Chestertown, MD — The Hodson Trust, established 79 years ago to support higher education in Maryland, recently awarded Washington College $2.6 million. The grant brings the total awarded to the College by the Trust to $29.5 million since 1936.
Since 1920, The Hodson Trust has given more than $93 million to fund academic merit scholarships as well as research grants, technology improvements, building construction, library expansion, athletic programs, faculty salaries and endowment funds at Johns Hopkins University, and Hood, St. John's and Washington colleges.
With the approval of the trust, Washington College has designed a challenge program that will include matching funds for donors wishing to endow professorships and chairs as well as scholarships. The total amount available for this challenge is $10 million over the next four years. The Hodson Trust Challenge will match gifts to endowments of $100,000 or more, doubling the value of other contributions.
Seventy students received Hodson Trust awards at Washington College during the 1999-2000 academic year--six Hodson Minority Foundation Scholarships and 64 Hodson Merit Scholarships. Scholarship awardee Donald H. Holdren Jr.'s strong academic record and involvement in scholastic activities in high school earned him the academic prominence to become a Hodson Scholar. A junior drama and music major, Holdren said, "I was sold on Washington College, except for one very important detail--tuition. Without primary help from The Hodson Trust, obstacles to my attending school would have been insurmountable." President of a student-run drama group based at Washington College that involves members of the Chestertown community, he also serves as a chorister and substitute conductor of the choir at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, both in Chestertown. He plans to sing professionally in opera, get his Ph.D. in music and "teach in a small school not unlike Washington College."
Finn Caspersen, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Hodson Trust, whose financial acumen is responsible for the 34 percent increase in the amounts awarded over last year said, "We hope to continue the trend and foster continued success among the institutions and their students. The Trust should show some real growth in two years as our long-term venture capital investments mature."
"Washington College and the many students who have flourished as a result of The Hodson Trust are grateful for our special partnership. The Hodson Challenge will help us continue to strengthen our faculty and support our students," said John S. Toll, President of Washington College.
Monday, December 20, 1999
Tuesday, December 7, 1999
Namesake Plans to Commemmorate Washington's Death
Chestertown, MD — On December 14 an unprecedented national event will take place. Across the country, bells will toll and flags will fly at half-staff in observance of the 200th anniversary of George Washington’s death. The first president’s educational namesake, Washington College, and the community that surrounds the small liberal arts and sciences college will hold a spirited commemoration of Washington’s death on the College’s Chestertown, Md., campus. Beginning at noon, the observance includes a 21-gun salute and musical tributes composed in honor of Washington, a wreath-laying with color guard accompaniment from the Maryland Air National Guard, and a solemn tolling of bells on campus at 1 p.m.
The ceremony at Washington College brings to an end an 18-month celebration of Washington’s life that brought to campus former U.S. president George Bush, the late John F. Kennedy Jr., presidential scholars Doris Kearns Goodwin and Richard Norton Smith, and Smithsonian curator Richard G. Doty.
College President John S. Toll says, "In his commitment to the ideals of scholarship, character, service, and leadership, George Washington has served as a historic role model for Washington College students."
Although most Americans believe they know everything there is to know about Washington, few realize that Washington College was founded in 1782 with his gift of 50 guineas and his permission in writing to use his name, the only school to earn that distinction. Washington served on the College’s Board of Visitors and Governors for five years and received an honorary degree from the College in 1789. Founded as the first college in the new nation, Washington College ranks among the country’s top 150 selective liberal arts colleges.
"With his gift of 50 guineas Washington invested in the future of a young democracy, knowing the new nation would require an educated citizenry in order to succeed," said President Toll.
The Washington Scholars program, a merit scholarship program that grants recipients $40,000 over four years at the College, was founded to carry on that vision. The program is open to members of the National Honor Society and the Cum Laude Society; 52 percent of the College’s 1,150 students were NHS members in high school.
Seventy-three percent of a recent graduating class intended to earn advanced degrees, while 35 percent were enrolled in Ph.D. or master’s degree programs to begin in the fall after their graduation.
The ceremony at Washington College brings to an end an 18-month celebration of Washington’s life that brought to campus former U.S. president George Bush, the late John F. Kennedy Jr., presidential scholars Doris Kearns Goodwin and Richard Norton Smith, and Smithsonian curator Richard G. Doty.
College President John S. Toll says, "In his commitment to the ideals of scholarship, character, service, and leadership, George Washington has served as a historic role model for Washington College students."
Although most Americans believe they know everything there is to know about Washington, few realize that Washington College was founded in 1782 with his gift of 50 guineas and his permission in writing to use his name, the only school to earn that distinction. Washington served on the College’s Board of Visitors and Governors for five years and received an honorary degree from the College in 1789. Founded as the first college in the new nation, Washington College ranks among the country’s top 150 selective liberal arts colleges.
"With his gift of 50 guineas Washington invested in the future of a young democracy, knowing the new nation would require an educated citizenry in order to succeed," said President Toll.
The Washington Scholars program, a merit scholarship program that grants recipients $40,000 over four years at the College, was founded to carry on that vision. The program is open to members of the National Honor Society and the Cum Laude Society; 52 percent of the College’s 1,150 students were NHS members in high school.
Seventy-three percent of a recent graduating class intended to earn advanced degrees, while 35 percent were enrolled in Ph.D. or master’s degree programs to begin in the fall after their graduation.
Wednesday, November 24, 1999
William James Forum Features Nobel Laureate Dec. 2
Chestertown, MD — The science behind cooling and trapping atoms with light and its use in new scientific endeavors are among the exciting breakthroughs to be discussed by William D. Phillips, 1997 Nobel Laureate in his lecture "Almost Absolute Zero: The Story of Laser Cooling and Trapping." The William James Forum talk takes place in Litrenta Lecture Hall, Dunning Hall, at 6:30 p.m., on Thurs., Dec. 2 at Washington College.
Phillips was awarded the 1997 Nobel Prize in physics for his work in developing methods to cool and trap atoms with laser light. He points out that contrary to intuition, shining a laser on a gas cools its kinetic motion. "Using new tricks, we can now cool a gas of atoms to well below a microkelvin--the coldest kinetic temperatures ever. Atoms this cold exhibit weird and wonderful properties and are being used for applications ranging from super-accurate atomic clocks to new quantum devices like atom lasers," Phillips says. He will describe how laser cooling works, how it allows atoms to be trapped in a magnetic field, and why it works better than anyone had expected it to.
Phillips is a leading researcher at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and a member of the National Academy of Science.
Phillips was awarded the 1997 Nobel Prize in physics for his work in developing methods to cool and trap atoms with laser light. He points out that contrary to intuition, shining a laser on a gas cools its kinetic motion. "Using new tricks, we can now cool a gas of atoms to well below a microkelvin--the coldest kinetic temperatures ever. Atoms this cold exhibit weird and wonderful properties and are being used for applications ranging from super-accurate atomic clocks to new quantum devices like atom lasers," Phillips says. He will describe how laser cooling works, how it allows atoms to be trapped in a magnetic field, and why it works better than anyone had expected it to.
Phillips is a leading researcher at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and a member of the National Academy of Science.
Friday, November 12, 1999
Former White House Press Secretary Mike McCurry and Republican Kellyanne Fitzpatrick at Washington College, Nov. 22
Chestertown, MD — The Harwood Colloquy will host former White House press secretary Mike McCurry and GenX Republican pollster Kellyanne Fitzpatrick in a one-on-one discussion about the current presidential campaign moderated by John Harwood, political editor at The Wall Street Journal. The colloquy takes place at 7:30 p.m., Mon., Nov. 22, at the Casey Academic Center Forum, Washington College, Chestertown, MD. The colloquy is free and open to the public.
The match-up should generate sparks and insights from two political insiders noted for their wit and knowledge of presidential politics. White House press secretary from 1995 until 1998, McCurry was spokesman and political strategist in the Democratic presidential campaigns of Senator John Glenn, Governor Bruce Babbitt, and Senator Bob Kerrey in 1984, 1988, and 1992, respectively. He has held a variety of communications and press relations jobs in national politics and on Capitol Hill, including stints as spokesman for the U.S. Department of State, director of communications with the Democratic National Committee, and press secretary for Senator Daniel Moynihan. McCurry is president of Public Strategies Group, LLC, a Washington-D.C.-based public affairs and strategic communications consulting firm.
Fitzpatrick is founder and president of The Polling Company, a full-service conservative political consulting and public affairs research firm with offices in Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, California. The Polling Company was pollster for the Quayle 2000 presidential campaign, with Fitzpatrick as a campaign spokesperson. She has advised former Vice Presidential candidate Jack Kemp, Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, Senator Fred Thompson (R-TN) and former Vice President Dan Quayle. A political analyst for CNN during the 1996 election cycle, she continues to appear on major CNN programs such as "Inside Politics," "Crossfire," and "Burden of Proof," and is a regular guest on CNBC's "Hardball" with Chris Matthews.
The Harwood Colloquy is sponsored by the Richard Harwood Endowment Fund, established to honor the distinguished career of Washington Post columnist Richard Harwood, a College Trustee and a lecturer in journalism at Washington College since 1991.
The match-up should generate sparks and insights from two political insiders noted for their wit and knowledge of presidential politics. White House press secretary from 1995 until 1998, McCurry was spokesman and political strategist in the Democratic presidential campaigns of Senator John Glenn, Governor Bruce Babbitt, and Senator Bob Kerrey in 1984, 1988, and 1992, respectively. He has held a variety of communications and press relations jobs in national politics and on Capitol Hill, including stints as spokesman for the U.S. Department of State, director of communications with the Democratic National Committee, and press secretary for Senator Daniel Moynihan. McCurry is president of Public Strategies Group, LLC, a Washington-D.C.-based public affairs and strategic communications consulting firm.
Fitzpatrick is founder and president of The Polling Company, a full-service conservative political consulting and public affairs research firm with offices in Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, California. The Polling Company was pollster for the Quayle 2000 presidential campaign, with Fitzpatrick as a campaign spokesperson. She has advised former Vice Presidential candidate Jack Kemp, Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, Senator Fred Thompson (R-TN) and former Vice President Dan Quayle. A political analyst for CNN during the 1996 election cycle, she continues to appear on major CNN programs such as "Inside Politics," "Crossfire," and "Burden of Proof," and is a regular guest on CNBC's "Hardball" with Chris Matthews.
The Harwood Colloquy is sponsored by the Richard Harwood Endowment Fund, established to honor the distinguished career of Washington Post columnist Richard Harwood, a College Trustee and a lecturer in journalism at Washington College since 1991.
Tuesday, November 9, 1999
Chivalry Dead in Migratory Birds, Smithsonian Bird Expert Says
Chestertown, MD — What happens after nesting is done and birds migrate to their winter quarters in the tropics? Peter Marra, Ph.D., terrestrial animal ecologist at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, relates that all is not sweetness and happy-times between breeding seasons in the north. His slide-lecture, "Chivalry is Dead in Migratory Birds," uncovers the story and its consequences for bird populations at 7:30 p.m., Weds., Nov. 17, in the Casey Academic Center Forum at Washington College in Chestertown, Md. The lecture is free and open to the public.
The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, is dedicated to increasing the knowledge of the biological and physical processes that sustain life on earth. Marra, who has been working in the Caribbean and Central America, is beginning to study birds of the Chesapeake Bay area. His talk is sponsored by the McLain Program in Environmental Studies.
The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, is dedicated to increasing the knowledge of the biological and physical processes that sustain life on earth. Marra, who has been working in the Caribbean and Central America, is beginning to study birds of the Chesapeake Bay area. His talk is sponsored by the McLain Program in Environmental Studies.
A Book of Reasons Author John Vernon Reads Nov. 16
Chestertown, MD — Author John Vernon will read from his recently published work, "A Book of Reasons," at 8 p.m., Tues., Nov. 16, in the Sophie Kerr Room at the Miller Library on the campus of Washington College. The reading is free and open to the public.
The book was born of Vernon's experience after he inherited his brother's house, which was full of trash, garbage, and filth. Vernon's brother chose a thoughtful legatee, for the author not only cleaned up the house, he also thought deeply about what he had found, what it said about his brother's life,and how the detritus of that life connected his reclusive brother to others in the larger world.
In the book, Vernon describes walking into his brother's bedroom. He found it "five feet deep in trash bags, milk cartons, boxes of documents, empty cartons of Kools, Pepsi bottles, empty bags of cat food, a Hitachi TV, eviscerated radios, model airplane kits, audiotapes, over-the-counter medication--Dayquil, Alka-Seltzer, Dimetapp, Bayer aspirin." Vernon fled the house and called his wife from a pay phone, but broke down sobbing on the telephone. Vernon writes, "When I started describing the house, I gradually stopped crying and regained some control."
In "The New York Times Book Review," Martha Beck wrote about "A Book of Reasons,""Vernon seems to be continuing the process he started during that phone call: transferring the sad puzzle of his brother's life from gut to brain, reclaiming detachment through the process of description and analysis. The resulting book is sometimes harrowing, often insightful, occasionally amusing and consistently fascinating."
Vernon's reading is sponsored by The Sophie Kerr Committee.
The book was born of Vernon's experience after he inherited his brother's house, which was full of trash, garbage, and filth. Vernon's brother chose a thoughtful legatee, for the author not only cleaned up the house, he also thought deeply about what he had found, what it said about his brother's life,and how the detritus of that life connected his reclusive brother to others in the larger world.
In the book, Vernon describes walking into his brother's bedroom. He found it "five feet deep in trash bags, milk cartons, boxes of documents, empty cartons of Kools, Pepsi bottles, empty bags of cat food, a Hitachi TV, eviscerated radios, model airplane kits, audiotapes, over-the-counter medication--Dayquil, Alka-Seltzer, Dimetapp, Bayer aspirin." Vernon fled the house and called his wife from a pay phone, but broke down sobbing on the telephone. Vernon writes, "When I started describing the house, I gradually stopped crying and regained some control."
In "The New York Times Book Review," Martha Beck wrote about "A Book of Reasons,""Vernon seems to be continuing the process he started during that phone call: transferring the sad puzzle of his brother's life from gut to brain, reclaiming detachment through the process of description and analysis. The resulting book is sometimes harrowing, often insightful, occasionally amusing and consistently fascinating."
Vernon's reading is sponsored by The Sophie Kerr Committee.
Tuesday, November 2, 1999
Sun-Centered Weather On Tap at Washington College
Chestertown, MD — Earthlings expect the sun to rise every morning and set every night. But all is not quiet on Earth’s star and events on its surface can affect life on Earth. In his talk "Environmental Impacts of Space Weather," Allan T. Weatherwax, visiting assistant professor of physics at Washington College, will discuss the Sun-Earth environment, including the solar wind, sunspots, the aurora borealis, and explosions on the sun called coronal mass ejections. His talk takes place at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 9, in Litrenta Lecture Hall at Washington College.
Weatherwax, who is also research scientist at the University of Maryland Institute of Physical Science and Technology, says, for example, that the sun periodically releases copious amounts of matter through coronal mass ejections. "These immense clouds of material, when directed towards Earth, can cause large magnetic storms that produce huge amounts of power—several million megawatts—more than enough to power the United States." He also points out that in the year 2000, solar activity will increase, heightening the likelihood of damage to electrical equipment in space and on the ground.
Sponsored by the McLain Program in Environmental Studies, the lecture is free and open to the public.
Weatherwax, who is also research scientist at the University of Maryland Institute of Physical Science and Technology, says, for example, that the sun periodically releases copious amounts of matter through coronal mass ejections. "These immense clouds of material, when directed towards Earth, can cause large magnetic storms that produce huge amounts of power—several million megawatts—more than enough to power the United States." He also points out that in the year 2000, solar activity will increase, heightening the likelihood of damage to electrical equipment in space and on the ground.
Sponsored by the McLain Program in Environmental Studies, the lecture is free and open to the public.
Lecture Considers Washington's Attitudes Toward Death and the Afterlife
Chestertown, MD — Peter R. Henriques, a noted professor of history at George Mason University in Arlington, Va., is the guest of The Guy F. Goodfellow Memorial Lecture Series at Washington College in Chestertown. Dr. Henriques' lecture, "He Died as He Lived: George Washington's Final Struggle with the Grim King," focuses on what Washington thought about death and the afterlife in the context of his Enlightenment beliefs. Set for Thursday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m., in the Sophie Kerr Room of Miller Library, the lecture is free and open to the public.
Henriques teaches American and Virginia history with special emphasis on Virginia and the American Revolution and the Virginia Founding Fathers. His upcoming book on Washington's death and funeral in commemoration of the bicentennial of Washington's death is to be published by the Mount Vernon Ladies Association. His other writings include "The Final Struggle between George Washington and the Grim King: Washington's Attitude toward Death and Afterlife," in "Virginia Magazine of History and Biography," Winter 1999; "Major Lawrence Washington vs. The Rev. Charles Green: A Case Study of the Squire and the Parson," in VMHB, April 1992; "An Uneven Friendship: The Relationship between George Washington and George Mason," VMHB, April 1989; "George Washington-William Payne Fight: A New Explanation," Northern Virginia Heritage, October 1983; "The Amiable George Washington," NVH, Feb. 1978.
The Guy F. Goodfellow Memorial Lecture Series was established upon Goodfellow's death in 1989 to honor the memory of the history professor who had taught at Washington College for 30 years. The intent of the endowed lecture series is to bring a distinguished historian to campus each year to lecture and spend time with students in emulation of Dr. Goodfellow's vibrant teaching style.
Henriques teaches American and Virginia history with special emphasis on Virginia and the American Revolution and the Virginia Founding Fathers. His upcoming book on Washington's death and funeral in commemoration of the bicentennial of Washington's death is to be published by the Mount Vernon Ladies Association. His other writings include "The Final Struggle between George Washington and the Grim King: Washington's Attitude toward Death and Afterlife," in "Virginia Magazine of History and Biography," Winter 1999; "Major Lawrence Washington vs. The Rev. Charles Green: A Case Study of the Squire and the Parson," in VMHB, April 1992; "An Uneven Friendship: The Relationship between George Washington and George Mason," VMHB, April 1989; "George Washington-William Payne Fight: A New Explanation," Northern Virginia Heritage, October 1983; "The Amiable George Washington," NVH, Feb. 1978.
The Guy F. Goodfellow Memorial Lecture Series was established upon Goodfellow's death in 1989 to honor the memory of the history professor who had taught at Washington College for 30 years. The intent of the endowed lecture series is to bring a distinguished historian to campus each year to lecture and spend time with students in emulation of Dr. Goodfellow's vibrant teaching style.
Monday, November 1, 1999
Lecture on Southern Africa November 9
Chestertown, MD — How nations in southern Africa are faring in the process of strengthening their democratic processes is the subject of a talk by David S. Pottie, senior researcher at the Electoral Institute of South Africa, or EISA. His lecture, "Democratic Consolidation in Southern Africa," begins at 7:30 p.m. on Tues., Nov. 9, in the Hynson Lounge at Washington College.
In his work with EISA, Pottie works with nongovernmental organizations and electoral commissions in South Africa and throughout southern Africa. He also prepares materials related to elections and democratization and supports EISA's activities in civic education, election observation. His talk is sponsored by The Goldstein Program in Public Affairs and is free and open to the public.
In his work with EISA, Pottie works with nongovernmental organizations and electoral commissions in South Africa and throughout southern Africa. He also prepares materials related to elections and democratization and supports EISA's activities in civic education, election observation. His talk is sponsored by The Goldstein Program in Public Affairs and is free and open to the public.
Friday, October 29, 1999
Chinese Diplomat Speaks on US-China Relations Tuesday
Chestertown, MD — As China continues to emerge as an economic and political force, its relationship with the United States evolves. KunShen Zhang, executive aide to the Ambassador of China in the United States will speak about that relationship at 7 p.m., Tues., Nov. 2, in the Hynson Lounge at Washington College. His lecture, "U.S.-China Relations: Present and Future Issues" is free and open to the public.
Zhang holds a Ph.D. in political science from Peking University. Since 1998 he has served as the first Secretary in the Political Analysis Section of the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C. His talk is sponsored by the Washington College International Relations Club.
Zhang holds a Ph.D. in political science from Peking University. Since 1998 he has served as the first Secretary in the Political Analysis Section of the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C. His talk is sponsored by the Washington College International Relations Club.
Thursday, October 28, 1999
Jordanian Ambassador to speak at Washington College
Chestertown, MD — The late King Hussein's quest for lasting peace will be the topic when Dr. Marwan Jamil Muasher, Jordanian Ambassador to the United States, speaks on Thurs., Nov. 18 at Washington College in Chestertown, Md. Dr. Muasher's lecture, titled "Jordan's Path to Peace: King Hussein's Legacy," will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Casey Academic Center Forum.
Hussein, who succumbed to cancer earlier this year, ruled Jordan for 46 years and gained wide acclaim for moving Jordan and its neighbors toward peace with Israel. He has been lauded for remaining committed to a lasting peace in the Middle East, infusing humanity and substance into his peace-making endeavors, and magnifying Jordan's role in international relations despite the complexities inherent in the peace process.
Ambassador to the United States since 1997, Dr. Muasher has served as Jordanian Minister of Information, Ambassador to Israel, Director of the Jordan Information Bureau, a political columnist, press advisor to the Jordanian prime minister, and spokesman and member of the Jordanian Delegation to the Middle East Peace Talks. As a member of the Jordanian Delegation to the Middle East peace process, he has intimate knowledge of how the late king handled the conflicting interests of Arab nations.
Dr. Muasher's talk is sponsored by the Goldstein Program in Public Affairs. It is free and open to the public.
Hussein, who succumbed to cancer earlier this year, ruled Jordan for 46 years and gained wide acclaim for moving Jordan and its neighbors toward peace with Israel. He has been lauded for remaining committed to a lasting peace in the Middle East, infusing humanity and substance into his peace-making endeavors, and magnifying Jordan's role in international relations despite the complexities inherent in the peace process.
Ambassador to the United States since 1997, Dr. Muasher has served as Jordanian Minister of Information, Ambassador to Israel, Director of the Jordan Information Bureau, a political columnist, press advisor to the Jordanian prime minister, and spokesman and member of the Jordanian Delegation to the Middle East Peace Talks. As a member of the Jordanian Delegation to the Middle East peace process, he has intimate knowledge of how the late king handled the conflicting interests of Arab nations.
Dr. Muasher's talk is sponsored by the Goldstein Program in Public Affairs. It is free and open to the public.
Monday, October 25, 1999
Best-selling Author Brings Citizen Washington Alive in Reading
Chestertown, MD — William Martin, whose book "Citizen Washington" has received five-star reviews from readers, reads from and signs the work at 1:30 p.m., Saturday Oct. 30, at the Casey Academic Center Forum at Washington College, Chestertown, Md.. The event is free and open to the public.
Citizen Washington is a fictional account of a young reporter's search to discover George Washington's true nature shortly after Washington's death, as one character says, before the truth goes "up in smoke." The reporter, Christopher Draper, interviews people who can tell him what they have observed and thought of "America's first icon." His interviewees range from Jacob, a slave at Mount Vernon, to such famous figures as Alexander Hamilton, the marquis de Lafayette, and even Lady Washington herself. In his book, Martin pieces together a wide-lens, multifaceted portrait of citizen Washington, speaking through the voices of his various "testifiers."
In this, the 200th year since Washington's death, the reading by Martin is particularly apt. A Washington College graduate wrote of the book, "As an alumnus of Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland, which was founded by a financial donation from George Washington in 1782, I have a special spot in my heart for this man, made more special by this book. By the end of the book I admired Washington more because he was human."
William Martin is the best-selling author of "Back Bay," "Cape Cod," and "Annapolis." He is also the author of the PBS documentary "George Washington: The Man Who Wouldn't Be King." A native of Boston, he graduated from Harvard and received his M.F.A. from the University of Southern California. His other novels include "The Rising of the Moon" and "Nerve Ending."
Citizen Washington is a fictional account of a young reporter's search to discover George Washington's true nature shortly after Washington's death, as one character says, before the truth goes "up in smoke." The reporter, Christopher Draper, interviews people who can tell him what they have observed and thought of "America's first icon." His interviewees range from Jacob, a slave at Mount Vernon, to such famous figures as Alexander Hamilton, the marquis de Lafayette, and even Lady Washington herself. In his book, Martin pieces together a wide-lens, multifaceted portrait of citizen Washington, speaking through the voices of his various "testifiers."
In this, the 200th year since Washington's death, the reading by Martin is particularly apt. A Washington College graduate wrote of the book, "As an alumnus of Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland, which was founded by a financial donation from George Washington in 1782, I have a special spot in my heart for this man, made more special by this book. By the end of the book I admired Washington more because he was human."
William Martin is the best-selling author of "Back Bay," "Cape Cod," and "Annapolis." He is also the author of the PBS documentary "George Washington: The Man Who Wouldn't Be King." A native of Boston, he graduated from Harvard and received his M.F.A. from the University of Southern California. His other novels include "The Rising of the Moon" and "Nerve Ending."
Friday, October 22, 1999
Allen Hammond, Author & Director of Strategic Analysis for World Resources Institute, to Speak on Environmental Issues
Chestertown, MD — Will the 21st century bring peace and prosperity or decay and destruction? Scientist and author Allen Hammond will probe these and other environmental issues when he speaks at 7:30 p.m. on Thurs., Oct. 28 in Litrenta Lecture Hall at Washington College, Chestertown, Md. His lecture is entitled "Environmental Issues for the 21st Century."
Senior scientist and director of Strategic Analysis for the World Resources Institute in Washington, D.C., Hammond is the author of Which World? Scenarios for the 21st Century. In Which World? Hammond examines the consequences of current social, economic, and environmental trends to construct three possible worlds that could await us in the future: Market World, in which free markets, private enterprise, and global market integration increase economic fortune; Fortress World, in which social and economic gaps widen and chaos emerges; and Transformed World, where social, political, and economic factors create a more harmonious and prosperous society.
Hammond holds degrees from both Stanford University and Harvard University. Prior to joining the World Resources Institute, he created the Research News section of the international journal Science and went on to found and edit such national publications as Science 80-86, Issues in Science and Technology, and Information Please Environmental Almanac. He also broadcast a daily, nationally syndicated radio program for five years and has written and edited 10 books. As WRI's senior scientist, he works to implement institute-wide advances in the use of analytical methods and information tools for policy research; studies environmental and sustainable development indicators; develops web-based communication tools; and writes on and researches long-term sustainability issues.
Hammond's talk is sponsored by the McLain Program in Environmental Studies. The lecture is free and open to the public.
Senior scientist and director of Strategic Analysis for the World Resources Institute in Washington, D.C., Hammond is the author of Which World? Scenarios for the 21st Century. In Which World? Hammond examines the consequences of current social, economic, and environmental trends to construct three possible worlds that could await us in the future: Market World, in which free markets, private enterprise, and global market integration increase economic fortune; Fortress World, in which social and economic gaps widen and chaos emerges; and Transformed World, where social, political, and economic factors create a more harmonious and prosperous society.
Hammond holds degrees from both Stanford University and Harvard University. Prior to joining the World Resources Institute, he created the Research News section of the international journal Science and went on to found and edit such national publications as Science 80-86, Issues in Science and Technology, and Information Please Environmental Almanac. He also broadcast a daily, nationally syndicated radio program for five years and has written and edited 10 books. As WRI's senior scientist, he works to implement institute-wide advances in the use of analytical methods and information tools for policy research; studies environmental and sustainable development indicators; develops web-based communication tools; and writes on and researches long-term sustainability issues.
Hammond's talk is sponsored by the McLain Program in Environmental Studies. The lecture is free and open to the public.
Thursday, October 21, 1999
Washington College Student Speaks About "Operation Smile"
Chestertown, MD — Erin Tottenham, a senior English major who interned last summer with Operation Smile in Norfolk, Va., and Lima, Peru, will talk about her experience in an illustrated lecture, at 7 p.m. Weds. Oct. 20 in the Casey Academic Center Forum.
"For a long time, I have wanted to join the Peace Corps after I graduate, and this organization seemed phenomenal," she says. "They reach out to poor, developing, disease-ridden countries. The children they help deserve to be relieved of at least one of their burdens." She said she wanted to be picked for the internship as soon as she heard it was available.
Tottenham noted that the children served by Operation Smile are often considered within their cultures to be not just handicapped, but cursed. "I was taught and fully believe everyone has a purpose on this earth. These children have so much weight on their shoulders, and sometimes these deformities cause them to be ostracized--one more difficulty in their already hard lives," she says. Her values of acceptance and the mission of Operation Smile meshed, "It was an amazing experience--difficult and beautiful. The children, families and the volunteers and staff were very warm and welcoming. I was privileged to take part in such selfless philanthropic efforts."
Washington College is the first school to establish an internship program with Operation Smile, which are funded by 1968 alum Richard Holstein, a pediatric dentist. A not-for-profit, volunteer medical services organization, Operation Smile offers reconstructive facial surgery to indigent children and young adults in 16 developing countries and in the United States and is based in Norfolk, Va. Since 1982, Operation Smile has treated 50,000 children here and abroad.
"For a long time, I have wanted to join the Peace Corps after I graduate, and this organization seemed phenomenal," she says. "They reach out to poor, developing, disease-ridden countries. The children they help deserve to be relieved of at least one of their burdens." She said she wanted to be picked for the internship as soon as she heard it was available.
Tottenham noted that the children served by Operation Smile are often considered within their cultures to be not just handicapped, but cursed. "I was taught and fully believe everyone has a purpose on this earth. These children have so much weight on their shoulders, and sometimes these deformities cause them to be ostracized--one more difficulty in their already hard lives," she says. Her values of acceptance and the mission of Operation Smile meshed, "It was an amazing experience--difficult and beautiful. The children, families and the volunteers and staff were very warm and welcoming. I was privileged to take part in such selfless philanthropic efforts."
Washington College is the first school to establish an internship program with Operation Smile, which are funded by 1968 alum Richard Holstein, a pediatric dentist. A not-for-profit, volunteer medical services organization, Operation Smile offers reconstructive facial surgery to indigent children and young adults in 16 developing countries and in the United States and is based in Norfolk, Va. Since 1982, Operation Smile has treated 50,000 children here and abroad.
Wednesday, October 20, 1999
Schottland Founds Business Leadership Award at Washington College
Chestertown, MD — Citing the need to foster innovation and excellence in American business, Stanley A. Schottland, retired CEO and Chairman of American Packaging Corporation, has established the Schottland Business Leadership Award at Washington College.
Worth a total of $75,000 over the next five years, the award grants one graduating senior $5,000 in cash, with the promise of an additional $10,000 toward graduate school at an accredited business college. Award winners must accept a position within an American corporation for at least two years, after which they will be eligible for the $10,000 tuition grant. Second and third place awardees receive grants of $1,000 each upon graduation.
The Schottland Business Leadership Award competition is open to any Washington College student who meets the academic, moral and leadership criteria. Applicants are judged by a three-member panel comprising a member of the business management department, Mr. Schottland and a representative of an American corporation.
The first Schottland Business Leadership Awards will be granted this spring. Applications must be submitted by February 1, 2000, and are available from Washington College's Department of Business Management.
Worth a total of $75,000 over the next five years, the award grants one graduating senior $5,000 in cash, with the promise of an additional $10,000 toward graduate school at an accredited business college. Award winners must accept a position within an American corporation for at least two years, after which they will be eligible for the $10,000 tuition grant. Second and third place awardees receive grants of $1,000 each upon graduation.
The Schottland Business Leadership Award competition is open to any Washington College student who meets the academic, moral and leadership criteria. Applicants are judged by a three-member panel comprising a member of the business management department, Mr. Schottland and a representative of an American corporation.
The first Schottland Business Leadership Awards will be granted this spring. Applications must be submitted by February 1, 2000, and are available from Washington College's Department of Business Management.
Tuesday, October 19, 1999
Millennium Symposium Examines 21st Century Choices
Chestertown, MD — "Reflecting on the Past and Anticipating the Future: A Symposium on The Millennium," will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., Saturday Oct. 30, at the Norman James Theatre at Washington College, Chestertown, Md. The symposium features lectures and wide-ranging discussions reflecting on the past and the important issues that affect the future--scientific advances, demographic shifts, and increased demands upon the world's natural resources.
Speakers include Robert Fallaw, Everett E. Nuttle professor of history at Washington College, with an address on the last millennium; Allen Hammond, senior scientist at and director of Strategic Analysis for the World Resources Institute in Washington, D.C., speaking on private sector involvement in solving global environmental problems; Vivian Klaff, associate professor of sociology at the University of Delaware, who will talk about population issues; and Sir John Maddox, former editor of Nature and a physicist, who will speak on the future of science. The symposium will be moderated by Davy McCall, lecturer in economics emeritus at Washington College. A roundtable discussion moderated by David Newell, professor and chair of the Department of Philosophy, will follow the presentations.
The symposium is endorsed by the Maryland Commission for Celebration 2000 an is open to the public. Registration is $20; lunch is $8.50. For more information or to reserve a ticket, please call 410-778-7221.
Speakers include Robert Fallaw, Everett E. Nuttle professor of history at Washington College, with an address on the last millennium; Allen Hammond, senior scientist at and director of Strategic Analysis for the World Resources Institute in Washington, D.C., speaking on private sector involvement in solving global environmental problems; Vivian Klaff, associate professor of sociology at the University of Delaware, who will talk about population issues; and Sir John Maddox, former editor of Nature and a physicist, who will speak on the future of science. The symposium will be moderated by Davy McCall, lecturer in economics emeritus at Washington College. A roundtable discussion moderated by David Newell, professor and chair of the Department of Philosophy, will follow the presentations.
The symposium is endorsed by the Maryland Commission for Celebration 2000 an is open to the public. Registration is $20; lunch is $8.50. For more information or to reserve a ticket, please call 410-778-7221.
Monday, October 18, 1999
Halloween Parade Returns to Chestertown
Chestertown, MD — Thanks to Washington College students and the Chestertown Lions Club, Draculas, Frankensteins, and fairy princesses will parade down High Street once again in the town's Halloween Parade. Washington College Student Government President Katherine D. Mahoney says, "We're very interested in keeping good relations with the town, so we jumped at the chance to work with the Lions Club to bring back the parade."
The parade takes place during Washington College's Fall Family Day. "We wanted to focus on the family and bring together all facets of the community on every level. The parade has a lot of support in town," says Mahoney.
The parade kicks off at 3:00 p.m. on Oct. 30. At 4:30 p.m., parade watchers and participants are invited to a Town and Gown reception in Fountain Park, hosted by the Parents Council of Washington College. Among those parading will be children from day care centers; elementary, middle, and high school students; college students and sports teams; and the Washington College homecoming courts and class floats.
The parade takes place during Washington College's Fall Family Day. "We wanted to focus on the family and bring together all facets of the community on every level. The parade has a lot of support in town," says Mahoney.
The parade kicks off at 3:00 p.m. on Oct. 30. At 4:30 p.m., parade watchers and participants are invited to a Town and Gown reception in Fountain Park, hosted by the Parents Council of Washington College. Among those parading will be children from day care centers; elementary, middle, and high school students; college students and sports teams; and the Washington College homecoming courts and class floats.
"A Land to Die For" Author to Speak at Washington College
Chestertown, MD — The battle over land in the Brazilian Amazonian rain forest has been a deadly one for people and the forest. Author Binka Le Breton will present a slide-lecture at the Washington College International House Lounge about the struggle's consequences for the rain forest and the people who claim it. She speaks at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 19. Her talk is free and open to the public.
Le Breton, a British journalist who lectures worldwide on environmental issues and human rights, also co-directs the Iracumbi Rainforest Research Center in Brazil with her husband, Robin. She is the author of "A Land to Die For,"published in 1997. Her lecture is sponsored by the International House at Washington College.
Le Breton, a British journalist who lectures worldwide on environmental issues and human rights, also co-directs the Iracumbi Rainforest Research Center in Brazil with her husband, Robin. She is the author of "A Land to Die For,"published in 1997. Her lecture is sponsored by the International House at Washington College.
Distinguished Computer Scientist Helps College Celebrate New Major
Chestertown, MD — Jack Minker, who helped establish the study of computer science at the University of Maryland in 1974, will speak at 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 20 at Washington College. In his talk on the history and development of digital computers through the 1950s, Minker will trace the scientific advances that ledto the development of the modern electronic computer, starting with Euclid and Aristotle and including the surprising influence of the Jacquard Loom for weaving patterns in cloth. He will discuss the controversy over who developed the first digital computer, the influence of founders such as Admiral Grace Hopper and Alan Turing, and the role that computers played in code breaking during World War II. His slide-lecture is free and open to the public.
Minker appears as part of Washington College's celebration of its newly announced major in computer science, previously offered as a minor at the school. Assistant Professor Austin Lobo says, "Washington College is committed to a strong computer science major grounded in a liberal arts tradition that values the historical perspective. Dr. Minker is a recognized expert in computer science as well as an elder statesman in the field. We're proud to have him speak on campus."
Minker is professor emeritus at the University of Maryland College Park in the Department of Computer Science and the Institute for Advanced Computer Studies. He has written more than 160 technical articles for refereed journals, books and conferences and is considered the founder of several fields within the computer science. He is also a tireless worker for human rights.
Minker appears as part of Washington College's celebration of its newly announced major in computer science, previously offered as a minor at the school. Assistant Professor Austin Lobo says, "Washington College is committed to a strong computer science major grounded in a liberal arts tradition that values the historical perspective. Dr. Minker is a recognized expert in computer science as well as an elder statesman in the field. We're proud to have him speak on campus."
Minker is professor emeritus at the University of Maryland College Park in the Department of Computer Science and the Institute for Advanced Computer Studies. He has written more than 160 technical articles for refereed journals, books and conferences and is considered the founder of several fields within the computer science. He is also a tireless worker for human rights.
Thursday, October 14, 1999
Maryland Association Honors Educational Excellence at October Meeting
Chestertown, MD — When the Maryland Association of Higher Education convenes at Washington College on Oct. 15, attendees can look forward to more than standard conference fare. They'll be treated to a showcase of exemplary educational programs from around the state, one of which includes following the Mongol hordes at Washington College. The hordes aren't roaming the campus. They're safely confined to an animated Web-based map, one of several Assistant Professor Clayton Black uses in his course on early Russian history. The College's use of Web technology in instruction was chosen as an exemplary program by the association.
Eleven Washington College professors work with Nancy Cross, instructional technologist, and Gerry Waterson, assistant director of academic computing, to develop Web-based courses. Their initiatives and computer software training for the faculty and staff of the College are funded by $300,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation that supports cost-effective use of technology in teaching. Black says that Web-based instructional technology enables his students to visualize subtle historical points and encourages them to present their best writing for papers posted on the course site.
Also recognized at the conference will be programs from the University of Maryland, College Park; Prince George's Community College; Carroll Community College; Frostburg State University; and Salisbury State University.
Members of the Maryland Association of Higher Education exchange ideas for improving higher education in the state. At the Oct. 15 conference, the MAHE will also announce the winner of its Lifetime Achievement Award.
Eleven Washington College professors work with Nancy Cross, instructional technologist, and Gerry Waterson, assistant director of academic computing, to develop Web-based courses. Their initiatives and computer software training for the faculty and staff of the College are funded by $300,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation that supports cost-effective use of technology in teaching. Black says that Web-based instructional technology enables his students to visualize subtle historical points and encourages them to present their best writing for papers posted on the course site.
Also recognized at the conference will be programs from the University of Maryland, College Park; Prince George's Community College; Carroll Community College; Frostburg State University; and Salisbury State University.
Members of the Maryland Association of Higher Education exchange ideas for improving higher education in the state. At the Oct. 15 conference, the MAHE will also announce the winner of its Lifetime Achievement Award.
Tuesday, October 5, 1999
Italian Renaissance Scholar To Lecture at Washington College
Chestertown, MD — Author and lecturer David S. Chambers of the Warburg Institute, University of London, will deliver a slide presentation and lecture at 4:30 p.m., Thursday Oct. 14, in the Hynson Lounge at Washington College.
An excellent and entertaining speaker, Chambers will discuss how the work of 19th-century scholar and literary artist Frederich Gregorovius embodies ideas of Renaissance Rome. Over a period of 15 years, Gregorovius wrote an 8-volume history still consulted by Italian Renaissance scholars and considered the best account of the medieval and Renaissance Rome by one man.
Chambers' most recent book, "Clean Hands and Rough Justice," closely examines an investigating magistrate in Renaissance Italy. He has written and edited many books and essays on medieval and early modern Italy. The Warburg Institute of the University of London exists to further the study of the classical tradition, defined as those elements of European thought, literature, art and institutions that derive from the ancient world.
"Gregorovius and the Idea of Renaissance Rome," sponsored by the Friends of the Miller Library, is free and open to the public.
An excellent and entertaining speaker, Chambers will discuss how the work of 19th-century scholar and literary artist Frederich Gregorovius embodies ideas of Renaissance Rome. Over a period of 15 years, Gregorovius wrote an 8-volume history still consulted by Italian Renaissance scholars and considered the best account of the medieval and Renaissance Rome by one man.
Chambers' most recent book, "Clean Hands and Rough Justice," closely examines an investigating magistrate in Renaissance Italy. He has written and edited many books and essays on medieval and early modern Italy. The Warburg Institute of the University of London exists to further the study of the classical tradition, defined as those elements of European thought, literature, art and institutions that derive from the ancient world.
"Gregorovius and the Idea of Renaissance Rome," sponsored by the Friends of the Miller Library, is free and open to the public.
Friday, October 1, 1999
Author/Environmentalist Myron Arms speaks at Washington College Oct. 13
Chestertown, MD — Myron Arms, author of Riddle of the Ice and Cathedral of the World, will discuss his sea experiences and global warming at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 13, at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland.
In Cathedral of the World, published in 1999, Arms writes, "The ocean's wounds can cause a sailor to weep, not for what humanity may have lost in terms of natural beauty or raw materials or food production but for the ocean itself complete and alone . . . " He suggests, "We need the forests and the oceans as they are if we are to have a planet that is habitable, not only for fish and birds and monkeys and spiders, but for human beings as well."
Arms has voyaged more than 100,000 sea miles and has led seven sail-training expeditions to northern Canada, Greenland, and the Arctic. His writing about the sea has been likened to that of naturalist John Muir, who wrote about America's forests, and writer Edward Abbey, who lived in and wrote about the western deserts.
Arms and his wife, Kay, live on a farm overlooking the Sassafras River. The free slide presentation and lecture will take place in Hynson Lounge and is open to the public. Arms' appearance is sponsored by Washington College's Society of Junior Fellows.
In Cathedral of the World, published in 1999, Arms writes, "The ocean's wounds can cause a sailor to weep, not for what humanity may have lost in terms of natural beauty or raw materials or food production but for the ocean itself complete and alone . . . " He suggests, "We need the forests and the oceans as they are if we are to have a planet that is habitable, not only for fish and birds and monkeys and spiders, but for human beings as well."
Arms has voyaged more than 100,000 sea miles and has led seven sail-training expeditions to northern Canada, Greenland, and the Arctic. His writing about the sea has been likened to that of naturalist John Muir, who wrote about America's forests, and writer Edward Abbey, who lived in and wrote about the western deserts.
Arms and his wife, Kay, live on a farm overlooking the Sassafras River. The free slide presentation and lecture will take place in Hynson Lounge and is open to the public. Arms' appearance is sponsored by Washington College's Society of Junior Fellows.
Saturday, September 25, 1999
CIA Official to Give Talk On Campus October 6th
Chestertown, MD — Robert D. Vickers Jr. of the National Intelligence Council will speak on issues facing the CIA, Wednesday, October 6 at Washington College. The lecture, "The CIA in the 21st Century: Challenges and Opportunities," will be held in the Hynson Lounge at 7:30 p.m.
Mr. Vickers joined the Agency in 1969. He has worked in divisions covering China and the Far East, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. In 1984 he was appointed the National Intelligence Officer for Latin America, where he remained until 1987, when he became the Deputy Director, Office of African and Latin American Analysis. He moved into the field of imagery analysis in 1990. Since 1996 Mr. Vickers has been the National Intelligence Officer for Warning.
Mr. Vickers' talk is sponsored by the Louis L. Goldstein Program in Public Affairs. It is free and open to the public.
Mr. Vickers joined the Agency in 1969. He has worked in divisions covering China and the Far East, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. In 1984 he was appointed the National Intelligence Officer for Latin America, where he remained until 1987, when he became the Deputy Director, Office of African and Latin American Analysis. He moved into the field of imagery analysis in 1990. Since 1996 Mr. Vickers has been the National Intelligence Officer for Warning.
Mr. Vickers' talk is sponsored by the Louis L. Goldstein Program in Public Affairs. It is free and open to the public.
Friday, September 10, 1999
Washington College Concert Series Season Opens With Eugenia Zukerman
Chestertown, MD — In its 48th season, the Washington College Concert Series is featuring five musical performances throughout the academic year, including a renowned flutist who frequently appears on CBS Sunday Morning as arts correspondent.
Internationally acclaimed solo flutist Eugenia Zukerman opens the Concert Series on Tuesday, September 28th. She will be performing with pianist Dennis Helmrich. Also scheduled for the season are the Wihan Quartet on October 25th, Bonnie Rideout on Scottish fiddle and viola on January 27th, the Ethos Percussion Group on February 27th, and Goldina & Loumbrozo on piano on March 24th.
Season tickets for the entire series are $40.00 per person and can be ordered by mail from Washington College Concert Series, 300 Washington Avenue, Chestertown, MD 21620. Single admission tickets are $12 for adults and $5 for youth 18 and under. All concerts are held in Tawes Theater of the Gibson Performing Arts Center on the Chestertown campus. With the exception of the 4 p.m. matinee performance of Ethos Percussion Group, all performances start at 8:00 p.m.
Recognized by the Boston Globe as "one of the finest flutists of our time," Eugenia Zukerman is known for her elegant, artistic phrasing, brilliant agility and graceful stage presence. The New York Times critic gushed: "Her musicanship is consummate, her taste immaculate, and her stage presence a sheer pleasure!"
She has led a many-faceted life as a flutist, novelist, screenwriter, and television commentator. Since 1980 she has traveled around the country interviewing artists in her role for CBS Sunday Morning. Meanwhile, she has pursued her musical career, appearing as soloist at major American festivals, collaborating with other musical artists, and performing as an emsemble player. She also serves as artistic director of the prestigious Bravo! Colorado, Vail Music Festival, scheduled each summer.
Internationally acclaimed solo flutist Eugenia Zukerman opens the Concert Series on Tuesday, September 28th. She will be performing with pianist Dennis Helmrich. Also scheduled for the season are the Wihan Quartet on October 25th, Bonnie Rideout on Scottish fiddle and viola on January 27th, the Ethos Percussion Group on February 27th, and Goldina & Loumbrozo on piano on March 24th.
Season tickets for the entire series are $40.00 per person and can be ordered by mail from Washington College Concert Series, 300 Washington Avenue, Chestertown, MD 21620. Single admission tickets are $12 for adults and $5 for youth 18 and under. All concerts are held in Tawes Theater of the Gibson Performing Arts Center on the Chestertown campus. With the exception of the 4 p.m. matinee performance of Ethos Percussion Group, all performances start at 8:00 p.m.
Recognized by the Boston Globe as "one of the finest flutists of our time," Eugenia Zukerman is known for her elegant, artistic phrasing, brilliant agility and graceful stage presence. The New York Times critic gushed: "Her musicanship is consummate, her taste immaculate, and her stage presence a sheer pleasure!"
She has led a many-faceted life as a flutist, novelist, screenwriter, and television commentator. Since 1980 she has traveled around the country interviewing artists in her role for CBS Sunday Morning. Meanwhile, she has pursued her musical career, appearing as soloist at major American festivals, collaborating with other musical artists, and performing as an emsemble player. She also serves as artistic director of the prestigious Bravo! Colorado, Vail Music Festival, scheduled each summer.
Wednesday, September 8, 1999
Poet Gerald Stern to Visit WC
Chestertown, MD — Poet Gerald Stern, winner of the 1998 National Book Award for Poetry, will give a public reading at Washington College on Thursday, September 16. The reading will begin at 8 p.m. in the Sophie Kerr Room of Miller Library.
Often heralded as the modern-day Walt Whitman, Stern has garnered praise for possessing a deep emotional sensibility and for wholeheartedly embracing the paradoxical nature of life. He writes, according to critics, "with enormous authority and intensity of the lot common to humanity -- of aging and death, of the tenderness of love, of family and friendship."
The author of nine books of poetry, Stern was 48 years old when his first collection, Rejoicings, appeared in 1973. His latest compendium, This Time: New and Selected Poems, received the 1998 National Book Award for Poetry. Among other awards, his works have received the Paterson Poetry Prize and the Melville Caine Award from the Poetry Society of America.
Stern's honors include the Paris Review's Bernard F. Conners Award, the Bess Hokin Award, the Ruth Lilly Prize, four National Endowment for the Arts grants, the Pennsylvania Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts, the Jerome J. Shestack Poetry Prize from American Poetry Review, and fellowships from The Academy of American Poets, the Guggenheim Foundation, and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. He has taught at numerous universities and spent 13 years on the faculty of the Iowa Writer's Workshop.
Often heralded as the modern-day Walt Whitman, Stern has garnered praise for possessing a deep emotional sensibility and for wholeheartedly embracing the paradoxical nature of life. He writes, according to critics, "with enormous authority and intensity of the lot common to humanity -- of aging and death, of the tenderness of love, of family and friendship."
The author of nine books of poetry, Stern was 48 years old when his first collection, Rejoicings, appeared in 1973. His latest compendium, This Time: New and Selected Poems, received the 1998 National Book Award for Poetry. Among other awards, his works have received the Paterson Poetry Prize and the Melville Caine Award from the Poetry Society of America.
Stern's honors include the Paris Review's Bernard F. Conners Award, the Bess Hokin Award, the Ruth Lilly Prize, four National Endowment for the Arts grants, the Pennsylvania Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts, the Jerome J. Shestack Poetry Prize from American Poetry Review, and fellowships from The Academy of American Poets, the Guggenheim Foundation, and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. He has taught at numerous universities and spent 13 years on the faculty of the Iowa Writer's Workshop.
Thursday, September 2, 1999
WC Semester Begins With Into the Streets Service Project
Chestertown, MD — Washington College freshmen went "Into the Streets and Into the Community" on August 29, learning how to give back to their new home even before classes began. More than 300 new students and group leaders ventured out across the region to perform service learning projects as part of the college's freshman orientation program.
The idea to use a large-scale service learning initiative as part of orientation was developed by two Washington College students, sophomore Gia Grier and senior Katie Preen. The students would get an introduction to the local area and their fellow classmates, while becoming familiar with the value of service learning. Grier and Preen attended a Campus Outreach Opportunity League conference last March and came back resolved to introduce all new students to community service, said Vicky Sawyer, Associate Director of Career Development.
"We wanted to jump-start the service aspect of campus life," said Preen, who estimated that 85 percent of incoming freshmen participated in the event. "We are really happy with how it turned out. We're hoping everyone had a good time and gained some incentive to continue service work."
"They were determined this would happen and submitted a proposal to include this activity in the orientation program," said Sawyer. "They really did a lot to make it happen."
Freshmen are often "bombarded with information" during orientation activities, according to Sawyer, so the "Into the Streets" program allowed the new students to "use energy, be physical, get off campus, and bond with each other." Sawyer said Grier and Preen worked throughout the summer on the "Into the Streets" project. They contacted potential service sites, wrote letters to new students, trained orientation leaders, arranged transportation, designed shirts, and created a positive atmosphere for success.
While participating in the project, new students learned about a broad spectrum of community organizations. Some freshmen and upper-class orientation leaders built wildlife boxes, cleaned beaches, and toured a farm museum at Turner's Creek in Kennedyville, while others restored trails and shorelines at Eastern Neck Island in Rock Hall, Echo Hill Outdoor School in Betterton, Camp Fairlee Manor in Fairlee, and Millington Wildlife Preserve in Millington. Other groups worked to preserve wetlands at Horsehead Wetlands Center in Grasonville, and some students served lunch at Magnolia Hall Nursing Center in Chestertown. Students also volunteered their efforts at Adkins Arboretum in Tuckahoe State Park, Pickering Creek Environmental Center in Easton, and Wye Island in Wye Mills.
"I was very proud, as well as happy, to see all the incoming students who turned out to do meaningful service activities in the Kent County community," said Grier. "I hope that this project will mark the beginning of a great year in service learning and will spark the interest of students who may not have previously been active in service."
Additionally, Sawyer said, instructors teaching Community, Nation and World seminars, required for freshmen, were asked to incorporate the community service project as a component for the course and to link the students' service experience to their studies.
"I think the project has made a major difference in the community," said Sawyer. "The new students offered valuable volunteer help, they learned about service projects and the significance of the sites, and hopefully they found a good cause to serve again."
The idea to use a large-scale service learning initiative as part of orientation was developed by two Washington College students, sophomore Gia Grier and senior Katie Preen. The students would get an introduction to the local area and their fellow classmates, while becoming familiar with the value of service learning. Grier and Preen attended a Campus Outreach Opportunity League conference last March and came back resolved to introduce all new students to community service, said Vicky Sawyer, Associate Director of Career Development.
"We wanted to jump-start the service aspect of campus life," said Preen, who estimated that 85 percent of incoming freshmen participated in the event. "We are really happy with how it turned out. We're hoping everyone had a good time and gained some incentive to continue service work."
"They were determined this would happen and submitted a proposal to include this activity in the orientation program," said Sawyer. "They really did a lot to make it happen."
Freshmen are often "bombarded with information" during orientation activities, according to Sawyer, so the "Into the Streets" program allowed the new students to "use energy, be physical, get off campus, and bond with each other." Sawyer said Grier and Preen worked throughout the summer on the "Into the Streets" project. They contacted potential service sites, wrote letters to new students, trained orientation leaders, arranged transportation, designed shirts, and created a positive atmosphere for success.
While participating in the project, new students learned about a broad spectrum of community organizations. Some freshmen and upper-class orientation leaders built wildlife boxes, cleaned beaches, and toured a farm museum at Turner's Creek in Kennedyville, while others restored trails and shorelines at Eastern Neck Island in Rock Hall, Echo Hill Outdoor School in Betterton, Camp Fairlee Manor in Fairlee, and Millington Wildlife Preserve in Millington. Other groups worked to preserve wetlands at Horsehead Wetlands Center in Grasonville, and some students served lunch at Magnolia Hall Nursing Center in Chestertown. Students also volunteered their efforts at Adkins Arboretum in Tuckahoe State Park, Pickering Creek Environmental Center in Easton, and Wye Island in Wye Mills.
"I was very proud, as well as happy, to see all the incoming students who turned out to do meaningful service activities in the Kent County community," said Grier. "I hope that this project will mark the beginning of a great year in service learning and will spark the interest of students who may not have previously been active in service."
Additionally, Sawyer said, instructors teaching Community, Nation and World seminars, required for freshmen, were asked to incorporate the community service project as a component for the course and to link the students' service experience to their studies.
"I think the project has made a major difference in the community," said Sawyer. "The new students offered valuable volunteer help, they learned about service projects and the significance of the sites, and hopefully they found a good cause to serve again."
Saturday, August 21, 1999
Professor Gives Talk on Economic Development in South Africa
Chestertown, MD — Washington College’s Goldstein Program in Public Affairs opens on Wednesday, September 8th, with a talk on economic development in South Africa. Dr. Etienne Nel, a lecturer in the department of geography at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa, begins his talk at 7:30 p.m. in the Casey Academic Center Forum.
The lecture is entitled "Beyond the Development Impasse: Reflections on Local Economic Development and Job Creation in Post-Apartheid South Africa."
The College operates an academic exchange program for both students and faculty with Rhodes University and recently developed a concentration in South African studies.
The lecture is entitled "Beyond the Development Impasse: Reflections on Local Economic Development and Job Creation in Post-Apartheid South Africa."
The College operates an academic exchange program for both students and faculty with Rhodes University and recently developed a concentration in South African studies.
Historians Visit to Discuss George Washington’s Mount Vernon
Chestertown, MD — You can learn a lot about a man and his culture by examining his home. Particularly if that man is George Washington, and his home is Mount Vernon.
On Saturday, September 18th, two historians will visit Washington College to talk about the significance of "George Washington’s Mount Vernon" in shaping a new nation. Robert and Lee Dallzell, whose book on the subject was recently published, are giving a talk in the Casey Academic Center forum, beginning at 1:30 p.m.
Robert and Lee Dalzell are the co-authors of George Washington’s Mount Vernon: At Home in Revolutionary America, which is considered a major contribution to the literature of architectural history, Washington, and early American studies. By portraying Washington at home as he designs and shapes Mount Vernon to meet his needs, the Dalzells provide unexpected insights into his private and public personas.
Robert Dalzell is the Ephraim Williams Professor of American History at Williams College. His wife, Lee, is head of the reference department at the Williams College Library.
This event is part of the College’s year-long celebration of the life and times of George Washington, in observance of the bicentennial of his death.
On Saturday, September 18th, two historians will visit Washington College to talk about the significance of "George Washington’s Mount Vernon" in shaping a new nation. Robert and Lee Dallzell, whose book on the subject was recently published, are giving a talk in the Casey Academic Center forum, beginning at 1:30 p.m.
Robert and Lee Dalzell are the co-authors of George Washington’s Mount Vernon: At Home in Revolutionary America, which is considered a major contribution to the literature of architectural history, Washington, and early American studies. By portraying Washington at home as he designs and shapes Mount Vernon to meet his needs, the Dalzells provide unexpected insights into his private and public personas.
Robert Dalzell is the Ephraim Williams Professor of American History at Williams College. His wife, Lee, is head of the reference department at the Williams College Library.
This event is part of the College’s year-long celebration of the life and times of George Washington, in observance of the bicentennial of his death.
Poet Robert Creeley, Winner of Frost Medal, to Visit Washington College
Chestertown, MD — Robert Creeley, one of the most influential literary figures of the postmodern age, will give a public reading at Washington College on Tuesday, September 7th. The reading begins at 8 p.m. in the Sophie Kerr Room of Miller Library.
Throughout the 1950s, Creeley was associated with the "Black Mountain Poets," a group of writers including Denise Levertov, Ed Dorn, Charles Olson, and others experimenting with new forms of poetry. Olson and Creeley together developed the concept of "projective verse," a kind of poety that abandoned traditional forms in favor of a freely constructed verse that took shape as the process of composing it was underway.
Creeley formulated one of the basic principles of this new poetry: the idea that "form is never more than an extension of content." Creeley’s much-imitated poetry is marked by minimalism and a compression of emotion into verse in which every syllable bears meaning. He was a leader in the generational shift that veered away from history and tradition as primary poetic sources and turned to personal experience.
He is a poet, novelist, short story writer, essayist, and editor who has won many honors for his writing, including a National Book Award nomination in 1962 for For Love, the Poetry Society of America’s Frost Medal in 1987, the Walt Whitman citation of merit in 1989, and the America Award for Poetry in 1995.
For several years Creeley was the David Gray Professor of Poetry and Letters at the State University of New York at Buffalo, where he still teaches.
Throughout the 1950s, Creeley was associated with the "Black Mountain Poets," a group of writers including Denise Levertov, Ed Dorn, Charles Olson, and others experimenting with new forms of poetry. Olson and Creeley together developed the concept of "projective verse," a kind of poety that abandoned traditional forms in favor of a freely constructed verse that took shape as the process of composing it was underway.
Creeley formulated one of the basic principles of this new poetry: the idea that "form is never more than an extension of content." Creeley’s much-imitated poetry is marked by minimalism and a compression of emotion into verse in which every syllable bears meaning. He was a leader in the generational shift that veered away from history and tradition as primary poetic sources and turned to personal experience.
He is a poet, novelist, short story writer, essayist, and editor who has won many honors for his writing, including a National Book Award nomination in 1962 for For Love, the Poetry Society of America’s Frost Medal in 1987, the Walt Whitman citation of merit in 1989, and the America Award for Poetry in 1995.
For several years Creeley was the David Gray Professor of Poetry and Letters at the State University of New York at Buffalo, where he still teaches.
Librarian of Congress is Convocation Speaker at WC This Fall
Chestertown, MD — After a week of classes that begins on August 30, Washington College officially launches its new academic year on Thursday, September 9th with an evening Fall Convocation featuring the Librarian of Congress, Dr. James H. Billington.
Convocation begins at 7:30 p.m. in Tawes Theatre of the Gibson Performing Arts Center, and the public is cordially invited.
The Library of Congress, which celebrates its bicentennial in the year 2000, holds more than 115 million items in nearly every known language and format, from ancient Chinese woodblock prints to microchips. It holds the manuscript collections of 23 American presidents and the world’s largest collections of books, maps, music, and movies.
Dr. Billington is leading a major effort to direct the collected knowledge of the Library into the nation’s educational system. Millions of items for the Library’s core collections are now available for viewing on the World Wide Web. By early in the next century, the American Memory project will be disseminating the Library’s core collections in digitized form to every school and library in the country.
Dr. Billington is receiving the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters for his work at the Library and as an historian of Russian culture. He is the author of The Icon and the Axe, an interpretive history of Russian culture; Russia Transformed: Breakthrough to Hope, his eyewitness account of the failed coup attempt in 1991; and The Face of Russia, the companion book to the television series he wrote and narrated for airing on PBS. In 1992, he arranged and brought to the Library of Congress the first exhibition ever drawn from secret Soviet archives.
Convocation begins at 7:30 p.m. in Tawes Theatre of the Gibson Performing Arts Center, and the public is cordially invited.
The Library of Congress, which celebrates its bicentennial in the year 2000, holds more than 115 million items in nearly every known language and format, from ancient Chinese woodblock prints to microchips. It holds the manuscript collections of 23 American presidents and the world’s largest collections of books, maps, music, and movies.
Dr. Billington is leading a major effort to direct the collected knowledge of the Library into the nation’s educational system. Millions of items for the Library’s core collections are now available for viewing on the World Wide Web. By early in the next century, the American Memory project will be disseminating the Library’s core collections in digitized form to every school and library in the country.
Dr. Billington is receiving the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters for his work at the Library and as an historian of Russian culture. He is the author of The Icon and the Axe, an interpretive history of Russian culture; Russia Transformed: Breakthrough to Hope, his eyewitness account of the failed coup attempt in 1991; and The Face of Russia, the companion book to the television series he wrote and narrated for airing on PBS. In 1992, he arranged and brought to the Library of Congress the first exhibition ever drawn from secret Soviet archives.
Thursday, August 12, 1999
George Washington and the Currency of Fame
Washington College Hosts Smithsonian’s Numismatic Exhibit
Chestertown, MD — Money does make things happen. From his Revolutionary War headquarters in New York, General George Washington granted his name and the sum of fifty gold guineas to establish a liberal arts institution in Chestertown, Maryland. Today, Washington College is still educating responsible leaders for a changing world. In the 1790 census, this colonial port was the center of population in the new United States of America.
Later, as President Washington shaped the new democracy and advocated the establishment of the U. S. Mint, he is said to have donated his own table silver to be melted down and stamped into coinage. This governmental institution helped break the new nation’s dependency for currency on foreign countries and sparked new creativity and technology in the art of designing, stamping and engraving currency.
While he characteristically rejected the trappings of royalty and disliked the monarchical practice of having rulers appear on the nation’s money, Washington’s image has been represented on a remarkable array of American coins, medals, and paper money.
This fall, Washington College is organizing an exhibition of material on loan from the National Numismatic Collection of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, which surveys images of George Washington on currency from the time of the United States’ founding to the post-Civil War period. Also featured in the exhibition are an English guinea, fifty of which Washington gave to help found the College in 1782, and the recent issue of the U.S. Mint of a coin commemorating the 200th anniversary of Washington’s death.
The exhibition is on display in the gallery of the Chestertown Bank on High Street in Chestertown from September 2nd through October 29th, during banking hours. Extended hours are offered for visitors to the Chestertown Candlelight Tour on September 18th and the Chestertown Wildfowl Show on October 22nd and 23rd.
The practice of using the image of Washington reflects the enormous admiration 19th-century Americans had for their first president and his broad appeal as an icon for various ideologies, notes Donald A. McColl, the assistant professor of art history at Washington College who is curating the exhibition with the assistance of students from the departments of art and history.
From Indian Peace medals to Civil War "dog tags," Washington has been seen as, among other things, Pater Patriae, new Cincinnatus, friend of commerce, and model of temperance. At the same time, his changing image bears witness to a progression in the quality of American currency from the period of dominance of British and other mints to the time when the United States boasted some of the finest designers, engravers, and die cutters in the world.
"Some of the objects in this exhibit are quite rare," notes McColl, "and the engraved bank notes in particular are quite beautiful. What is especially interesting, though, is that these specimens had a ‘currency’ in the culture, if you will. Each piece tells you about the time in which it was made."
This exhibition is sponsored by Washington College as part of a national observation of the bicentennial of George Washington's death in December 1799. For more information, please call Nancy Nunn at Washington College, at 410-778-7139.
Chestertown, MD — Money does make things happen. From his Revolutionary War headquarters in New York, General George Washington granted his name and the sum of fifty gold guineas to establish a liberal arts institution in Chestertown, Maryland. Today, Washington College is still educating responsible leaders for a changing world. In the 1790 census, this colonial port was the center of population in the new United States of America.
Later, as President Washington shaped the new democracy and advocated the establishment of the U. S. Mint, he is said to have donated his own table silver to be melted down and stamped into coinage. This governmental institution helped break the new nation’s dependency for currency on foreign countries and sparked new creativity and technology in the art of designing, stamping and engraving currency.
While he characteristically rejected the trappings of royalty and disliked the monarchical practice of having rulers appear on the nation’s money, Washington’s image has been represented on a remarkable array of American coins, medals, and paper money.
This fall, Washington College is organizing an exhibition of material on loan from the National Numismatic Collection of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, which surveys images of George Washington on currency from the time of the United States’ founding to the post-Civil War period. Also featured in the exhibition are an English guinea, fifty of which Washington gave to help found the College in 1782, and the recent issue of the U.S. Mint of a coin commemorating the 200th anniversary of Washington’s death.
The exhibition is on display in the gallery of the Chestertown Bank on High Street in Chestertown from September 2nd through October 29th, during banking hours. Extended hours are offered for visitors to the Chestertown Candlelight Tour on September 18th and the Chestertown Wildfowl Show on October 22nd and 23rd.
The practice of using the image of Washington reflects the enormous admiration 19th-century Americans had for their first president and his broad appeal as an icon for various ideologies, notes Donald A. McColl, the assistant professor of art history at Washington College who is curating the exhibition with the assistance of students from the departments of art and history.
From Indian Peace medals to Civil War "dog tags," Washington has been seen as, among other things, Pater Patriae, new Cincinnatus, friend of commerce, and model of temperance. At the same time, his changing image bears witness to a progression in the quality of American currency from the period of dominance of British and other mints to the time when the United States boasted some of the finest designers, engravers, and die cutters in the world.
"Some of the objects in this exhibit are quite rare," notes McColl, "and the engraved bank notes in particular are quite beautiful. What is especially interesting, though, is that these specimens had a ‘currency’ in the culture, if you will. Each piece tells you about the time in which it was made."
This exhibition is sponsored by Washington College as part of a national observation of the bicentennial of George Washington's death in December 1799. For more information, please call Nancy Nunn at Washington College, at 410-778-7139.
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