News for the Smith College Community // January 28, 1999
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Alum Returns to Smith to Head Advancement ... "It never occurred to me, quite honestly," says George, who on March 1 will assume her new position as the college's chief advancement officer (CAO). "I didn't even know in 1986 that the advancement field existed." She learned soon enough. Shortly after graduating she took a job as assistant director of annual giving at St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y. In 1991 she moved on to Vassar to become director of the Annual Fund. George is now vice president for development at Vassar, managing a staff of 53 people and a $5 million annual budget. She recently directed the "Campaign for Vassar College," which with more than a year yet to run has already raised $206.8 million. As CAO at Smith, George will direct the college's fund raising while overseeing advancement staff and committees focused on soliciting support for the college from alumnae, friends, corporations and foundations. George says she welcomes the idea of returning to Northampton. "It's a delightful surprise and true honor to return to the Pioneer Valley and come home to my alma mater," she says. "I loved my four years there immensely." While an undergraduate at Smith, George, an avid long-distance runner, represented the college at the NCAA Division III National Track Championships. Since then she has competed in a number of marathons, including one in Minnesota's Twin Cities and five in New York City. She last completed a marathon in 1993, joining with two colleagues to run in "Vassar Campaign gear" after having collected per-mile pledges for the campaign from college trustees. She may compete again: "A Smith campaign ahead, the Boston Marathon right there," she muses. "Perhaps a plan?" Though she will miss the "spirited, fiercely bright and creatively talented" Vassar community, George says she looks forward to working side by side with talented colleagues at Smith in "advancing a mission in which I believe strongly." Among her many positive memories of Smith she counts her year as a head resident in Franklin King (with "an incredible group of class of '89 first-years who lived there"), her experience running under the direction of coach Mary Grinaker and the countless hours she spent studying slides of great artwork. In addition to her work, George volunteers as an advisory board member for Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Dutchess County and other community groups. Much of the rest of her time is spent "chasing my two-year-old son William around and finding puzzle pieces and Legos in the weirdest places," she says. George will move to Northampton with William and husband, Rick George. And, she adds, she plans to brush up on her Smith lore. "I never did learn the words to Alma Mater," she says. "I suppose it's time."
Texas native Debbie Cottrell had been to Smith several times to do historical research before she recently returned to interview for the position of assistant dean of the faculty. She ended up being offered and accepting the job, and started this week. Cottrell formerly served as assistant dean of the faculty and assistant professor of history at Cottey College, a highly regarded two-year institution for women in Nevada, Missouri, a small agricultural town. She says she looks forward to making the Pioneer Valley her home. "Being a historian by training, I'm very excited by the Northampton area and its rich history," she says. Cottrell completed her undergraduate work at Baylor University in Waco. While working toward her doctorate from the University of Texas, Austin, in the early 1990s she first visited Smith to do research in the college's renowned Sophia Smith Collection -- a resource she calls "just outstanding" -- for her doctoral dissertation on women in physical education. After getting her doctorate she worked as an administrator at the Texas Historical Commission for six years. Still devoted to history, she is currently working on a biography of Bess Truman and an article on civil rights during the 1948 presidential election. Her two years as an administrator and faculty member at Cottey College built the foundation she will need to serve as a Smith administrator, Cottrell says. Though Cottey is far smaller than Smith, its faculty/student ratio is similar, she says, and its students, like Smith's, tend to be intellectually motivated high achievers. Cottey students "tend to be risk-takers," says Cottrell, "tend to have a certain sense of self-awareness." Virtually all Cottey graduates go on to a four-year college, Cottrell says, and several are now at Smith. "I know what students were looking for when they came here from Cottey," she says, "which tells me a lot about the type of student I'll be dealing with at Smith." Provost/Dean of the Faculty John Connolly reports that Cottrell was the search committee's top candidate for the assistant dean position. "In addition to her solid experience," he says, "she has a gentle but firm manner and seems to have an intuitive understanding of administrative and faculty matters." Cottrell expects to miss the "tremendous sense of community" at Cottey. "One of the things I'll miss is the personal relationships I've developed there," she says. "But I look forward to developing new relationships." Cottrell moved to Northampton with her husband,
Alan Cottrell, a European historian, and their two-year-old son, Andrew. Smith Seeks New Visual Identity Smith College is getting a new look. On stationery, business cards, admission recruitment brochures and myriad other printed materials the college will soon have a new visual identity. And the college community is invited to participate in its development by completing a brief survey, available on-line at www.smith.edu/vid. The need for a new, comprehensive visual identity program arose in part from the college's recent self-study. One goal derived from the study was to develop a plan for the college's communications that will present Smith's messages in a coherent, consistent and effective way. So far this work has largely focused on the written communications produced by the college. Smith's current logo-- the now-familiar calligraphic "Smith" on a brick-red field--was developed in 1983 by King-Casey Inc. as part of a design program that could not have anticipated the changes that have since taken place in the college and in the technology of communications. The current stationery, for example, was not designed to accommodate fax numbers, e-mail addresses and other elements that have become staples of daily correspondence. Further, the widespread use of computers has led to a degradation of the standards developed for the presentation of memos, letters and other written communications. While Smith has been more successful than many colleges in maintaining a consistent visual identity, a sprawling proliferation of colors, papers and typefaces has garbled our visual message and obscured Smith's identity. Last fall the board of trustees and the president asked the Office of Public Affairs to develop and implement a new set of graphic standards for the college. Public affairs has formed a committee to oversee the development of the new visual identity program. Chaired by Chief Public Affairs Officer B. Ann Wright, the committee includes Don Baumer, dean for academic development; Carrie Cadwell, executive director of the Alumnae Association of Smith College; John Eue, director of publications and communication; Nancy Harvin, acting chief advancement officer; Maureen Mahoney, dean of the college; Elliot Offner, Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities (Art); Bill Oram, Helen Means Professor of English Language and Literature; Ann Shanahan, director of administration and special events for the Office of College Relations; and Nanci Tessier, director of admission. The committee plans to meet throughout the spring with representatives of many college departments and programs to discuss the application of the new visual identity in their areas, and to submit a final plan to the board of trustees in May. The most visible aspect of this project will be a new college logo. Smith has hired the Watertown, Massachusetts, design firm of Corey McPherson Nash (CMN) to create the logo and develop a program for its use. CMN has been working with the college since last summer, designing and developing materials for fund-raising initiatives. In the course of that work it has conducted extensive research about Smith, interviewing faculty, staff, students, alumnae and trustees on their thoughts and opinions on Smith's character, environment, strengths and traditions. But the public affairs office also seeks input from the college community in identifying the things about Smith that its constituents find particularly notable. To contribute to the development of the college's new visual identity, you're invited to complete the online survey. You'll also find more information about the visual identity program on the project's Web site, which in the coming months will provide updates and news on the college's new look. Back to top of page Campus to Host Debate Contest Next weekend, February 5-7, Smith will host the North American Debate Championships, known to seasoned debaters as the "North Ams." Hundreds of top college debaters from around the country and Canada will gather on campus to establish which school's team can argue most cogently, dynamically and convincingly. More than 100 teams comprising some 250 debaters will square off in Seelye, Hatfield and McConnell halls, Wright auditorium, the science center and other campus venues. The Smith Debate Society put in a bid to host the North Ams last year and won out over Stanford University and other institutions, says Heather Phaneuf '00, the society's treasurer. "We thought this would be a good opportunity for the college," she explains. As it turns out, though, the 30 members of the society will be too busy hosting and coordinating the event to compete in it. The tournament will consist of a series of hour-long rounds of debates, with as many as 50 taking place at a time, Phaneuf says. Each round will feature two two-person teams facing off with opposing viewpoints on such supplied topics as the desirability of belief in God, maintaining capitalism or offering instant replay in NFL football. Once they've received their topics, teams get 10 minutes or so to prepare their arguments. Each team might compete in five to seven rounds in the course of the tournament, says Phaneuf. Teams are assessed for their speaking quality and the organization of their arguments. Winning teams are awarded gavel-shaped trophies. Some teams, such as those from Princeton, Johns Hopkins, Harvard and Williams, are traditional debate powerhouses, says Phaneuf. Others are up-and-comers, just beginning to make their mark. Smith's team has made great strides in establishing itself among the debate-circuit elite, reports Phaneuf. "Our success has been building for a long time," she says. "We've worked very, very hard to gain a higher profile." The circuit remains largely male-dominated, she concedes, but competitors from women's colleges are making ever-greater inroads. "It's an activity that is very scary in the beginning," says Phaneuf of debate. "It's something you can learn only by doing." Yet, she adds, it can be "a real opportunity for self-discovery," one from which anyone can benefit. The North American Debate Championships will kick off with closed rounds beginning at 5 p.m. on February 5. The final rounds will take place in Sage Hall at 3 p.m. on February 7 and will be open to the Smith community. Anyone interested in being a judge for the tournament should contact Phaneuf at extension 7457 or hphaneuf@sophia.smith.edu.
Civil Rights Star to Speak Myrlie Evers-Williams, former NAACP chair and widow of assassinated civil rights leader Medgar Evers, will visit Smith on January 29. From 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in Stoddard auditorium she will read from her new book, Watch Me Fly: What I Learned on the Way to Becoming the Woman I Was Meant to Be, after which she will answer audience questions and sign copies of her book. In Watch Me Fly, which Evers-Williams calls an "instructive autobiography," she provides what her publisher, Little, Brown and Company, calls a "moving and vivid portrait of a childhood within a family of proud, determined Mississippi women." She writes about "the harrowing dangers her family faced during the civil rights struggle; of her efforts as a single mother to raise three children while attending college -- efforts that left her battling depression; of her opening her heart to another wonderful man, only to lose him to cancer; and of her path from business and civic careers to her brilliant leadership of the NAACP through scandal and to a newfound vitality." Watch Me Fly was co-written by Northampton author Melinda Blau.
Smith to Joinin Choral Concert Smith will be one of eight schools participating in the sixth annual Massachusetts Collegiate Choral Festival Concert, to be held Saturday, February 13, at 8 p.m. in the Casey Theatre at Regis College in Weston. The concert, a project of the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association, will also feature the glee clubs of Assumption, Providence and Regis colleges and Brandeis, Bridgewater State, Salve Regina and Tufts universities. A total of 225 singers will spend the day preparing for the concert, which will include rousing arrangements of Chattanooga Choo Choo and This Little Light of Mine sung by Smith and Regis, along with short performances by the other schools. Following intermission, selections will include Handel's Coronation Anthem No. 1 by the combined choruses and the Smith College Orchestra conducted by Jonathan Hirsh. The group will also sing works by Bruckner and Copland. The concert is open to the public. Tickets ($10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $5 for students) are available at the Regis College box office (781-768-7070).
Ergo Argot Are you sitting as you read this? Have you been sitting for a while? Then it's time to stand up and s-t-r-e-t-c-h! Here's an exercise called a back extension, designed to promote flexibility and counteract the strain of prolonged sitting. Stand with your feet at shoulder width and your hands on the back of your hips. Use your hands to ease the weight of your torso on your hips. Smoothly and slowly bend backward, arching your back. This should be a gentle, painless stretch. Individual range of motion will vary. Try to feel your back smoothly arching as you bend back and slowly return to a standing position. Repeat several times. Feel better?
Wanted: Men to Watch Weight The campus outpost of Weight Watchers at Work is not for women only, but it might as well be. Only one man has joined Smith's "WW@W" in the year since it was established, and he only lasted for one 13-week session -- though not, he claims, because he was uncomfortable being in the minority. "I just got swamped with work," says Tim Maciel, interim associate dean of the college. "I don't understand [why men haven't joined]. I thought it was perfectly suitable for men." In fact, he says, he'll probably rejoin for the next session. Charlene Correa, work-life coordinator in Human Resources, doesn't know whether gender-related concerns are keeping men away from the program, but if they are, she's prepared to launch a men-only group. Fifteen men are needed to establish such a group, and Correa is willing to consider any time slot that would be convenient for those interested. Weight Watchers at Work takes a healthy-lifestyle approach that combines good nutrition, an exercise plan, behavior modification and group support. "I love the support, not just the motivation from the leader but the support from colleagues," says Judi Marksbury, secretary to the president. "The camaraderie is great; you get to know other staff members on a different basis." Sixty Smith College faculty and staff members from more than a dozen departments have participated in the program since its inception and their total weight loss has already exceeded 700 pounds. The one-hour sessions include a confidential weigh-in and group discussion facilitated by a Weight Watchers leader. Smith's two current WW@W groups meet on Tuesdays, one at noon and one at 1 p.m. Members may attend either session. Brenda Bolduc, assistant to the director of the science center, points to several benefits of attending the program during the work day: "The cost is reasonable and, handled through payroll deduction, it's painless -- almost invisible. It's also helpful to have a network of Smith employees you see regularly with whom to discuss the program and swap recipes and new exercise ideas." Bolduc has lost 30 pounds since she started the program last May. The college subsidizes 25 percent of the cost of all Smith fitness programs, making the fee for WW@W $87 for a 13-week session-considerably less than a non-workplace Weight Watchers program. Men (or women) interested in signing up for the next round of WW@W, which will begin in mid-February, should contact Charlene Correa at extension 2297 or ccorrea@jessie.smith.edu.
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Professor Stuart Rosenfeld Dies Suddenly in India Stuart Rosenfeld, professor of chemistry at Smith College, died suddenly of a heart attack on January 21 in Madras, India. Rosenfeld was the husband of Nalini Bhushan, associate professor of philosophy at Smith. He was in India with her and their 1-year-old son Ajay on a visit to her family. A graduate of Colby College, Rosenfeld received a doctorate in organic chemistry from Brown University. He joined the Smith faculty in 1982. He was deeply committed to teaching and to his students, many of whom worked with him on his research and papers. During his tenure at Smith he received grants to support his research from The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, the American Chemical Society, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation/Research Corporation and the National Science Foundation. In addition to his wife and son, Rosenfeld is survived by his mother, Doris Rosenfeld Libman, a brother, Jerold Rosenfeld, and a sister, Phyllis Peterson. A memorial service for Rosenfeld was held at the Ascher Memorial Chapel in Springfield on January 24. Arrangements for a memorial service at Smith are incomplete. * Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives Thomas M. Finneran alluded to President Ruth Simmons' June 3, 1998, speech to the house in his annual Address to the Citizens of the Commonwealth, presented on January 13. Simmons was invited by Finneran to address the house last summer as part of "Speaker's Lyceum," a series of lectures inaugurated by the speaker to "provide a forum for distinguished leaders to address the legislators and citizens of Massachusetts." Prior to showing a video excerpt of the president's address, Finneran said, "Members of this house will recall the president of Smith College, Dr. Ruth Simmons, and her eloquent and challenging address in this chamber last year. Excerpts from that address make a more compelling case for visionary action than any words I might choose." * On January 22, Kathryn Pyne Addelson, Mary Huggins Gamble Professor of Philosophy, and anthropology professor Frédérique Apffel-Marglin received the Ernest A. Lynton Award for Faculty Professional Service and Academic Outreach for their roles in founding the Center for Mutual Learning at Smith. The Lynton Award, presented annually to educators engaged in community-based scholarship and service, was presented in San Diego at the American Association for Higher Education's annual Forum on Faculty Roles and Rewards. The award honors Lynton, who served in 1973 as academic vice president for the three-campus University of Massachusetts system and who was a founding member of the New England Resource Center for Higher Education. The Center for Mutual Learning, established in 1997, seeks to connect the academic world with communities in the U.S. and South America.
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Honorary Degrees The Committee on Honorary Degrees invites all members of the Smith community to submit the names of individuals who merit consideration as honorary degree candidates. The committee will consider women who are exemplars of excellence in a wide range of fields, both academic and nonacademic, as well as women and men who have made extraordinary contributions to Smith College, to the education of women or to women's lives. Letters of nomination -- including a brief description of the candidate's qualifications and field and place of work, as well as explanations and background materials suggesting why she or he is particularly deserving of the honor-should be sent to the Committee on Honorary Degrees, Office of the Board of Trustees, College Hall 35. The review process is lengthy and all nominations will be carefully considered. No candidate can be guaranteed a degree. Faculty & Staff Community Forum The first Community Forum of the second semester will be held February 11 at 1:30 p.m. in Wright auditorium. Campus School Events The Campus School will hold two open houses to enable parents of prospective students to learn about the school's programs and policies, tour the facilities and meet teachers. The first open house will be held Sunday, January 31, 2-3:30 p.m. at the Fort Hill campus at 28 Lyman Road, where the preschool program is based. The second will be held Sunday, February 7, 2-3:30 p.m. at Gill Hall on Prospect Street, where K-6 programs are offered. (The open house will focus on K-3.) Applications are now being accepted for preschool through grade six; those received on or before March 15 will be included in the first round of admissions considerations for the 1999-2000 year. (Ext. 3295; www.smith.edu/sccs.) SmithJobs The following were available at presstime. To learn more, call ext. 2278. Director, Center for Innovative Practice and Social Work Education, School for Social Work. Until position is filled. Records assistant, Advancement. Apply by February 5. Receptionist/secretary, Purchasing. Apply by February 9. Relief cook, RADS. Until position is filled. Assistant director, Alumni Affairs & Countinuing Education, School for Social Work. Until position is filled. Students Community Service Fair S.O.S. will present a Community Service Fair in Davis ballroom on Tuesday, February 9, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Representatives from more than 25 nonprofit, community-based agencies will be on hand to tell you how you can make a difference in our community. (S.O.S., ext. 2756.) FAC Tickets The Fine Arts Council is offering a limited number of discounted student tickets to the following performances: Royal Winnipeg Ballet, UMass Concert Hall, February 4, 8 p.m. ($9); Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Calvin Theatre, February 11, 8 p.m. ($8); Shizumi, UMass Bowker Auditorium, March 6, 8 p.m. ($9); Mingus Big Band, UMass Concert Hall, March 27, 8 p.m. ($9); The King and I, UMass Concert Hall (bus provided), April 9, 8 p.m. ($7); Chamber Society of Lincoln Center, UMass Concert Hall, April 22, 8 p.m. ($9). The tickets, which have been purchased in blocks, are on sale at the SGA office, Clark Hall. Students wishing to purchase tickets for other UMass concerts may do so directly through the UMass box office (545-2551) and receive the same discount. Ballet Tickets The Fine Arts Council is offering 10 tickets at $9 each for Smith students to attend the performance by the Royal Winnipeg Ballet at the UMass Concert Hall on Thursday, February 4, at 8 p.m. The company, known for its artistic excellence and beauty, will be backed by its own orchestra for this all-Tchaikovsky evening. Tickets are on sale at the SGA office, Clark Hall. Summer Study in England David Paroissien of the UMass English department, director of the Oxford Summer Seminar, will meet with students Monday, February 1, at 4:15 p.m. in Seelye 106 to discuss the July 1-August 11 summer study program at Trinity College, Oxford. Through the program you can earn up to seven credits toward your degree, choose from courses in English, law, history and political science, and spend an unforgettable summer traveling, learning and making new friends in historic surroundings. All majors are welcome. To receive a booklet and application, write to paroissien@english.umass.edu. |
Cancellation The Downhill Ski Night listed for Friday, February 5, in the Smith College appointment calendar has been canceled due to the closing of the ski area. Calvin Tickets The Fine Arts Council has purchased a block of 20 tickets for students who wish to attend the performance by Ladysmith Black Mambazo at the newly renovated Calvin Theatre on Thursday, February 11, at 8 p.m. The council will subsidize each ticket by $10, so that each student will pay only $8 of the total $18 group sale price -- a bargain to see world music at its best. Tickets are on sale in the SGA Office, Clark Hall. Mall Crawl The first of this semester's two mall crawls will take place Saturday, February 13, at the Ingleside Mall in Holyoke. The bus will leave JMG at 1 p.m. and head back to Smith at 4:30 p.m. Sign up (first-come, first- served) 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. in the student affairs office, College Hall 24. Sign-up deadline: noon, Friday, February 12. Grad-School Scholarships Seniors are reminded that alumnae scholarship applications for full-time, first-year graduate study in the U.S. or abroad are available in the Office of the Class Deans, College Hall 23. Application deadline: March 15. AMS Registration Registration instructions and sign-up sheets for AMS230, AMS 302 and AMS 351 are in the American Studies office, Wright Hall 12. All registrants must sign the sheets. SSP Jobs The 1999 Smith Management Programs (SMP), a series of residential executive-education programs for women managers and professionals, are now accepting résumés and cover letters from students hoping to serve as program assistants between June 27 and August 27. Program assistants will have a wide range of responsibilities, including preparing mailings and handouts, setting up classrooms, assisting faculty, coordinating hotel and van services and doing front-desk work. Assistants receive a $3,375 stipend for the nine-week internships, and lunches during the four weeks the programs are in session. If you have a suitable background, a desire to work hard this summer, a valid driver's license and want to experience the rewards of helping to plan and deliver these programs, come to the SMP office at Tilly Hall to pick up a job description. Application deadline: February 19. Self-Exploration This semester the counseling service is offering two self-exploration groups for Smith students, meeting Mondays and Tuesdays, 4:30-6 p.m. Call extension 2840 to arrange to attend an initial meeting with group facilitators. Museum Forums To prepare for its upcoming renovation, the Smith College Museum of Art is hosting two open dinner forums to enable students to take part in planning the project. The renovation offers a chance to rethink the museum's space, mission, programs and goals, and to specifically consider how the museum can become more welcoming and accessible, incorporate new technology, make the permanent collection more useful to the Smith community, use programs and exhibitions to promote institutional diversity at the college, attract more visitors and better accommodate Smith classes. The first dinner will be on Monday, February 8, at 6 p.m. in Wright common room; no sign-ups are necessary for it. The second will be on Wednesday, February 24, in Duckett House Special Dining Room; due to the room's limited seating capacity, students must register in the mailroom or by calling the museum at extension 2760. Students should also be on the lookout for flyers and online news reports telling how to join an online discussion group the museum is forming. (Nancy Rich, ext. 2273.) Summer Jobs Applications are available for 10 undergraduate research internships and the position of residential direction for the 1999 Smith Summer Science Program (SSSP). A residential program for high school women, SSSP is designed to enrich and support participants' achievements in the sciences. Interns will serve as research/teaching assistants to Smith science faculty and as residential counselors for the high school students. The residential director will work with the program director to train interns, arrange participant housing and schedule various events for participants. The interns and residential director will live in a college house with the high school students. Qualified applicants for the position of residential director will have demonstrated experience in community living management and the supervision of students. The interns and residential director receive stipends plus room and board for the month of July. Dates of employment: June 21-July 31. Applications are available from Gail Scordilis (ext. 3879; gscordil@science.smith.edu). Application deadline: Monday, February 22. |
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