Poet Ann Neelon To Read From Her Works, February 10

Chestertown, MD, January 26, 2005 — Washington College's Sophie Kerr Committee presents a reading by poet Ann Neelon, Thursday, February 10, at 7:30 p.m. in the Sophie Kerr Room, Miller Library. The reading is free and the public is invited to attend.

Neelon is the author of the collection Easter Vigil, which took the Anhinga Prize for Poetry and the RPCV Readers and Writers Award, and is currently completing a book-length sequence inspired by the Boston busing crisis. A native of Boston and a former Peace Corps Volunteer in West Africa, Neelon holds an MFA from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and has been a Wallace Stenger Fellow as well as Jones Lecturer in Poetry at Stanford University. She is also the winner of the Al Smith Fellowship from the Kentucky Arts Council and of fellowships from the Kentucky Foundation for Women, The National Endowment for the Humanities and the Yaddo Artists Colony. Her poems and translations have appeared in many magazines, including The American Poetry Review, Ironwood, The Gettysburg Review and Manoa, and her recent work has appeared in the anthology Snakebird and is upcoming in the Mid-American Review.

Neelon currently teaches creative writing, poetry and poetics, translation and contemporary world literature at Murray State University and lives in western Kentucky with her husband and two sons.

The reading is sponsored by the Sophie Kerr Committee, which works to carry on the legacy of the late Sophie Kerr, a writer from Denton, MD, whose generosity has done so much to enrich Washington College's literary culture. When she died in 1965, Kerr left the bulk of her estate to the College, specifying that one half of the income from her bequest be awarded every year to the senior showing the most “ability and promise for future fulfillment in the field of literary endeavor” and the other half be used to bring visiting writers to campus, to fund scholarships, and to help defray the costs of student publications.

Sustainable Futures: Washington College Receives $100,000 From Sea Grant For Two-Year Visioning Rural Communities Project

Project to Bring Affordable Technology-Based Community Planning to Shore Communities

Chestertown, MD, January 26, 2005 — The Maryland Sea Grant College has awarded a $100,000 grant to Washington College's Center for Environment and Society for a two-year project to implement visioning strategies, leadership training and a technology toolkit for rural community planning on Maryland's Eastern Shore.

The grant will be matched by the College. The project, “Visioning for Sustaining Rural Communities on Maryland's Eastern Shore,” is a continuation of the Rural Communities Leadership Program initiative of 2002-2003. The new program will mentor and assist community leaders in achieving more sustainable futures for their respective communities on the Eastern Shore. The visioning project will develop user-friendly Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based computer applications that, coupled with leadership development and planning, will allow communities to create alternative “visions” of their futures and adopt their preferred options. The project commences February 1.

“This is a proactive rather than the reactive approach to preserving the rural character of our region and its traditional economy based on farming, fisheries and forestry,” said Wayne Bell, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Environment and Society (CES). “Our communities need to develop an understanding of how forces for change that are usually perceived as negatives—for instance, the influx of population and residential development pressures—can provide opportunities rather than threats for sustainable community development.”

Over the next two years, a project team at CES including Bell, Dr. Philip Favero, State Extension Specialist for Community Development from the Institute for Governmental Service at College Park, Wendy Miller, GIS Program Coordinator, and several student interns will implement the project. “Visioning for Sustaining Rural Communities” will facilitate an examination of the current forces of change at play on the Eastern Shore and the cultivation of a cohort of concerned citizens and public officials willing to develop leadership and visioning skills to share with their own communities. The key element of the project will be the development and implementation of a GIS-based Sustainability Toolkit, made available through the Internet and CD-ROM, with applications for projecting alternative futures based on population growth, natural and agricultural resources, zoning laws, tourism and recreational assets, and other relevant data.

The Sustainability Toolkit and the appropriate training to use it will be made available and affordable to communities for their own visioning projects.

“GIS is a great tool for communities to use in planning for the future,” said Miller. “Unfortunately, very few rural communities can invest the time and resources into building such a program. We hope to remedy this and provide this capability to Eastern Shore communities through their local leadership.”

The CES team intends to build momentum by exposing community leaders and public officials to model community visioning plans, such as that recently enacted by the town of Vienna in Dorchester County, and is accepting nominations for participants in the two-year project.

“We are actively seeking concerned citizens from the Shore who want to work with us to carry these skills and methods back to their own communities,” Bell said. Interested parties can contact CES at 410-810-7161 for more information.

According to Jack Greer, Assistant Director for Communications and Public Affairs for Maryland Sea Grant, “Visioning for Sustaining Rural Communities” is the first project of its kind in Maryland funded by Sea Grant's newest initiative, Coastal Communities, established to help communities implement strategies for sustainable development that balance environmental quality and growth.

First established in 1977 and located at the University of Maryland's College Park campus, Maryland Sea Grant supports innovative marine and environmental research and education, with a special focus on the Chesapeake Bay. With funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the State of Maryland, Sea Grant-supported research targets practical problems, with the aim of promoting stewardship of our marine and coastal environments.

The Washington Center for Internships Information Session, Feb. 3

“Study Abroad” in Washington, DC for a Semester and Receive Washington College Credit

Chestertown, MD, January 21, 2005 — On Thursday, February 3, 2005, Dr. Joseph Johnston, Vice President for Institutional Relations at The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars, will be on campus to present information about the academic internship program at The Washington Center. Washington College has an affiliation with this Center enabling you to spend a “semester abroad” in Washington, D.C. as an intern with a government or not-for profit organization. Dr. Johnston will speak about the opportunities for internships in all majors and about the programs and areas of specialization offered to participating students. Students from Political Science, Business, and Economics who have previously interned with the program will also be on hand to share their experiences.

The Washington Center internship program is approved by the Political Science, Economics, and Business Departments for academic credit. Academic credit may also be available in other departments. Check the TWC website (www.twc.org) or contact Assistant Dean Kathy Sack at 2713, for further information.

Dr. Johnston will speak at 4:00 p.m. in the CAC Forum (Thursday, February 3, 2005).

If you are planning to attend this program, please contact Lisa Fields at extension 7206.

Natty Nation Brings Genre Bending Vibe To WC, Feb. 4

Chestertown, MD, January 19, 2005 — Natty Nation—internationally known hard roots, rock and reggae genre benders—will play Washington College's Town Hall, Friday, February 4, 9:30-11:30 p.m. The concert is free for all Washington College students, staff and faculty with ID.

Known for weaving conscious lyrics, heavy rock, dancehall and dub into traditional roots reggae, Natty Nation has enjoyed a great fan base not only in their hometown of Madison, Wisconsin, but in cities across the country. Never shy for the rigors of the road, the band has traveled from coast to coast spreading their positive messages, using music to enlighten and unify people from different cultures, races and nations. As an “indie” band, they have produced and managed their own direction in order to follow their artistic impulses and diversify into what they call “socially conscious, educational hip hop,” never letting “industry norms” push them away from new musical adventures and styles.

On their newest release, Inatty in Jah Music, Natty widens their scope to include hip-hop, even heavier rock, harder dancehall, some traditional nyabinghi, soaking wet dub and even a little drum 'n bass, just to name a few. The driving beat of Natty Nation will not only make you want to jump up and dance, but to listen to the message of the music.

Visit www.nattynation.com for more information.

Sponsored by the WC Student Events Board.

Washington College Appoints Elizabeth Herman To Head Development And Alumni Relations

Chestertown, MD, January 19, 2005 — Washington College is pleased to announce the appointment of Elizabeth B. Herman as Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations, the Office of College President Baird Tipson announced January 20. Herman is the former Vice President for College Advancement at Franklin & Marshall College and Associate Vice President for Development at University of Puget Sound. She will assume her duties on February 1.

“I am delighted that Beth will be devoting her considerable energy and expertise to Washington College's fundraising and relationship-building efforts,” said Baird Tipson, President of the College. “Beth brings with her twenty years of experience as a fundraiser and strategist, and I am confident she will provide valuable counsel as a member of the senior administration as we work together to ensure a bright future for the nation's tenth-oldest college.”

While at Franklin & Marshall, Herman solicited (or co-solicited) 25 gifts of $10,000 to $5 million, contributing to an overall net of $12.8 million in gifts for FY04, a 36 percent increase over the previous year and a new record for F&M. Prior to F&M, Herman served for a decade at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. As director of development and then associate vice president, she hired and trained development and advancement services staff, provided strategy and support for the president's major gift work, helped build the Board of Trustees, participated in the design and implementation of a national alumni relations program, and planned, conducted and successfully completed a six-year comprehensive campaign that raised $68.5 million, exceeding its goal by 37 percent.

Prior to the University of Puget Sound, Herman worked in development, annual giving and communications at the College of Forest Resources, University of Washington; University of Redlands; and the Charles Wright Academy. A Steuben Apple Award-winning speaker for the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), she also has worked as a trainer and consultant for development staff and volunteers.

Herman is a 1984 graduate of the University of Washington, from which she holds a bachelor's degree in English and journalism. She is a published author and an avid equestrian who has written award-winning features for Equus, Insight Travel Guide and Flying Changes, the Northwest Sport Horse Magazine.

“This appointment is a great honor for me,” Herman said in accepting the position. “I was drawn to Washington College's historic strength in liberal arts education, its fine new leader, and its magical location in the state where I was born. I look forward to joining this college community and helping its alumni, parents, and friends make a lasting difference there.”

Scholar Examines Winslow Homer's Enigmatic Masterpiece, The Gulf Stream, At February 8 Lecture

Chestertown, MD, January 17, 2005 — Washington College's C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience, in conjunction with the Department of Art as part of the American Pictures Series of lectures, presents “Understanding a Great American Painting: Inside Winslow Homer's The Gulf Stream,” a talk by Peter Wood, professor of history at Duke University, Tuesday, February 8, at 4:30 p.m. in the College's Casey Academic Center Forum. The event is free and the public is invited to attend.

Professor Wood's lecture will take a new look at Winslow Homer's 1899 masterpiece, picturing a terrifying scene of a black man adrift in a derelict boat tossed by a turbulent sea and surrounded by sharks. The author of numerous books, including Strange New Land: Africans in Colonial America and Weathering the Storm: Inside Winslow Homer's Gulf Stream(University of Georgia Press, 2004)—on which this lecture is based—Professor Wood believes that to understand the painting the viewer must delve into the artist's past, as well as that of our nation, to see it anew through the lens of social and political history. Often interpreted as an allegorical representation of the human condition, for Professor Wood The Gulf Stream more closely portrays Homer's developing social conscience and the tumultuous consequences of slavery and colonialism at the end of the nineteenth century.

A graduate of Harvard College and a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, Professor Wood received his Ph.D. in American history from Harvard in 1972. His first book, Black Majority: Negroes in Colonial South Carolina from 1670 through the Stono Rebellion (Knopf, 1974) was nominated for the National Book Award and won the Beveridge Prize of the American Historical Association. After three years as the Assistant Director for Humanities at the Rockefeller Foundation, in 1975 Professor Wood joined the History Department of Duke University, where he is now a full professor. From 1988 to 1995 he served as Director of Graduate Studies in the History Department, and in 1992 launched Duke's first survey course on Native American History in the United States and Canada. He has held fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, Harvard's Warren Center, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Professor Wood's lecture is sponsored by the Department of Art at Washington College and the C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience, an innovative forum for new scholarship about American history. Drawing on the special historical strengths of Washington College and Chestertown, the Center is dedicated to exploring the early republic, the rise of democracy, and the manifold ways in which the founding era continues to shape American culture.

News about upcoming events is available online at http://starrcenter.washcoll.edu/, or by calling Program Manager Kees de Mooy at 410-810-7156.

Down From The Mountaintop: One-Man Play Portrays Life Of African-American Novelist, Activist James Baldwin, February 6

Chestertown, MD, January 17, 2005 — Washington College's Sophie Kerr Committee and Office of Diversity Affairs are pleased to present a performance of James Baldwin: Down From the Mountaintop, Sunday, February 6, at 4 p.m. in the College's Tawes Theatre. The event is free and open to the public. This solo play is written, produced and performed by Tony Award nominee Calvin Levels and depicts the rich and impassioned life of acclaimed African-American novelist, playwright, essayist, and civil rights activist James Baldwin (1929-1987). Baldwin's childhood in Harlem, his early experiences in the ministry, his publishing career, friendships and rivalries with contemporaries Marlon Brando, Lorraine Hansberry, Truman Capote, Norman Mailer, and Langston Hughes, and his association with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. are among the topics addressed in this play.

Calvin Levels has performed Down From the Mountaintop at The Actors Studio Sunset Millennium Theatre in West Hollywood, CA, and The Village Theatre at Leimert Park, CA, and on a number of college campuses, including Northwestern University, University of Michigan, and University of Massachusetts. In addition, he has appeared in a one-act performance of Open Admissions at The Ensemble Studio Theatre, David Mamet's The Shawl at Lincoln Center Theatre, and the full length Open Admissions at the Music Box Theatre on Broadway, for which he received The Theatre World Award for Outstanding New Talent. He also has received nominations for The Tony Award, New York Drama Desk Award and New York Outer Critics Circle Award for “Best Actor in a Play.” Mr. Levels' credits also include numerous films and television productions.

For more information about the James Baldwin play, please contact Nina Wilson in the Office of Diversity Affairs at 410-810-7457.

For information about upcoming events at Washington College, visit the College's online calendar at http://calendar.washcoll.edu.

Racism And Reconciliation In America Topic Of Play A Killing In Choctaw, January 27

Chestertown, MD, January 17, 2005 — Washington College's William James Forum, Goldstein Program in Public Affairs, and Office of Diversity Affairs present a free performance of A Killing in Choctaw, an autobiographical, one-man play written and performed by African-American activist and comedian Carl Ray, Thursday, January 27, at 7 p.m. in the College's Tawes Theatre. The public is encouraged to attend.

A Killing in Choctaw is a two-act play written and performed by Carl Ray, examining the scars he carried from witnessing his father's brutal 1962 murder in segregated Choctaw County, Alabama—the racist retaliation for the then 18-year-old Ray's having responded to a white man's questioning by saying “yes” and “no” instead of “yes, sir” and “no, sir,” the once customary responses in the segregated South. In the play, Ray takes the audience through his personal agony of being humiliated in a Jim Crow court and locked in a hotel room and harassed by eight members of the Klan the night before George Wallace stood in the door of the University of Alabama to keep black students out.

He gives the audience a peek into the struggles of being a polio victim attending grade school, the guilt that he carried for his father's death, how his father's killer became his imaginary enemy and friend, the nurturing environment at the Tuskegee Institute, and his changes in careers from engineer to taxi driver to stand-up comedian. Finally, Ray leads us through the tragedy of injustice to witness the freeing and transforming power of forgiveness.

Carl Ray is a 1967 graduate of Tuskegee Institute with a degree in electrical engineering. After graduation, he traveled to California to begin a career in the aerospace industry, but after 13 years decided to pursue his dream to perform stand-up comedy. Ray started a Youth Opportunity Program in East Palo Alto, CA, in 1968, and began recruiting youth to attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 1970. Ray continues to recruit and has chaperoned more than 2,000 students on HBCU tours. In 1988, Ray and his wife founded the Courtland Esteem School, a private school in San Jose, CA, where they continue to educate and mentor African-American students in grades one through six.

To learn more about Carl Ray, please visit www.carlraye.com.

For information about upcoming events at Washington College, visit the College's online calendar at http://calendar.washcoll.edu.

Martin Luther King Memorial Celebrates Civil Rights Leader's Life Through Art, Performance, January 31

Chestertown, MD, January 17, 2005 — Washington College will host “The Inspiration of Martin Luther King, Jr., Artistically Expressed,” Monday, January 31, in honor of the memory and the legacy of the late Civil Rights leader. The memorial program of art and performance will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Norman James Theatre, William Smith Hall.

“This year, we have created a memorial to Dr. King that showcases the talents of members of our College and of our surrounding community,” said Nina Wilson, the College's Diversity Advisor. “Dr. King's legacy has inspired so many people in so many ways, including in artistic and creative ways, and that will be our focus.”

This year's program will feature the paintings of local artists John Mason, James Williams and Allen Johnson, Jr.; a musical performance by the Washington College Gospel Choir; a dance performance by alumna Tamika Sudler; and readings from the writings and speeches of Dr. King by Washington College faculty and students. The event is free and all are invited to attend.

For information about other upcoming events for Black History Month at Washington College, visit the College's online calendar at http://calendar.washcoll.edu.

Paul Reed Smith And Band To Play Prince Theatre, February 4

Admission Free for All WC Students with ID

Chestertown, MD, January 14, 2005 — The Prince Theatre Foundation—in cooperation with Washington College's Friends of the Arts, Student Events Board and Office of Alumni Affairs—welcomes the Paul Reed Smith Music band to Chestertown's historic Prince Theatre, Friday, February 4. Show begins at 8 p.m., doors open at 7:30 p.m. The world-renowned guitar maker and founder of PRS Guitars will also receive the “Community First” Award for his generous donation of music education and entertainment to the students of Washington College and the Prince Theatre Cultural Center and Foundation for the Arts.

Admission is free for all Washington College students with ID. There will be a cash bar, but those under 21 are welcomed.

Tickets are $20 per person and benefit the fundraising efforts of the Prince Theatre Cultural Center and Foundation for the Arts. Tickets can be purchased at the Prince Theatre box office, 210 High Street, during business hours, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; by calling the box office at 410-810-2060 during business hours; or through all TICKETMASTERlocations (410-547-SEAT).

Born in Bowie, Maryland, Smith attended Bowie High School and St. Mary's College, where he hand-built his first guitar. In 1975, Smith opened The Guitar Shop on 33 West Street in downtown Annapolis and custom built guitars for area musicians, honing his craft and hoping for a break into the rock music industry.

“The road from my workshop in a historic, haunted Annapolis garret to a state-of-the-art factory was a tough one,” says Smith. “Fact is, I always loved working with my hands. Why else would a high school kid sign up for three or four shop classes at a time? My first guitar was built as a challenge to my college music professor for some credits. I got an ‘A' and decided to pursue my dream of making guitars for a living.”

Now, a quarter of a century later—from lone craftsman to major manufacturer—Smith and his company, PRS Guitars, are recognized for building the world's premier electric guitars. Manufactured on the Eastern Shore in Stevensville, MD, the distinctive style and sound of PRS guitars are known to both musicians and music fans alike, and are seen in the hands of the world's finest players, from Carlos Santana and Dave Matthews to Dave Navarro and Brad Delson of Linkin Park.

In his spare time, Smith enjoys playing and making music with his Paul Reed Smith Music band, which in recent months has traveled abroad to Canada and China, meeting PRS guitar enthusiasts from around the world and working of new material.

The Prince Theatre, located in historic Chestertown on Maryland's Eastern Shore, was built in 1926 as a vaudeville theatre and movie house. The meticulously restored theatre now presents a wide range of musical acts, special events, children's workshops and educational lectures. For more information about concerts and events at the Prince Theatre, visithttp://www.princetheatre.org.

Concert Series Welcomes Chiara String Quartet With Pianist Simone Dinnerstein, February 4

Chestertown, MD, January 12, 2005 — The Washington College Concert Series—now in its 53rd season—welcomes the Chiara String Quartet, joined by pianist Simone Dinnerstein, to the College's Tawes Theatre, Friday, February 4. Concert begins at 8 p.m. Single tickets can be purchased at the door, $15.00 for adults and $5.00 for youth 18 and under. Season tickets are available for $50.00 per person in advance or at the box office on performance nights.

The first prize winners in the 2002 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, the Chiara String Quartet is one of the nation's most sought-after young ensembles. In the words of critic Tim Smith of The Baltimore Sun, “...the award-winning foursome clearly has what it takes to make a lasting mark in the chamber music world.” These Julliard-trained musicians bring commitment, ardor and passion to traditional quartet repertoire, and—with an eye toward the next generation of music—perform commissioned pieces from today's talented, working composers, as well. The Quartet will be joined by the accomplished young American pianist Simone Dinnerstein, a commanding performer of solo and chamber music repertoire. A graduate of the Julliard School where she studied under Peter Serkin, Dinnerstein is noted for her warm and varied tone and her compelling interpretations of traditional works.

For ticket information and a 2004-2005 season brochure, call 800-422-1782, ext. 7839. 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.

Statement From President Tipson On The Recent Tsunami Tragedy In Southeast Asia

I know I speak for the entire Washington College community in expressing shock at the enormous loss of life and livelihood that has resulted from the disastrous earthquake and tsunamis that struck Southeast Asia on Dech3ber 26. Our hearts go out to the families around the world who have lost loved ones, and our particular compassion extends to Washington College students, alumni, and friends whose lives have been forever affected by this tragedy.

In recent decades, Washington College has had a robust community of international students, many from the Southeast Asian nations of India, Sri Lanka and Thailand. In 1998, alumni Chandev Abhayaratne '94 and Radesh Daluwatte '96 worked with Professor Tahir Shad to establish a Sri Lankan Alumni Chapter to support our many graduates from that nation, and a number of other alumni, colleagues and friends either work or travel in the Southeast Asian region. Our thoughts and prayers are with thh3 during this crisis.

During the past week we have received many calls asking about the safety or whereabouts of mh3bers of the Washington College community who might have been affected by the tsunami. Although we are unable to answer many of these questions, we are eager to share concerns and news with the rest of the College community and to hear from our friends abroad who are dealing with the aftereffects of the disaster. We have established this web page in order to help our friends from abroad communicate with us and to enable our students and alumni at home to reach out to their classmates. We invite alumni, parents and friends of Washington College to participate in this exchange with any news or questions they may have.

We have also received inquiries from those seeking to donate funds to victims of the tsunami. We encourage you to visit the link provided below which has a list of charitable organizations providing disaster relief and assistance.

Those of us who are here in Chestertown are ever mindful that we also live in the world's community. We offer our thoughts and our prayers for all those who are suffering and our sincere hope that all nations will draw closer in the efforts of recovery.

Sincerely,

Baird Tipson
President

1/5/05

All W.C Alums, friends and close family in Sri Lanka are safe.

Kind regards,
Radesh Daluwatte
Colombo, Sri Lanka

1/5/05

We are all ok. Bangladesh was hardly affected...so not much casualty there. By the grace of God we are all unharmed.

Fermi Nasir
Dhaka, Bangladesh

1/5/05

I have good news regarding Praveen Abhayaratne. Praveen was in New York when the tsunami hit. He and his family are safe. He will be heading home to Sri Lanka for about a month.

Jim Wright
Washington College

1/5/05

News from the ASI students (42 total) from South Asia is that all of thh3 are safe. (These are the Muslim college students from Pakistan, India and Bangladesh who participated in the State Department-sponsored summer program on dh3ocracy at Washington College.) One student from this summer, Thameh3, lives in Chennai (Madras), India, which was hit by one of the tsunamis, and he is very busy with the relief efforts there. Two students from Bangladesh-Priyo and Muni-work at a hospital in Pattaya, Thailand. They were in the ocean on the day when the tsunamis struck on the west coast, but their area was not affected. Their hospital has received many disaster victims from the southwest of Thailand, including Phuket.

Kees deMooy Washington College

1/6/05

Thankfully, my family and friends were not directly affected by this disaster. My brothers Ruan & Praveen (both WC alumni) are well and currently in Sri Lanka. We are all working directly and from afar, to help with reconstruction in our country.

Chandev Abhayaratne
London, Ontario
Canada

1/6/05

Thank you so much for your e-mail and concern. I am truly touched by it. My family and I are doing fine. We were very fortunate. Former alumni Reshani Dangalle and her family are also doing well. She doesn't have an e-mail address so I thought you might be trying to find out if she is alright. Alumnus Marisha Bandaratillaka and his family are also fine. Thanks so much again.

Sanjeevani Wijenaike Silva

1/8/05

Thanking you all for your concern, for our safety. I must say that I did have a firt had experiance and I am very fortunate to have survived the Tsunami Wave while holidaying South of Sri Lanka. My family is all well and My brother Romesh (Nam '00) who is based in Denver Colarado and I are involved in gathering some aid for for distribution in the affected areas.

Sanjeeva (Ravi) Jayatileke
Colombo, Sri Lanka

1/8/05

I thank all at WC for their concerns. I am truly lucky to have escaped unhurt after facing this disaster my self, which has brought so much destruction and grief to our country and our neighboring countries. Even as I send this mail, I am involved through my company in helping and supporting people in the affected areas and I would give my fullest support in doing any long term project as a mh3ber of WC Alumni. Attached below some of the photos of my ordeal with the Tsunami Waves on the 26th Morning of December 2004 in Bentota, Sri Lanka.

Let's help rebuild our nation!

Regards,
Sanjeeva (Ravi) Jayatileke
Colombo, Sri Lanka

1/12/05

Some good news: Chaminda Molligoda '96 and Ruan Abhayratne '94 are doing fine as well.

Sanjeevani Wijenaike Silva

1/17/05

Thanks to everyone who has expressed concern over everything that has happened! Everyone I know in Madras, India that was hit, is fine. My mum is working directly with an NGO in the field helping to rebuild a fishing village that was destroyed. Please contact me if you would like more information about this effort.

Ambika Vishwanath '05

1/21/05

Thanks for all your continued support and concern. Appreciate every bit of it. All family and friends are doing great and are knee deep involved in relief operations.

Romesh "Nam" Jayatileke

New Tools For Teaching: Washington College Given Marine "ROV" For Underwater Archaeology Program

Chestertown, MD, January 3, 2005 — Jacques Cousteau, step aside! Washington College has a new addition to its high-tech tool chest of sidescan sonar, magnetometers and seabed scanners for its undergraduate programs in archaeology and environmental studies. The College has received its first marine Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV)—a Titan SII ROV—donated by Morris “Chic” Ransone, president of Annapolis-based International Industries, Inc. The ROV will allow professors and students to image and record data on underwater sites for archaeological and environmental studies research projects.

“This donation provides another important tool in our growing array of underwater survey equipment,” said John Seidel, Ph.D., associate professor of anthropology and environmental studies at Washington College and an expert on marine archaeology. “Our staff and students will put it to good use during the coming spring, in conjunction with a course on marine archaeology and an on-going survey of the Chester River. We will also use it to ‘ground truth' underwater finds made with other instruments without having to put a diver in the water.”

An ROV is essentially a watertight housing for a video camera that can dive below the surface of the water and transmit pictures back to a boat via a cable connection. An operator can maneuver the vehicle in any direction through a joystick control. Valued at $7,000, the ROV is a gift of International Industries, Inc., an Annapolis-based firm that markets hydrographic and oceanographic equipment for science and industry.

“I have been working in underwater investigations since 1958 and am very interested in Dr. Seidel's work in furthering students' interest in this field,” said Chic Ransone, president of International Industries, Inc., who has more than 40 years experience in marine operations, instrumentation, surveying and underwater exploration. “As a graduate of a small, private college myself, I know very well how an excellent teacher, with the right equipment, can instill in students a lifetime enthusiasm for underwater exploration.”

“This ROV is a simple but versatile unit, with the kind of attributes that beginners and professionals can use,” Seidel added. “I think our students will get a real thrill when they learn to operate something they probably have only seen on the Discovery or National Geographic channels.”

For more information about Washington College's archaeology program, visit http://archaeology.washcoll.edu.