News for the Smith College Community //September 16, 1999
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Symposium to Kick Off Galileo
Project The life, work and legacy of astronomer, physicist and mathematician Galileo Galilei and some of his contemporaries will be celebrated beginning next week when the Louise B. and Edmund J. Kahn Liberal Arts Institute kicks off its 2000-01 project, "Star Messenger: Galileo at the Millennium." The project will hold its opening symposium, "Galileo in Historical Perspective," on Friday and Saturday, September 24 and 25, featuring lectures and panel discussions by three distinguished visiting fellows. On September 24, 7:30 p.m., in Seelye 201, Mario Biagioli, professor of history of science at Harvard University, will present "Between Invention and Discovery: The Sidereus Nuncius and Artisanal Culture." Biagioli is the author of Galileo, Courtier: The Practice of Science in the Culture of Absolutism, a commentary on the life and world of Galileo published in 1993 by University of Chicago Press. The talk will be followed by a reception in Seelye 207. On September 25, at 9 a.m. in Seelye 106, George Saliba, professor of Arabic and Islamic science at Columbia Univesity, will lecture on "Islamic Background of the Scientific Revolution." And at 10:45 a.m. September 25, also in Seelye 106, Albert Van Helden, professor of history at Rice University, will lecture on "Galileo's Telescope: Looking at the Heavens with New Instruments and New Eyes." Van Helden directs the Galileo Project at Rice, an on-line compendium of scholarship on Galileo and his times. The three lecturers will participate in a panel discussion on the historical context of Galileo's discoveries at 1:45 p.m. Saturday in Seelye 106. Also beginning September 24, at 9:30 p.m., Professor of Astronomy Richard White, also a Kahn Fellow, will host a series of stargazing sessions at the McConnell Observatory that will guide gazers through observations of the moon, planets and various celestial objects using replicas of Galileo's telescopes. Stargazing sessions will continue Friday, October 22, 9-10 p.m. and Friday, November 19, 9-10 p.m., weather permitting (check with the institute, extension 3721, to confirm sessions). Throughout the fall semester, the Kahn project will offer a film and lecture series, "The Science Fiction of Space," hosted by theatre professor Andrea Hairston. The series, which will hold screenings on alternate Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. in Stoddard Auditorium, begins September 28, with a showing of The Day the Earth Stood Still, and subsequent comments from William Oram, Helen Means Professor of English Language and Literature. Other events on deck this fall for
the institute's Galileo project include a lecture, "The
Search for Earth-like Planets and Life Beyond the Solar System,"
by Charles Beichman of the California Institute of Technology,
on Wednesday, October 6. The lecture is part of the Five College
Astronomy Department Lecture Series, "In the Footsteps of
Galileo: Astronomical Discovery at the Millennium." "Writing
for the Musical Theatre," a workshop with Ellen Maddow,
will take place on Monday, November 1. The workshop, at the Mendenhall
Center for the Performing Arts TV Studio (T-100), will be open
to the public. She, a Kahn Fellow, is a renowned New York playwright
and composer. Maddow will compose the music for the Galileo project's
culminating event, a musical theatrical production written and
directed by theatre professor Paul Zimet. The production is based
on interactions between Galileo and his Renaissance contemporaries
regarding Galileo's discoveries and how they forced scientists
and theorists to re-evaluate their perspective on science and
the universe. The production will be staged in the spring. Some of the world's leading scholars on Africa will converge on the Smith campus from Canada, the U.S. and Africa September 24-26 for "African Development in the 21st Century," a symposium that will examine the challenges confronting the continent and embrace its political, social and geographical diversity to provide a forum for dialogue and analysis. The symposium, which is sponsored by the Gwendolen Carter African Studies Fund at Smith, will feature a series of panel discussions and paper presentations that will address topics critical to Africa's future development such as economics, government, sociology and environment. The first discussion, "Economics and Trade," will take place Friday, September 24, at 3 p.m. Moderated by Scott Taylor, Gwendolen Carter Lecturer in Government, presenters will include Michael Chege of the University of Florida; Celestin Monga, World Bank; Leonce Ndikumana, University of Massachusetts; and Professor of Economics Karen Pfeifer. The symposium continues Saturday, September 25, at 9 a.m. with "Land and Environment Issues," moderated by associate professor of anthropology Elliot Fratkin. At 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Amherst College professor Miriam Goheen will moderate "Women and Development." At 3 p.m. Frank Holmquist of Hampshire College will moderate "Democracy and Participation." And on Sunday, September 26, the symposium will close with a 9:30 a.m. discussion, "Culture, History and Development," moderated by Professor of Anthropology Elizabeth Hopkins. All panels will take place in Seelye Hall 201. Other presenters will include Toyin Falola of the University of Texas, last year's Gwendolen Carter Lecturer; Steven Friedman, Center for Policy Studies, South Africa; Richard Waller, Bucknell University; Mbarou Gassama of Dakar; and Steven Ndegwa, College of William and Mary. The symposium is being held in honor of the late Gwendolen Carter, a leading scholar of African studies who began her career at Smith. A professor of political science from 1943 to 1964, Carter held the Sophia Smith chair from 1961 to 1964. While at Smith, Carter decided to focus on the major countries of the British Commonwealth and from then on specialized in African affairs, particularly the political struggle in South Africa. A noted author and pioneer in the field of comparative study of African politics, Carter is probably best known for her work on apartheid. Collected papers from the symposium will be published in a special volume of the African Studies Series of Rochester University Press. Additional support for the symposium is provided by Five Colleges Inc. An Exhibition of Exile's Art Eva Levina-Rozengolts: Her Life and Work, an exhibition at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C., is the result of many years of struggle against a variety of obstacles, says its curator, Joan Afferica, L. Clark Seelye Professor of History at Smith. Rozengolts, who died in 1975 at the age of 79, studied art and worked part time as an artist prior to her abduction and exile to Siberia in 1949. When she returned to Moscow in 1956, she carried with her two sketchbooks of scenes of life in exile and for the next 20 years committed herself to transferring these and other remembered images onto paper. Afferica, who was the first foreigner to whom the works were shown, saw them initially in 1986 when she visited the home of the artist's daughter while on an exchange grant with the Academy of Sciences in Moscow. "I was so moved by this unique expression by a nonpolitical person," Afferica said. "No one thought the work would ever be shown in Russia," so she set out to raise funding (some of which eventually came from the Office of the President at Smith) and find a venue for Rozengolts' exhibition. In the meantime, a retrospective of the artist's work, mounted in Moscow in 1996, earned artistic and critical honor for Rozengolts and impressed viewers not only for its deviation from the prevailing style of socialist realism but also for its profound statement on the cruelties of Stalin's regime. Since it opened in June, the exhibit, its curator and Rozengolts' daughter have received significant publicity through interviews with Afferica on NPR's Morning Edition and the Voice of America (broadcast in Russia) and a feature in the Washington Times. In addition, Afferica has been invited to the Kaethe Kollwitz Museum in Berlin for a conversation and discussion of a possible Rozengolts exhibition there. And in Washington, D.C., Smith alumnae are hosting a gathering to honor Afferica on September 26. Afferica conducted a study/travel trip for students to the Kremlin last January and is hoping to be able to offer a repeat performance, perhaps as early as January 2000. (Interested students take note: the first semester of Russian History is a prerequisite for this trip.) Students Plug Diversity in Ad In the tradition of political activism, Smith undergraduates took out a half-page ad last April in Springfield-Union News to publish a petition supporting diversity in higher education. More than 1,000 students signed the petition, which in part stated: "As students at Smith College, we declare our support for maintaining and increasing diversity in college admissions. In our experience, policies that expand racial, ethnic and socioeconomic diversity in higher education are essential in promoting equal access to education, improving the quality of education for all students, and contributing to equality of opportunity in the society at large." The issues of diversity and affirmative action in academic institutions have recently become the focus of heated debate. "The ad will demonstrate how important it is to students that we have a diverse campus," said Amy Brown '02 in the American Association of Colleges and Universities' spring issue of Diversity Digest. According to the article, this is just the beginning of a unified attempt by Smith students to draw significant attention to the value and importance of diversity in academe and the world at large. Met Museum Curator to Talk Keith Christiansen, the Jayne Wrightsman Curator of European Paintings at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, will take up residence at Smith College this fall as the college's Ruth and Clarence Kennedy Professor in Renaissance Studies. As Kennedy Professor, Christiansen will give three public lectures on Italian painters. He will give the first lecture, "The Devotional Style of Giovanni Bellini," on Tuesday, September 21. On October 5, Christiansen will lecture on "Caravaggio's Late Style," and on October 26, he will speak on "Tiepolo and the Notion of Pictorial Invention." All three lectures will take place at 7:30 p.m. in Wright Hall Auditorium. Also as part of his visiting professorship Christiansen will teach a colloquium titled "Art and Theory in Italy: 1550-1672" in the art history program. Christiansen, who has taught art history and archeology at Columbia University in New York and at New York University's Institute of Fine Arts, has written numerous books and articles and contributed to exhibition catalogs for museums in Europe and the U.S. Most recently he edited the catalog for the Metropolitan Museum's exhibitions, "From Van Eyck to Bruegel" and "Giambattista Tiepolo." Christiansen has won the Alfred H. Barr Jr. Award for distinguished catalog for his 1988 edition of "Painting in Renaissance Siena," the Arthur Kingsley Porter Prize for his 1986 article, "Caravaggio and 'l'esempio davanti del naturale'" and the Mitchell Prize for best first book in art history, Gentile da Fabriano, published in 1983. Christiansen earned his undergraduate degree at the University of California, Los Angeles, and completed his doctoral studies in art history at Harvard University. Miller Lecture on Fatness and Health "Fatness, Fertility, and Long-Term Health" is the title of this year's Dulcy B. Miller Memorial Lecture, to be given by Rose E. Frisch '39, a researcher at the Harvard University Center for Population and Development Studies, on Tuesday, September 21, at 4:30 p.m. in Stoddard Auditorium. Frisch, also a professor emerita at the Harvard School of Public Health, has demonstrated through her research that environmental factors of nutrition, physical activity and disease can affect reproductive milestones ranging from menarche to menopause. Miller, a 1946 Smith graduate, was a teacher, manager, lecturer and writer in health care administration, with a particular interest in long-term care. The Dulcy B. Miller Memorial Lecture series, which was endowed by her husband, Dr. Michael B. Miller, in her memory, focuses on women's health issues. Previous speakers have included former surgeon general Dr. Joycelyn Elders, breast care specialist Dr. Susan M. Love, and former director of the Food and Drug Administration Dr. David M. Kessler. College Club to Reopen It's been a busy summer at the Smith College Club. Construction and renovation began in May and most projects are now complete. But the new and improved College Club re-opened its new doors this week though some refurbishing projects will continue for a few days. Some obvious changes include a new roof, entrance door, bathrooms, windows in the main dining room, numerous mechanical upgrades and some new kitchen equipment. The Little House rooms and the Lower Level Lounge have received new finishes and new furniture has arrived in the Lower Level Lounge. A long-awaited elevator is being installed and is expected to be fully functional by mid-October. In an effort to eliminate confusion, signs to identify rooms at the club are being installed. A number of special events are being planned as well. Hours of operation are as follows: buffet, Monday-Thursday, 11:55 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; Friday, 11:55 a.m.-1:15 p.m.; A la Carte (soup, sandwiches, salads and desserts, Monday-Friday, 11:45 a.m.-1:45 p.m. For more information or membership application contact Patty Hentz (ext. 2326). Involving the Community For the past eight months, the planning committee for the October 22-23 "This is about Smith" celebration has been working on ways to involve the entire campus community in a gala recognition of the liberal arts at Smith -- past, present and future -- as the college approaches its 125th year. Approximately 10,000 invitations now have been sent to alumnae, parents and friends of the college. Faculty and students are preparing presentations to be offered on several sites around campus on October 23 Several countries and decades of Smith women are represented among the 28 alumnae who will be honored for their achievements -- and the long tradition of excellence they represent -- at the convocation planned for Friday evening, October 22. Staff and students assisting with the event have been working to develop profiles of the honorees, among them the first woman to test-fly experimental planes in World War II and also the first to fly a jet, at a time when women were deemed incapable of flying professionally. Like many other Smith women, Ann Baumgartner Carl '39 didn't set out to become a pilot, but once she decided that was what she wanted to do, she overcame one obstacle after another, establishing a place for women as a member of the Women's Air Force Service Pilots. She flew or tested more than 30 aircraft, from early monoplanes with wooden propellers to the B29 Superfortress bomber and several fighter planes. Her descriptions of conversations with Orville Wright and test flights that helped preserve the lives of other pilots are part of her book, A Wasp Among Eagles: A Woman Military Test Pilot in World War II, available at the Grécourt Bookshop. Millions of Americans who learned to enjoy food with Julia McWilliams Child '34 may not realize that she, too, set out for a life of adventure working in the organization that evolved into the CIA. When her husband's diplomatic duties took the couple to France, Child discovered French cuisine, and eventually changed the way America cooks. The 1961 publication of Mastering the Art of French Cooking established a new benchmark in the land of Jell-O and Kraft macaroni and cheese, and the humor and style so evident in her TV series made even difficult dishes seem possible. Ada Comstock Scholars and several other students are compiling background information and a bibliography that will be available on campus before the reception on October 22 at which all are invited to meet and greet these and other remarkable Smith women. Support the United Way
Faculty and staff members can arrange for their campaign support through automatic payroll deduction. One's contribution can grow significantly by taking advantage of the payroll deduction opportunity. While it may be difficult to write a check for a $50 or $100 donation, pledging $1 or $2 a week through payroll deduction is an effortless way to make a significant contribution. And a $10, $25, or $50 deduction per month would provide the United Way with $120, $300 or $600 for the year. United Way donors are eligible for the Smith United Way lottery that continues this year with more than fifty prizes including three reserved parking spaces on campus. New to this year's campaign are United
Way Campus Building Representatives, coordinated by Debbie Cottrell,
assistant dean of the faculty, and Sandra Doucett, director of
corporation and foundation relations. A recent reception brought
together the Campus Building Representative volunteers to learn
more about the Smith United Way campaign and ways in which they
can encourage their colleagues' support and inform them of the
status of the campaign. The Smith United Way Committee also includes
Alan Bloomgarden, assistant director of faculty grants and government
relations and Smith United Way Loaned Executive; Cheryl Donaldson,
director of desktop technology services; Claire Kmetz, Office
of College Relations administrative assistant; and Ann Leone,
professor of French and Smith Key Club solicitation team member.
Joining Ann on the Key Club solicitation team are Giovanna Bellesia,
associate professor of Italian language and literature, and Roger
Kaufman, professor of economics. The United Way effort wouldn't
succeed without the assistance also of Frank Ellis, Mary Augusta
Jordan Professor Emeritus of English Language and Literature;
David Osepowicz, Central Services printing supervisor; and Donna
Schnopp, ITS fixed asset assistant. Thank you for your support. ScoreBoard Soccer Volleyball Cross Country
Sources of further information, if any, are indicated in parentheses. Notices should be submitted by mail, by e-mail (mstanton@colrel.smith.edu) or by fax (extension 2174). Nominations for Honorary Degrees Library Hours: Sophia Smith Collection and College
Archives (ext. 2971) Mortimer Rare Book Room (ext. 2906) Hillyer Art Library (ext. 2940) Josten Performing Arts Library (ext. 2930) Young Science Library (ext. 2950)
Faculty & Staff Staff Recognition Day Trip to Salem
Students President's Open Hours Student Car Registration Course Registration and Changes Five-College Registration Makeup Examinations Major Certifications -- '00J Travel Reservations Smith Goes to the Big E Welcome Book |
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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. Monday, September 20 Meetings/workshops CDO informational meeting: Peace Corps. 7 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room Other events and activities President's open hours for students. First come, first served. 4-5 p.m., College Hall 20 Yoga class. Noncredit, for students. Limited to 40. Sponsors: Office of the Dean of the College, ESS. 4:30-5:45 p.m., Davis ballroom Religious Life Joint Amherst/Smith Yom Kippur Services. Bus leaves chapel at 4:30 p.m. We will break the fast together following service. 5:30 p.m., Johnson Chapel, Amherst College Tuesday, September 21 Lectures/Symposia Lecture: "Fatness, Fertility, and Long-Term Health." Rose E. Frisch '39. Dulcy B. Miller Memorial Lecture. See story, page 4. 4:30 p.m., Stoddard auditorium* Slide lecture: "Jamaican Street Art." Sharon Chack, University of West Indies, Jamaican artist and writer about popular art and culture. 5 p.m., Wright Hall common room Lecture: "The Devotional Style of Giovanni Bellini." Keith Christiansen, Jayne Wrightsman Curator of Italian Paintings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. See story, page 4. Reception follows. 7:30 p.m., Wright Hall auditorium* Fine/performing arts/films Concert: "Music In The Noon Hour." Traditional jazz for clarinet and piano with Jerry Noble, piano, and Bob Sparkman, clarinet. Featuring songs poplarized by Jelly Roll Morton, Fats Waller and others. Noon, Sweeney Concert Hall* Meetings/workshops CDO workshop: "Introduction to Employment Recruiting Programs" will outline on- and off-campus programs and introduce the new electronic system. 4 p.m., CDO, Drew Hall School for Social Work admission information session on graduate professional training in clinical social work. Information about course work, placement, financial aid and student life. Seating limited, RSVP, ext. 7960. More information at www.smith.edu/ssw/ 4-5:30 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room SGA senate meeting open forum. All students welcome to address the senate regarding any aspect of Smith life. 7:15 p.m., Seelye 201 Religious Life Hillel at Noon. "Reflections on the High Holidays." Noon, Dawes House Kosher Kitchen Other events and activities Tennis vs. Wheaton Field hockey vs. Williams Wednesday, September 22 Fine/performing arts/films Meetings/workshops Class of 2001 meeting. Attendance recommended. 5-6 p.m., Graham Hall CDO informational meeting: Peace Corps. 7 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room Meeting: Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Alliance (LBTA) community meeting and elections. 7:30 p.m., Gamut Ceramics Club general meeting. 8 p.m. Clark Hall basement Religious Life Other events and activities Language lunch tables Yoga class. Noncredit, for students. Limited to 40. Sponsors: Office of the Dean of the College, ESS. 4:30-5:45 p.m., Davis ballroom S.O.S. community service fair. Representatives
from more than 40 nonprofit agencies (ext. 2756).
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Thursday, September 23 Lectures/Symposia Lecture: "Sexuality and Ethics: Catholic Tradition and Contemporary Experience." Lisa Sowle Cahill, Boston College. 4:30 p.m., Neilson Browsing room Meetings/workshops Informational meeting: "Biosphere 2 Center." Meet Kendra Cook, Columbia University, to learn more about the Biosphere 2 Center semester program in Arizona. Open to all; students interested in environmental science encouraged to attend. 4:15 p.m., McConnell B15 Information meeting for students interested in Pomona Exchange, spring 2000. 4:30-5:30 p.m., College Hall 23 Open meeting of the Louise B. and Edmund J. Kahn Institute for Smith College and Five College Faculty interested in participating in the institute's 2001-02 project, "Community Activism," with organizing fellow Martha Ackelsberg, professor of government (ext. 3721). 5 p.m., Dewey common room Debate Society general meeting. Workshop: "Drop-in Drawing." Works in the Museum of Art will inspire drawing and other art-making. Free; no registration required. Instructor: Liz Chalfin, artist and museum educator. 5:30-7:30 p.m., Museum of Art Other events and activities S.O.S. Sweater Sale. See 9/22 listing. 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Gamut Language lunch tables Friday, September 24 Lectures/Symposia Lecture: "Between Invention and Discovery: The Sidereus Nuncius and Artisanal Culture." Mario Biagioli, professor of history of science, Harvard University. See story page 1. Reception follows. 7:30 p.m., Seelye 201* Religious Life Shabbat service. Dinner follows in Dawes House Kosher Kitchen. 5:15 p.m., Dewey common room Other events and activities Alumnae House tea. Baldwin House and Tyler House are cordially invited to attend. 4 p.m., Alumnae House living room Stargazing session: Part of Kahn Institute's project, "Star Messenger: Galileo at the Millennium." See story, page 1. 9:30 p.m., McConnell Observatory* Saturday, September 25 Lectures/Symposia Lecture: "Islamic Background of the Scientific Revolution." George A. Saliba, professor of Arabic and Islamic science, Columbia University. See story, page 1. 9 a.m., Seelye Hall 106* Panel discussion: Part of Kahn Institute symposium, "Star Messenger I: A Symposium on the Culture and Science of the Renaissance." 10:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m., Seelye 106* Panel discussion with Mario Biagioli, Harvard University, George A. Saliba, Columbia University, and Albert Van Helden, Rice University. Part of "Star Messenger I: A Symposium on the Culture and Science of the Renaissance." 1:45 p.m., Seelye 106* Fine/performing arts/films Opening reception: "American Spectrum." "A Star-Spangled Evening" featuring Karen Smith Emerson, soprano, and the Smiffenpoofs, allAmerican sweets and savories. Wear red, white or blue (optional). Open to all. Reservations encouraged. Tickets: $15; Friends of the Museum, free. This exhibition celebrates the museum's collection of American masterworks (ext. 2760). 6-8 p.m., Museum of Art* Other events and activities Soccer vs. Wellesley Sunday, September 26 Lectures/Symposia Special event: "The View from the Summit House: The Oxbow and Beyond." View 19th-century American landscape paintings at the museum, consider poetry and prose of the same era, then travel by van to the Summit House on Mount Holyoke. Wear clothing for outdoors, bring a bag lunch. Free, but enrollment limited. Preregistration required, ext. 2760. For handicap accessibility information, call ext. 2773. PDPs available for teachers. 10 a.m.-3 p.m., begins at the museum Religious Life Hillel bagel brunch. Meet Hillel's leadership and share ideas. Noon-2 p.m., In the sukkah behind Dawes House Roman Catholic Eucharistic Liturgy. Fr. Bill McConville, OFM, celebrant. Sunday supper follows. All welcome. 4:30 p.m., Chapel* Exhibitions "American Spectrum" featuring American masterworks from the early 18th century to the present with an installation of paintings and sculptures on two floors of the Museum. Show begins September 25 with an opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Museum (See 9/25 events listing). Through December 22. Museum of Art "Oliver Larkin" features a selection of watercolors, drawings and marionettes by the former Smith professor. Organized by Luce curatorial assistant Maureen McKenna. On October 16, the Museum of Art will host "Art and Life in America: A Celebration of the Legacy of Oliver Larkin and American Art at Smith College." Registration forms (due by October 1) available on line at www.smith.edu/artmuseum. For more information call McKenna, ext. 2770. September 10 through October 24. Main Gallery, Museum of Art "Prints by Paul Gauguin" features the French impressionist's works from his first lithographs on zinc to woodcuts he published in Tahiti. Organized by Ann Sievers, associate curator of prints, drawings and photographs, in honor of Elizabeth Mongan. Through October 30. Print Room, Museum of Art "A Century of Physics" features 11 posters of milestones in the history of physics produced by the American Physical Society (APS) to celebrate its centennial in March 1999. For more information see the APS Website at www.aps.org. Through September 30. McConnell foyer |
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