News for the Smith College Community //April 23, 1998

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Envisioning Our Future--Status Report Building a Diverse Community This report is the last in a series on issues raised in the college's recent self-study.   "... the quality of the educational and social experience Smith can offer is dependent, in part, on our ability to expose students to a rich variety of perspectives and experiences." -- -Envisioning Our Future   Diversity, whether it be in perspectives and experiences or in programs and populations, is not achieved overnight, and it does not come about at all without a serious commitment to the ideal at all levels.   Envisioning Our Future acknowledges that there is work to be done at Smith in further diversifying the student body, faculty and staff, as well as the curriculum and other programming. Support for "those students who feel alienated from the mainstream culture of the college" is also identified as an ingredient central to a successful diversity program. And the report endorses a number of proposals that will move the college along toward all of those objectives.   This year, the Student Government Association gave considerable thought to what "goals and issues are important to us," says Judy Kim '98, outgoing SGA president, and diversity was at the top of the list. As a result of conversations with house presidents, the student senate, cabinet members, Unity House organizations and residential life staff, the SGA identified ways to stake out a place within the institution for a student voice in diversity programming. Implementation of the first part of their two-part proposal is already under way: beginning in the fall, house community advisors will work with revitalized diversity boards to present at least two diversity programs each semester, for which the college will provide funding. Working over the summer, an intern will develop reading materials and other resources to support this effort. The second part of the SGA proposal, which calls for the establishment of a student voice in the programming of all-college diversity events, is still being reviewed but Carmen Santana-Melgoza, special assistant to the president and director of institutional diversity, believes that in some form it too will become part of the 1997­98 SGA legacy at Smith. In Santana-Melgoza's view, this year's SGA project has made a major contribution to Smith's diversity efforts.   Other student-proposed recommendations on diversity issues are offered in the recently completed student self-study report, which has been distributed on campus recently. The report suggests changes in the curriculum and faculty hiring process in the section titled "Multiculturalism at Smith." According to President Ruth Simmons, after a period during which members of the Smith community will have an opportunity to respond to the report, the report's various suggestions will make their way through the appropriate committees of the college for review and possible implementation.   Outreach a Key to Building Bridges One of the most successful avenues to diversifying various campus populations is through outreach that builds long-term relationships with organizations whose memberships include many underrepresented ethnic and racial minorities. To this end, an associate director of admission, Mentha Hynes, will join the Office of Institutional Diversity (OID) as its full-time outreach coordinator on July 1. Hynes reports that, since the announcement of her new assignment, she has received a number of invitations to speak about Smith at high schools, organization meetings and community centers. Meanwhile, working half-time in admission and half-time in OID, she has been preparing for the expansion of two initiatives already in place:   -- Nine students from the Young Women's Leadership School (YWLS) in East Harlem, with which Smith established a partnership a year ago, will arrive here in June to attend Smith's summer programs. Back-and-forth visits between Smith and YWLS staff and faculty have already taken place, and other connections are also being explored.   -- Fifty students from Miami-Dade Community College (MDCC) will be at Smith for a week this summer for "Family: Myth, Metaphor and Reality," an intensive seminar which will be taught by faculty from both Smith and Miami-Dade. Participants will experience the daily academic and social environment of a residential college as well as "the vibrancy of the Five College community," Hynes says. MDCC is the largest community college in the United States and has the largest enrollment of black and Hispanic students of any college in the country. Smith signed a collaborative agreement with Miami-Dade a year ago that encourages a closer relationship between the two institutions and is expected to increase the number of MDCC students who transfer to Smith. (Since 1990 more than a dozen have enrolled here as traditional-aged undergraduates and Ada Comstock Scholars.)   Santana-Melgoza and Hynes will continue a close relationship with alumnae admission volunteers to build outreach opportunities in the admission area and with the Black Alumnae of Smith College, whose members are interested in building a mentoring program.   Some Initiatives Already in Place Not everything that is happening on the diversity scene at Smith is new.   -- The Campus Climate Working Group, established in 1996 by President Simmons, offers regular community forums and a high-profile public events series and is completing work on a diversity statement for the college. -- The Hewlett Foundation Advisory Committee, overseeing grant funds earmarked for diversity activities, has been active in the selection of orientation readings and follow-up discussions for first-year students and in other diversity activities involving a broader segment of the community. -- The Faculty Council Diversity Committee and the Staff Diversity Visions Committee have been developing department profiles and exploring recruitment and hiring procedures that will increase diversity in the college's faculty and staff. Staff diversity training programs are also being offered this year. -- Since her arrival here in the summer of 1996, Santana-Melgoza has been revising and refining plans and procedures in such equity areas as dispute resolution, civil rights grievances, bias complaints, sexual harassment policy and protocol, the hiring and discharge process and affirmative action. Her office is also in charge of disability services, where the focus has been on hiring a permanent disability services director, establishing van service for handicapped members of the community, creating temporary disability parking and promoting smoke-free houses.   National Conference A national policy conference on race and ethnicity, "What's Next? American Pluralism and the Civic Culture: Prospects and Proposals," scheduled for March 1999, is now in the planning stages. Expected to bring prominent social scientists, legal scholars, journalists, political commentators and heads of relevant organizations to Smith, the conference will take stock of race and ethnicity issues and consider three critical challenges:   -- the relationship of old minorities to new immigrants; -- the problems of finding common ground within groups often divided by generation, class and gender; -- the need to build coalitions of interest across group boundaries.   The planning committee, chaired by Santana-Melgoza and Peter I. Rose, Sophia Smith Professor of Sociology and Anthropology, expects that the conference will generate some concrete policy initiatives.   Conclusion The race and ethnicity conference, however high its visibility, is only one of dozens of programs and ideas resulting from the self-study that are presently generating heat, light and action at Smith. Ruth Simmons has observed that she has never experienced, here or anywhere else, a year when so much has been accomplished. "The sheer volume of work, the sheer consensus about things that need to be done is remarkable," she says. "The cooperation has been outstanding; the good will has been exceptional. It is evident that the college is really moving forward."   Steinem to Participate in May 1 Harassment Forum Gloria Steinem '56 will speak about sexual harassment in a forum to be held Friday, May 1, at 4 p.m. in Wright auditorium. Appearing with Steinem will be Martha Ackelsberg of the government department and the women's studies program and Alice Hearst of the government department.   Steinem, a Smith trustee and a founder of Ms.magazine and the Ms. Foundation for Women, is frequently referred to in the press as a "feminist icon." She created a stir last month when her piece on President Clinton and his alleged dalliances with Monica Lewinsky and Kathleen Willey appeared on the Op-Ed page of the New York Times.   In the piece, Steinem suggested that because the president appeared to have taken no for an answer to these apparently unwanted advances, the incidents did not constitute sexual harassment. Legally, she said, a sexual harassment case must involve either a serious incident utterly objectionable to the victim and affecting the victim's job status, or a pattern of repeated unwanted sexual passes.   Steinem's comments elicited a flurry of letters to the editor and created fresh fodder for radio and television talk shows.   An author, lecturer, editor and feminist organizer, Steinem is also a founder of Voters for Choice, the National Women's Political Caucus and the Coalition of Labor Union Women.   ACRA Submits Its 1998-99 Budget Recommendations The Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA) recently completed its recommendations to the president for the 1998-99 operating budget. As Ruth Constantine, chief financial officer, explains: "On the revenue side, investment income continues to provide the flexibility to address new initiatives, as the endowment's growth will give us 14 percent more endowment income next year. We have also added $800,000 to the budget from investment income on current funds. The growth in investment income allowed us to hold the increase in the comprehensive fee to just 2.3 percent for the year."   ACRA's funding recommendations for 1998-99 include a number of new initiatives. Constantine says, "We believe the long-term funding for many initiatives will come from new gifts, but we recommended short-term funding from the operating budget to get several efforts under way." Some of the initiatives receiving funding include: Engineering program $91,500 Environmental science/policy $68,000 Arts support $50,000 Poetry series $15,000 Study/travel courses $15,000 Internships & support $245,000 Residential & campus life $340,000 Diversity initiatives $80,000 Alumnae connections $74,000 A number of other needs received attention in this year's budget as well, Constantine said. Those include a substantial increase in funds set aside for building renovations (more than $700,000) and for equipment replacement (more than $300,000).   The president also asked ACRA to advise her on the use of the $800,000 surplus from 1996­97 and the anticipated surplus for the current year. The 1997-98 surplus is due primarily to investment and gifts support, but Smith also has substantial savings in utilities and the budget for workers compensation. The college budgeted nearly $700,000 for workers compensation this year, but expects to spend nothing because rebates from prior years' premiums will fully offset the premiums Smith paid for the current year.   The surplus will be used to address a number of one-time needs, including: Small renovations (11 projects) $640,000 Instructional/lab equip & furniture $175,000 Other equipment & furniture $237,000 Internships $150,000 Diversity and sexual harassment programs $107,000   The largest of the small renovation projects is the long-awaited installation of an elevator for the Smith College Club.   The surplus will also fund information technology needs and equipment, admission initiatives, visits to review independent study sites, interterm expansion and other expenses.   No Summer Hiatus for Smith Campus By mid-May, most students and many faculty and staff members will have left Smith for the summer. But that doesn't mean campus activity will grind to a standstill. In fact, in many departments business will continue as usual at Smith. The School for Social Work will host dozens of faculty members and graduate students during its summer term; the Smith Management Program in July and August will bring more than 50 women managers to campus for its professional training programs; and the summer programs in the sciences and arts and humanities will educate and house nearly 100 high school girls on campus. Here's a list of some other activities and programs that will take place on campus this summer:   -- Physical Plant staffers will be busy improving the beauty and functionality of Smith by dredging Paradise Pond, replacing the surface of the tennis courts and the outdoor track. The dredging of the campus pond, which takes place about once every eight years, will remove some 5,000 cubic yards of sediment from the pond's basin, says Smith Project Manager Gary Hartwell. The project, which will take about 12 weeks, is scheduled to begin on June 15.   The track and tennis courts resurfacing projects will both begin May 18 and will take about 14 weeks to complete. Other improvements to the tennis court fences and gates and the field around the track will be included in the projects, says Hartwell.   -- The New Century Theatre (NCT), a professional theater-in-residence at Smith, will open a busy summer schedule on June 25 with Moon Over Buffalo, a farcical comedy by Ken Ludwig. On July 9, Edward Albee's classic Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, a 1962 Tony Award-winner, will begin. On July 23, Sea Marks, a poetic romance by Gardner Mckay, will open. And Neil Simon's Laughter on the 23rd Floor, opening August 6, will close the theater's season.   In addition, NCT will hold a series of Saturday morning performances for children, a Sunday night new play reading series, and acting classes for children. All theater events take place in the Mendenhall Center for the Performing Arts. For ticket information, call Sam Rush, ext. 3249.   -- The Current Students/Future Scientists and Engineers Program will hold a three-day workshop at Smith for math and science educators on expanding career options for women in science and engineering. The workshop begins on Sunday, July 12, with a keynote address by David Sadker, professor of education, American University. He'll discuss the educational treatment of girls in American schools. Call Casey Clark, ext. 3804, for more information.   -- Fifty students from Miami Dade Community College (MDCC), the largest such college in the nation, will attend a one-week seminar, "Family: Myth, Metaphor and Reality," that will include classes taught by Smith and MDCC faculty members. Students will live in Smith residence houses for the week.   Five Colleges Will Do Self-Studies In preparation for a comprehensive review of the Five College consortium by a visiting committee later this year, teams from each of the member colleges will conduct a self-study of their role within the consortium.   Specifically, the self-studies will analyze ways in which consortium members can strengthen their academic cooperation academically and administratively, balance their institutional priorities with their commitment to the consortium, and collectively reach beyond the Five College community. Each college in the consortium has established a committee to analyze these matters and will issue a report in October detailing its findings.   Smith's committee, chaired by Richard White, a professor in the astronomy department, consists of two student-government, four faculty and three staff members. White says the committee, which met for the first time last week, will try to define what Five Colleges Inc. is and what Smith's role is-and should be-within the consortium. "We have to do some homework and try to get some answers on how we perceive Five Colleges," says White. "Does it work? What can be better?"   Dean of the Faculty John Connolly says he hopes the self-study will yield a clear sense of Smith's role within Five Colleges Inc. "The mission of the consortium may be different for different members," he says. "I would like us to have a sense of what it is for us at Smith College."   Five Colleges Inc. is a cooperative consortium among Smith, Mt. Holyoke, Amherst and Hampshire colleges and UMass that provides cross-registration of classes, shared library and information systems, cooperative certificate programs for students, departmental collaborations, and administrative cooperation. The consortium was incorporated in 1965.   White says, based on his years of experience as a Five College faculty member, it's evident that the cooperative relationship among the five colleges is successful on many levels. But because the consortium has never conducted a self-study in its 33-year history, it's an important undertaking for the program's future.   Connolly agrees. "I think we all agree that the existence of Five Colleges is a tremendous enhancement to our individual colleges," he says. "It's important to do the self-study because it gives us the opportunity to think about how well we do what we do, and about possible new directions we might want to go in in the future."   The Five College review, to be conducted by an outside committee later this year, will assist in guiding the program's future course, substantiating its successes and devising new ways for the program to grow. The review team, which will be chaired by Robert E. Edwards, president of Bowdoin College, will visit Smith and the other area campuses early next year. Five Colleges will host a national conference on interinstitutional cooperation in the fall of 1999.   Kaplan Play Wins Romanian Raves When the last line is recited and the final curtain falls on Ellen Kaplan's play Cast No Shadow, many audience members are likely to shout yasher koyakh or feliciteri, Yiddish phrases for "well done" and "congratulations."   The play, written in 1995, has been running at the Jewish State Theatre of Bucharest since December to excellent reviews, says Kaplan, an associate professor in the theatre department. "It seems to just go on and on," she says of the play's run at the Romanian theater. "All the reviews are in Romanian, I can't read them, but I'm told they are spectacular."   Cast No Shadow tells the story of China, a ballet dancer who is terrified of being in the spotlight even as her recital date approaches. Her fear embodies her identity as a Jew and the generational self-hatred inherited through her parents from her grandparents, who survived Kristallnacht in Germany many years before but still live in its shadow. In her struggle to overcome her fear, China discovers the importance of her Judaic roots and works to affirm her identity as a young Jewish woman.   Kaplan says she attributes the play's wide appeal in Romania to the fact that "there's been so little discussion about the Holocaust there. Clearly there is interest in who the Jews were in Germany." Also, the play, directed by Liana Ceterchi, is "wonderfully produced," says Kaplan, who has seen a video tape of the Bucharest production.   Cast No Shadow has been performed in North Carolina and at the Women's Playwright Festival in Galway, Ireland. Kaplan hopes to bring the play to Smith College next year with the Chrysalis Theatre, where it would be performed in English, "with bits of Yiddish."   Meanwhile, it'll be garnering its share of yasher koyakhs.   Tea Planned for SGA Participants All Smith students are members of the Student Government Association (SGA). The organization, whose influence extends to all aspects of student life at Smith, from the social and judicial system to curricular concerns, provides many opportunities for student involvement.   And many students take advantage of these opportunities.   This year more than 130 women have played an important part in SGA, filling well over 200 elected and appointed positions within the association and the larger Smith community committee structure. They have given freely of their time, explored ideas, initiated and implemented plans, participated in activities, listened to the many student voices and have made their own voices heard.   On Monday, April 27, the Office of the Dean of the College will hold a tea to honor the women who have participated in SGA this year. Some of those students have been active in SGA for a semester, some for the entire year; some make it their life and others add SGA to the myriad of other campus activities in which they are involved -- from athletic teams to singing groups, from theatre performances and work in administrative offices to serving on residence house councils -- balancing all this activity with their academic commitments.   Of course, SGA is not the only organization that provides opportunities for leadership and participation. More than 90 SGA-chartered organizations attend to the interests, hobbies and concerns of Smith women and are dedicated to keeping the spirit of campus involvement alive.   Auto Class Drew Earhart to Smith Smith College took a practical turn this past Interterm when it offered a three-day course in auto mechanics. But this was not the first such course the college has presented, nor the most extensive. Between 1916 and 1920 Smith sponsored a three-month course each year at an "automobile school" at the Clapp garage on South Street. Taught by mechanic Jean Charlebois, the school instructed Smith women and others in automobile operation and repair. Many of its graduates went on to drive ambulances in France during World War I.   Perhaps the school's most famous graduate was Amelia Earhart, who though not a Smith student enrolled through the help of a friend. Described in a local newspaper report of the time as "quite delicate" and "extremely pretty," Earhart nevertheless managed to pick up the mechanics of auto repair quickly, earning a Smith affiliation if not full-fledged alumna status.   NewsBriefs -- Six women will receive honorary degrees at Smith's 120th commencement on Sunday, May 17: Elizabeth Dole, president of the American Red Cross, who will also give the commencement address; Leah Rabin, peace advocate; Wilma Mankiller, first woman to be elected chief of the Cherokee Nation; Jessye Norman, soprano; C. Dominique Toran-Allerand '55, neuroscientist; and Mary Maples Dunn, former president of Smith College and director of the Schlesinger Library on the History of Women at Radcliffe College.   -- Many members of the Smith community have recently received copies of the 1998 AcaMedia Readership Survey in their mailboxes. Actually, if you received one of the survey documents, you are among the elite (albeit random) 25 percent of students, faculty and staff who are being invited to participate in this project. We know that the end of the academic year is nearing and that people are besieged with various important calls on their time, but we hope you will take just a few minutes to read and respond to this survey, which can be refolded and returned, as addressed, to the Office of College Relations and Public Affairs, Garrison Hall.   -- The Massachusetts Division of Capital Planning and Operations recently accepted a Smith College bid of $263,500 for 20 acres of land off Route 66 opposite the riding stables. Known locally as Hospital Hill, the parcel stretches from Route 66 almost to the Mill River and from the bottom to the crest of the hill adjacent to the college's athletic fields. The hill, a popular sledding site during the winter, is part of the former Northampton State Hospital, which closed in 1993. The state is in the process of selling surplus land and buildings at the hospital and choosing a master developer for the site.   -- Eight new committees are currently being formed to address design and program aspects of four upcoming projects. Each committee will be composed of members of the faculty, students, administrators and staff. Four of the committees will be charged with choosing architects for the parking facility, the campus center, the fine arts center renovation and addition and the Lyman Plant House renovations. A second set of committees will plan and program for the new facilities.   -- The Grécourt Bookshop will hold its annual reception Wednesday, May 13, from 4 to 6 p.m. in Neilson browsing room, honoring members of the college community whose books have been published in the past year.   -- Tea With an Old Dragon, a children's book about the life of Sophia Smith, written by Jane Yolen '60 and illustrated by Monica Vachula '73, will be available beginning May 1 at the Grécourt Bookshop. The book, undertaken as part of the Sophia Smith bicentennial, was suggested by Ruth Solie '64 of the music department, a member of the committee that planned the various aspects of the bicentennial celebration. Published by Boyds Mills Press, a division of Highlights, Tea With an Old Dragon will sell for $15.95. Vachula's illustrations will be on display in the Forbes Library art gallery during May. The exhibition reception, which is open free to the public, will be May 13 from 6 to 8 p.m. Back to top of page Junior Gets Beinecke Scholarship Elysabeth L. (Abe) Young '99 has been awarded a Beinecke Memorial Scholarship worth $32,000 to support tuition, fees and living expenses for her graduate education. Young, a Sophia Smith Scholar, is writing a volume of poetry as her Smith Scholar project. This year 18 Beinecke scholars were chosen from among 71 nominations; 210 students have received the scholarships since the program's founding in 1975.   Doctor, Doctor, Give Me the News Thinking about what happens after graduation from Smith leaves many students feeling nervous and uncertain about their futures. But nine Smith students in the sciences received reassuring information recently when they attended the Biomedical Science Careers Conference in Boston. The annual conference provides approximately 400 African-American, Hispanic-American and Native American students with an opportunity to network with advisers and role models from the basic and clinical sciences, medicine, public health, academic administration and the private sector. It also allows students, ranging from high school through graduate and professional school, to meet and network with one another. Drawn by the promise of personal advisors, Kimberly McGill '01 made the trip to Boston. "It was just so amazing that you were in a room with 200 MDs," she says. During the conference, McGill took advantage of workshops on internships, financing for higher education, and residencies. Mabel Dinga '00J, used the conference mainly for networking. "Everyone was very welcoming," she says, "I felt so comfortable." Moving between tables and talking to different advisors allowed Dinga to gain information on medical school, internships, and career opportunities. "They really gave us a lot of encouragement" she says. "I really loved this program." Other Smith participants were Nailah Abdulbaaqee '00, Aisha Cupid '99, Marian Saleh Farah '98, Louise-Stephanie Githiora '98, Ileana Howard '99, Dawn Kirnon '98, and Ohenewaa Larbi '01. --Amanda Darling '99   Immunology, Anyone? For Aisha Cupid '99, the biomedical careers conference was not the first such experience networking with peers and advisors. Last February, she attended the prestigious Introduction to Biomedical Research Program sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The program, held in Bethesda, Md., is designed to inform academically talented students (college juniors and seniors as well as first-year graduates or medical school students) from underrepresented minority groups of career opportunities in biomedical research. Nominated by her advisor, Dany Adams of biological sciences, Cupid was one of around 60 students who attended the week-long program, which consisted of seminars on allergies, infectious diseases and immunology. Besides seminars, students were provided with opportunities to look for internships, interview with prospective employers, and network with upcoming scientists and mentors. "I was busy all day," says Cupid. Even among the high achievers present at the conference, Cupid excelled: not only was she offered an internship, but she won the accolade of "Best Dancer" at the conference during the welcoming party held the first night. --AD   Fellowship Funds Year in Germany Samantha Schasberger '98 has been awarded a German Academic Exchange Service fellowship which will enable her to spend the coming year in Cologne, Germany. Working with an advisor, Schasberger will study the invasive nature of the foreign languages to which the German people were exposed during the German Revolution of 1848. She first became interested in the topic while taking a class at Smith with Ernest Benz, associate professor of history. The timing of her year in Germany is especially appropriate, since 1998 marks the 150th anniverary of the revolution. --AD   Community Building Blocks People who think of spring break as a break from learning didn't accompany the five Smith students who recently traveled to Christiansburg, Va., to participate in a Habitat for Humanity building project. Ashley Frost '00, Elinor Mattern '01, Jessica Bashford '00, Bethany Gracia '99 and Lindsay Lawyer '01 were members of a 20-person Five College team who shingled roofs, erected walls and belt-sanded floors, mainly at a Methodist church camp in rural Virginia. The group apprenticed with professional carpenters for part of the time. "It was really nice to use my hands and do something productive and gratifying," says Frost. Students with experience were able to work as group leaders as well. One student with knowledge of roofing led a team that roofed a picnic shelter at the camp where the Habitat for Humanity workers were staying. Helping to build and maintain the area's structures was a rewarding experience. "It was empowering to work with other Five College students and to recognize that there is an awareness and concern," says Mattern. At the end of the week they headed north, making a quick stop in New York City to celebrate the success of their trip. --AD   Debating Till the End Maureen Murray '98 finished her last year as coach of the Northampton High School debate team with a bang. One of the two teams she coaches racked up a 10-2 season record and won a first-place prize among the "negative debate" teams. Murray, who has been involved with the team since her first year at Smith, has enjoyed the work. "I have a lot of fun with them," she says. "They're cool and funny." Starting in the summer, the debate team conducts research on the coming year's topic. This past year the topic was renewable energy, Murray's favorite from her four years. After gaining information, the team writes its cases, practices delivery and figures out possible situations that might occur during a tournament. Murray assists the students throughout the process, working with them in Neilson Library for a large part of the year. Team and coach have praise for each other. "Our coach deserves a lot of credit in this," says team member Anya Brickman-Raredon. "They're good kids," responds Murray, smiling. -AD   Hollywood and the Status Quo Philip Green, Sophia Smith Professor of Government, is the author of Cracks in the Pedestal: Ideology and Gender in Hollywood, published recently by the University of Massachusetts Press. The book analyzes the ways in which the American film and television industry has responded to the feminist cultural revolution of the past 25 years. It focuses on the treatment of those ideas and institutions, especially "the family," within which prevailing notions of gender and sexuality are embedded and take on active life. From his neo-Marxist point of view, Green demonstrates the ways in which mainstream movies and television programs, no matter how unconventional or "subversive" they may appear, produce and reproduce familiar images of sexuality and gender identity. The second part of the book highlights instances in which reproduction of the dominant ideology is less successful by examining such cinematic genres as female action movies, the rape-revenge cycle and the new film noir.   Up Close & Personnel The Office of Human Resources has announced the following staff changes made since January 1. New hires: Louis Bach, custodian, Physical Plant; Tamara Bruffee, secretary/receptionist, science center office; Elizabeth Chalfin, assistant museum educator, art museum; Cheryl Dellecese, assistant editor, Alumnae Association; Laurie Fenlason, media relations director, college relations; Bonnie Gilman, director of systems and technical services, information systems; Patricia Graham, readmission and enrollment assistant, registrar's office; Karl Kowitz, assistant director, RADS; Edward Lynch, relief cook, RADS; Carol McMaster, administrative assistant for gifts and records, advancement; Mark Patenaude, custodian, physical plant; Burd Schlessinger, manucripts processing assistant, libraries; Lianne Sullivan, director, human resources; David Trott, custodian, RADS; Maria Vallejo, administrative assistant, institutional diversity; Pamela Wright, administrative assistant, controller's office Transfers/promotions: Cristen Abrams, circulation supervisor, libraries; Karen Denno, systems coordinator, advancement; Doreen Kelly, receptionist/secretary, School for Social Work; Cheryl Obremski, draftsman and engineering aide, Physical Plant; Judith Roberge, administrative assistant, advancement; Eric Weld, assistant director, college relations Departures: Ann Ayala-Macey, benefits specialist, human resources; Fukiko Dupre, kitchen assistant A, RADS; Donna Geis, club catering dining room assistant, RADS; Susan Harrison, teacher's aide, Campus School; Gwen Laprade, systems support specialist, advancement; Richard Loebl, associate director for administration, CDO; Michael Ortyl, double-unit dining room assistant, RADS; Marie Pappadellis, dining room assistant, RADS; Charles Riggott, fireman/utility man, physical plant; Amy Tibbetts, teacher's aide, Infant Toddler Program Back to top of page 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. Monday 4/27 Language lunch tables. French, Italian. 12:15 p.m., Duckett House Special Dining Room   Hebrew language lunch table. Practice Hebrew, eat pizza. 12:15 p.m., Bodman Lounge, Chapel   CDO workshop: "How to Find a Summer Internship." 1:15 p.m., CDO   Meeting: Amnesty International. 4 p.m., Seelye 102*   Meeting: Baha'i Club. Refreshments provided. (Kari, ext. 6362) 4 p.m., Bodman Lounge, Chapel   Women's Studies Honors Tea: "Pushing Femininity Aside." Margy Avery '98. Refreshments served. 4:10 p.m., Seelye 207   Lecture: "St. Petersburg: The Imperial Design." William Craft Brumfield, professor of Slavic studies, Tulane University. Sponsored by the art and Russian language and literature departments. 4:30 p.m., Hillyer 117*   Celebration: "The 50th Anniversary of the State of Israel." Dancing, falafel and a lecture. Smith community welcome. 6 p.m., Campus Center Front Room, Amherst College   Meeting: Om, the Hindu students' organization. 7-8 p.m., Bodman Lounge, Chapel   Lecture: "Marx, Coca-Cola or the Bible? Israeli Culture After 50 Years-Where Is It Heading?" Batya Gur, Israeli detective novelist. Part of a celebration of Israel's 50th anniversary. Smith community welcome. 7:30 p.m., Campus Center Front Room, Amherst College   Lecture: "Sojourner Truth's Northampton: Millennialism." David Blight, Amherst College; Karen Sanchez-Eppler, Amherst College; John H. Bracey Jr., UMass. Sponsored by Historic Northampton and the departments of American studies and theatre. 7:30 p.m., Historic Northampton, 46 Bridge Street*   Concert: Informal recital by student musicians. 7:30 p.m., Sage Recital Hall*   Meeting: Al-Iman, the Smith Muslim students' organization. 8 p.m., Dewey common room*   Meeting: Student Labor Action Coalition. 8 p.m., Women's Resource Center (third floor of Davis)   Concert: New music by student composers. 8 p.m., Sage Recital Hall* Tuesday 4/28 CDO extended hours. 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. and 7-9 p.m.   Résumé/cover letter deadline. Talbot Perkins Children's Services, hiring case managers. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., CDO   Sigma Xi Luncheon Talk: "Points, Lines, Axioms: Patterns into Clusters of Stars." Ileana Streinu, professor of computer science. Open to faculty, emeriti and staff. Noon, College Club lower level   Episcopal-Lutheran Fellowship meets in the parish house parlor. Noon, St. John's Church, Elm Street*   Language lunch tables. Deutscher Tisch, Korean. 12:15 p.m., Duckett House Special Dining Room   Women's Studies Honors Tea: "Alternative Health Care Options for Women." Jennifer Fox '98. Refreshments served. 4:10 p.m., Seelye 207   American Studies Roundtable: "Writing About and Filming America." Maureen Foley '76, writer/director of award-winning film Home Before Dark; Jonathan Harr, author of A Civil Action; and Larry Hott, whose film Divided Highways won the George Foster Peabody Award. 4:30 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room*   Résumé critique by a peer adviser. 4:30-6 p.m. and 8-9 p.m., CDO   Informational meeting: Student life abroad in UK/Ireland or Australia. 5-6 p.m., Stoddard auditorium   SGA senate meeting, including an open forum at 7:15 p.m. 7 p.m., Seelye 201   CDO workshop: "Job Search for Seniors." 7 p.m., CDO   Lecture: "Israeli and Palestinian Women in the Peace Movement." Judith Mogil Blanc '49, research anthropologist, Jerusalem resident and a founder of Women in Black and Bat Shalom, will discuss her experiences. 7:30-9:30 p.m. Neilson Browsing Room*   CDO workshop: "How to Prepare for a Successful Interview." 8 p.m., CDO   Senior Recital: Tracy Bergstrom '98, flute, assisted by Grant Moss, keyboards, Katrina Smith '98, soprano, and Allison Ihm '98, violin. Works by Prokofiev, Scarlatti, Bach. 8 p.m., Sweeney Concert Hall*   Film: Scream 2. Sponsored by Rec Council. 9 p.m., Wright auditorium Wednesday 4/29 Hillel at Noon. "Judaism and Class." Erika Katske '98. Noon, Dawes House Kosher Kitchen   Religious activity: Final discussion and reflection for Catholic Adas. Noon-1 p.m., Bodman Lounge, Chapel   Workshop: "Parental Guidance on Finances." Registration required. An HR Training and Development Workshop. Noon-1 p.m., Dewey common room   Language lunch tables. Chinese; Spanish and Portuguese. 12:15 p.m., Duckett House Special Dining Room   President's open hour for students. 4-5 p.m., College Hall 20   Office of Institutional Diversity open hour with Carmen Santana-Melgoza. 4-5 p.m., College Hall 31   Women's Studies Honors Tea: "Examining Exclusions of Racial Analysis in Feminist Thinking: What Gets Lost When Whiteness Obstructs Feminist Analysis?" Tracy Sachtjen '98. Refreshments served. 4:10 p.m., Seelye 207   Religious activity: Buddhist service and discussion. 6 p.m., Bodman Lounge, Chapel   S.O.S. Party: If you've volunteered this year at a homeless shelter, after-school program, advocacy institute, school or any other S.O.S. organization, your're invited to a sundae party. (Christina, ext. 4430; S.O.S., ext. 2756) 7-8 p.m., Kaffee Klatsch   MassPIRG weekly meeting. 7:30 p.m., Seelye 107   Lecture: "In and Out of Hiding: Children of the Holocaust." Ellen Fine '61, professor emerita of French at CUNY. Sponsored by Hillel. 7:30, Neilson Browsing Room*   Concert: Informal student recital. 7:30 p.m., Sage Recital Hall*     Thursday 4/30 CDO extended hours. 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.   Liberal Arts Luncheon: "Telling Less Than All: 17th-Century Women's Autobiography." Sharon Seelig, professor of English language and literature. Open to faculty, emeriti and staff. Noon, College Club lower level   CDO workshop: "How to Prepare for a Successful Interview." 12:10 p.m., CDO   Language lunch tables. Japanese, Russian. 12:15 p.m., Duckett House Special Dining Room   Workshop: "Customer Service Certificate Program, Session IV." Registration required. An HR Training and Development Workshop. 1:30-4 p.m. Dewey common room   Senior Recital: Trang Vo '98, piano. Works by Bach, Beethoven and Schumann. 4:30 p.m., Sage Recital Hall*   Religious activity: Beit Midrash. Study Jewish texts and ideas with Rabbi Edward Feld. Pizza served. 6 p.m., Appleton 106, Amherst College   CDO workshop: "Using the Internet to Search for Jobs and Internships." 6:30 p.m., Seelye B03   Films: Narratives: Short Videos by Students from Film Studies 281. Sponsored by film studies. 7­9 p.m., Stoddard auditorium*   Animé: Japanese animation. 7:30-10:30 p.m. Bass 210   Theater: Sojourner in Northampton. Series of student-written plays (with music of the period sung by a gospel choir) tracing Sojourner Truth's life from slave to evangelical preacher to feminist reformer. Tickets: $5; $3, students and seniors. 8 p.m., Hallie Flanagan Studio Theatre, Mendenhall CPA*   Concert: "Practicall Musick." Voces Feminae, directed by Catherine Bell, performs English and Dutch Renaissance music. Works by Arnold Von Bruck and Thomas Morley. 8 p.m., Sweeney Concert Hall*   Theater: At My Mother's Table. Written by Adrien Hansel '98 and directed by Maryna Harrison '99. Set at dinner tables throughout one woman's life, the play follows her struggle to make sense of a personal history in a time of cultural upheaval. There will be a related exhibition in McConnell foyer, April 27­May 18. 8:30 p.m., Tyler House dining room   Film: Scream 2. Sponsored by Rec Council. 9 p.m., Wright auditorium Friday 5/1 Résumé critique by a peer adviser. 1-2 p.m., CDO   Special event: "Sexual Harassment." A talk by Gloria Steinem '56, Smith College trustee, with responses by Martha Ackelsberg, professor of government and women's studies, and Alice Hearst, assistant professor of government. (See page 1.) 4 p.m., Wright auditorium   Alumnae Association Senior Strawberry Celebration for the class of 1998. 4 p.m., Alumnae House Conference Hall   Religious service: Shabbat Eve service. 5:30 p.m., Dewey common room*   Religious activity: Beltane, a celebration of springtime and fertility. Drumming, chanting, dancing. Bring masks, scarves and instruments. Dinner at 6 p.m., followed by a ritual. Sponsored by the Association of Smith Pagans. 6 p.m., Scott gym*   Religious activity: Shabbat Eve dinner. 7 p.m., Dawes House Kosher Kitchen*   Something on a Friday: "Laughter and Going Into the Real World," a farewell to graduating seniors. Joyce Saltzman, educator/comedienne. Dessert, beverages. Reservations for seniors and their favorite faculty, ext. 4945. 7:30-9 p.m. Unity House   Theater: "Sojourner in Northampton." See Thursday, 8 p.m. 8 p.m., Hallie Flanagan Studio Theatre, Mendenhall CPA*   Theater: At My Mother's Table. See Thursday, 8:30 p.m. 8:30 p.m., Morris dining room Saturday 5/2 Pre-examination study period.   Workshop: "Perusing the Perennial Border." Learn management techniques for a selection of plants grown at Smith. Registration required, $25. 10 a.m.-noon, Lyman Conservatory*   Lecture: Members' Day, Art Museum. 11 a.m.-noon, Wright auditorium* Sunday 5/3 Pre-examination study period.   Religious activity: Quaker (Friends) discussion group. Meeting for worship begins at 11 a.m. Child care available. 9:30 a.m., Bass 210*   Religious service: The final morning worship service of the academic year, which will include the Service of Holy Communion. 10:30 a.m., Chapel*   Authors' readings: Karen Peterson and Carl Sesar. 4 p.m., Neilson Library Browsing Room*   Religious service: Roman Catholic mass with Fr. Jim Skehan, S.J., celebrant, and Elizabeth Carr, Catholic chaplain. A supper will follow. 4:30 p.m., Chapel* Monday 5/4 Pre-examination study period   Bird walk. Breakfast follows at the field house. 6 a.m., Clark terrace Tuesday 5/5-Friday 5/8 Final examinations Friday 5/8 Senior Recital: Anna Elias. Works by Shostakovich, Debussy, Dussek, Brubeck, Elias. 4 p.m., Sweeney Concert Hall*   Saturday 5/9 Houses close for all students except '98 graduates, commencement workers and those with Five College finals after May 8.   Spring Plant and Seed Sale. Plants from the Botanic Garden. 8 a.m.-2 p.m., Burton lawn   Please refer to the Smith College Reunion and Commencement Calendar for a listing of events scheduled for May 10-24. Ongoing Events Art exhibition: "Kate Millett, Sculptor: The First 38 Years." Through May 2. (Ext. 2970 or 586-7282) Northampton Center for the Arts*   Art exhibition: "Sandy Skoglund: Reality Under Siege," the artist's first retrospective exhibition. Ext. 2760. Through May 24. Museum of Art*   Art exhibition: "Olympian Figures," prints featuring ancient Greek and Roman mythological figures. Through May 30. Museum of Art*   Memorial exhibit: "Margaret Storrs Grierson: 29 June 1900-12 December 1997." Artifacts, photographs and papers from the founder of the Sophia Smith Collection. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Through May 9. Sophia Smith Collection   Curio exhibition: "The Visionary Cabinet," curiosities created by Marjorie Senechal's History of Science 112a class. Through May 1. McConnell west stairwell*   Art exhibition: "Islamic Works from the Collection." Through May 3. Museum of Art*   Art exhbition: "From Dar es Salaam to Scandinavia to Smith College; Con-temporary Fine Art from Tanzania and Mozambique." Through May 3. Chapel Back to top of page Getting Your Word Out in AcaMedia AcaMedia is the official vehicle for making announcements within the Smith College community. We urge all of our readers to let us know of any Smith-related stories in need of telling, any members of the Smith community in need of recognition, or any college events or notices in need of publicity.   Where to Send Copy -- Submit copy or ideas for news stories to Ann Shanahan at Garrison Hall (ashanahan@colrel.smith.edu). -- Submit calendar items to Mary Stanton at Garrison Hall (mstanton@colrel.smith.edu, or fax to extension 2174). -- Submit notices to John Sippel at Garrison Hall (jsippel@colrel.smith.edu, or fax to extension 2178). Text for notices should not exceed 125 words. If its intended audience is not obvious, please indicate whether your notice applies to the entire Smith community, to faculty and staff only, or to students only.   Deadlines Copy is due by 4 p.m., Wednesday. Late information cannot be accepted. Sources of further information, if any, are indicated last in parentheses.   Blue-Pencil Alert All calendar items and notices submitted to AcaMedia are subject to editing for clarity, brevity and style. Almost none see print exactly as originally written. Smith-Wide Library Hours Through May 25 Neilson Library: Friday, May 1-Thursday, May 7, 7:45 a.m.-2 a.m.; Friday, May 8, 7:45 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday, May 9, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, May 10, closed; Monday-Friday, May 11-15, 8 a.m.-9 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, May 16-17, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Monday-Friday, May 18-22, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, May 23-24, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Monday, May 25, closed.   Hillyer Art Library: Friday, May 1, 8 a.m.-midnight; Saturday-Sunday, May 2-3, 10 a.m.-midnight; Monday-Thursday, May 4-7, 8 a.m.-midnight; Friday, May 8, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, May 9-10, closed; Monday-Friday, May 11-15, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, May 16, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, May 17, closed; Monday-Friday, May 18-22, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, May 23, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday-Monday, May 24-25, closed.   Werner Josten Library: Monday-Thursday, April 27-May 7, regular academic hours. Between May 8 and May 24, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, closed.   Young Science Library: Saturday-Sunday, May 2-3, 8 a.m.-10 p.m.; Monday-Thursday, May 4-7, 7:45 a.m.-11 p.m.; Friday, May 8, 8 a.m.­5 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, May 9-10, closed; Monday-Friday, May 11-15, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, May 16, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday,