Dr. Wayne Bell, Alumna Jill Brewer Take Successes Of Grassroots Rural Community Leadership To Thailand, Nov. 18-21

Chestertown, MD, November 19, 2003 — Dr. Wayne Bell, director of the Washington CollegeCenter for the Environment and Society, and College alumna Jill Brewer '03, are traveling to Bangkok, Thailand to present at the Sixth International Conference on the Environmental Management of Enclosed Coastal Seas (EMECS), November 18-21. Joining the larger Maryland delegation, Bell and Brewer will share results from the first Rural Communities Leadership program for the Eastern Shore, conducted during the first-half of 2003.

“Through discussions held during the Rural Communities Leadership working sessions, we concluded that one of the groups primary findings was that top-down governmental environmental protection programs don't always stick,” said Bell. “They tend to vacillate with the political and economic climate. On the other hand, local programs with a grassroots buy-in tend to be self-sustaining and are more cost-effective for governments. When environmentalism starts locally, through consensus-building in our communities, citizens are more willing to commit to a vision for their quality of life and long-term policies to preserve their local environment.”

Jill Brewer, who helped run the Rural Leadership program while a student last semester, will present these findings and share recommendations with counterparts in other nations. The paper is titled, “A Bio-Regional Approach to the Chesapeake Bay: The Role of the Citizen and Government Involvement in a Watershed-Based Program.” Bell hopes that his EMECS contacts will foster more university exchanges and research opportunities for Washington College students, as well as promote a spirit of cooperation between nations.

“Like no other time in history, we have to think about other people in the world and be open to their concerns—sharing instead of telling and listening in a spirit of cooperation,” said Bell. “The world is getting smaller, and EMECS has set a tone for a cooperative approach to the world's challenges, in this case environmental.”

The biannual EMECS conferences are organized by the International EMECS Center in Kobe, Japan, first established to promote the preservation of Japan's Seto Inland Sea. The EMECS concept developed in the mid-1980s when environmentalists, researchers and policymakers involved with the Chesapeake Bay realized the Bay restoration program was being implemented with little knowledge of the information, methods and results gained by other estuarine and enclosed coastal sea programs in the U.S. and abroad. Concurrently, Governor Toshitami Kaihara of Japan's Hyogo Prefecture had similar concerns while developing initiatives for the environmental restoration of the Seto Inland Sea. Through the cooperation of these two groups, EMECS was founded and now supports a worldwide network concerned with preserving the health and environmental quality of the planet's enclosed coastal seas. The theme of EMECS 2003 is Comprehensive and Responsible Coastal Zone Management for Sustainable and Friendly Coexistence between Nature and People.

Alumna Jill Brewer received her B.A. in sociology from Washington College in May 2003 and was honored that year with the Margaret Horsley Award given annually to the graduating major who has shown in his or her work the clearest understanding of human behavior. She lives in Oregon.

New Study Abroad Program: Partnership With South Korea's Yonsei University Announced

Chestertown, MD, November 17, 2003 — As if Morocco, Japan and Costa Rica aren't exotic enough for today's students shopping for study abroad programs, Washington College is expanding their options with the addition of a new partner institution: Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea. This brings to 41 the number of programs around the globe from which Washington College students can choose. The College has partner institutions in 25 countries.

The program in South Korea enhances opportunities for students pursuing the new Asian Studies concentration. Yonsei is considered one of Korea's most outstanding teaching and research institutions, a modern, comprehensive university with colleges in liberal arts, commerce and economics, science and theology. Its independent Division of International Studies, in operation since 1985, has developed exchange agreements with more than 400 institutions worldwide. All course instruction within the Division and within the graduate school of international studies is in English. The Division of International Studies at attracts about 2,000 students from around the world.

“Yonsei University is a tremendous resource for our students, particularly those interested in the East Asian Studies concentration,” said Tahir Shad, associate professor of political science and director of Washington College's international studies program.

Andrew Slater, an international studies major who spent his high school years in Seoul while his stepfather worked there as president of Dupont in Korea, will be the first Washington College student to attend Yonsei. He leaves for Seoul in February.

“I'm really excited, because Yonsei University is the Harvard of Korea,” said Slater. “It is Korea's most highly regarded academic institution. Plus for me, it's like going home. I know the culture, the history, the language. I know my way around the city. I'll be able to get so much out of the experience now, after three years of college.” Slater expects to take courses in Korean and East Asian politics, as well as a Korean language course.

For students interested in Hispanic Studies and the concentration in Latin American studies, the College also recently established a partnership with Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara, in Mexico, augmenting existing offerings in Costa Rica and Ecuador.

$22 Million Ahead Of Goal, Washington College's Five-Year Capital Campaign Tops $94 Million

Chestertown, MD, November 17, 2003 — With just six weeks remaining until the conclusion of the Campaign for Washington's College, more than $94.2 million has been tallied against an original five-year goal of $72 million and is fueling the unprecedented growth of the 221-year-old institution's academic offerings, scholarship programs and facilities.

Recent Campaign successes include $610,000 raised by the Joseph H. McLain Memorial Committee to name the three-story atrium in the new Science Center now under construction, and a bequest of $180,000 from the late alumna Estelle Wesley '37, according to Bill MacIntosh, Vice President for Development and Alumni and Parent Relations. Funds available for the new Science Center from private, governmental and institutional sources now stand at $17 million. Other gifts include contributions to the newly created John S. Toll Society, honoring donors who have pledged to help steer the course set by President Toll with continued support for this year and the following two years.

Under the leadership of Milestone Council Chair Thomas H. Gale, a trustee of the College, members of the Board of Visitors and Governors have responded to a special challenge from Gale and his wife, Barbara, by increasing their gifts to the Campaign 32 percent over the level of their initial commitments. Total gifts from the Board now stand at $26.5 million. A new Gale Challenge pledging a dollar-for-dollar match up to $300,000 by December 31, 2003, has been issued to members of the College's Board, the Milestone Council and former trustees.

Included in the latest fundraising totals are a number of special private and government grants for specific academic projects. Prestigious sources such as the Maryland Historical Trust and the National Science Foundation are supporting projects ranging from the College's archaeology program to faculty-student research on fish behavior.

Start The Presses! Endowment Revives Washington College's Literary House Press

New Projects Include John Barth Signed Limited Edition, Eastern Shore Travel Guide

Chestertown, MD, November 14, 2003 — At a College that attracts writers young and old to itsO'Neill Literary House and boasts the Sophie Kerr prize—the nation's largest undergraduate literary award—it seems only fitting that book arts flourish here as well. After a brief hiatus, the Literary House Press, a small publishing venture launched by creative writing professor Bob Day with two friends of the College will start rolling again, thanks to a revitalized board of directors and a $200,000 endowment.

Founded in 1992, the Literary House Press was directed in its early years by the late Richard Harwood, former ombudsman of The Washington Post, and the late Maureen Jacoby, who served on the board of the Press and as managing editor after a career with the Smithsonian Institution Press. After her death in 2002, Jacoby left the College a $200,000 endowment. Matched by The Hodson Trust, her bequest will be used in part to support future publishing projects. In line with its original mission, the Press will continue its focus on the heritage of the Eastern Shore and its writers, said Adam Goodheart, a freelance writer, historian and C. V. Starr Fellow at Washington College, now serving as director of the Press.

“We think the Press has the potential to be a real asset to many different parts of the College community,” said Goodheart. “We'll be giving students, faculty, staff and alumni opportunities to do everything from writing books, to designing and illustrating them, to learning about the business side of publishing. This will be not just a creative venture, but an entrepreneurial one.”

The revived Press' first two projects will bring together local and national talent. The first book, to be released in 2004, will be a limited-edition printing of author John Barth's Browsing, an essay he delivered as a speech at Washington College in 1992 to mark the shelving of the 200,000th volume in Miller Library. The monograph, designed by alumnus and graphic artist James Dissette '71, is being printed by hand on the College's antique letterpress and bound in Minnesota, using handmade paper. Washington College senior Heidi Atwood '04 worked with Barth and Dissette to prepare the text for publication, while Chestertown artist Mary Rhinelander created several linoleum cuts to illustrate the book. The Press will produce 150 limited edition copies of Browsing, 50 of which will be signed by the author.

“This will set a high benchmark for the type of work we do in the future,” Dissette said. “It will be marketed specifically to universities with special collections and to bookstores that sell limited editions.”

Also in the works is a revised edition of Maryland's Eastern Shore: A Guide for Wanderers, which the Press first published in 1997, with text by travel writer Mary Corddry. For the new edition, Goodheart is soliciting short essays on Eastern Shore locales written by members of the Washington College community, turning the book into a collegiate publishing venture in the tradition of the Berkeley Guides and Harvard's Let's Go series. Students in Goodheart's spring course on travel writing will also contribute to the volume.

To order books from the Literary House Press, contact John Parker at 800-422-1782, ext. 7899, or via e-mail: jparker2@washcoll.edu. To learn more about getting involved in the Press' publishing ventures, contact Adam Goodheart at agoodheart2@washcoll.edu.

Challenges With Elephants: The Future Of Maryland Politics Lecture November 18 At Washington College

Chestertown, MD, November 12, 2003 — The Washington College Democrats will host Maryland Delegate Maggie L. McIntosh (D-Baltimore City) speaking on “The Future of Maryland Politics,” Tuesday, November 18 at 6 p.m. in the College's Hynson Lounge. The event is free and the public is invited to attend.

Serving in the Maryland House of Delegates since November 1992, McIntosh has held numerous leadership positions. Prior to her election, she served on several boards for organizations such as Action in Maturity, Charles Village, Greater Homewood, and the New Democratic Club. McIntosh is active in the Maryland Democratic Party and served for eight years as a member of the Democratic Central Committee from Baltimore City. She is a former teacher in the Baltimore Public School System and an Adjunct Professor at Catonsville Community College and the University of Baltimore. In her legislative work, she still retains a great passion for ensuring the rights of Maryland's children.

Prior to her election, McIntosh served as State Director and Campaign Manager for U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Maryland) and as the Associate for Federal Relations at Johns Hopkins University. The first female Majority Leader and Majority Whip, McIntosh is now the current Chair of the Environmental Matters Committee. She continues the Democratic goals of commitment to public education, environment and healthcare, as well as working to provide a safety net for those citizens who are desperately in need of help.

In addition to being named one of Maryland's Top 100 Women, McIntosh was honored by the Women's Law Center and awarded the Dorothy Beatty Memorial Service Award for her work on behalf of expanding the legal rights and protections for all women and their families. She has been recognized by several organizations for her work in the legislature. Common Cause, the Maryland Social Workers Association, Maryland Food Committee, Foster Care Review Board and Action for the Homeless have all honored the work she has done on behalf of Marylanders.

Her November 18th talk will discuss many controversial issues facing the state— from legislation protecting the environment and the agriculture industry to gay and lesbian marriage and the chances of the Maryland Legislature falling into Republican control. Finally, McIntosh will share her thoughts on the 2004 election, what the major issues will be, whether Democrats are presenting themselves as moderate or liberal, and which is the best way for the Democratic Party to take back the White House in 2004.

Ruskin And Turner: The Art Of Ekphrasis, November 12

Chestertown, MD, November 11, 2003 — Charlotte Ribeyrol, a lecturer in English at the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris, will present the lecture “Turner and Ruskin: The Art of Ekphrasis,” Wednesday, November 12, at 4:30 p.m. in the College's Hynson Lounge. This lecture, co-sponsored by Washington College's Sophie Kerr Committee and the Department of Art, is open to the public, and all are invited to attend.

As her title indicates, Ribeyrol's talk will deal with the literary tradition of describing works of art. She will concentrate on the writings of the Victorian author and art critic John Ruskin, particularly on his classic opus,Modern Painters, in which he vigorously defended the paintings of William Turner, whose work had been widely dismissed. Ribeyrol entered the Ecole Normale Supérieure at the age of 19 as an English major. Once there, she began studying art history, specializing in Flemish painting and in the links between text and image. She wrote her master's thesis on Ruskin and painting while teaching French at Oxford University (Somerville College). Returning to France, she won first place in the “Agrégation,” the national competitive exam for prospective university teachers. She then spent a second year teaching in Oxford (Christ Church, Brasenose and Lincoln Colleges) while writing her master's thesis on Swinburne and Whistler. Ribeyrol is currently writing her doctoral thesis on the role of ekphrasis in late nineteenth century (Fin de Siècle) poetry in England and in France, while working on a project with the Louvre on ancient Greek frescoes.

Scholars Discuss War And Peace In Contemporary Africa, Nov. 20

Chestertown, MD, November 5, 2003 — Washington College's Goldstein Program in Public Affairs and the Daniel Z. Gibson/John A. Wagner Visitors Fund, along with the Department of Foreign Languages, Literatures and Cultures, present “War and Peace in Africa as a Challenge to America: Political and Literary Perspectives,” a lecture by Dr. Mildred Mortimer, professor of French at the University of Colorado-Boulder, and Dr. Robert Mortimer, professor of political science at Haverford College. The free talk will be held Thursday, November 20 at 5:30 p.m. in the Casey Academic Center Forum. The public is invited to attend.

In this joint lecture, Dr. Mildred Mortimer will discuss African literary texts that explore politics and examine the literary representations of the Rwandan massacres at Murambi. Dr. Robert Mortimer will then explore post-Cold War Africa and the breakdown of the relative peace that had prevailed on the continent until 1990, all the while posing the question of why the United States should be concerned—and feel implicated—in the civil strife in Liberia and its ramifications across West Africa. He will also discuss the role of the U.S. with respect to the war in Congo/Zaire, the difficult experiences of peacekeepers in Africa, and why he believes President Bush's trip to Africa was not a diplomatic success.

Dr. Mildred Mortimer received her B.A. from Brooklyn College, an M.A. from Harvard University and a Ph.D. from Columbia University. She specializes in Francophone African literature, with a particular interest in the literature of the Maghreb. She is the author ofMouloud Mammeri, écrivain algerien (1982), Assia Djebar (1988) and Maghrebian Mosaic: A Literature in Transition (2001); and the editor of Contes Africains (1972) and Journeys through the French African Novel (1990). She currently serves as the Associate Chair and Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Department of French and Italian at the University of Colorado-Boulder.

Dr. Robert Mortimer received his B.A. from Wesleyan University and his Ph.D from Columbia University. Under Fulbright and other grants, he has taught and conducted research in France and several African countries. His scholarly work analyzes the role of African and other “Third World” states in the international political system. Interested in policy matters, he has testified before Congress and served as a consultant to the Department of State, the Council on Foreign Relations and other foreign affairs organizations. From January through July 1998, he served as director of the West African Research Center in Dakar, Senegal.

Washington College Gospel Choir To Hold Annual Holiday Concert, November 22

Chestertown, MD, November 5, 2003 — The Washington College Gospel Choir, under the direction of Reverend Eric Scott, will hold its annual holiday concert on Saturday November 22, at 7:00 p.m. in the College's Casey Academic Center Gallery. Admission for the concert is $3 per person; children 12 and under are free. The public is encouraged and invited to attend.

“If you want to start the holiday season off in a wonderful way, you should come to this concert,” says Gospel Choir advisor Sara Ann Smith. “We plan to start off the holidays with a ‘Shout to the Lord' in praise, and we invite all members of the community to join us.”

Now in its sixth year, the WC Gospel Choir welcomes students from many states, as well as countries, as members.

“If you have not had an opportunity to come out and hear this choir, please mark your calendar, and come join us for a marvelous time,” says Smith. “You will be very glad you came!”

A Dutchman, His Demons And America: Art Historian Examines De Kooning's “Woman I” At November 19th Lecture

Chestertown, MD, November 5, 2003 — The Washington College Department of Art and theC.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience, as part of the American Pictures Lecture Series, present “DE KOONING'S ‘WOMAN I': A DUTCHMAN, HIS DEMONS AND AMERICA,” a talk by David Anfam, Henry Luce Visiting Scholar and Professor in American Art, Brandeis University, on Wednesday, November 19 at 8 p.m. in the College's Hynson Lounge. The event is free and the public is invited to attend.

Few American artists have encompassed a wider range of thought, emotions and sources than Willem de Kooning (1904-97). Born in Rotterdam, Holland, de Kooning retained a strong sense of his Dutch ethnicity throughout life while living and working as an abstract expressionist under the spell of American culture. As he once confessed, “I like to have my nose in everything.” His work, accordingly, spans diverse themes—from popular U.S. icons such as Marilyn Monroe and New York's Mayor Fiorella La Guardia, to the scenery of Long Island, which reminded him of his homeland. Likewise, de Kooning's approach mingled hilarity, luminous transcendence and lacerating violence in a quintessential American medley. These carnivalesque extremes of art and experience were caught in his dictum that “flesh was the reason why oil painting was invented.” De Kooning's many depictions of woman particularly embodied this erotic drive, culminating in the 1950s with the famous series of canvases that established him among the era's most controversial painters. At once idols and avengers, the Women paintings are both a homage to the American female and a nightmarish fugue evoking our darkest psychological drives. Dr. Anfam's lecture reveals de Kooning's complex relationship to both the Old Masters and to everyday American culture in the mid-twentieth century, tracing key links throughout his output between the body, vision and the human condition.

A Londoner by birth, Dr. Anfam holds a B.A. and Ph.D. from the Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London. Since receiving his Ph.D. in 1984, he has worked as an author, lecturer, curator and consultant on numerous art exhibition and catalog projects. He is the recipient of the 2000 Mitchell Prize for the History of Art for his book Mark Rothko: The Works on Canvas; A Catalogue Raisonné (Yale University Press, 1998), and his articles have appeared in Artforum, The Burlington Magazine, Apollo, Royal Academy Magazine and Tate Magazine.

Ugandan Legislator Discusses Women's Rights, Aids In Africa, November 13 At Washington College

Chestertown, MD, November 4, 2003 — Washington College's Goldstein Program in Public Affairs and the Gender Studies Program present “Social and Political Change for Women in Uganda: The Effect of HIV/AIDS,” a talk by the Honorable Joyce Mpanga, former Member of Parliament, Uganda, Thursday, November 13 at 4:30 p.m. in the Sophie Kerr Room, Miller Library.

Mpanga currently she serves as Uganda's Chairperson for Non-Government Organizations Board. She is also a member of the Board for Evaluation of External Support for Basic Education in developing countries including Uganda, Burkina Faso, Zambia and Bolivia in South America. As a consultant in the field of education for women, she helped to set up the Ministry of Gender and Community Development in Rwanda and has designed projects for several women groups in Africa. She was also among the delegation that formulated the recent treaty to set up the Legislative Assembly for East African countries. In 1960, during British colonial rule in Africa, Mpanga was one of the first women appointed by the British Colonial Governor of Uganda to represent women in Parliament. She has held several leadership positions in her country, including Secretary of State for Women in Development, 1988-89; and Secretary of State for Education, 1989-91. From 1979-1988, she was Deputy Chairperson to the Public Service Commission, which recruits, promotes and trains her nation's top civil servants. Mpanga holds a B.A. in history from London University and a M.S. in education from Indiana University, Bloomington.

Joyce Mpanga's visit is sponsored by Washington College's Goldstein Program in Public Affairs, established in honor of the late Louis L. Goldstein, 1935 alumnus and Maryland's longest serving elected official. The Goldstein Program sponsors lectures, symposia, visiting fellows, travel and other projects that bring students and faculty together with leaders in public policy and the media.

Tea & Talk Series Welcomes Professor Richard DeProspo On Literary Naturalism In The U.S., Nov. 17

Chestertown, MD, November 4, 2003 — The 2003-2004 Tea & Talk Series continues on Monday, November 17 at 4:30 p.m. with a talk in the O'Neill Literary House by Washington College English Professor Richard DeProspo.

Dr. DeProspo will address the topic: “Thoreau/McKibben/Henley: Literary Naturalism in the U.S. from the Most Taught Book in the World through the Most Prestigious Lit Mag in the World to the Best Selling Album in the World.”

The talk will trace the culture of ecology in the United States—most recently manifested in the sub-culture of global warming—from its reputed origin in the writings of Henry David Thoreau, through its advocacy in the writings of the influential literary ecologist Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature, to its influence on the career of celebrity ecologist and activist Don Henley, drummer for the Eagles and composer of such recent albums as The End of the Innocence.

The event is free and all are welcomed to enjoy tea, conviviality and discussion at the O'Neill Literary House. Tea served at 4 p.m.

Concert Series Welcomes Medieval Music Ensemble To The Tawes Theatre, November 18

Chestertown, MD, November 3, 2003 — The Washington College Concert Series welcomes the medieval music ensemble Istanpitta to the College's Tawes Theatre, Gibson Performing Arts Center, Tuesday, November 18, at 8 p.m. Single tickets can be purchased at the door, $15.00 for adults and $5.00 for youth and students. Season tickets and sponsorships are available.

Istanpitta (from the Italian word meaning a “stamping dance”) is a Texas-based ensemble dedicated to playing and preserving the music of the Middle Ages and early-Renaissance era. Not to be confused with the Celtic music so popular today, Istanpitta's repertoire draws its breadth of melodic themes and rhythms from medieval France, Italy, Moorish Spain, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Audiences will delight to period instruments such as the oud, lute, saz, shawm, Renaissance recorder, transverse flute, hurdy-gurdy and krummhorn. The ensemble has released two CDs, C'est la fin: Dances of the Middle Ages and Chevrefoil.

For ticket information and a free Washington College Concert Series 2003-2004 season brochure, call 410-778-7839, or 800-422-1782, ext. 7839. Season tickets are available for $50.00 per person. Individual tax-deductible patron memberships begin at $75.00. Contributing patron memberships begin at $150.00, supporting at $250.00, and sustaining at $500.00. All membership packages include two tickets, and all donations over the price of the tickets are tax-deductible. Season tickets and memberships can be purchased by check or money order through the mail from the Washington College Concert Series, 300 Washington Avenue, Chestertown, MD 21620-1197. The next performance in the Concert Series will be by the Chiara String Quartet on Tuesday, December 2, at 8 p.m., rescheduled from September 18 due to Hurricane Isabel.