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April 30, 2001
MIAMI HERALD
As citizens and legislators in Florida consider whether to
build a new baseball stadium for the Marlins, economist Andy
Zimbalist, author of "Baseball and Billions" and
"Sports, Jobs and Taxes," urged a closer look at the
facts. In an op-ed, Zimbalist pointed out that linking a new
stadium to positive economic gains is a flawed argument. A more
realistic argument for a new stadium could found in its non-economic
benefits, Zimbalist contended, which could include the "increased
convenience, comfort and amenities of a new facility," as
well as "the higher probability that the Marlins will field
a competitive team." [http://www.miami.com/herald]
April 25, 2001
DALLAS MORNING NEWS
One way to understand the national prerogatives underlying
the Chinese government's decision to shoot down a U.S. surveillance
plane and hold its crew hostage is to examine China's international
foreign policy stances. A particularly evocative example can
be found with regard to Sudan. In an op-ed, professor of English
Eric Reeves noted that China, "more than its Asian
and Western partners, has established a record of terribly cruel
indifference and destructiveness in Sudan," by "fueling
the scorched earth warfare in Sudan's southern oil regions."
Reeves urged the U.S. government to use China's interests in
Sudan as "a carefully calibrated way to punish effectively
the arrogance represented by Chinese actions." Specifically,
he advocated denying Chinese oil interests in Sudan access to
U.S. capital markets. Reeves is on leave from the college and
is preparing a book on Sudan and its civil war. [http://www.dallasnews.com]
April 22, 2001
NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
"Both delightful and troubling" was reviewer David
Levering Lewis' assessment of the material revealed in "Remember
Me to Harlem: The Letters of Langston Hughes and Carl Van Vechten,
1925 - 1964" by assistant professor of Afro-American Studies
Emily Bernard. Bernard edited "a mere fraction"
of the nearly 1,500 letters exchanged between Van Vechten, a
socially prominent white critic and novelist, and Hughes, "who
was to become one of the 20th century's most gifted poets and
interpreters of the black experience." The resulting volume,
Lewis observed, "serves up a textured, ironic, ribald and
frequently poignant interracial friendship between two remarkable
talents." [http://www.nytimes.com/books]
April 20, 2001
CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION
Sociologist Peter Rose found little to like in Showtime's
broadcast of "Varian's War," a profile of the American
journalist Varian Fry who helped rescue thousands of artists
and intellectuals from Vicky France in 1940. In a scholarly review
of the made-for-cable movie, Rose credited the producers with
making "an earnest attempt" to tell the story of a
homegrown hero; nonetheless, he wrote, the work is "filled
with errors of fact" about the Emergency Rescue Committee,
under whose aegis Fry worked, as well as about Fry and his aides,
about the process by which those to be rescued were selected,
and about the role of the French and German authorities. [http://www.chronicle.com]
April 17, 2001
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
"Make time to see it," urged the Chronicle's art
critic, referring to the Smith College Museum of Art's
"American Spectrum show, currently residing at the Museum
of Fine Arts, Houston, while the SCMA undergoes a two-year renovation.
"It's a sober show," the Chronicle observed of the
60 paintings and sculptures, ranging from traditional folk art
to 20th-century modern masterpieces, "yet so full of unexpected
chestnuts, eccentricities and rare sightings, it's a lot of fun,
too." [http://www.chron.com]
April 16, 2001
BOSTON GLOBE
A front-page story on Smith's new Picker Program in Engineering
and Technology focused on the program's innovative linkage of
the liberal arts and engineering - an approach that is expected
to increase significantly the field's appeal to women. "Too
few engineers make a relationship between their work and society,"
explained Domenico Grasso, professor of engineering and
director of the new program. "Students, especially women,
need to understand that engineering has a very serious impact
on the way people live." Student Cara Stepp, who
turned down MIT to join Smith's new program, described the liberal
arts-infused program as "a way to learn about engineering
and not give up everything else." [http://www.boston.com/globe]
The story also ran in the April 22 San Francisco Chronicle
[http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle]
April 13, 2001
USA TODAY
The city of Northampton, Mass. - "home of top-drawer
Smith College" - is one of just twelve towns in the
U.S. designated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation
as a Distinctive Destination for 2001. The award recognizes places
with revitalized Main Streets, historic architecture, controlled
sprawl and sensitivity to their past - "whether it be in
mining, milling or mineral springs." [http://www.usatoday.com]
April 8, 2001
RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY
An extended profile of Smith President Ruth Simmons
- broadcast in native languages, first in Bulgaria and later
in a range of countries, including Iran, Iraq, and the former
Soviet Union - emphasized Simmons' belief in the power of education
to transform live and in the importance of faith in overcoming
adversity. Along the way, the program attempted to convey the
unique character of America's small liberal arts colleges, an
unfamiliar concept to listeners accustomed to state-sponsored
university systems, and the important role of the president in
the college community. Elisha Smith '04 attested to Simmons'
visibility and accessibility to students on campus. Peter
Rose, professor of sociology, noted how wonderful it was
for the Smith community that the president "lives among
them." This close connection to the college, observed Marjorie
Senechal, professor of mathematics, is part of what makes
Simmons so capable of helping people at Smith "realize their
own goals." [http://www.rferl.org]
April 7, 2001
CNN.COM
Professor of Government Steve Goldstein was in great
demand by the media during negotiations over a U.S. spy plane
that was forced to make an emergency landing after a mid-air
collision with a Chinese jet fighter. Goldstein, an expert in
U.S.-China relations, predicted that hard-line stances on both
sides would likely make a quick resolution impossible. "China
may well keep the pressure until they detect a U.S. bottom line
but the U.S. bottom line may get harder as negotiations go on,"
he explained. [http://asia.cnn.com]
April 5, 2001
USA TODAY
The comedy film "Just Visiting," a remake of the
French blockbuster "Les Visiteurs," is the latest in
a mixed history of attempts to translate foreign movies into
an American milieu. "American filmmakers say, 'Wow!' What
a great story when they see a movie like "Les Visiteurs,"
explained sociologist Rick Fantasia, whose research focuses
on the Americanization of French culture. "But it's really
only a great story in the French context." [http://www.usatoday.com]
April 2, 2001
NPR "TALK OF THE NATION"
Economist Andy Zimbalist, author of "Baseball
and Billions: A Probing Look Inside the Big Business of Our National
Pastime" and co-author of "Sports, Jobs & Taxes:
The Economic Impact of Sports Teams and Stadiums," joined
TOTN host Juan Williams in a program segment designed to let
NPR listeners know what to expect this baseball season, both
on and off the field. [http://www.npr.org/programs/totn]
********************
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