News for the Smith College Community //October 21, 1999
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This is a Rare Rare Book Room By Adele Johnsen '02 For many students, the answer is unfortunately no. Located on the third floor of Neilson Library, nestled amid rows and rows of bookshelves, the rare book room has had a tendency to seem distant and intimidating to some. "I've had seniors come up to me and say, 'I've been wanting to get up here for four years, but I've never mustered the courage,'" says Martin Antonetti, curator of rare books. It's a stigma Antonetti and his colleagues are eager to be rid of. Last spring, with the design and construction of a new front entry to the rare book room, they took a major step in the right direction. Designed by the Shelburne Falls-based architectural firm Juster Pope Frazier, the rare book room's new vestibule is a handsome wood-and-glass structure. It functions as both an entryway and a display case for several selected texts. It also makes the rare book room's presence seem more obvious and inviting. "I wanted people to be able to make visual contact with us inside," says Antonetti, "to see that it was a nice room, not just a janitor's closet." With more than 25,000 volumes, the rare book room is more than a nice room -- it's an incredible resource. Created in the early 1940s, the rare book room initially served as a protector of 15th- and 16th-century books that were too old and delicate to remain in the stacks of Neilson Library. Years passed, generous alumnae and friends of the library shared their resources, and the rare book collection began to grow. Slowly it developed into the great collection it is today. Named in honor of Ruth Mortimer, curator of rare books from 1975 to 1994, the collection still counts the original 15th- and 16th-century books among its volumes. It also houses manuscripts and cuneiform tablets, English political pamphlets from the 18th century, 19th-century American trade cards, and a large collection of writing by Smith alumna Sylvia Plath '55. And as Antonetti emphasizes, it's a resource available to anyone who wants to use it. "I want [students and members of the Smith community] to be certain I mean it when I say that this collection is for them," he emphasizes. The new vestibule, Antonetti hopes,
is only a small part of a larger renovation of the Rare Book
Room, the space surrounding it, and the library as a whole. "This
is the first step in a long series of steps to beautify the entire
library," he says, including the Mortimer Rare Book Room.
"This is not the type of off-limits treasure you find at
other colleges." Celebration Odds 'n' Ends What has 137 pounds of This is about Smith tattoos in a variety of colors, 500 vinyl frogs, 2,500 This is about Smith lunch bags, 2,600 pounds of lights, sound and projection equipment, 15 This is about Smith banners and 1,152 bottles of This is about Smith spring water? You guessed it: it's the This is about Smith celebration that officially gets under way with the gala convocation at 5 p.m. Friday, October 22, at the Indoor Track and Tennis Facility. The tattoos will appear this week, as if by magic, in student mail boxes and be available at locations around campus as well. The lunch bags and the Smith water will be easy to spot. And you can probably guess where the banners and the 2,600 pounds of lights, sound and projection equipment are going to show up. The frogs may be a little more difficult to understand unless you remember that the Saturday morning This is about Smith program is called "Quantum Leaps: Experiencing the Liberal Arts Today," which begins at 9 a.m. in Theatre 14. People who attend the various presentations taking place in locations all over campus during the morning (see the printed program for details) will receive frog tokens that they may redeem for a frog-decorated umbrella at the program's wrap up, "Leaping to Conclusions," at 11:30 a.m. in Theatre 14. Students will have several opportunities to meet the 30 remarkable women who will be honored at Friday's convocation. All of them will be at the reception after the convocation; some of them will be in student houses for dinner on Thursday; some of them will attend classes in subjects that interest them or with faculty members who taught them as undergraduates; some of them will conduct mentoring session at the CDO on Friday afternoon; and one of them will even go with students on a biosci field trip. Seven houses will host "remarkable women" for dinner on Thursday. Students from elsewhere on campus who wish to meet one of these alumnae may visit the host house during dessert and coffee. The houses, with their guests, are
PP Projects Abound on Campus Major physical plant projects completed during 1998-99 at Smith ranged from the renovation of a single floor of one student residence and the demolition of two others to the dredging of Paradise Pond. Bill Brandt, director of operations and facilities, reports that approximately $5.8 million was committed and/or expended on construction and renovation projects last year. Funding came from both capital budgets and renewal and replacement budgets. The major projects included
A construction management firm was hired to assist in the design and construction of the Fine Arts Center renovation, the Campus Center, and the parking garage. Also completed were a parking survey, a comprehensive chiller replacement and lighting upgrade project, and a study to determine the cost of a Lilly Hall renovation. Many other smaller-scale projects were completed as well, including interior renovations in College Hall, 126 West Street, Davis Center and Neilson Library, installation of an irrigation system in Chapin lawn, several projects at the stables and the renovation of Comstock/Wilder courtyard. A Council for the Entire Community During the college's 1996 self-study, the governance team argued that a committee was needed on campus that would broadly address community issues and would be representative of the range of college constituencies -- staff, students and faculty. It was suggested then that the faculty Committee on Community Policy (CCP), a group consisting of faculty that had existed for 20 years, be replaced by a group selected by the president. President Simmons appointed an ad hoc Community Policy Committee (CPC) to address the self-study's suggestion. That group, consisting of students, faculty and staff, met last year and developed proposals for the creation of a permanent Smith College Council on Community Policy. This year, as a result of that process, an interim Smith College Council on Community Policy is continuing the process of finalizing a proposal. The "College Council," as it is commonly called, will eventually consist of members from the faculty and staff as well as students, administrators, alumnae and possibly a representative from the city of Northampton (who would be recommended by the mayor). The interim council is chaired by Tom Riddell of the economics department and the class deans' office. Proposals for a permanent Council on Community Policy are being submitted this semester for suggestions and alterations by SGA, Staff Council and Faculty Council, says Riddell. Final proposals regarding council membership and its mandate will be submitted to the president by the end of the semester for approval, he said. According to the proposed mission statement the council will be "a broadly representative, deliberative group that meets to consider matters that concern the campus community." As part of that mandate, the council will evaluate community policies, make recommendations to the president for changes in policy, identify ways to educate the community on various issues; it will address such issues as campus climate and diversity, and serve as a sounding board for students, faculty and staff with concerns regarding the community. Riddell, in chairing the ad hoc CPC last year, said the group's intention was to "establish a college-wide committee that is representative, effective and has real power to influence community issues. It should have a serious role and responsibility in the Smith College community." In comparison to the longstand-ing former CCP, the council will be able to be "more focused on issues having to do with the entire college community and issues of climate," Riddell says. But perhaps the most substantial difference is that the proposed council will be more representative of the entire Smith community than CCP which was a faculty committee. The council plans to meet once a month during the academic year to develop its final proposals and to consider any pressing community issues. Questions or suggestions for the new Smith College Council on Community Policy can be submitted to Riddell at extension 4910 or triddell@ais.smith.edu. Men? At Smith? Only a handful of men ever choose to study at Smith. But last year Philip Skemer and Bill Mosher did just that. As juniors at Pomona College, they took advantage of their college's exchange program with Smith and, they say it was a mixed experience. They chose Smith for different reasons. Mosher, a philosophy major, "expected that the Smith experience would provide great conversation for law school and job interviews," he said in an interview with the Christian Science Monitor. Skemer chose Smith "because of its size, proximity to other colleges in western Massachusetts and its strong geology department." His first day of classes was an unhappy one, he said. "No one was willing to sit next to me. No one smiled at me or made eye contact. It was as if I was invisible." After a few weeks and a number of accommodations, Skemer and Mosher began to adapt to their unusual Smith life. If indeed, as the proverb relates, experience is the best teacher, Skemer and Mosher must have received an education that will serve them well. "It's interesting to feel like the minority for a change," Skemer observed. "You gain a lot of respect and understanding for people who do similar things every day." Y2K The Y2k Coordinating Committee has posed a series of questions to campus administrators that are designed to elicit information about Smith Y2k readiness. The questions, with their answers, will run in AcaMedia between now and the end of the millennium. Question: If there is no power or heat or the supply is limited to a few facilities, is there a plan for deployment of staff? Who should come to work? How will they know who should report? How will the college alert faculty and staff if Y2k problems close the campus? Answer: HR will follow the general procedures we use for other emergency -- usually weather-related -- closings. Fortunately, the college is scheduled to reopen Monday, January 3, 2000. This allows January 1-2 to review facilities and equipment and assess the college's readiness to open as scheduled. The decision about whether to open as planned or delay opening will be made by Ruth Constantine, vice president of finance and administration, Lianne Sullivan-Crowley, director of human resources, and Bill Brandt, director of operations. Essential staff (those who need to report to work under any circumstances) will be determined within departments. Nonessential staff may obtain information about the status of the January 3 opening by calling a telephone number designated for that purpose. The number will be publicized prior to the closing of college for the December holiday. Local radio station WHMP may also carry the information, assuming there is electrical power. Question: What arrangements are there for providing electricity and heat to the campus in the unlikely event that our suppliers cannot deliver? If the college has to rely on back-up generators, how long will they work? Answer: Physical Plant personnel have had numerous meetings with the college's fuel and power suppliers. ISO New England (the power grid controller) has assured us that electrical power will not be affected by Y2k. ISO New England is more concerned with the number of customers that might remove themselves from the electrical grid and use generators, causing an interruption in power supplies that cannot ramp down generators quickly enough to avoid system "trips." ISO New England has been in communication with potential auxiliary power users to ascertain their plans and avoid a problem. ISO New England is being very proactive in their plans to cover any and all contingencies concerning Y2k. Between November 1999 and March 2000, Smith College will be generating steam by burning fuel oil. Our fuel oil supplier has backup generators so that it can still fill trucks to deliver fuel oil even if the electrical grid fails. Our steam plant has its own backup generator to power critical systems. Therefore, steam production will not be affected by a system-wide power failure. Buildings not connected to the central steam plant are dependent on natural gas suppliers and Massachusetts Electric for power and heat. Those buildings include all rental properties, 30 Belmont Ave., 27 Belmont Ave., 138 Elm St., 8 College Lane, the Field House, the Gables, Morgan Hall, the Stables, Grécourt Bookshop, Central Services, Fort Hill Preschool and Garrison Hall. In the unlikely event of power failure, these buildings will have their water systems drained and the buildings will be closed until power is restored. The following buildings have back-up
generators: Lyman Conservatory, Central Steam Plant, Physical
Plant, Infirmary, Comstock/Wilder, Wilson/Gardiner/Morrow, Emerson/Cushing/Jordan,
Fine Arts Center, Center for Performing Arts, Wright Hall, portions
of Sabin Reed/Burton/McConnell, Scott/Ainsworth Gyms/30 Belmont,
Morris/Lawrence/Tyler, Neilson Library, Washburn/Hubbard, Chapin,
Haven, Gillette/Northrop/Lamont/Talbot/Chase,/ Duckett, Ziskind/Cutter/Davis/Parsons/Friedman/Sessions/
Sessions Annex/Chapel, Lilly/Pierce/College Hall/Seelye, John
M. Greene/Hatfield/Dewey/Clark/Drew/76 Elm, Scales/King. Generators
are not meant to be used for "business as usual." These
generators provide emergency lighting, power to life safety systems
and critical operational equipment only. Backup generators are
tested weekly. On-board fuel at the generators will last more
than eight hours. The same fuel oil supplier supplies fuel to
these generators. The fuel tanks will be topped off before the
holidays. ScoreBoard Soccer Field Hockey Tennis Volleyball Cross Country Ellen Kaplan, playwright and associate
professor of theater, has been named a finalist for a Massachusetts
Cultural Council (MCC) fellowship in playwrighting. The MCC reviews
artists' work through an anonymous panel of out-of-state peers
and provides fellowships based on the quality of the work. Kaplan
submitted scenes from three of her plays -- an adult play, children's
play, and screenplay -- to become a finalist and receive a $1,000
award. Involved in the theater for more than 25 years, Kaplan
is an experienced teacher, actor and director. She is also an
internationally accomplished playwright whose work has been performed
in both the United States and Europe. A faculty member at Smith
for five years, Kaplan currently teaches acting seminars and
courses on directing and serves as chair of the theatre department.
Kaplan is excited and encouraged by her award, she said in an
interview with the Greenfield Recorder. The fellowship enables
her to continue to write, to rework the screenplay and develop
a one-act play. 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). Health Services Y2k Readiness Massachusetts Relay Presentation Give the Gift of Life Calling All Artists Faculty & Staff Faculty Meeting American Red Cross HR Open House Students Class of 2003 "Leapin' Lizards" Health Services Mellon Fellowships ASPECTS workers Interterm Course 2000 Picker Internship Program Porgy and Bess Invitation to Tea Postcard-Writing Sundae Parties JYA Informational Meetings Examinations Advisers Student Schedules |
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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, October 25 Lectures/Symposia Lecture "The Wheat and the Tares in the Biblical Garden: Reading the Bible in the 21st Century." Dr. Mary Ann Tolbert, professor of biblical studies, Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley, will consider use of the Bible in church and society. 7:30 p.m., Chapel* Meetings/workshops Informational meeting for students interested in studying in Japan at the Associated Kyoto Program in 2000-01. 7 p.m., Hatfield 205 Informational meeting ICCS (Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies) in Rome. Meet with the faculty adviser and returned Smith students. 7 p.m., Seelye 107 Religious Life Other events and
activities Language lunch tables Presentation of major
Biology. Presentation of major
Economics. Presentation of major Comparative literature. 4-5 p.m., Wright common room Presentation of the major French language and literature. 5 p.m., Wright common room Yoga class Noncredit, for students. Limited to 40. 4:30-5:45 p.m., Davis ballroom Tuesday, October 26 Lectures/Symposia Lecture "Tiepolo and the Notion of Pictorial Invention." Keith Christiansen, Jayne Wrightsman Curator of Italian Paintings, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and Ruth and Clarence Kennedy Professor in Renaissance Studies. Reception follows in Wright common room. 7:30 p.m., Wright auditorium* Lecture "What the Dead Sea Scrolls Really Say." Hershel Shanks, president of the Biblical Archaeology Society. Sponsors: Lecture Committee, Mellon Fund of the Smith College Museum of Art, religion department, Jewish Studies Program. 7:30 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room* Fine/performing
arts/films Film Blair Witch Project. Sponsor: Rec Council. 9 p.m., Wright auditorium Meetings/workshops Informational meeting Duke in China. Meet with the faculty adviser and returned Smith students. 5 p.m., Hatfield 205 SGA Senate meeting Open forum. All students welcome. 7:15 p.m., Seelye 201 CDO Workshop Orientation and tour for seniors. 7:15 p.m., CDO CDO informational meeting The Advisory Board Co. (health care consulting). 7:30 p.m., Dewey common room CDO informational meeting Salomon Smith Barney Sales & Trading (financial services). 7:30 p.m., Seelye 110 CDO workshop How to find an internship. 8 p.m., internship room, CDO Religious Life Hillel at Noon "The Dead Sea Scrolls: What Do They Mean to Jews?" Noon, Dawes Kosher Kitchen Other events and
activities Presentation of the major English. Lunch served. Noon, Seelye 207 Presentation of the minor International studies. 4 p.m., Seelye 207 Presentation of the minor and self-designed major East Asian studies. 4:30 p.m., Seelye 310 Presentation of the major Afro-American studies. 5 p.m., Dewey common room Volleyball vs. Clark. 7 p.m., Ainsworth Gym* CDO open hours Peer advisers available. 7-9 p.m., CDO Wednesday, October 27 Lectures/Symposia Lecture "Rethinking the Normal through New Genetics." Margaret Lock, Department of Social Studies of Medicine, McGill University. Second of four in the Neilson lecture series, "An Economy of Bodies: Recycling and Remodeling through Biomedical Technologies." Reception follows in Wright common room. 8 p.m., Wright auditorium* Fine/performing
arts/films Theater How I Learned to Drive, by Paula Vogel. John Hellweg, director. A Pulitzer Prize-winning drama about a young woman's coming of age and her relationship with her uncle. Tickets: $3, students, children and seniors; $5, faculty and staff. 8 p.m., Theater 14, Mendenhall CPA* Meetings/workshops Faculty meeting. Tea will be served at 3:45 p.m. 4:10 p.m., Alumnae House conference room CDO workshop How to write an effective résumé. 4:15 p.m., group room, CDO Museum workshop Students may explore the collection and learn how the museum operates. Free, but preregistration necessary due to limited enrollment (ext. 2760). 4:15-5:30 p.m., Museum of Art CDO informational meeting
Microsoft (computer software). Informational meeting for Interterm ESS 940, "Hiking and Canyoneering," a week-long course held in Arizona's Aravaipa Canyon wilderness area. Focus on backpacking, canyoneering and outdoor living skills. 7:30 p.m., Ainsworth Gym lounge CDO informational meeting Market Metrics (market research). 7:30 p.m., Seelye 105 Religious Life Buddhist service and discussion 7:15 p.m., Bodman Lounge, Chapel Other events and
activities Language lunch tables Language lunch tables Presentation of the major Computer science. Lunch provided. 12:10 p.m., McConnell foyer Yoga class Noncredit, for students. Limited to 40. 4:30-5:45 p.m., Davis ballroom
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Thursday, October 28 Lectures/Symposia Lecture "Caesar ex Machina: Theatrical Elements in the Roman Funeral." Geoffrey S. Sumi, assistant professor of classics, Mount Holyoke College. Sponsor: Department of Classical Languages and Literatures. 4:15 p.m., Dewey common room* Lecture "Griots and the African-American Tradition." Thomas A. Hale, professor of African, Caribbean, French and comparative literatures, Pennsylvania State University. 5 p.m., Earle Recital Hall, Sage Hall Lecture "Environmental Links to Breast Cancer." A screening of the film Exposure followed by discussion with local breast cancer experts. 7 p.m., Seelye 201* Lecture "Cold Peace-Cold War: The Choice Israel has to Make." Ehud Ya'ari, Israel television's senior political commentator. Sponsor: Hillel, government department, Jewish Studies Program. 7:30 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room* Lecture "Fragments of a History of the Will: Nietzsche and After." Michael Wood, professor of English, Princeton University. Sponsor: English department. 8 p.m., Stoddard auditorium* Fine/performing
arts/films Theater How I Learned to Drive. See 10/28 listing. 8 p.m., Theater 14, Mendenhall CPA* Film Blair Witch Project. Sponsor: Rec Council. 9 p.m., Wright auditorium Meetings/workshops CDO workshop Orientation and tour of the CDO for seniors. 4:15 p.m., CDO CDO interviewing workshop for finance and consulting fall recruiters. 5 p.m., CDO JYA informational meeting Paris. Learn about the program from next year's director and returned Smith students. 5 p.m., Seelye 110 Debate Society general
meeting. Smith Christian Fellowship meeting 7:45 p.m., Seelye 206 United in AntiRacist Action meeting 9 p.m., Seelye 101 Celebration of Sisterhood all-campus meeting 10 p.m., Wright common room Other events and
activities Presentation of the minor Jewish studies. 4:30 p.m., Seelye 207 Presentation of the
major East Asian languages and literatures. Opening reception for the exhibition "Illuminating Words: The Artist's Books of Christopher Gausby." 5-6:30 p.m., Museum of Art* Volleyball vs Amherst. 7 p.m., Ainsworth Gym* Friday, October 29 Lectures/Symposia Fine/performing
arts/films Meetings/workshops Informational meeting Russian study abroad. Learn about the program from next year's JYA director and returned Smith students. 4 p.m., Hatfield 107 Informational meeting Operation Crossroads Africa. 4-6 p.m., Wright common room Smith Science-Fiction and Fantasy Society meeting. 4:30-6:15 p.m., Seelye 208* Religious Life Shabbat service. Dinner follows at 7 p.m. in the Dawes Kosher Kitchen. 5:15 p.m., Dewey common room Other events and
activities Gallery talk on the exhibition "Illuminating Words" by artist Christopher Gausby and cocurator Veronique Plesch, Colby College. 12:15 p.m., Museum of Art* Language lunch tables Alumnae House tea Hubbard and Ziskind Houses are cordially invited to attend. 4 p.m., Alumnae House Living Room Eighty-day campaign A celebration of SGA's 80th year. Presents and prizes given to members. 4:30 p.m., Davis ballroom Newman Association Halloween party For area children and their families. (To volunteer, contact Tanya Sypeck, ext. 6841 or tskypeck@email.smith.edu.) 5 p.m., Bodman Lounge, Chapel Saturday, October 30 Fine/performing
arts/films Other events and
activities Volleyball vs. U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Noon, Ainsworth Gym* Sunday, October 31 Fine/performing
arts/films Meetings/workshops Religious Life Morning worship in the Protestant tradition. Prayers at 10 a.m. 10:30 a.m., Chapel Association of Smith Pagans meeting Organization for those who practice nature-based religions. Seekers welcome. 4 p.m., Lamont basement* Roman Catholic Eucharistic Liturgy Fr. Bill McConville, OFM, celebrant; Elizabeth Carr, Catholic chaplain. Sunday supper follows. All welcome. 4:30 p.m., Chapel* Roman Catholic Eucharistic Liturgy Fr. Bill McConville, OFM, celebrant; Elizabeth Carr, Catholic chaplain. A peaceful liturgy to end the weekend. All welcome. 10 p.m., Chapel* Other events and
activities Halloween costume bash Costumes required or pay $3 admission. Costume contest, decoration contest, apple bobbing and more. 8 p.m., Davis Ballroom Exhibitions "Illuminating Words: The Artist's Books of Christopher Gausby" blends philosophical reflections and passages from early Christian mystic texts with Dadaist compositional techniques. Cocurated by Martin Antonetti, curator of rare books, and Veronique Plesch, assistant professor of art history, Colby College. Sponsors: Museum of Art, Salloch Rare Book Fund, Neilson Library. Opening reception Thursday, October 28, 5-6:30 p.m. Through December 22. Museum of Art * "American Spectrum" features American masterworks from the early 18th century to the present with an installation of paintings and sculptures on two floors of the Museum. 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. 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 the woodcuts for Sourire, a journal 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* "To Express The Texture of Memory" Works by noted sculptor and fiber artist Sarah Hollis Perry '56. Through November 2. Alumnae Gallery, Alumnae House |
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