/Films
Concert The Five Canticles of Benjamin Britten. Performed by Susan Klein, piano; Jean Jeffries, horn; Tara Alterman, harp; Peter W. Shea and James Ruff, tenors; Catherine Bowers and Marisa Michelson, altos; Vivienne A. Carey, narrative. 8 p.m., chapel*

Meetings/Workshops
Movement workshop sponsored by Hillel. 1:30-3 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room

Religious Life
Dance midrash with Rabbi Susan Freeman, dancer and teacher. Study Torah through discussion and movement. 2-3:30 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room

Other Events/Activities
Botanic garden plant sale Perennials, houseplants, trees and shrubs, all propagated from the garden's collections, will be available.
10 a.m.-2 p.m., Capen Garden*

Tennis vs. MIT. 1 p.m., tennis courts*


Sunday, September 17

Meetings/Workshops
SASA meeting All welcome. 4-6 p.m., Mwangi Cultural Center, Lilly Hall

Feminists of Smith Unite weekly meeting. 7-8:30 p.m., Women's Resource Center, Davis

Religious Life
Service of morning worship in the Protestant tradition. Led by the Rev. Dr. Leon Tilson Burrows, Protestant chaplain, with student liturgists presiding. A community brunch follows in Bodman Lounge. All welcome. 10:30 a.m., chapel

Quaker (Friends) meeting for worship begins at 11 a.m. Preceded by informal discussion at 9:30 a.m. All welcome, childcare available. Bass 203, 204*

Roman Catholic mass Fr. Stephen-Joseph Ross, OCD, celebrant, and Elizabeth Carr, Catholic chaplain. Dinner follows in Bodman Lounge. All welcome. 4:30 p.m., chapel


Exhibitions

Standing Women of Callanish Mixed media sculptures by Smith alumna Mary Craig McLane. Through October 24. Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Opening reception is Friday, September 15, 4-6 p.m. Alumnae House Gallery*