News for the Smith College Community //March 7, 2002
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On the morning of February 14, when residents of Emerson House headed to breakfast, they were surprised to find 87 red and white balloons bobbing up and down in the dining room. Each of the balloons was tied to a handwritten valentine -- one for every resident. The balloons, which had arrived clandestinely in the night, were a thoughtful surprise orchestrated not by a house member, but by Maryanne Pacitti, a groundskeeper with the Botanic Garden. No wonder Pacitti was the winner of this year's Elizabeth B. Wyandt Gavel Award, presented each year by students to a Smith staff member for outstanding service on their behalf. Pacitti received the award at the All-College Meeting in January. The Valentine's Day balloons are just one example of her thoughtfulness. In her two years as a Smith staff member, Pacitti has done as much to brighten students' lives as she has to beautify the campus. "She's just really friendly and open and she couldn't do enough for anyone," attests Rachel Cole '04, an Emerson House resident (and balloon recipient) who works with Pacitti in the Botanic Garden and nominated her for the award. "She has such a good heart, and she just wants to see everyone happy and help everyone out." Pacitti's dedication to the students with whom she works and those she sees around campus has affected Cole's life at Smith as well as the lives of several students who suppported the nomination. "She's done amazing things for me and a lot of my friends," Cole explains. "She provided us with the chance to go to Martha's Vineyard during Parents' Weekend, and she makes it possible to get off campus and retain our sanity. She's always there to lend a hand or an ear. She has made my time at Smith 100 percent more tolerable. She wants to help out the students, to see the students here happy, and she thinks that's what the campus is here for." When Pacitti talks about her work, her devotion to Smith students is clear. After 20 years in the landscaping business, she decided to apply for a position at Smith's Botanic Garden two years ago. She arrived on campus armed with plenty of convictions about how her job should be done. First, Pacitti maintains that "there are certain buildings on campus that should look perfect all the time," including College Hall, the Alumnae House, the admission building and Helen Hills Hills Chapel. Second, she wholeheartedly believes that her work should focus on students. "If the kids weren't here, I wouldn't be here," she says. "It's all about the kids." Pacitti works closely with students every day; she supervises several student workers and serves as house fellow for Haven House (and honorary house fellow for Emerson). "The nicest thing about it is that the kids are just so extraordinary," she says, adding that she enjoys teaching and learning from the students she encounters. The exchange, says Pacitti, makes her work "exciting every day. You never know what's going to happen." Pacitti was delighted to win the Gavel Award. She would like to have thanked every Smith student when she received it. "I didn't know how to reach all the kids at once," she says. "So I put a copy of [a thank-you letter] in each of the house presidents' boxes." In the letter, Pacitti wrote, "I'd like to express my absolute joy and honor in receiving the Elizabeth B. Wyandt Gavel Award. As you all know I am surrounded daily by a gifted, talented, and nurturing student body that compares to noneto all that thought, felt, and believed in the words that were spoken about me, I am proud to be your guide." Students who know and have worked with Pacitti are equally happy for her. "I was ecstatic that she won," says Cole. "I'm just so pleased that she's getting some recognition for all that she's done." "I thought she was exactly what
they were looking for in the award," adds Sara Coons '04,
who was among the students who seconded Pacitti's nomination,
"and I think she deserves an award." At its February meeting, the Smith College Board of Trustees took the following actions:
Emergency: Send SCEMS If it's around the weekend and you're a student in need of emergency medical assistance, don't be surprised when one of your fellow students comes to the rescue brandishing a tank full of oxygen and medical equipment, ready to help. That would be one of the members of SCEMS. Unless you've required their assistance, you may not have heard of SCEMS. It's Smith College Emergency Medical Services, a group of trained students who assist the Department of Public Safety in responding to emergency medical calls on campus from Thursday through Sunday. "If you need assistance of any kind, you dial Public Safety as you normally would, and SCEMS gets there first or around the same time," explains SCEMS chief Megan Wills '02. The group, which was founded in 1996 by Emily Singer '97 and Melisa Ruiz '98, is made up of 24 Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and some 16 first responders this year. SCEMS volunteers take 30 hours of training to become first responders and are certified in CPR and other forms of first aid. To become EMTs, students complete an intensive course (most SCEMS members participate in a three-week January session) and pass a Massachusetts state exam to earn certification. Wills, who became involved in SCEMS as a first-year student, "certified in the fall as a first responder and in the spring as an EMT," she says. Her desire to become an EMT was motivated by "a general interest in knowing how to control an emergency situation. I'd been a lifeguard before, and I'd been in a situation where I needed to use CPR, and I just realized that whatever you do, situations come up, and if you're qualified and can handle it, you should do what you can to help." Members of SCEMS dedicate a considerable amount of time and energy to assisting with whatever weekend situations arise on the Smith campus. For each shift, they don their uniforms (a SCEMS t-shirt and comfortable pants; a pager for supervisors) and wait for emergency calls. "At night you also wear a radio and carry equipment with you," Wills adds. "EMTs have a full oxygen tank with all the equipment." Friday and Saturday nights are usually the group's busiest nights, with up to five emergency calls a night. "As soon as Public Safety is called, we get a call on our radio and get to the house as quickly as possible," explains Wills. SCEMS has responded to emergencies ranging from students who have had too much to drink to students experiencing panic attacks. Though students often seem surprised to be treated by their peers, they are ultimately reassured by the presence of fellow students, Wills believes. "It's less intimidating to have students working with you," she says. "SCEMS isn't there to get anyone in trouble. We encourage people to call." For students eager to help their peers, working with SCEMS has its rewards. "I think there's a sense of community," Wills says. "It's nice to be involved in an on-campus group, and it's just generally exciting to be on call -- to get a call, to go to the scene, to be in control of the situation and be there to help other students. It definitely prepares you if you're interested in emergency medicine, although many of our members are English and art history majors who just want to be prepared" for emergency situations. Having the skills to assist in emergencies outside the college community has its benefits as well, Wills recently learned. "A couple of summers ago, I was on a bus in Boston, and a man went into seizures and someone was saying, 'We need a paramedic!' And it just kind of dawned on me: 'Wait, I'm an EMT,' and I got to help out with that." That's a skill, and an opportunity, that few other memberships can provide. Notes From Study Abroad So Close and Yet So Far This is the second installment of a series of essays written for AcaMedia by students studying abroad, from locations around the world. By Jamey Borell '03 and Aliya Niazi '03 We each came to Europe for a change of pace. Instead, we found ourselves living three doors away from each other, closer in our dorm at the London School of Economics (LSE) than as housemates last year in Scales House. The problem: how can you have a unique Junior Year Abroad when there is a familiar face so nearby? Despite our proximity and a few shared encounters, we have had surprisingly different experiences overseas. Here is a sample of things we have done our own way this year -- and a few observations about London in general: Food. We both fell in love with the same takeaway (British for "takeout") shop during the first week of school. If it weren't for the sandwiches made with ciabatta at Don Quixote's, we would probably starve. But Jamey has actually learned to cook stuff that doesn't come in a can and Aliya has befriended others who will cook for her. Shelter. Living in the same dorm is helpful when you want to talk about senior banquet or snow emergency emails from Smith. Sometimes it almost seems as though we have switched personalities. At Smith, Jamey had to be cornered for house meetings; now she bums around the dorm until the wee hours and knows all 150 residents. Aliya was unaware that there were 150 residents until Jamey informed her; at Smith, she had to be dragged out of the house and rarely saw the world outside the bubble. Clothing. Put away those jumpers (American translation: sweaters) that are so necessary in Northampton. An umbrella is the requisite JYA London fashion accessory. Jamey finally succumbed and bought her souvenir French Connection UK T-shirt. Aliya got a job for the free clothing that comes with it. Entertainment. Believe it or not, a London version of TAP exists in LSE's weekly party called "Crush." But if that's not your thing, London holds an infinite number of cultural possibilities, from plays and musicals to the Tate Modern Art Gallery. Jamey, who was frequently sighted at TAP, is frequently sighted at Crush. Aliya: My Fair Lady? Warhol? Been there, done that. Communications. We consider it a priority to stay in touch with folks at Smith, especially those in Scales House. How do we cope? Jamey spends too much time using Instant Messenger in the dorm's computer lab. Aliya spends too much time on Instant Messenger in her room. Academics: We have not forgotten that we still have to study this year. We never really knew how different "uni" was in England until we heard of Smithies taking midterms just a week after we started our yearlong classes, or when we got up to go to school on Thanksgiving Day. However, we have learned to work the high-security library system and not to stress when faced with a 20-page reading list. People. We've connected with people here from all over the world. Jamey has spent many quality hours with Germans in and outside the dorm learning useful words such as "trumpf" (trump) when playing cards. Despite the occasional language barriers, she has realized that college students have many similar experiences. Aliya has broadened her horizons to encompass the rock-climbing club, where she has discovered that fear, trust and stupidity are somewhat universal. So Smithies, don't be offended by the lack of postcards from us. We'll be back in the fall, ready to don our senior hats and tell more than a few crazy stories of our adventures in London. Her Mission: Good Manners For Everyone When Sonya Yelder, a chef at the Smith College Club, took her nieces and nephews out to dinner one recent evening, she was dismayed. "I was less impressed with their behavior than I should have been," Yelder says diplomatically, sighing over the lack of etiquette displayed by the children. "And it wasn't just my nieces and nephews, it was other kids, too," she adds. "They were behaving in a way that my parents would have never allowed." Rather than uselessly wringing her hands over the fact that, as she says, "basic courtesy has gone the way of the wind," Yelder decided to take action. Her full-scale offensive against bad manners began last October when she began offering classes in good behavior for children and adults. Since then, she has taught several courses on etiquette and good manners at schools, public libraries and even in her home to children and adults. So far, her efforts have been a success. "I've gotten a lot of calls," says Yelder, who sometimes teaches four classes in one day. "There are some people who think [manners] are really important." Yelder's own emphasis on etiquette springs from her childhood when she spent summers at her grandmother's house in Georgia. Every evening, she recalls, the whole family would gather for dinner and everyone was expected to be on their best behavior. And though Yelder would have liked to have spent those days playing with friends and relatives that she only saw in the summer, "I had to polish the silver before I could go play," she laments. While they were an important part of her upbringing, manners did not originally play a part in Yelder's planned career path. She attended UMass in Amherst with a concentration in hotel, restaurant and travel administration, then went to Paris and London for culinary school. "The British, if nothing else, are into a lot of traditional things," she observes, "which is probably why I really liked it there. That's what my grandmother thought was important and I hope to pass it on to my nieces and nephews." Those ill-mannered nieces and nephews who provided the inspiration for Yelder's etiquette courses were also the first to attend them. "I did a test pilot class with my nieces and nephews, and had a five-course meal for them in my home," she explains. "They did learn some things, though kids that don't know me, that don't see me all the time, are more curious to learn more. I'm not a parent, teacher or relative, telling them what to do." Indeed, the children who fill Yelder's courses are often enthusiastic listeners and learners. Yelder spends an hour and a quarter teaching her students etiquette, rules regarding table settings and dining out and how to properly handle correspondence and telephone conversation. She then sends the students away with a folder of reminders and material to review. Ideally, the children head home eager to practice what they've learned. "Some parents' kids now set the table," Yelder notes. "It's fun when you're young," she adds wryly. But young people aren't the only ones who can benefit from Yelder's instruction. She also teaches a four-week class for adults, providing them with instructions on good behavior for "everything from cocktail parties to dinner -- basically, entertaining in the business world," she says. While her younger students "are very curious because they're less inclined to think they know everything, adults don't know but are reluctant to learn," Yelder adds. Yelder is interested in spreading good
etiquette to everyone, regardless of age or attitude. And she
enjoys the task. "It's not as much work as it seems,"
she says. "I'm just having a good time doing it, and hopefully
more people will call. My mission statement is to educate as
many people as possible. People think they don't need certain
things, and we all do." ScoreBoard Will return. 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).
Concert for the Homeless Route 66 Reconstruction Adopt-a-Planter Program Prison Book Project Smith Summer Employment Pitching and Catching Clinic Open Batting Cage MCAS Tutors Needed Faculty and Staff American Studies in Japan Students Examinations Housing After May 11 Student Teaching Applications Spring Break Housing Sciences Po Applications Poetry Center Jobs SSAS Grant Deadline Cycles Survey Reminder Fellowships Info Session 2002-03 Alumnae Scholarships Summer Grants Deadline WITI Student Board Peer Writing Assistance Free Counseling Sessions |
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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.
Performing Arts/Films Monday, March 11 Lectures/Symposia Panel "Artists Respond to September 11." Smith faculty members Kiki Gounaridou, Paul Zimet, Monica Jakuc, Ellen Watson, Gretchen Schneider and Susan Waltner will discuss their artistic responses to 9/11 and present work related to responses to traumatic events. 4:15 p.m., Earle Recital Hall, Sage* Chaired Professor lecture "Trouble in Paradise: The Global Coral Reef Crisis, With Examples From Belize and the Bahamas." H. Allen Curran, geology. Reception follows in Seelye 207. 4:30 p.m., Seelye 201* Lecture "Taking Refuge in My Own True Nature: An American Woman's Experience." Susan Moon, Zen practitioner and editor of Turning Wheel. Sponsors: Ada Howe Kent Fund; East Asian studies and religion departments; Women's Studies Program; Lecture Committee. 4:30 p.m., Seelye 106* Lecture "The Spirit of Verga: La Cavalleria Rusticana di D. H. Lawrence." Roberto Dainotto, Duke University. Lecture presented in Italian. 7 p.m., Dewey Common Room Lecture "Pop Culture in the Age of Globalization: The Simpsons and the Globalization of Springfield." Paul Cantor, English, University of Virginia, and author of Gilligan Unbound. 7:30 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room* Lecture "Reflections on the Eames House." Beatriz Colomina, of Princeton University School of Architecture and author of Sexuality and Space, will look at the architectural partnership of Charles and Ray Eames. First lecture in the series "Architecture at Smith: Building, Text, Context." Sponsors: Lecture Committee; art, American studies and engineering departments; Landscape Studies and Urban Studies programs. 7:30 p.m., Stoddard Auditorium Meetings/Workshops Informational session Weekly meeting for students interested in studying abroad, including a review of opportunities and procedures, and a question-and-answer period. 4 p.m., Third Floor Resource Room, Clark Hall Informational meeting Smith TV. 4 p.m., Media Services, Alumnae Gym Meeting MassPIRG internship class. 4:45 p.m., Seelye 310 Meeting Smith Democrats. 6:30 p.m., Davis Downstairs Lounge Workshop "Ten Ways to Achieve Financial Success." Learn ways to manage your money and understand your credit. Refreshments provided. Sponsors: Alumnae Association; MBNA. 7 p.m., Alumnae House Conference Room Meeting Smith Alliance for Low Income Students. Discuss plans for the semester and provide support for students interested in class issues. 7:30 p.m., Hopkins House Meeting Smith Labor Action Coalition. 9 p.m., Women's Resource Center, Davis Center Religious Life Service "Invitation to Silence." Take time for reflection, renewal and respite in the quiet of the chapel. Candles available. All welcome. Noon-1 p.m., Chapel* Other Events/Activities Yoga class Noncredit, for students. All levels. 4:45-6 p.m., Davis Ballroom Kickboxing class Noncredit, for students. Show up any time. 7:30-8:20 p.m., Ainsworth Gym Tuesday, March 12 Lectures/Symposia Lecture "Chemistry Is Electric." Mary Ellen Bowden '64, senior research historian, Chemical Heritage Foundation. Sponsors: Alumnae Association; History of Sciences and Technology Program; chemistry department. Refreshments precede lecture. 4:50 p.m., McConnell 404 Lecture "Where Are the Women? Spirituality and Gender in Islamic Sacred Space." Valerie Hoffman, religion, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Sponsors: religion department; Ada Howe Kent Fund; Office of the Provost. 7:30 p.m., Seelye 106* Reading Gillian Clarke and Menna Elfyn, Welsh poets, read from their work in English and in Welsh. Booksigning follows. (See box, page 1.) 7:30 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room* Lecture "Catherine the Great in Renaissance: New Approaches to Her Life." Mikhail Mikeshin, visiting professor from University of St. Petersburg. 7:30 p.m., Hatfield 107 Meetings/Workshops Workshop "Entrepreneurship: Building an Entrepreneurial Life." Lunch provided. Sponsor: Women and Financial Independence. For more information consult: www.smith.edu/wfi. Noon, Neilson Browsing Room Weight Watchers at Work All welcome. 12:15-1:45 p.m., Dewey Common Room* Meeting Keystone. 4 p.m., Dewey Common Room Presentation of the major and minor Geology. Refreshments served. 4:15 p.m., Sabin Reed 101A Quit Smoking support group Drop in for inspiration to quit. For other quit-smoking resources, call health services, ext. 2824, or consult www.smith.edu/health/smokefree. 4:15 p.m., Women's Resource Center, Davis Center Meeting Amnesty International.
Presentation of the Major East Asian languages and cultures. 7 p.m., Hatfield 205 SGA Senate meeting Open forum. All students welcome. 7:15 p.m., Seelye 201 Meeting MassPIRG Arctic/Energy campaign. New members welcome. 7:30 p.m., Wright 232 Religious Life Episcopal Fellowship meets for worship, friendship and fun. Eucharist, fellowship and light lunch provided. Students, faculty, staff and friends welcome. Noon, St. John's Episcopal Church Living Room* Informal discussion "What Is Education For?" Informal conversation with Nalini Bhushan, philosophy department. Lunch provided. Hosted by Jennifer Walters, dean of religious life. Noon, Upper Gamut, Mendenhall CPA ECC Bible study Student-led discussion of topics raised by the Sunday morning worship community. Snacks provided. All welcome. 10 p.m., Bodman Lounge, Chapel Other Events/Activities Religion lunch table Noon, Duckett Special Dining Room C President's open hours First come, first served. 4-5 p.m., College Hall 20 Yoga class Noncredit, for students. All levels. 4:45-6 p.m., Davis Ballroom CDO open hours for library research and browsing. Peer advisers available. 7-9 p.m., CDO Aerobics class Noncredit, for students. Show up any time. 7:30-8:20 p.m., ESS Fitness Studio
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Wednesday, March 13 Lectures/Symposia Lecture "Before and After 1989: Romanian Theatre and Its Ghosts." Saviana Stanescu, NYU Fulbright Scholar. Sponsor: theatre department. 1:45 p.m., Green Room, Mendenhall CPA* Lecture Samuel Adler, Five College composer-in-residence, will speak and demonstrate his recent work. 3:30 p.m., Sage 216 Meetings/Workshops Faculty Meeting Preceded by tea at 3:45 p.m. 4:10 p.m., Alumnae House Conference Room Meeting Smith TV, to discuss new programming. 7 p.m., Media Services, Alumnae Gym Meeting MassPIRG. 7 p.m., Seelye 310 Workshop Using Microsoft
PowerPoint for students. This workshop will cover the basics
of Microsoft PowerPoint, as well as some of the more advanced
features, such as animation and working with images. Enrollment
limited. To register, send email to 4its@email.smith. Religious Life Catholic Adas gathering and informal discussion/reflection. Lunch served. All welcome. Noon, Bodman Lounge, Chapel Planning meeting for Heads of Religious Organizations and Religious Life Liaisons, led by Jennifer Walters, dean of religious life, and chapel interns. Lunch will be served. Noon-1 p.m., Dewey Common Room Buddhist meditation and discussion. 7:15 p.m., Bodman Lounge, Chapel ECC Bible study Student-led discussion of topics raised by the Sunday morning worship community. Snacks provided. All welcome. 10 p.m., Bodman Lounge, Chapel Other Events/Activities Classics lunch Noon, Duckett Special Dining Room C Yoga class Noncredit, for students. All levels. 4:45-6 p.m., Davis Ballroom Social Events coordinator dinner 5:45 p.m., Duckett Special Dining Room C Kickboxing class Noncredit, for students. Show up any time. 7:30-8:20 p.m., ESS Fitness Studio Karaoke Party Sing to your heart's content and celebrate spring. Sponsor: Smith Life and Learning. 8 p.m., Davis Ballroom Thursday, March 14 Lectures/Symposia Performing Arts/Films Film Weekly showing of animé, Japanese animation. 7 p.m., McConnell B05* Meetings/Workshops Workshop "Entrepreneurship: Building an Entrepreneurial Life." A panel of young women entrepreneurs who are recent liberal arts undergraduates will talk about their career paths. Lunch provided. For more information consult www.smith.edu/wfi. Sponsor: Women and Financial Independence. Noon, Wright Common Room Meeting MassPIRG. All
welcome. Religious Life Drop-in stress reduction and relaxation class with Hayat Nancy Abuza. Refresh body, mind and spirit. Open to all Five College students, staff and faculty. Sponsor: Office of the Chaplains. 4:30-5:30 p.m., Wright Common Room* Meeting Newman Association.
Intervarsity Christian Fellowship 8-9:30 p.m., Wright Common Room Unitarian Universalists meeting Open to all Five College students and faculty who want to talk, play games and have fun together. 8:30 p.m., Bodman Lounge, Chapel Other Events/Activities Language lunch tables Korean, Russian. Noon, Duckett Special Dining Rooms A, B (alternate weekly) Glee Club lunch table Noon, Duckett Special Dining Room C Step intervals class Noncredit, for students. Show up any time. 7:30-8:20 p.m., ESS Fitness Studio Friday, March 15 Lectures/Symposia Meetings/Workshops Religious Life Muslim services Congregational pra-yer preceded by lunch. Noon, Chapel Shabbat Services Dinner follows in the Kosher kitchen, Dawes. 5:30 p.m., Dewey Common Room. Saturday, March 16 Spring Break Performing Arts/Films Sunday, March 17 Religious Life Quaker (Friends) meeting for worship. Preceded by informal discussion at 9:30 a.m. All welcome, childcare available. 11 a.m., Bass 203, 204* Monday, March 18 Spring Break. No events scheduled. Tuesday, March 19 Spring Break Meetings/Workshops Wednesday, March 20--Friday, March 22 Spring Break. No events scheduled. Saturday, March 23 Other Events/Activities Sunday, March 24 Religious Life Other Events/Activities Exhibitions Staff Visions The annual exhibition, featuring artwork by 33 staff members working in media including photography, oil, watercolor, pastel, pencil, porcelain, paper, jewelry and mixed. A gallery talk by participating artists will take place on Wednesday, March 13, at noon. Through March 29. Book Arts Gallery, Third Floor, Neilson Library* Women's Health Time Capsule exhibit. This table-top display portrays a women's health timeline and reflects the message of the Women's Health Time Capsule, which was created by the Office on Women's Health of the federal Department of Health and Human Services to celebrate the office's tenth anniversary and the progress of women's health during the 20th century. The time capsule will be buried on the grounds of the National Institutes of Health during Women's Health Week, which begins on May 12, Mother's Day. For more information about the Women's Health Time Capsule, consult http://www.4woman.gov/ TimeCapsule/. On display March 25-31. McConnell Foyer* Charles E. Skaggs Collection
An exhibition of books and book covers designed by book designer
and calligrapher Charles E. Skaggs. Through March 31. Mortimer
Rare Book Room Entrance, Neilson Library* A Space Odyssey 2001 An exhibition of photographic art by Anne Ross '55, featuring her newest digital images that explore the inner work of dream landscapes and surreal places. Exhibit hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Extended through April 5. Alumnae House Gallery* |
