News for the Smith College Community //October 25, 2001
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Cromwell Day Asks: Who Owns Culture? Does anyone own his or her culture? That's the question reflected in the theme of this year's Otelia Cromwell Day celebration, "The Politics of Culture: Appropriation, Appreciation, Interrogation." The week of festivities, from Sunday, October 28, through Sunday, November 4, will focus on personal ownership of culture and social mores of cultural appropriation. "What does it mean when different groups use the culture of others for self-expression, to sell goods, to create a personal identity?" asks the Otelia Cromwell Day symposia brochure. "Does any group own its culture?" Otelia Cromwell Day, which is officially on Thursday, November 1, is named for the first known African-American to graduate from Smith. Cromwell, who graduated in 1900, eventually became a professor and chair of the English Language and Literature Department at Miner Teachers College in Washington, D.C. The author of three books and many articles, she received an honorary degree from Smith in 1950. A day was established in Cromwell's honor to provide the college community with an opportunity for further education and reflection about issues of diversity and racism. The symposium "builds on a theme to get people involved in a long-term discussion, to provoke sustained discussions on diversity," says Brenda Allen, assistant to the president and director of institutional diversity, and a co-chair of the Otelia Cromwell Day planning committee. "Where do we all fit in? Otelia Cromwell Day allows us to put these kinds of complex issues before the community." e event's keynote address will take place on November 1. Gina Dent, a visiting scholar in the Department of Rhetoric at the University of California at Berkeley, will discuss "Incarceration, Americanization, Exportation: Prisons on TV" from 1:10 to 2:30 p.m. in Sweeney Concert Hall, Sage. Her lecture will explore the ways that representations of prisons become sources of race-specific culture that are then exchanged and appropriated. Dent is best known for her book Black Popular Culture, a collection of discussions by black artists, scholars and cultural critics on issues such as essentialism, materialism and sexuality. Black Popular Culture, published in 1992, was named Best Book of the Year by the Village Voice. At 4 p.m., Dent will also lead a discussion on "The Intersections Between Cultural Appreciation and Appropriation: Lessons Learned" that will build on small-group discussions held earlier in the day. The week of events will kick off on Sunday, October 28, with a 2 p.m. "Sacred Jazz Concert" in the chapel, featuring jazz pianist Trudy Pitts and Mr. C. & Friends. At 7 p.m. on Sunday, a screening of Spike Lee's film Bamboozled, a commentary on the history of minstrelsy in American theater, will take place in Wright Auditorium. The film will be shown again on Tuesday, October 30, at 9 p.m. in Stoddard Auditorium. The film screenings will provide the source material for "Conversations: Bamboozled-The Media, Culture, Psychology and Identity," student discussions led by faculty members in various campus houses on Friday, November 2, at 4 p.m. On Monday, October 29, Hawley Fogg-Davis, a professor of political science at the University of WisconsinMadison, will speak on "The Ethics of Transracial Adoption" at 7 p.m. in Wright Auditorium. Fogg-Davis, who wrote a book by the same title, will then discuss the issue with Barbara Yngvesson, professor of anthropology at Hampshire College. At 7 p.m. on October 30, Sut Jhally, professor of communication at UMass and executive director of the Northampton-based Media Education Foundation, will give a lecture titled "Why Americans Can't Think Straight About Race." Jhally's lecture will analyze how mass media portrayals of racial differences can confuse social understanding of racial stratification. "America cannot think straight about race because it cannot think straight about social class," says Jhally in the symposium brochure. Two theater events will accompany the week-long symposium. On October 31, actor and playwright Magdalena Gomez will present Chopping: A One-Woman Play in which Mina, a Puerto Rican woman, acts out the stories of three women who have influenced her life and identity. The performance will take place at 7 p.m. in Theatre 14 in the Mendenhall Center for the Performing Arts. And on Friday, November 2, at 7 p.m., also in Theatre 14, performance artist Canyon Sam will present Capacity to Enter, a solo play that illustrates the conflicts between desire and identity, and Buddhism and modern-day America. As part of the symposium, "The Fence Project," an interactive exhibition will run throughout the week on the construction fence surrounding the Fine Arts Center renovation project. The fence will be draped with a white canvas fabric; community members can use colored markers placed in canisters around the site to fill the canvas with thoughts, ideas and images pertaining to the week's events and concepts. Otelia Cromwell Day is sponsored by
the Office of Institutional Diversity and the Lecture Committee. A "Power Panel" made up of Smith alums-all Smith trustees as well-will appropriately mark the launch of the first year of Smith's Women and Financial Independence Program with a discussion on Friday, October 26, that will address the need for financial education for girls and women. The "Power Panel" will take place from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in Wright Auditorium. Four alumnae, including writer, editor and Ms. Magazine founder Gloria Steinem, will share with current students things they wished they had known about money and finance when they started out, as well as their perceptions of how financial literacy (or illiteracy) can shape a woman's career and the importance of financial savvy, regardless of life goals. Other panelists are Phoebe Haddon '72, professor of law at Temple University; Ann Kaplan '67, head of the municipal bond department at Goldman, Sachs and Co., who, together with her employees, provided $2.5 million in seed money to launch the Women and Financial Independence Program; and Judy Milestone '66, senior vice-president for network booking at CNN. "Whether you're a museum curator, a CEO or a stay-at-home mother, you need to understand and take charge of your financial life," explains economist Mahnaz Mahdavi, director of the program. "Financial matters are not something to be left to someone else." Moreover, Mahdavi points out, the financial well-being of families is increasingly dependent on the financial knowledge of women. Studies have shown that women today make 80 percent of consumer decisions. Established earlier this year, the Women and Financial Independence Program sponsors several noncredit, evening and lunchtime courses and invited lectures on topics including tax planning, loan and credit card debt management, compensation and salary negotiation, philanthropy, investor responsibility, entrepreneurship and retirement planning. The courses, which are open to the Five College community, require no prerequisites and emphasize quantitative competence and financial literacy as essential life skills. More than 300 people participate in the program's first two courses, "Financing Life," held each Monday at 7:30 p.m. in Stoddard Auditorium, and "Interpreting Financial News," held Wednesdays at 11:50 a.m. in Neilson Browsing Room. For more information on the program, consult www.smith.edu/wfi. Mayor to Share Life Stories and Thoughts For four years now, several times each semester, Smith community members have been gathering at Helen Hills Hills Chapel for a series of noontime talks and shared stories about the actions, decisions and values that have shaped the lives of their colleagues and associates. The series, titled "What Is Education for?" was organized by the chapel's Religious Life staff and features "informal conversation, where the speakers talk about their own life stories and how ethics and values relate to a person's life choices," says Hayat Nancy Abuza, interfaith program coordinator at the chapel. On Tuesday, October 30, Northampton Mayor Mary Clare Higgins will become the first speaker from outside the immediate Smith community to participate in "What Is Education For?" when she shares her thoughts on the convictions and commitments that have informed her choices and career. Higgins' participation in the series is part of a push to expand its focus and include people and perspectives from outside the academic community, says Abuza. "In the past, students have heard a lot about academic careers, and we wanted to broaden that this year." Indeed, Mayor Higgins' life has been shaped, not by academics, but by activism. "The large part of her career has been as an activist," says Abuza, "specifically as a labor activist with daycare workers, advocating for better wages and better working conditions." Higgins has been a childcare teacher and center director, a program director for the Hampshire Community Action Commission, and a union representative for the Western Massachusetts district of the Day Care Workers' Union. She also "developed and directed a comprehensive program for adolescent parents and their children," Abuza adds. Since her election to the mayoral office in 2000, Higgins has not faltered in her personal dedication to community causes. She has been a member of the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women since 1998, and is the chair of the Northampton State Hospital Citizens' Advisory Committee. She was also a founding board member of the Northampton Area Land Trust. "What Is Education for?" has earned the enthusiastic support of Smith's new dean of religious life, Jennifer Walters, who "is really committed to making the chapel a place where we will explore personal ethics and moral values through the kinds of programs that we bring and organize there," says Abuza. Speakers in the series are asked to address "the link between their intellectual pursuits and the way their ethics and values are acted out in their everyday lives," according to a description of the series on the chapel Web site. Abuza says the series is "one of the most popular programs that the chapel has offered. Sometimes students find out things about their professors that they may never have discovered, even after one or two semesters of courses with them, because the professors speak very personally and meaningfully." Higgins' talk -- as are all the series sessions -- is open to the Smith community. It will take place from noon to 1 p.m. in the chapel's Bodman Lounge. Lunch will be served. Smith Ombudsperson Adrianne Andrews will speak in the series on Tuesday, November 13. New Wall Gives Chance to Climb Higher Amid all the noise and upheaval of the large-scale construction projects on campus, an exciting new addition came quickly and quietly to the Ainsworth Gymnasium last summer. Adjacent to the gym, the one-room addition features plenty of open space, but its centerpiece is a 30-foot rockclimbing wall and a complement of brand-new climbing equipment. "It's a really nice wall with a lot of good features," says Scott Johnson, outdoor adventure coordinator in the exercise and sports studies department, who has 12 years of climbing experience. Among the features he refers to is a realistically sculpted wall that resembles an outcrop of rock and gives the feel of a real climb. Affixed to the wall are several marked routes labeled with tape and rated according to difficulty level. "You can make your climbs as hard or as easy as you want," says Sonia Fortin AC. "It's a fun place." Activity on the wall, which is open to Smith students, faculty and staff, "is starting slowly, but picking up as people start to hear about it," Johnson says. New harnesses, shoes and climbing gear are available to members of the college community with Smith I.D. card and clinics are held at the wall every Tuesday and Thursday, from 4 to 6 p.m., and Friday from 10 a.m. to noon, to teach beginners how to use the ropes and to give more experienced climbers an opportunity to test out of the lessons. Open climbing hours are every Tuesday,
Wednesday and Thursday, 8:30-10:30 p.m.; Friday, 7-9 p.m.; and
Saturday and Sunday, 1-5 p.m. ScoreBoard Soccer Field hockey Volleyball Equestrian 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).
Technology Advisory Group Fall Preview Red Cross Annual Meeting College Policy on Student and Employee
Records Faculty and Staff Annual Open Enrollment Denim Day Results Human Resources Fair 2001 Potluck Dinner Halloween at Smith Club Students Students' Aid Society Final Examinations Change in Student Payroll Schedule Health Services Exams Mellon Fellowships College Initiative for Diversity
Awareness Advisers Study Abroad Meeting Urban Education Initiative Picker Semester-in-Washington Program Save the Date Museum Studies Course Study Skills Workshops |
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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. Sunday, October 28 Film Missing, starring Sissy Spacek and Jack Lemmon. The story of Charles Horman, who was killed by Chile's Pinochet dictatorship in 1973. His widow, Joyce, will speak on Monday, October 29. 7:30 p.m., Seelye 106* Monday, October 29 Lectures/Symposia Lecture "Libations to the River Moon: The Culture of Wine in Chinese Literature." Pingqui An, professor of Chinese literature and director, Center for Ancient Chinese Classics and Archives, Beijing University. 4:30 p.m., Seelye 313 Panel "The Ethics of Transracial Adoption." Hawley Fogg-Davis, visiting scholar, University of Chicago; political science department, University of WisconsinMadison. Part of the Otelia Cromwell Day symposium. (See story, page 1.) Reception follows in Wright Common Room. 7 p.m., Wright Auditorium* Lecture "Prime
Minister Junichiro Koizumi's Year of Living Dangerously: Japan
Confronts Its Past, Present and Future." William L. Brooks,
chief of the Office of Translation and Media Analysis, Political
Section, American Embassy, Tokyo. Lecture "Financing Life." Randy Bartlett, economics. Open to the Five College community. Sponsor: Women and Financial Independence: The Smith College Program in Financial Education. 7:30 p.m., Stoddard Auditorium Lecture "Putting the Pinochet Government on Trial: The Case of Charles Horman." Joyce Horman, widow of Charles Horman, who was killed by Chile's Pinochet dictatorship in 1973, and whose death was documented in the movie Missing. 7:30 p.m., Seelye 109* Meetings/Workshops Presentation of the major Afro-American studies. Noon, Dewey Common Room Presentation of the major Biological sciences. 12:10 p.m., McConnell 404 Presentation of the major and minor Dance; and a preview of the faculty concert. 4 p.m., Crew House 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 Presentation of the major Russian. 4 p.m., Hatfield 107 Presentation of the major French. 4:30 p.m., Hatfield 106 Presentation of the major and minor History. Refreshments served. 4:30 p.m., Wright Common Room Presentation of the major and minor German studies. Meet students who spent JYA in Hamburg. Pizza served. 6 p.m., Hatfield 204 Meeting Smith Democrats. 6:30 p.m., Davis Downstairs Lounge JYA informational meeting on Hamburg. Learn about the program from next year's director and returned students. 6:45 p.m., Hatfield 204 Religious Life Service "Repairing the World: Reflections on Hope in Troubled Times." Readings, meditation and a message of hope. All welcome. Sponsor: Office of the Chaplains. 12:30-12:50 p.m., Chapel* Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Bible Study. For more information, call Jessica, ext. 7237. 7:45 p.m., Lawrence House Other Events/Activities Computer science TA lunch table Noon, Duckett Special Dining Room C Yoga class Noncredit, for students. All levels. 4:45-6 p.m., Davis Ballroom Tuesday, October 30 Lectures/Symposia Lecture "What Is Education for?" Mary Clare Higgins, mayor of Northampton, will speak about her journey as an activist and politician. (See story, page 4.) Lunch provided. Sponsor: Office of the Chaplains. Noon-1 p.m., Bodman Lounge, Chapel Lecture "Why America Can't Think Straight About Race." Sut Jhally, professor of communication, UMass, and founder and executive director of Media Education Foundation. Part of the Otelia Cromwell Day celebration. (See story, page 1.) 7 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room* Lecture "New Things in a New Way: Savonarola as the Catalyst of Change." Alison Brown, Ruth and Clarence Kennedy Professor in Renaissance Studies, emerita professor, Royal Holloway, University of London. Third and final lecture in the Kennedy series. 7:30 p.m., Wright Auditorium Performing Arts/Films Film Bamboozled (2000). Spike Lee, director. A powerful satire and social commentary on the history and continued presence of minstrels in film and television. Sponsor: Otelia Cromwell Day planning committee. 9 p.m., Stoddard Auditorium* Meetings/Workshops Weight Watchers at Work All welcome. 1 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room* Presentation of the major Women's studies. 3:45 p.m., Seelye 207 Meeting Amnesty International 4:45 p.m., Chapin House Presentation of the minor Environmental science and policy, and marine sciences. 4:15 p.m., Engineering 102 SITA informational meeting Meet the campus adviser to learn about this program in India. 5 p.m., Third Floor Resource Room, Clark Presentation of the minor Archaeology. Refreshments served. 5 p.m., Dewey Common Room Presentation of the major Art, including information about studio, art history and architecture programs. Refreshments served. 5 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room Presentation of the major Third World development studies. 5 p.m., Seelye 102 Presentation of the major Biochemistry. Dinner follows. 5:30 p.m., Math Forum, Burton Third Floor Presentation of the major Music. Pizza provided. 5:30 p.m., Green Room, Sage Associated Kyoto Program informational meeting Located on the campus of Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan, the program offers language study, home stays, elective courses, and an opportunity to live in a dynamic society. Requirements include one year of Japanese language and a nonlanguage course on Japan. 7 p.m., Seelye 102 SGA Senate meeting Open forum. All students welcome. 7:15 p.m., Seelye 201 Meeting Celebration of Sisterhood campus meeting. 10 p.m., Seelye 101 Religious Life Service "Repairing the World: Reflections on Hope in Troubled Times." See 10/29 listing. 12:30-12:50 p.m., Chapel* Meeting Newman Association.
Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Bible Study. For more information, call Andy, ext. 7348. 9 p.m., Lamont House 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 Language lunch tables Chinese, German. Noon, Duckett Special Dining Rooms A, B (alternate weekly) 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, Drew Stargazing 8-9 p.m., McConnell Observatory Wednesday, October 31 Lectures/Symposia Chemistry/Biochemistry lunch chat An informal departmental seminar for students and faculty. 12:10-1:10 p.m., McConnell 403a Performing Arts/Films Film The Fight Against Slavery (1975). Dramatization of the Atlantic slave trade and the abolition of slavery in Britain in 1772. Further episodes follow on November 8. All welcome. 7:30 p.m., Seelye 106 Concert Avanti Wind Quintet: Christopher Krueger, flute; Fredric Cohen, oboe; Michael Sussman, clarinet; Laura Klock, horn; and Stephen Walt, bassoon. Works by Alvin Etler and Jennifer Griffith, and a new work by Smith faculty composer Donald Wheelock. Tickets (call 585-ARTS): $7, general; $3, students; free to enrolled Smith music students. 8 p.m., Sweeney Concert Hall, Sage* Meetings/Workshops Presentation of the major Jewish Studies. Noon, Dewey Common Room Presentation of the major Theatre. 4 p.m., Green Room, Mendenhall CPA Presentation of the major Religion. 4:15 p.m., Wright Common Room JYA informational meeting on Florence. Meet with next year's director and returned JYA students. 4:30 p.m., Hatfield 105 Presentation of the major Comparative literature. 5:15 p.m., Seelye 102 Religious Life Hillel at Noon Alon Friedman, Israeli guest speaker. Ask questions and share thoughts about Israeli life and politics. Sponsors: Hillel, Hamagshimim. Noon, Kosher Kitchen, Dawes Service "Repairing the World: Reflections on Hope in Troubled Times." See 10/29 listing. 12:30-12:50 p.m., Chapel* 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 Language lunch tables Spanish and Portuguese. Noon, Duckett Special Dining Rooms A, B Halloween party for children and families of faculty and staff, and from area shelters. Food, games, storytelling. Sponsor: Newman Association. 4-6:30 p.m., Bodman Lounge, Chapel 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 Halloween costume dance Take a mid-week break and put on your best costume! Sponsor: Smith Life and Learning. 8 p.m., Davis Ballroom |
Thursday, November 1 Lectures/Symposia Discussion "The Intersections Between Cultural Appreciation and Appropriation." Gina Dent will lead Smith faculty in topics relating to small-group discussions that follow her keynote address. 4-5 p.m., Sweeney Concert Hall, Sage Performing Arts/Films Theater In the Fullness of Time. Fulbright scholar-in-residence Juliana Okoh's play about female circumcision and the impact on women of Nigeria's patriarchal system. 7:30 p.m., Earle Recital Hall* Concert Diane Monroe, a master of classical and jazz violin, who has appeared in concert with Yo-Yo Ma, Ethos Percussion Ensemble and many others. Tickets: $7, general; $3, students and seniors. 8 p.m., Sweeney Concert Hall, Sage* Meetings/Workshops Meeting MassPIRG. All
welcome. Meeting Smith TV. 7 p.m., Media Resources Center 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* Roman Catholic Mass
In celebration of All Saints Day. Fr. Stephen-Joseph Ross, OCD,
celebrant, and Elizabeth Carr, Catholic chaplain. Newman meeting 7-8:30 p.m., Bodman Lounge, Chapel Intervarsity Christian Fellowship 10 p.m., Bodman Lounge, Chapel 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 Friday, November 2 Lectures/Symposia Performing Arts/Films Meetings/Workshops Meeting Smith Science Fiction and Fantasy Society. Animé, gaming, sci-fi, fantasy and people who like sci-fi people. 4:30 p.m., Seelye 208 Religious Life Shabbat Services Dinner follows in the Kosher kitchen, Dawes. 5:30 p.m., Dewey Common Room. Other Events/Activities Language lunch table Hebrew. Noon, Duckett Special Dining Room C Saturday, November 3 Lectures/Symposia Performing Arts/Films Meetings/Workshops Other Events/Activities Sunday, November 4 Performing Arts/Films Meetings/Workshops Meeting Smith African Students Association. All welcome. 4 p.m., Mwangi Center, Lilly Meeting Feminists of
Smith Unite. Religious Life Quaker (Friends) meeting for worship. Preceded by informal discussion at 9:30 a.m. Childcare available. 11 a.m., Bass 203, 204* Meeting Smith Baha'i Club. 2 p.m., Dewey Common Room Roman Catholic Mass Fr. Stephen-Joseph Ross, OCD, celebrant, and Elizabeth Carr, Catholic chaplain. Special guest Sr. Lily Quintos, RC. Dinner follows in Bodman Lounge. All welcome. 4:30 p.m., Chapel Christian Prayer Meeting Smith Christian Fellowship. 6 p.m., Wright Common Room Other Events/Activities CDO open hours for library research and browsing. Peer advisers available. 1-4 p.m., CDO Exhibitions The Politics of Culture: Appropriation, Appreciation, Interrogation An interactive art project that gives members of the Smith community an opportunity to respond to the lectures, discussions, workshops and performances presented in celebration of Otelia Cromwell Day, an annual six-day symposium devoted to issues of racial and cultural diversity. Part of the Museum of Art project On the Fence: Public Art in Public Space. October 28 through November 4. Fine Arts Center Construction Fence* The Henry L. Seaver Collections: A Celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Henry L. Seaver's Stunning Bequest Through December. Mortimer Rare Book Room vestibule, Neilson Library, third floor* Paradise Gate A site-specific architectural sculpture made of natural materials, by North Carolina sculptor Patrick Dougherty, which will remain on campus all year. Sponsors: Smith College Museum of Art; Botanic Garden. Burton Lawn* The Journey Not the Arrival: Anne Morrow Lindbergh, 1906-2001 An exhibition of rare materials from special collections, chronicling the life of the aviator, author and 1928 Smith graduate. Through October 31. Neilson Library, Morgan Gallery (entrance corridor) and third floor* Linear Dimensions Recent figurative works, including paintings, drawings and sculptures, by Eileen Kane '67. Through Oct. 31. Alumnae House Gallery* |
