News for the Smith College Community // February 18, 1999
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Archivists Savor Offbeat Queries On a typical day the staff at the Smith College Archives might be asked to provide anything from information about a student from the class of 1885 or the history of physical education to photographs of early Smith basketball uniforms or the campus as it looked from the air in 1935. Staff members never know what requests they'll get -- and that's one reason they relish their work. "I love it," says Nanci Young, the college archivist, who came to Smith last March from the archives of Princeton University. "I love bringing information to people. One of the joys of this job is seeing that spark in a student's eyes when she discovers that piece of information she's been looking for." No matter how obscure or obvious the request, Young, Archives Specialist Karen Eberhart and the other staff members approach it with efficiency and respect. "There are no dumb questions here," Young says -- though she admits to having been taken aback when a student recently asked whether the archives contained any information on women's education. Young says she's enthusiastic about and welcoming to every query she gets because the real gauge of the facility's success is its relationship with the college community. "A good relationship with our constituents is key," she says. "It can be a little daunting, all this information. People sometimes have very little understanding of what an archive is. We want to greet people with a friendly face." The collection's Alumnae Gym setting is home to hundreds of thousands of documents, records, photographs and other materials on Smith history. The staff stores, organizes and maintains records of all sorts-old faculty papers, research and letters, student scrapbooks and journals, alumnae memorabilia and writings. The collection currently includes a total of 6,440 linear feet of material and grows by about 100 linear feet every year. The archive was started in the early part of this century by Nina Browne, class of 1892, with a collection of memorabilia. It gained institutional status under Margaret S. Grierson '22, the college archivist from 1940 to 1965. These days, in addition to storing and maintaining materials, the archive produces exhibits, gives tours and provides classroom instruction about its records. But the mainstay of the archive is its vast record holdings, where one can hunt down endless details about Smith and its associations through the years -- everything from the names and locations of trees on campus to when the college first purchased gymnastics equipment or established a public relations office. For the researcher, tracking down such information can entail any number of miscues and dead ends. That's where Archives staff can help. Young, Eberhart or a student employee will guide a researcher through the collection's card catalogue, finding-aid files on given topics and categorized shelf lists of materials, bringing to light the crucial bits of information that make a research project sing. Young says she'd like see people consider College Archives early on in their research projects. "We want to make ourselves extremely available," she says. "We want people to routinely think, 'Maybe I can find this information at Archives.'" One way Archives is developing a higher profile is through its Web site (www.smith.edu/libraries/ca), which is regularly updated. Young hopes to someday have the collection's shelf list and most of its materials available on-line. Meanwhile, Young and Eberhart keep taking on the daily wave of questions
about Smith and its past. If you've got one, give them a call. Back to top of page Prof. Rosenfeld Remembered During his 16 years at Smith, Professor of Chemistry Stuart Rosenfeld won the affection of his students and department colleagues for his deferential, sensitive manner. He earned their respect by way of his intelligence, his commitment to excellence within the chemistry department and his tireless imparting of the principles of organic chemistry. His students also came to know him as a generous and fair instructor, always willing to share his research with them and give of his time in guiding them through their own work. Rosenfeld, who was 50, died January 21 in Madras, India, while visiting the family of his wife, Nalini Bhushan, associate professor of philosophy. A memorial service will be held for Rosenfeld on Sunday, February 21, at 2 p.m. in Helen Hills Hills Chapel. A reception will follow in Bodman Lounge at the Chapel. In addition to his wife and their 1-year-old son, Ajay, Rosenfeld is survived by his mother, Doris Rosenfeld Libman; a brother, Jerold Rosenfeld; and a sister, Phyllis Peterson. Chemistry department chair Robert Linck, who will speak at the memorial service, says one of Rosenfeld's strongest virtues was "his ability to guide others in their tasks. During my years as chair I learned to rely on him for advice, especially whenever anything got me upset. Stu had a strong calming influence on me and others as well as a good view of the world, especially our academic world." President Ruth Simmons will also speak at the service, and Jewish Chaplain Edward Feld will lead in prayer. Rosenfeld completed his undergraduate work at Colby College in Maine and received a doctorate in organic chemistry from Brown University before joining the Smith faculty in 1982. During his Smith tenure he received a Cottrell Science Award and grants to support his research from The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, the American Chemical Society, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation/Research Corporation and the National Science Foundation. His recent research focused on the synthesis and structure of strained compounds and novel tautomeric systems. Rosenfeld wrote numerous articles for publication in the Journal of Organic Chemistry and the Journal of Chemical Education. Last year his acclaimed text Basic Skills for Organic Chemistry: A Tool Kit was published. Rather than simply providing an inordinate amount of information to be memorized, it helps chemistry students develop the conceptual skills they need to build knowledge. Chemistry professor Kenneth Hellman, who "saw and talked with [Rosenfeld] almost every day for 16 years," says Rosenfeld was admired by all his colleagues "for his intelligence, his sensitivity to the feelings of others, rigor in the teaching of our students and fairness to the students." Hellman says Rosenfeld's popularity grew out of that intelligence "and the gracious way he treated people." "It is clear that one of Stu's strong points as an educator was his patience," says Linck. "Another was his innovative methods. He thought about ways to say things to clear up difficulties. And always, he had a sense of humor."
Staff Author in Lecture Series Linda Shaughnessy, who beyond being a secretary/receptionist in the music department at Smith, is the author of a number of children's books about championship athletes, will present the second lecture in the "Sundays at Two" series being sponsored by the Friends of Forbes Library and Smith College. Her talk will be at 2 p.m. on Sunday, February 28, at Forbes. Shaughnessy has written the stories of figure skaters Michelle Kwan, Scott Hamilton, Oksana Baiul and Elvis Stojko. Her most recent work, a biography of tennis champion Martina Hingis, will be published later this year. A graduate of the University of Massachusetts with a degree in geology, Shaughnessy as a child began writing journals, poems, songs and-when she was only 11 years old-a novel. She reports that as an adult she pursued several avenues, including folksinging and computer programming, "before taking up writing seriously again." A hockey skater in her youth, Shaughnessy decided while on the ice at the Mullins Center several years ago to write a book having to do with ice skating. That decision led to the four biographies of young figure skaters. "As research for the books, I traded in my hockey skates for figure skates and took lessons, proving that it's never too late to learn to do the toe loop and salchow jumps," she says. During her presentation at Forbes Shaughnessy will read from her works and "talk about the process of writing and learning to do what you don't know how to do." The lecture will be appropriate for both adults and young people and will be free and open to the public. The third and final "Sundays at Two" lecture will be presented by Martin Antonetti, curator of rare books at Smith, on April 25 at Neilson Library. Back to top of page
President Ruth J. Simmons will be the subject of an on-line Web chat on Wednesday, February 24, during which schoolchildren from across the nation will ask her questions from computers in their classrooms. The chat, which will take place from 1 to 2 p.m., is one in a series of sessions scheduled during Black History Month by NASA's Quest Project, based at Ames Research Center, Moffet Field, California. The sessions will feature African-American professionals in several fields. It's President Simmons' second straight year participating in the chat series. Last year, students from California, Alabama and several other states, after reading a profile of the president, asked her questions like "How do you feel about being a great great granddaughter of slaves?" "What is your goal in life?" and "What have you changed most about Smith College?" The Web chat can be monitored from any computer with Internet access by registering at NASA's Web site, http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/ltc/special/mlk99/. * Steven Goldstein, Sophia Smith Professor of Government, spent January in Taiwan (where, he reported, temperatures were in the 60s and 70s) and Washington, D.C., taking part in several projects related to Taiwan and Sino-American relations. In mid-month he participated in a meeting at the Foreign Service Institute of the U.S. State Department on the recent elections in Taiwan. Before that, on January 5 and 6, he attended a planning meeting for a joint project on major issues in Sino-American relations sponsored by the Fairbank Center of Harvard University and the American Section of the Chinese Academy of the Social Sciences. Goldstein and a Chinese collaborator will prepare a report for the project on Taiwan and Sino-American relations during the next year. Goldstein also recently completed a study of Sino-American negotiations between 1955 and 1970 as part of a project -- jointly undertaken by Harvard and the Central Party School of the Communist Party of China -- on the Cold War in Asia. The project is the first of its kind Harvard has undertaken and will be published simultaneously in the U.S. and China. * Patricia Wettig, one of the stars of the late, (some thought) great television series thirtysomething almost turned down an opportunity for a guest-starring role in the CBS series L.A. Doctors because she was "feverishly working on her master's degree in playwriting at Smith College," according to the January 16 TV Guide. Ken Olin, Wettig's real-life husband and thirtysomething, costar is one of the principals in L.A. Doctors.
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Summer Employment at Smith Smith College will have job openings this summer in building services, residence and dining services, the botanic garden and the grounds and rental-properties departments. All positions are full-time, Monday through Friday, with various shifts available. To be eligible, applicants must be Smith students or dependents of Smith faculty or staff members. All applicants must be at least 16 years old by June 14, be returning to school full time in the fall and be available to work through August 27 (though some work is available after that date). Get applications through March 26 at 30 Belmont, the Neilson circulation desk, the college club and the front desk at physical plant. Completed applications must be submitted at 30 Belmont by 4:30 p.m. on March 26. Hiring priority will be given to returning workers from last summer, then to college-age dependents and Smith students, and finally to high schoolage dependents. A waiting list will be started for applicants who are not placed initially. (Mark Carmien, ext. 2288; mcarmien@jessie.smith.edu.) Ski Trip The student affairs office is sponsoring a skiing and snowboarding trip to Mount Snow in southern Vermont on Sunday, March 7, for students, other Smith community members and their friends -- whatever their abilities on the slopes. Bus transportation will be provided. The group rate is based on a minimum of 20 participants. Group-rate package options include: lift only, $38; lift and ski or snowboard lesson, $62; lift and ski rental, $64; lift and snowboard rental, $67; lift, ski rental and lesson, $88; lift, snowboard rental and lesson, $91; learn-to-ski or -snowboard package, $38. Children's rates are available upon request. Sign up (first-come, first-served) and pay in full in the student affairs office, College Hall 24, before Thursday, March 4. Chapel Innovations In response to requests, beginning February 22 the Chapel will have weekly "Silence for the Soul" hours every Monday from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. All Smith community members are invited for quietude with meditative music; stay for three minutes or more. In addition, space has been set aside upstairs next to the Hindu prayer space for anyone seeking quietude for prayer, meditation or reflection; it is open to all, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. A book has been placed in the foyer in which people can write about spiritual concerns, and the chaplains are available to all during times of joy and times of struggle. Sunnyside Open House On March 8 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Sunnyside Child Care Center is holding an open house for parents and other community members interested in enrolling their children at the center. Meet the staff and visit with center parents. Smith-affiliated families have priority for Sunnyside placements. (Debra Horton, ext. 2293.) Girls' Softball Clinics The Smith softball team is holding clinics for girls in grades 5 through 8. Sessions will be held in the Indoor Track and Tennis Facility on Saturday, March 6, from 9 a.m. to noon for fifth and sixth graders and from 1 to 4 p.m. for seventh and eighth graders. Participants should bring a softball glove and wear shorts, a T-shirt, sweats and court shoes. Fee: $10 per participant. (Bonnie May, ext. 2713.) Kids' Night Out The next Kids' Night Out is Friday, March 5. The cost is $10 for the first child registered from a given family and $5 for each additional sibling. Register at the information booth on the first floor of Ainsworth gym or call Kim Bierwert at extension 2722. Preregistration is preferred, but walk-ins are welcome. Check in by the glass doors at the entrance on the first floor of Ainsworth. Lunar New Year The Asian Students Association of Smith College cordially invites all members of the college community to join in its celebration of the Lunar New Year. Meant to assure good fortune and prosperity, the celebration will include a performance of the traditional Chinese lion dance, a demonstration of kung-fu, traditional Korean games (with prizes for winning teams), various arts and crafts activities (including Chinese calligraphy), a movie and much more. All of this and a buffet of delicious Chinese and Korean food will be included in the general admission ($5; $3 for children under 16). The celebration will take place February 26 from 6 to 9 p.m. in Davis ballroom. Tickets will be sold at the door. (Ext. 7249 or 7259.) Faculty & Staff Food Drive The Activities Committee of Staff Council has organized its annual Have a Heart food drive for the Northampton Survival Center. Boxes with lists of desired nonperishable food items will be placed in many buildings across campus between February 15 and March 1. Make a difference: help feed a family in need by placing your contribution in one of the boxes. (Cindy Rucci, ext. 2923; crucci@library.smith.edu.) |
Cancellation The Downhill Ski Night listed for Friday, February 26, in the Smith College appointment calendar has been canceled due to the closing of the ski area. Shizumi Tickets The Fine Arts Council is offering 10 tickets at $9 each for Smith students wishing to attend the performance by Shizumi at UMass's Bowker Auditorium on Saturday, March 6, at 8 p.m. A consummate master of ballet, modern dance, Japanese folk dance and Noh and Kyogen theater, Shizumi explores timeless themes-the moon, love, the seasons-in a spellbinding synthesis of Japanese dance, theater, art and literature. Tickets are on sale at the SGA Office, Clark Hall. Rotary Scholarships Rotary Club International Scholarships cover either a first year at a foreign graduate school or a three-month cultural scholarship. Students must apply through their hometown Rotary Club office. Deadline for 200001 awards: April 9. (CDO, ext. 2570; Liz Lee, ext. 4913.) Brit Bus Students interested in traveling, working or studying in the United Kingdom are urged to visit the red double-decker British bus which will be parked next to Chapin House all day on Monday, February 22. The bus will promote "Britain on a Budget" and is coming to Smith through the efforts of Arinne Edelman '99, one of 16 U.S. students selected to be a student ambassador to Britain. Textbook Returns The Grécourt Bookshop will begin returning unsold textbooks to their publishers during the first week of March. Please purchase all of your textbooks before then. Summer School in Korea As of February 24 the Office for International Study (OIS) will have application forms for the 1999 Ewha Womans University Visiting Students Program. Students chosen for the program will receive a tuition waiver but must pay their own room and board costs. Brochures are available in OIS, on the third floor of Clark Hall. Application deadline: March 9. (Liz Lee, ext. 4913.) Publication Job The Office of College Relations is seeking a student to key and edit the entries for the 1997-98 Smith College Faculty Record. The ideal candidate will be interested in and have a flair for bibliography and editing. She will also have an infinite capacity to attend to detail, maintain stylistic consistency, logically extend existing guidelines to accommodate unforeseen variant entries, and take note of and hunt down missing information. The student will receive a credit on the book's title page. (John Sippel, ext. 2180; jsippel@colrel.smith.edu.) Work-Study Job Eating TLC and Health Education seek a work-study employee to work four to six hours per week. She must be dependable, detail-oriented and interested in program development; artistic and computer- graphics skills are desirable. Preference will be given to students who will be on campus next year. (MaryCatherine Jones, ext. 7828; mjones@sophia.smith.edu.) House Community Advisers The Office of Student Affairs is accepting applications from students wishing to serve as house community advisers during the 19992000 school year. Candidates must be in good academic standing, with a GPA above 2.5. Leadership experience is strongly preferred. Applications are available at College Hall 24 and the CDO. Application deadline: Monday, March 1. To learn more, see your RC or HR or call Jennifer Matos AC at extension 2234. CDO Deadlines Résumés for full-time positions at DMB&B Advertising and Technology Exchange Co. or for internships at Dun and Bradstreet, Monadnock Media, the Vineyard Gazette and Wildenstein & Co. are due at CDO no later than February 24. Students wishing to meet on the Mount Holyoke campus with a recruiter from Commonwealth Associates Consulting should submit a cover letter, official transcript, résumé and writing sample to CDO by February 24. |
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