AcaMedia


News for the Smith College Community // October 23, 1997

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A First for First-Years: Seminars to Start in Fall

Some students who will be new to Smith next fall will be taking part in a program new to the college as well. At its September meeting, the faculty endorsed a Committee on Academic Policy (CAP) recommendation to offer special seminars to first-year students. The pilot program has been approved for a four-year trial period, with approximately 10 seminars offered each year.

The seminars, voluntary for both students and faculty and limited in enrollment to 16 to 20 participants, will in many respects mirror the more advanced seminars elected by juniors and seniors, allowing an opportunity to pursue subject matter in depth, with communication-through writing assignments and class discussion -- playing a key role.

According to the CAP proposal, the first-year seminars are "primarily intended not to provide an introduction to a particular discipline, but rather to involve the participants in the intellectual adventure of doing guided exploration of a topic in which the instructor(s) have special expertise or interest." Many of the classes will be interdisciplinary or team-taught, says Dean of the Faculty John Connolly. "What these courses won't be," he insists, "are standard survey-style classes simply taught in smaller sections." Faculty who opt for first-year seminars will "be teaching something they're really excited about and passing that excitement along to their students," he suggests.

The new plan does have its critics, Connolly concedes. Some faculty members, for example, believe that the cost of the seminars is not justified by the relatively small number of students served. Others claim that in order to keep seminars small, introductory class rosters will inevitably expand. Many, however, are eager to give the new program a chance and are already cooking up ideas. Although it's still too early to say what 10 enticing new titles will turn up in the course catalogue next fall, the day after a request went out for proposals, 17 faculty members called or e-mailed to express their interest.

Similar seminars have been successful in other institutions, notes President Ruth Simmons, because they help first-year students make the transition between high school and college. The first-years learn to engage in sophisticated intellectual exchange in an intimate setting, says Simmons, with topics that are challenging yet still appropriate, "giving each student an experience she wouldn't ordinarily have until her third or fourth year." Simmons maintains that one goal of the seminars is to fuel enthusiasm for academic life and to "help students enjoy college more and want to persist." She says that the college will "track" those who enroll in the new seminars as first-years to see what impact -- if any -- the seminars have on the rest of their Smith experience.

Current first-year student Angie Weiss thinks that the new seminars are a good idea. She's presently enrolled in three large lecture classes that also include smaller discussion sections. "Personally, I learn more in a discussion group than in a lecture," she reflects. "It helps me to think things out when I can talk with other people. If the chance to take a seminar had been available to me, I would have wanted to do it."

Family Weekend to Include Family "Friend"

Before some of today's Smith students began reading Salmon Rushdie, Sylvia Plath, E.M. Forster and D.H. Lawrence, they cut their literary teeth on Ann M. Martin.

Martin is the prolific author of the enormously successful "Baby-sitters Club" books. She graduated from Smith in 1977 -- around the time most current undergraduates were born -- and began the series a decade later. Thus it is fitting that Martin will be a special guest at this year's Family Weekend, because for many Smithies and their younger siblings, she -- along with Kristy, Claudia, Stacey, Mary Anne and the other adolescent heroines of her stories-is practically family.

Martin will sign copies of her books from 10 a.m. until noon on Saturday, October 25, in Davis Ballroom. The event is part of the annual Family Weekend Silent Auction, and Martin's books will be on sale at the signing. The auction will benefit the Smith Students' Aid Society (SSAS), an organization made up of alumnae, faculty, staff and other friends of the college dedicated to providing assistance to students beyond the scope of traditional financial aid.

As in the past, auction visitors can bid on an eclectic array of items donated by members of the Smith and local communities. These have ranged from restaurant gift certificates, books and fruit baskets to a weekend in the White Mountains, a week in the Loire Valley and a bed- and-breakfast stay in Mexico City.

Kathy Langworthy, SSAS administrative liaison, is organizing the auction this year, assisted by Merry Farnum, assistant dean of student affairs and Family Weekend coordinator. Items can be donated to the auction on Friday, October 24, from 3 to 7 p.m. and on Saturday from 8 to 9 a.m., or can be delivered to College Hall 22 beforehand. Bidding will begin at 9:30 a.m. and end at 3 p.m. The organizers urge everyone to come up with imaginative donation ideas. Farnum, for example, traditionally gives the use of her Northampton condominium for Commencement Weekend. This year she convinced math department member Mary Murphy to do the same.

In addition to the auction, Family Weekend, October 2426, will be full of activities and entertainment. The dance faculty will be presenting their fall concert; the theatre department will be staging Lapin Lapin; there will be myriad athletic teams in action; and the Friday night pops concert will feature a "Sounds of the Sixties" theme, which many moms and dads or aunts and uncles are sure to appreciate.

New on the docket this year are several panels: a faculty/student presentation, "Community-Based Learning"; a study-abroad discussion to help students -- and parents -- decide about junior-year plans; and "Five Decades of Jewish Life at Smith College," featuring Jewish alumnae from the past 50 years.

For more specific information about events, times and venues, consult the official Family Weekend schedule, which each student should have received in her mailbox and which has been distributed to departments across campus. Schedules will also be available at the family registration table in the Alumnae House on Friday and Saturday, in Seelye foyer on Saturday, and outside College Hall 22 before the weekend. Everyone-with or without visitors-is invited and encouraged to take part in Family Weekend.

One Step for Womankind

On Wednesday, October 29, members of the Smith community will gather in front of Neilson Library for the formal dedication of a permanent campus memorial to college founder and benefactor Sophia Smith.

As a reminder of what Sophia Smith hoped she was creating when she used her inheritance to found Smith College, the top step of Neilson Library has been replaced with one into which words from her will, "a perennial blessing to the country and the world," have been carved. The new step was designed and carved by Nick Benson of Newport, Rhode Island, and put in place last spring. It has been awaiting a time when its donor, Katharine Doe Chalmers '34, could attend a formal dedication ceremony. The event, which is open to the public, will take place at 2 p.m. and will be followed by a reception in the Neilson Browsing Room.

Benson is the third generation of stone carvers in his family to work on inscriptional carvings on the Smith campus, says Elliot Offner, Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Art, who collaborated with Benson on this project as he has on other such projects with Benson's father and grandfather.
In addition to the step-carving, Chalmers has donated a plaque that has been installed in the library foyer and reads: " 'A perennial blessing to the country and the world...' These words, inscribed on the top step in front of the library, express the hope Sophia Smith held for the college she founded in 1870 with a gift of roughly $400,000. Her design was 'to furnish for my own sex means and facilities for education equal to those which are afforded now in our colleges to young men.' The higher education of women, she felt, would redress their wrongs, adjust their wages, and incalculably enlarge their power for good. As the first woman to found a genuine college for women with such goals, Sophia Smith hoped that the institution bearing her name would serve 'to develop as fully as may be the powers of womanhood,' and thus be 'a perennial blessing...'"

Smith Smoking Policy

A new Smith College smoking policy went into effect in mid-October. Please note that according to the revised regulations, which are printed below, smoking is now prohibited in and around all academic and administrative buildings.

Smith College recognizes that using tobacco products is harmful to the health of tobacco users and that exposure to second-hand smoke poses a health risk to non-smokers. This policy has been enacted to address these health concerns and to provide a smoke-free workplace for all members of the college community. The policy complies with all applicable federal, state and local regulations pertaining to smoking.

The college is committed to providing educational programs to assist its employees and students in making healthy lifestyle choices. Employees who are interested in smoking cessation programs may obtain information from the Benefits Office; students should contact Health Services.

Academic and Administrative Buildings
Smoking is prohibited in all academic and administrative buildings. All smoking by faculty, staff, students and visitors is limited to outdoor areas on campus that are away from building entrances and exits. Smoking is also prohibited in college-owned vehicles.

Residential Houses
In the residential houses smoking is prohibited in the following common areas: rest rooms, dining rooms, hallways, stairwells, kitchenettes and laundry rooms. Each residential building may designate a specific smoking area or may choose to be no-smoking in all common areas. Student rooms are smoking or non-smoking rooms based on the designated preferences of the occupants and/or the designated non-smoking rooms in each house. Residents of each house will be responsible for creating specific smoking policies within college guidelines. At the beginning of the academic year a statement shall be posted in a public area of each house outlining the specific policies for the house. The smoking policy for residential houses appears in its entirety in the Student Handbook.

It is the responsibility of each member of the college community to comply with the provisions of the smoking policy. Individuals who have questions or concerns about the policy should contact Human Resources or the Office of Student Affairs.

Hot Tickets

Lights at Mendenhall Center for the Performing Arts will be ablaze this weekend as curtains go up on both the Theater 14 and Hallie Flanagan stages.

The latter will be filled with grunge rockers, blank televisions, vampires, extraterrestrials and urban terrorists when Coline Serreau's play, Lapin Lapin, opens on Thursday, October 23. Directed by Associate Professor of Theatre Ellen W. Kaplan, the show is set in Paris at the end of the millennium -- a time and place where everything, including the Lapin family, seems to be coming apart.

Called by Kaplan "a bitter, ironic, funny and satiric look at the downside of 'United Europe,'" Lapin Lapin will be performed October 23-25 and again on October 29-31 and November 1. Curtain is at 8 p.m. Tickets are $5 for general admission and $3 for senior citizens and students. On Wednesday, October 29, all seats are only $1.

In addition, the Smith Department of Dance will present its fall faculty concert, also at 8 p.m., October 23-25, in Theater 14. The concert will include new works by Smith faculty members Rodger Blum, Yvonne Daniel and Susan Waltner and will also feature guest artists Nia Love, Clara Mora and Isaura Oliveira. General admission is $6; student and senior tickets are $4.

Reservations for both Lapin Lapin and the faculty dance concert may be made by calling the theatre box office at 413/585-ARTS, Monday through Friday, between 1 and 4 p.m. The performance schedules allow true arts aficionados a chance to see both productions.

Your Help Is Needed

Forty-seven people, including students, parents, staff and faculty members, will make up the Smith contingent on Sunday, October 26, in Baystate Medical Center's "Rays of Hope Walk Toward the Cure of Breast Cancer." This year, President Ruth Simmons is one the honorary chairs of this event, along with the presidents of the other three area women's colleges. Financial support for this project has been disappointing; contributions are still being sought. If you know
someone who is walking or someone who has battled breast cancer, please think about sending a $5 donation to Cindy Rucci, Neilson Library. Checks should be made out to BHS-Rays of Hope.

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Season in the Sun

by Kate Drake '99
This summer the residents of Martha's Vineyard were better informed than usual, thanks to Smith senior Autumn De Leon. As an intern at the island's newspaper, The Vineyard Gazette, De Leon wrote, proofed and typeset articles. As a reporter for the paper, she covered a wide range of subjects, from dance (her exclusive beat) to an NAACP fundraiser.

According to De Leon, her internship was a great experience: "I really felt supported by everyone, from my fellow production staffers to the editor himself. The Gazette was really good about mentoring, and if you have a particular interest that you would like to explore or focus on, they will let you do that."

When De Leon wasn't cranking out the daily news in the summer heat, she was exploring the island. "I did so much this summer; I went on hikes and took long swims. I also went kayaking and watched endangered plovers," she recounts. De Leon, who is majoring in Spanish literature, plans to pursue her interests in editing and publishing after she graduates.

Best Seats in the House: Endowed-Chair Profs Named

Five Smith professors are probably sitting up a little taller since recently being named to endowed chair positions. C. John Burk has been appointed Elsie Damon Simonds Professor of Biological Sciences; John Davis, Priscilla Paine Van der Poel Associate Professor of Art History; Howard Nenner, Roe/Straut Professor of History; and Steven A. Williams, Gates Professor of Biological Sciences. In addition, Daniel Horowitz has been named Sylvia Dlugasch Bauman Professor in American Studies. This is a rotating chair, and Horowitz will hold it from July 1, 1997, through June 30, 2000.

Burk received an A.B. from Miami University in Ohio and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. A prolific writer about his research, Burk is also the author of Celebrating a Century: The Botanic Garden of Smith College, published in 1995. He has been a member of the Smith faculty since 1961.

Davis received his A.B. from Cornell University and his M.A., M.Phil. and Ph.D. degrees from Columbia University. A member of the Smith faculty since 1992, he is the author of The Landscape for Belief: Encountering the Holy Land in Nineteenth-Century American Art and Culture, which was selected for the CHOICE list of Outstanding Academic Books for 1996. He is also co-author of Collections of the National Gallery of Art: American Paintings of the Nineteenth Century.

A member of the Smith faculty since 1968, Nenner received his B.A. from Queens College, his L.L.B. from Columbia University Law School and his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. Among his publications are "Sovereignty and the Succession in 1688-89" in The World of William and Mary: Anglo-Dutch Perspectives on the Revolution of 1688-89 (1996); By Colour of Law: Legal Culture and Constitutional Politics in England, 1660-1689 (1977); and The Right to be King: The Succession to the Crown of England, 1603-1714 (1995). During the past year, Nenner has served as the director of the college's self-study.

A member of the Smith faculty since 1982, Williams holds a B.S. degree in physiological psychology, an M.S. degree in genetics and a Ph.D. degree in molecular genetics from the University of California at Davis. He has written extensively on his research in molecular biology, particularly on filarial parasites, and has presented papers on his research at numerous conferences in the U.S. and abroad.

A member of the Smith College faculty since 1989, Horowitz holds a B.A. degree from Yale College and a Ph.D. degree from Harvard University. He is the author of The Morality of Spending: Attitudes Toward the Consumer Society in America, 1875-1940 (1985); Vance Packard and American Social Criticism (1994); and Suburban Life in the 1950s: Selections from Vance Packard's Status Seekers (1995). Before coming to Smith, Horowitz was the Nathaniel Wright Stephenson Professor of History and Biography at Scripps College.

Each of the newly chaired professors will present a lecture in the months ahead. The first of these, "Rethinking an Icon of American Painting," will be given by John Davis on Monday, November 3, at 4:30 p.m., in Stoddard auditorium. Watch upcoming AcaMedias for more details.

OK Art

Professor of Art Dwight Pogue has been invited to be a visiting artist at the 1997 Oklahoma Fall Arts Institute in Quartz Mountain, Oklahoma.

The institute brings nationally recognized artists, musicians, writers and actors together for a variety of four-day workshops each October. The workshops are open to amateur and professional artists, public school teachers and college and university artists. Pogue's workshop, held October 9-12, was on drawing.

The trip to Quartz Mountain has also enabled Pogue, who is on sabbatical this semester, to explore ideas for the Southwestern designs he has recently been incorporating into his lithographs. He is spending to an extra week in Oklahoma visiting museums and looking at Native American designs that may influence his work.

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Calendar Key

Sources of further information, if any, are shown in parentheses at the end of event descriptions. An asterisk following a listing indicates that the event is open to the public. Admission charges, if any, are listed when known.
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Monday, October 27

Vendor book sale: Science fiction, fantasy and mysteries.
10 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Gamut*

Presentation of the major: Physics.
Noon, McConnell 102

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: "Image of the Spanish Gypsy Woman." Flamenco dancer Meira Goldberg ("La Meira") discusses representations of the Spanish gypsy woman from the novels of Cervantes to the marketing of Carmen Amya and flamenco by impresario Sol Hurok.
2:30 p.m., Seelye 106

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

Presentation of the major and minor: History.
4:15 p.m., Dewey common room

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 continuing into November.
4:15-5:15 p.m., Wright common room*

Presentation of the major: Biology.
4:30-6 p.m., Alumnae House living room

Lecture: "Looking for Home: Classroom Issues, the Scholar's Leads." Martha Banta, UCLA professor of English, past president of ASA and current editor of PMLA.
4:30 p.m., Neilson Library Browsing Room*

Presentation of the major: Economics. Refreshments served.
4:30-6 p.m., Seelye 207

CDO Five College information session: Fidelity (equity and high income).
6 p.m., Amherst College Campus Center 201

Informational meeting for students interested in being head residents next year.
7-8 p.m., Seelye 308

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

CDO informational meeting: Towers Perrin (consulting).
7:30 p.m., Neilson Library Browsing Room

CDO Five College information session: Board of Govenors of the Federal Reserve System.
7:30 p.m., McCaffrey Room, Amherst College Campus Center

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

Tuesday, October 28

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

Law, Public Policy and International Relations Fair. Presented by CDO.
11:30 a.m.2 p.m., Davis ballroom

Sigma Xi Luncheon Talk: "Living Downstream: An Ecologist Looks at Cancer and the Environment." Sandra Steingraber, Columbia College, Chicago, Illinois. Open to faculty, emeriti and staff.
Noon, College Club lower level

Presentation of the major: Computer science. Lunch served.
Noon, McConnell foyer

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

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

Literature at Lunch: Associate professor Nora F. Crow, reads from Jonathan Swift's Partridge Papers, a literary hoax perpetuated on astrologer John Partridge in 1708. Bring your own lunch; coffee and soft drinks provided.
12:15 p.m., Seelye faculty lounge

Presentation of the major: Medieval studies. Refreshments served.
4-5 p.m., Hatfield 205

CDO workshop: "Résumé Critiques by Peer Advisers."
4-6 and 7-9 p.m., Drew Hall

Discussion: "Cancer and the Environment." Sandra Steingraber, author of Living Downstream, An Ecologist's Look at Cancer and the Environment. Sponsored by Smith Environmental Sciences.
4:15-5:45 p.m., Bass 209*

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: French.
5 p.m., Dewey common room

Presentation of the major: Government.
5 p.m., Seelye 206

Presentation of the major: Sociology. Student handbooks for 199798 will be available.
5 p.m., Seelye 102

Informational meeting: Duke in China. All welcome.
5-6 p.m., Seelye 207

Mandatory meeting: SGA social chairs. If you can't attend, call Jennifer Graham, extension 4999.
5-6 p.m., Seelye 201

Presentation of the major: Music. Pizza and other refreshments served.
5:40-7 p.m., Sage Hall Green Room

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

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

CDO informational meeting: Raytheon Electronic Systems.
7:30 p.m., Wright common room

CDO Five College informational meeting: MetLife.
7:30 p.m., Career Development Center, Mount Holyoke College

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

CDO program: "CDO Orientation and Tour for Seniors."
8:15 p.m., Drew Hall

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

Wednesday, October 29

CDO event: Annual Five College Graduate and Professional Schools Information Day.
10 a.m.3 p.m., Campus Center Auditorium, UMass

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: "Adventures in Israel: Students Share Their Experiences."
Noon, Dawes House Kosher Kitchen

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

Formal dedication of the inscription on the Neilson Library steps and the plaque in the library entrance, both honoring Sophia Smith. Reception to follow in Neilson Browsing Room. (See story, page 1.)
2 p.m., Neilson Library steps

Presentation of the major: East Asian studies.
4:15 p.m., Wright common room

Informational meeting: Economics junior year abroad. For all interested majors and prospective majors. Will include presentations by the program adviser and by economics seniors who studied abroad last year.
4:15 p.m., Seelye 207

Marine science information session. Gail Cannon will be recruiting undergraduates for the Duke Marine Lab and graduate students for Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment.
4:15-5:45 p.m., Burton 101*

Computer workshops: "Eudora Mail." Individual programs for PCs and Macs. Sign up in Seelye B01 or call extension 3781.
4:30-6 p.m., Seelye 212

CDO informational meeting: The New York City Consortium Program. Learn about this January 1114 trip to New York, an introduction to the world of internships and work sponsored by CDO and the NYC Smith Club. The program offers informational site visits to organizations in a variety of career fields, panels of alumnae discussing their work, opportunities to network and candidly converse with alums, and three nights' lodging in alumnae homes. Come with questions about the kinds of organizations that interest you.
4:30 p.m., Drew Main Library

Biochemistry lecture: "Muscle Proteins: Protein Design, Muscle Regulation and Sudden Death." Dr. Sarah Hitchcock-DeGregori, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
4.30 p.m., McConnell B05*

Volleyball vs. Amherst.
7 p.m., Ainsworth gym*

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

CDO informational meeting: Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
7:30 p.m., Dewey common room

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

CDO informational meeting: MIT Lincoln Labs.
7:30 p.m., Wright common room

Theater: Lapin Lapin by Coline Serreau, directed by Ellen Kaplan. See story, page 4. Tickets will be $1 for this performance only. (585-2787)
8 p.m., Hallie Flanagan Studio Theatre, Mendenhall CPA*

General meeting: Celebration of Sisterhood, including dress rehearsals of skits and performances. All house contact people and their committee members should attend.
10-11:30 p.m., Davis Ballroom

Thursday, October 30

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

Lecture: "Sino-American Relations." Steven Goldstein, professor of government. 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

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

CDO workshop: "Résumé Critiques by Peer Advisers."
2:30-4:30 p.m., Drew Hall

Institutional diversity open hour. Students wishing to meet with Carmen Santana-Melgoza, assistant to the president and director of institutional diversity, are welcome. Appointments for meetings at other times can be scheduled by calling extension 2141.
4-5 p.m., College Hall 31

Author's reading: Helen Epstein's Where She Came From, a family saga of three generations of Czech-Jewish women. Sponsored by the Russian Department.
4-5 p.m., Alumnae House living room

Author's reading: Part of Our Heritage: Women and Change in Africa Today, by Ama Ata Aidoo, Ghanaian novelist, playwright, poet, essayist and feminist.
4-6 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room

Philosophy/psychology colloquium: "Bridging the Gap Between Learnability and Language Acquisition." With Stefano Bertolo, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT. Sponsored by the philosophy and psychology departments.
4:10 p.m., Bass 210

Presentation of the minor: Archaeology.
4:15-5:15 p.m., Hillyer faculty lounge

Presentation of the minor: International relations.
5 p.m., Wright common room

Presentation of the minor: Film studies.
5 p.m., Dewey common room

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

Informational meeting: Microsoft Corporation.
5:30 p.m., Seelye 207

Meeting: S.O.S. house reps.
6-7 p.m., Bodman Lounge

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

Slide lecture: "A Newly Discovered Drawing by Cigoli for The Dream of Jacob." Ann Sievers of the Museum of Art and Craig Felton, art department chairman. To be followed by a gallery viewing. Part of the museum's New Acquisitions Series.
7-8:30 p.m., Hillyer 117*

CDO informational meeting: Peace Corps.
7:30 p.m., Seelye 106

Film: Fresa y Chocolate, a Cuban film by Gutierrez Alea. Presented by Cineclub de Español; in Spanish, with subtitles.
7:30 p.m., Seelye 201*

Film/discussion: "What Is It About Girls and Horses?" A screening and discussion of National Velvet, presented in connection with WST430.
8 p.m., Dewey common room*

Theater: Lapin Lapin by Coline Serreau, directed by Ellen Kaplan. See story, page 4. Tickets: $5, general; $3, students and seniors.
8 p.m., Hallie Flanagan Studio Theatre, Mendenhall CPA*

Lecture: "Authenticity and Japanese Landscape Garden." David Slawson, author of Secret Teaching in the Art of Japanese Gardens. Sponsored by the Department of Religion, the Ada Howe Kent Program, the Museum of Art, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Botanic Gardens and the Committee on Community Policy.
8:15 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room*

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

Friday, October 31

International Students' Day. Food, entertainment, arts and crafts from other lands, presented by Smith's international students. Lunch and entertainment will be featured from noon to 1:30 p.m. Admission is fifty cents.
10 a.m.5 p.m., Scott gymnasium*

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

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

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 continuing into November.
4:15-5:15 p.m., Wright common room*

Autumn Chrysanthemum Show Opening. Including a slide lecture, "The Unsung Season," by teacher and author Sydney Eddison '54, who will also sign copies of her books The Self-Taught Gardener and The Unsung Season during a reception from 5:45 to 7:30 p.m. in Lyman Plant House. (See "Ongoing Events" for a description of the show.)
4:30 p.m., Seelye 106*

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

Newman Association Halloween Party for local children and parents. Pizza, Halloween goodies and games for all. Come join the festivities.
5-7 p.m., Bodman Lounge

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 and book-signing: "'Amazonian Activity': A Celebration of the Life of Noel Phyllis Birkby." Four lesbian feminist authors, friends of the late architect and activist Noel Phyllis Birkby, will read from their works: Sidney Abbott, coauthor of Sappho Was a Right-On Woman; Bertha Harris, author of Lover; Kate Millett, author of Sexual Politics; and Julie Weber, partner of the late Alma Routsong, who under the pen name Isabel Miller wrote Patience and Sarah.
7 p.m., Wright auditorium*

Discussion: Rosh Chodesh Women's Discussion Group (following Shabbat eve dinner).
8 p.m., Dawes House Kosher Kitchen

Theater: Lapin Lapin by Coline Serreau, directed by Ellen Kaplan. See story, page 4. Tickets: $5, general; $3, students and seniors.
8 p.m., Hallie Flanagan Studio Theatre, Mendenhall CPA*

LBTA Halloween Party. Come get down and funky this Halloween with your friendly LBTA. A fiendishly fun time. Everyone invited.
9 p.m., Davis Ballroom

All Hallows Groove Party, sponsored by the Black Students' Alliance. Jam to the smooth sounds of R&B, hip-hop and more, all provided by DJ Scope from Springfield. All are welcome to this scary soiree. Admission: $2 with costume, $3 without. (Carla, ext. 7883; Maxine, ext. 6902.)
9 p.m.-1 a.m., Mwangi Cultural Center, Lilly Hall*

Religious activity: Samhain Ritual. A celebration of Samhain, the Pagan New Year and a feast honoring the dead. Concludes in Wright common room.
9:30 p.m., Tyler House*

Saturday, November 1

Volleyball vs. Wellesley.
1 p.m., Ainsworth gym*

Informal conversation: "Radical Feminism and Lesbian Culture in the 1970s and Today." With Women's Movement activist friends of the late architect and activist Noel Phyllis Birkby, among them Sidney Abbott, Dolores Alexander, Joan Casamo, Linda Clarke, Bertha Harris, Barbara Love, Artemis March, Kate Millett, Esther Newton, Jane O'Wyatt, Jan Roby, Arlie Scott and Julie Weber.
2 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room*

Religious activity: "Celebratory Music for the Mass." With Grace Cajiuat, assistant professor of music and director of choral and vocal activities, Shepherd College. Will include a music read-through. All instrumentalists and singers wishing to participate in Sunday Catholic Masses at Smith are invited.
3:30-5:30 p.m., Chapel*

Exhibition opening: "'Amazonian Activity': The Life and Work of Noel Phyllis Birkby (193294)." Materials selected from the papers of the late architect and activist. Short films by Birkby will also be shown. Refreshments will be served.
4 p.m., Sophia Smith Collection reading room*

Theater: Lapin Lapin by Coline Serreau, directed by Ellen Kaplan. See story, page 4. Tickets: $5, general; $3, students and seniors.
8 p.m., Hallie Flanagan Studio Theatre, Mendenhall CPA*

Sunday, November 2

Fencing: The New England Fall Collegiate Open, featuring foil, épée and saber fencers from 15 New England colleges and universities. Free admission. (Stephanie Ziegler, ext. 7066.)
9 a.m.-4 p.m., ITT*

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 and Holy Communion with Reverend Richard P. Unsworth and the Howard University Choir.
10:30 a.m., Chapel

CDO workshop: "Overcome Your CDO Phobia."
1:15 p.m., Drew Hall

Concert: The Howard University Choir, recognized as one of the nation's outstanding choral groups, performs as the kickoff event of the weeklong Otelia Cromwell celebration. The choir's performances of Negro spirituals have been described as "mesmerizingly beautiful."
2 p.m., Sweeney Concert Hall*

CDO extended hours.
2-4 p.m., Drew Hall

CDO program: "CDO Orientation and Tour for Juniors."
3 p.m., Drew Hall

Authors' readings: Karen Bradway and Theodore Deppe. Part of the Gallery of Readers Series.
4-6 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room*

General meeting: Association of Smith Pagans. Weekly meetings and workshops for those who practice nature-based religions. All seekers welcome.
4-5:15 p.m., Women's Resource Center, Third Floor, Davis

Religious service: Roman Catholic Mass. Supper will follow.
4:30 p.m., Chapel*

World film premiere: The Boyhood of John Muir, a Florentine Films/Hott Production by Diane Garey and Larry Hott. The 78-minute dramatic feature, sponsored by the National Endowment for Children's Educational Television, the Town Creek Foundation and the Wisconsin Sesquicentennial Commission, will be broadcast nationally on public television next year. This screening is sponsored by the Smith College Department of American Studies, and proceeds from it will benefit Historic Northampton. Following the screening, producer Diane Garey, director Larry Hott and members of the film crew and cast will take questions from the audience. Advance tickets: adults, $10; children, $6. Tickets at the door: adults, $12; children, $8. For ticket information, call Historic Northampton at 584-6011.
7 p.m., Wright auditorium*

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)

Space-Warming Party at the Women's Resource Center, including a folksinger, home-baked food and an art project. Come learn about the center. (Vanessa, ext. 4715; Sara, ext. 6096).
8-10:30 p.m., Women's Resource Center (Davis third floor)

Concert: Smith College Chamber Orchestra. Works by Mozart performed by Philipp Naegele, director, with Erin Keefe, violin, and Lori Wallfisch, piano. Free admission.
8-10 p.m., Sweeney Concert Hall*

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. Included in the show and rarely seen in this country are cascade chrysanthemums. Grown in the Japanese manner on a flat surface, they hang down about four feet over the edge of the pot. Hours: 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Lyman Plant House, November 1-16*

Art exhibition: "Prints by Abraham Bosse." Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 1-4 p.m.; Thursday, 1-5 p.m. (585-2770)
Museum of Art Print Room, through November 1*

Art exhibition: "Cigoli's Dream of Jacob and Drawing in Late 16th-Century Florence." Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 1-4 p.m.; Thursday, 1-5 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*

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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, October 29, for issue 10 (November 10-November 16 calendar listings) and by 4 p.m., Wednesday, November 5, for issue 11 (November 17-November 23 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

Gamut S.O.S. is sponsoring a sweater sale, Monday and Tuesday, November 10-11, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 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.

Computer Consultations

The Information Center offers one-on-one computer consultations in the Jacobson Center (Center for Academic Development). Members of the Smith community can sign up in person at Seelye 307. For information, call Mary-Adele Combe, extension 3099.

Chapel Counselors Meeting

The Chapel Counselors' Committee of the Board of Counselors will hold its annual meeting Sunday and Monday, November 23. The committee will attend religious services and activities on Sunday, November 2, and meet with Chapel staff in the Bodman Lounge Monday, November 3, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Child Care Opening

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 immunosuppression), 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.

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. The following authors and illustrators will present: Margot Apple, Lynn Bertrand, Jane Dyer, Mordicai Gerstein, Barbara Diamond Goldin, Georgia Pugh, Shelley Rotner, Janet Street, Annie Woodhall and Jane Yolen. There will also be presigned books from local favorites Dennis Nolan, Lauren Mills and Kathryn Brown, along with readings by authors and drawings by illustrators.

Smith Directory

Due to a delay in the preparation of the student listings file, the Smith College telephone directory will be delivered to campus at the end of October. It will then be distributed by Central Services as soon as possible.

Faculty & Staff

New York Buses

The Staff Council Activities Committee has taken enough reservations to fill a first bus for its "Day on Your Own in New York City" on Saturday, November 15, and is now taking reservations for a possible second bus. Departure will be at 7:30 a.m. from Ainsworth and from New York at 5:30 p.m. The price is $20 per person. The ride is open to all Smith employees, faculty, emeriti and their guests, and will be open to students after November 6. For information or to make a reservation, contact Judy Biardi or Cindy Rucci at extension 2923. Any reservation not paid for within seven days will be forfeited.

Students

Internship Deadline

The deadline for applying to the Picker Internship in Washington Program is Friday, October 31.

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.

Peer Writing Assistance

Need help with a paper? Bring your assignment, drafts and ideas to the peer writing assistants. All stages of drafts welcome. No appointment is necessary, and all services are free. Assistants are available Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, 7-10 p.m., in Seelye 307 and Emerson dining room; Wednesday, 7-10 p.m. in Seelye 307; and Thursday from 3 to 6 p.m. in the Tilly House Ada lounge and from 7 to 10 p.m. in Seelye 307.

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 Scholarships

Smith College will nominate up to three members of the class of 1999 for a nationwide competition for scholarships of up to $30,000 for four years of study (to cover senior year and up to three years of graduate study). Juniors are invited to submit a résumé by Thursday, November 7, to Lea Ahlen, Wright 15. Scholarships will be awarded to outstanding students who are preparing for careers in public service and who have potential for leadership in government. 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; extension 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.

The Rally Day Show offers Smith students a chance to get up on the stage, poke fun at themselves and the college, and have a good time. Participation does not require talent or previous experience, but they help. Proceeds are donated to a local social service agency (yet to be determined). Anyone interested in participating should contact her class president. 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 3-7 in the SGA office; interviews will take place November 11-13. Information sheets with brief job descriptions are posted on the bulletin board outside College Hall 22 and in the SGA office at Clark Hall. Get involved and join in the fun of Rally Day.

Opera Auditions

Auditions for Look and Long, a new chamber opera by Dana Maiben based on the play by Gertrude Stein, will be held November 3 and 4 from 7 to