Measuring the Pulse of the Political Blogosphere, April 5

On Wednesday, April 5, at 7:30 p.m. in the Norman James Theatre, Washington College's William James Forum will present "The Political Blogosphere," a panel discussion with four bloggers from the right and left of the political spectrum. The event is free and open to the public.

A "blog" (the word is a contraction of "web log") is a web site where one or a group of "bloggers" publish thoughts, commentary, analysis, or reviews. This phenomenon—now called the "blogosphere"—has exploded across the web and has helped to create a new era of web journalism and electronic democracy whose ramifications are still being felt in the political realm and by the traditional print and broadcast media.

The panel consists of four bloggers with decidedly political bents but different relationships to blogging: Steven Clemons of TheWashingtonNote.com; Robert A. George of Ragged Thots; Matt Stoller of Jon Corzine's 2005 New Jersey gubernatorial campaign and MyDD.com; and Paul Zummo of Confirm Them and The Political Spectrum.

Steven Clemons, of TheWashingtonNote.com, directs the New America Foundation's American Strategy Program, whose purpose is to promote a new American internationalism by updating what is best in America's foreign policy tradition for the 21st century. A specialist in U.S.-Asia policy and U.S. foreign policy matters as well as broad international economic and security affairs, Clemons previously served as the Executive Vice President of the Economic Strategy Institute. He has also served as Senior Policy Advisor on Economic and International Affairs to Senator Jeff Bingaman and was the first Executive Director or the Japan America Society of Southern California and co-founded the Japan Policy Research Institute, of which he is still Director.

Clemons writes frequently on matters of foreign policy, defense, and international economic policy, and his work has appeared in most of the major leading OP-ED pages, journals, and magazines around the world. Visit his blog at http://thewashingtonnote.com.

Besides blogging at Ragged Thots, Robert George is currently the Associate Editorial Page Editor for the New York Post. He writes several editorials a week on a diverse array of social and political topics and occasional OP-EDs. He is also a columnist for National Review Online and a regular CNN contributor. Previously, George has served as Director of Coalitions for the Republican National Committee, and from January 1995 through May 1998 he served as Special Assistant and Senior Writer to the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Newt Gingrich.

George is an Adjunct Fellow with the Center For New Black Leadership, a national African-American advocacy group exploring entrepreneurial and free-market issues, and at Third Millennium, an organization dedicated to multi-generational public policy issues. You can read his Ragged Thots at http://raggedthots.blogspot.com.

Matt Stoller, of MyDD.com, was one of the co-creators of "The Blogging of the President," which explored the ongoing digital transformation of politics first in blog format and later as a nationally syndicated talk radio show from Minnesota Public Radio. At the 2004 Democratic National Convention, Stoller was in charge of blogger credentialing. He has testified before the Federal Election Commission on the role of electronic media in politics and is the co-author with Chris Bowers of a report on electronic communities in politics.

Stoller has also worked for General Wesley Clark's presidential candidacy, Simon Rosenberg's campaign for DNC chair, and most recently for New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Jon Corzine's official blog, the Corzine Connection. You can read Stoller's blog athttp://www.mydd.com.

Blogger Paul Zummo began posting on The Political Spectrum, a bi-partisan group of bloggers, and now frequently blogs for Confirm Them, a site dedicated to getting President Bush's judicial appointments confirmed, which made a splash attacking the Supreme Court nomination of Harriet Miers. Zummo is a research analyst at the American Public Power Association and a doctoral student at Catholic University where he is working on a dissertation critiquing Jeffersonian style liberalism and democracy. You can read his commentary online at http://www.confirmthem.com.

WC's Kim Last to Appear on CBS Early Show, April 3: Junior Receives Scholarship from New York Women in Communications

Chestertown, MD, March 30, 2006 — Kim Last, a junior American studies and political science major and editor of Washington College's student newspaper, will appear on the CBS Early Show Monday, April 3, and then mingle with some of the most powerful women in the communications industry when she joins a group of young journalists being recognized by New York Women in Communications, Inc. at the 2006 Matrix Awards.

Kim, of Rego Park, New York, is of one of 15 scholarship winners selected by the women's communication organization to be feted in Manhattan at an awards ceremony that will include presentations by Katie Couric, Susan Sarandon, and Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The ceremony, sponsored by the Oxygen Network, will be hosted by Ellen DeGeneres, who will also receive a special Humanitarian Award, presented by Diane Sawyer.

Among this year's Matrix honorees and presenters are Jill Abramson, managing editor of The New York Times, actress Geena Davis, Beth Comstock, President of NBCU Digital Media and Market Development, and Cynthia Leive, Editor-in-Chief of Glamour Magazine.

The organization considers mentoring young women an important part of their mission, offering career guidance as well as scholarship support. In anticipation of their television network appearance, NYWICI is helping the scholarship winners dress for success with a makeover featuring Ann Taylor career wear.

"Yes, I get to keep the suit, the shoes, the bag, everything," says Kim. "I know I shouldn't be excited about the clothes, but I am."

The NYWICI scholarship winners will be helping David Price do the weather from the CBS Early Show studio sometime between 8 and 8:30 a.m.

This is Kim's second WICI scholarship; as a high school student, she was one of five recipients of a $10,000 scholarship for college.

"The membership of WICI is very much a sisterhood, and these women believe in me," says Kim. "They really have taken me under their wing. I've been able to go to them for advice and guidance about what I can do to become a journalist. Before college, lots of women I talked to told me to take the liberal arts path; that's the reason I'm here. What better way to learn what it takes to enter the communications industry than to talk to an expert in the field? When I got the call about the scholarship, Barbara Brennan [Vice President, Lifetime Television] told me she recognized my name and wanted to be the one to call me. She was one of the first members of NYWICI that I met."

Kim is considering a career in print journalism and hopes to get her start as either a political writer in Washington or a general assignment reporter in New York.

Irish Writer Mary Morrissy to Read from Her Work, April 13

Chestertown, MD, March 29, 2006 — Washington College's Sophie Kerr Committee presents Irish writer, Mary Morrissy, reading from her fiction, Thursday, April 13, at 4:30 p.m. in the Sophie Kerr Room of the Miller Library. The event is free and open to the public.

A recipient of the Hennessy Award for short fiction and the Lannan Literary Prize, Morrissy will read from two of her critically acclaimed novels,Mother of Pearl (Scribner, 1995/Jonathan Cape, 1996) and The Pretender (Jonathan Cape, 2000), as well as her collection of short stories,A Lazy Eye (London, Jonathan Cape/ New York, Scribner, 1993). Born in Dublin in 1957, Morrissy captures the often dark and complex psychology of her characters. John Banville, literary editor at the Irish Times, has called her "one of the subtlest and most penetrating of the latest generation of Irish writers."

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.

Making Sense of Immigration Reform and Its Local Impact, Panel April 6

Chestertown, MD, March 29, 2006 — Washington College's Department of Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, the Goldstein Program in Public Affairs, the Sigma Zeta Chapter of Sigma Delta Pi, the Washington College Spanish Club, and the Campus Events and Visitors Committee present the panel discussion "Making Sense of Immigration Reform: Law, Politics, and the Eastern Shore," Thursday, April 6, at 7 p.m. in the College's Wingate Lecture Hall, Goldstein 100. The event is free and the public is invited to attend.

Panelists Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia, Timothy Dunn, and Neda Biggs will discuss immigration reform, from current legislative proposals to the implications of changes in the law for the Eastern Shore's immigrant communities. Bringing academic, policy, and legal backgrounds to this forum, as well as integrating national, regional, and local perspectives, the panelists will shed light on the competing interests, proposed legislative solutions, and the stakes for local communities that are involved in this contentious and timely issue.

Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia is a Senior Policy Associate/Counsel with the National Immigration Forum and an Adjunct Professor of Law at the Washington College of Law at American University, Washington, DC. Tim Dunn is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the Fulton School of Liberal Arts, Salisbury University. Neda Biggs is an attorney, counselor, mediator, and interpreter who serves as the director of the Latino Crime Victim Advocacy program at the Latin American Community Center in Wilmington, Delaware, and is founder and coordinator of the Latino Immigrant Victim Subcommittee of Delaware's Victims' Rights Task Force.

300 Years from Here: Chestertown History Weekend Celebrates Tercentennial Year of Historic Cononial Town, April 21-22

Chestertown, MD, March 29, 2006 — Chestertown, Maryland—a place where the past is always present. Travelers to this small town on Maryland's Eastern Shore encounter beautifully preserved colonial and Victorian houses, historic sailboats anchored along the Chester River, and friendly small-town life that seems straight out of a bygone era.

On Friday, April 21, and Saturday, April 22, Chestertown will welcome visitors who wish to explore three centuries' of history through the heritage of this classic American community. As part of the 300th anniversary of the town's founding in 1706, more than 30 historians, authors, archaeologists, and preservationists will participate in the Chestertown History Weekend, a program of lectures, panel discussions, exhibitions, film screenings, and musical performances at various locations in the downtown historic district. All events will be free and open to the public.

The Chestertown History Weekend is sponsored by Washington College's C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience and a team of other local groups, including the Historical Society of Kent County, the Kent County Heritage Trust, the Kent County Arts Council, the Center for the Environment and Society, and the Kent County News. It will coincide with the start of the town's official 300th-birthday commemoration.

"From the Revolution to the Civil War to the Civil Rights movement, Chestertown has played a part in some of the most dramatic episodes of our nation's history," said Adam Goodheart, C.V. Starr Scholar at Washington College. "The History Weekend will be a marvelous opportunity to discover how those events unfolded in one American town."

The History Weekend's keynote address on Friday afternoon will be given by Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The rest of the program, which the Starr Center has just released (see attachment), includes nearly 20 different events, many of which will run concurrently throughout the day on Saturday, so that participants can choose among such topics as:

• "George Washington in Chestertown"
• "Escape from Kent County: Myths, Realities, and Local Heroes of the Underground Railroad"
• "Between North and South: The Civil War Comes to Kent County"
• "The Battle of Caulk's Field: Kent County vs. the British Empire, 1814"
• Special workshops on how to research genealogy or the history of an old house

Other programs will cover Chestertown's architecture, archaeological discoveries, and local fighters for African-American civil rights. Exhibits of historic artifacts and film screenings will run throughout the day. Event locations include the town's historic Custom House (c. 1746), Emmanuel Church (c. 1768), the Geddes-Piper House (c. 1784), and the Prince Theatre (c. 1926)—all within short walking distance of each other.

"People will be able to stroll among the various events downtown and discover how this place's history reflects the larger American story," said Kees de Mooy, the Starr Center's program manager. "We hope the weekend's program will combine in-depth learning with the spirit of celebration and fun that Chestertown does so well."

A full schedule of the weekend's events (attached) is available online athttp://starrcenter.washcoll.edu, and will also be advertised on posters around town.

Among the History Weekend's three dozen special guests will be historians and archaeologists from Washington College, the University of Maryland, St. Mary's College of Maryland, Delaware State University, George Washington University, and Vassar College, as well as representatives of the National Park Service, Mount Vernon, the Banneker-Douglass Museum, the Maryland Historical Trust, and other groups.

"As far as we know, there has never before been an event of this kind on the Eastern Shore," said Mary Kate O'Donnell, executive director of the Historical Society of Kent County. "It's a great opportunity to draw people this area, which is a largely unexplored gold mine for anyone fascinated by the American past."

Chestertown is located on the upper Eastern Shore of Maryland in Kent County, whose total population of 19,000 is barely larger than it was in colonial times. It is approximately 45 minutes from Annapolis and Dover, Del., 1 hour from Baltimore and Wilmington, Del., and 90 minutes from Washington and Philadelphia.

Drawing on the special historical strengths of Washington College and Chestertown, the C.V. Starr 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. Founded in 1782, Washington College holds the special distinction of being the only institution of higher learning that the first president patronized during his lifetime. George Washington donated fifty guineas to the newly founded school, gave his consent for it to be named in his honor, and served on its board of Visitors and Governors.

For more information, please contact Kees de Mooy at 410-810-7156.

Hovering Nuns, Flying Witches: Carlos Eire on Writing the History of the Miraculous, Talk April 4

Chestertown, MD, March 29, 2006 — Washington College's Douglass Cater Society of Junior Fellows and Department of Art present "Hovering Nuns, Flying Witches: On Writing a History of the Impossible," a slide-illustrated lecture by Carlos M. N. Eire, Riggs Professor of History and Religious Studies, Yale University, Tuesday, April 4, at 4:30 p.m. in the Casey Academic Center Forum. The event is free and the public is encouraged to attend.

Professor Eire specializes in the social, intellectual, religious, and cultural history of late medieval and early modern Europe, with a strong focus on both the Protestant and Catholic Reformations; the history of popular piety; and the history of death. He is the author of War Against the Idols: The Reformation of Worship from Erasmus to Calvin (1986); From Madrid to Purgatory: The Art and Craft of Dying in Sixteenth Century Spain (1995); and co-author of Jews, Christians, Muslims: An Introduction to Monotheistic Religions (1997).

Professor Eire has also ventured into twentieth century history and the Cuban Revolution inWaiting for Snow in Havana (2003), which won the National Book Award in Non-fiction in 2003. He is currently writing a survey history of the Reformation and researching attitudes toward miracles in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

WC Chapter of Habitat for Humanity Participates in Alternative Spring Break

Chestertown, MD, March 29, 2006 — Washington College's chapter of Habitat for Humanity recently traveled to Americus, Georgia, the headquarters for Habitat for Humanity, during the College's spring break. Students spent the week re-shingling roofs, cleaning yards, painting exterior walls, and installing drywall.

Group members also participated in March Mission Madness, which offered homeowners the opportunity to ask volunteers to help with exterior home maintenance. Habitat volunteers also worked at Koinonia Farms, the place where Habitat for Humanity officially began.

Washington College participants included Kentavius Jones '04, Laura Nace '07, Martin Dunphy '06, David Hosey '07, Joy Woppert '07, Lindsay Bell '07, Noelia Garcia '09, Elizabeth Bateman '09, Holly Marsden '07, Jaime Usilton '06, James Vorhies '06, Aimee' Kidd '07, Astra Haldeman '06, Heidi Cornell '07, Cynthia Sebian-Lander '07, Brooks Long '08, Challys Withers '08, Aliina Lahti '09, Sonya Alexander '09, Lauren Leffler '06, Allison Sullivan '07, Shane Moser '07, and Andrew Mehdizadeh '08.

Davor Ciglar's Art Exhibit Explores Translucency and Light, March 5 - April 14

Chestertown, MD, March 22, 2006 — Washington College's Art Department presents "Davor Ciglar: Recent Works on Paper," an exhibit displaying the artist's paper collages, March 5- April 14, 2006, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the College's Constance Stuart Larrabee Art Center.

Davor Ciglar's most recent creations draw from his experiences in Spain, where he discovered the ancient art of healing known as Ayurveda. His work explores human physiology through the sense of touch as he tries to give form to expressions such as coherence and disorder, strength and weakness, and silence and dynamism. Ciglar uses paper as both support and a medium, exploring its inherent qualities of translucence and lightness. He frequently accesses Vedic scripts using their potency to inform his work.

Born in Croatia, Ciglar now lives and works in Montepulciano, Italy. After graduating with a degree in economics, he developed a deep interest in oriental disciplines such as Transcendental Meditation and Ayurveda, which significantly influence his artistic practice. Currently he works as a set and costume designer and exhibits his artwork in Italy, Croatia, Austria, France, and the United States.

Join the "George Goes Green" Campaign to Conserve Energy

Chestertown, MD, March 22, 2006 — Concerned about soaring oil prices? Noticing that something is definitely up with the weather? Take charge and do your part to conserve energy.

During the month of April, Washington College's Committee of Sustainability, in cooperation with the Student Environmental Alliance, Buildings and Grounds, Student Affairs, Dining Services, the Office of College Relations, and the Center for the Environment and Society, is sponsoring the first Washington College Energy Conservation Competition, otherwise known as "George Goes Green."

Each residence hall on campus will compete by attempting to reduce its energy consumption by the highest percentage. The winning dorm will be announced Earth Day, April 22, and its residents will delight in an exclusive party April 30 at Hynson Pavilion, featuring the musical talents of Hot Rock and the Heat Strokes.

Throughout April, the students with the most creative ideas for conservation will also be featured on the home page of the college Web site, along with the residence hall in the lead for the week. Additionally, the overall amount of money, energy, and carbon dioxide saved through the "George Goes Green" campaign will be calculated.

Ideas and photos of energy-saving solutions should be directed to Shannon Holste at tholste2@washcoll.edu by Thursday at 5 p.m. each week to appear on the Web site.

WC Drama Department Presents Sam Shepard's Buried Child Onstage, March 31 and April 1

Chestertown, MD, March 20, 2006 — Washington College's Drama Department presents Buried Child, a senior thesis directed by Harry Wright and written by Sam Shepard, March 31 and April 1 at 8 p.m. in the College's Tawes Theatre. No reservations are required and the public is invited to attend. For show information, call 410-778-7835 or e-mail drama_tickets@washcoll.edu.

Shepard's Pulitzer Prize winning Buried Child delves into the dark secrets of a midwestern family and questions the very meaning of America's loss of innocence in a fashion reminiscent of Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams. When Vince, played by Chas LiBretto, arrives unannounced at his grandparent's farmhouse after six years of separation, he becomes engaged in the macabre affairs of the past. In the final act of the play, Vince and his girlfriend, Shelly, portrayed by Dorothy Johnson, learn the family's shocking and terrible secret.

"The play has a poignant and specific voice towards how we perceive our past, identity, and our own interactions, " comments director Wright. "Whether it is a message of warning or a reflection of how things were is up to the audiences' discretion. "

Donald McColl Appointed First Underwood Professor in Art History at Washington College

Chestertown, MD, March 20, 2006 — Washington College has announced the appointment of Donald A. McColl, associate professor of art, as the first Nancy L. Underwood Professor of Art History. The endowed professorship was established through a $1 million gift from Chestertown resident and friend of the College, John Underwood, on behalf of his late wife, Nancy L. Underwood, who took a life-long pleasure in the study of art and art history. The gift was matched by The Hodson Trust to create a $2 million endowment.

"We in the Department of Art are humbled that John and Nancy Underwood have seen fit to bestow such a gift on the College, and think it appropriate that the newly endowed chair in art is named for a woman," Dr. McColl said.

"It was Miss Peale—presumably Elizabeth Peale, the sister-in-law of Charles Willson Peale—who first taught drawing and painting at the College, soon after its founding; it was another woman, Constance Stuart Larrabee, who launched the Friends of the Arts, and led the way in giving art a permanent home at the College; and now, it's yet another woman, Nancy Underwood, whose generosity will ensure a bright future for our department, and most importantly the students in it, by helping to attract and retain faculty of the highest quality."

Dr. McColl joined the faculty of Washington College in 1997 after receiving his Ph.D. in art history from the University of Virginia, and completing postdoctoral study at Northwestern University, supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. He holds a B.A. in art history and criticism from the University of Western Ontario (1986) and an M.A. in art history from Oberlin College (1992). His professional research focuses on the visual culture of northern Europe in the early modern period and on late antique/early Christian art and archaeology, and he is currently working on a book titled Troubled Waters: To See the Samaritan Woman in Reformation Europe.

The recipient of numerous awards and fellowships, Dr. McColl was recently awarded a 2006 Summer Fellowship in Byzantine Studies at Harvard University's Dumbarton Oaks Library and Research Collection in Washington, DC. In 2000 he was honored with the Washington College Alumni Association Award for Distinguished Teaching. He and his wife, Ann, live in Chestertown where they are active in historic preservation.

Washington College is a private, independent college of liberal arts and sciences located in historic Chestertown on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Founded in 1782 under the patronage of George Washington, it was the first college chartered in the new nation.

Over the River and through the Woods to Washington College's Stage, March 24 and 25

Chestertown, MD, March 20, 2006 — Washington College's Drama Department presents Over the River and Through the Woods, a senior thesis directed by Cindy Orndorf and written by Joe DiPietro, March 24 and 25 at 8 p.m. in the College's Tawes Theatre. No reservations are required and the public is invited to attend. For show information, call 410-778-7835 or e-mail drama_tickets@washcoll.edu.

Close to his tight-knit Italian-American family in Hoboken, New Jersey, Nick Christano, played by senior Brian Cornelius, dutifully visits his four grandparents every Sunday for dinners that focus on "the three F's"—family, faith, and food. When he announces his plan to take a job promotion in Seattle, Washington, drama erupts as his grandparents dole out their advice, conspire, cook, and cajole him to stay.

Often compared to Neil Simon's later autobiographical comedy-dramas, DiPietro loosely based Over the River and Through the Woods on his own four grandparents. "Everyone has known at least one person like these characters," comments director Orndorf, "I love this play for that reason, but also because it forces both older and younger generations to adapt their ways of thinking to deal with changes in society and their own positions in the world."

Up and Coming: Literary House Hosts Readings by Monique Truong, April 4, and Adam Haslett, April 18

Chestertown, MD, March 14, 2006 — Washington College's Rose O'Neill Literary House welcomes two new lights on the American literary scene for readings this April. Vietnamese-American writer Monique Truong will read from her bestselling novel, The Book of Salt,Tuesday, April 4, and Adam Haslett, author of the short story collection You are Not a Stranger Here—a selection of the Today Show Book Club—will read Tuesday, April 18. Free and open to the public, both readings will be held at 4:30 p.m. in the Sophie Kerr Room of the Miller Library.

Monique Truong was born in Saigon in 1968 and moved to the United States at age six. A graduate of Yale University and the Columbia University School of Law, Truong co-edited the anthology Watermark: Vietnamese American Poetry and Prose.Her first novel, The Book of Salt, became a national bestseller and was awarded the 2003 Bard Fiction Prize, the Stonewall Book Award-Barbara Gittings Literature Award, and the Young Lions Fiction Award, among other honors. Granting Truong an Award of Excellence, the Vietnamese American Studies Center at San Francisco State University called her "a pioneer in the field, as an academic, an advocate, and an artist." Truong lives in Brooklyn, New York.

When Yale Law student Adam Haslett's first short story collection, You Are Not a Stranger Here, was tapped by The Corrections author Jonathan Franzen as the Today Show's second-ever book club selection, Haslett's somber tales dealing with depression were brought into the national spotlight. The collection was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize and a National Book Award, and won the PEN/Winship Award. Haslett's work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Nation, Zoetrope, and Best American Short Stories as well as National Public Radio's Selected Shorts.

He is a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop and the Yale Law School and has received fellowships from the Provincetown Fine Arts Work Center and the Michener/Copernicus Society of America. He lives in New York City, where he works part-time as a legal consultant.

Established in 1985, the Rose O'Neill Literary House was acquired and refurbished through a gift of alumna Betty Casey, Class of 1947, and her late husband Eugene, and named in memory of his late mother, Rose O'Neill Casey. Now in its 21st year, the O'Neill Literary House reflects the eclectic spirit of Washington College's creative writing program and literary culture, sponsoring readings, lectures, and workshops, and creating a space for young writers to find their unique voices.

Waterfowling on the Chesapeake: Historical Perspective on a Maryland Tradition, March 28

Chestertown, MD, March 13, 2006 — Washington College's Center for Environment and Society and the Joseph H. McLain Program in Environmental Studies present "Waterfowling on the Chesapeake: Historical Perspective on a Maryland Tradition," a talk by C. John Sullivan, author of Waterfowling on the Chesapeake, 1819-1936 (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2003), Tuesday, March 28, at 7 p.m. in the Litrenta Lecture Hall, John S. Toll Science Center. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Author of numerous articles about the Chesapeake region, Sullivan is also a widely recognized expert on decoys. He has served as a consultant to the Maryland Historical Society, the Ward Museum of Waterfowl Art, the Havre de Grace Decoy Museum, and the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. His latest book-and topic of this lecture-Waterfowling on the Chesapeake, 1819-1936, is part documentary, part nostalgic history, and part informational catalogue. In it he explores a century of hunting on the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, from the heyday of gun clubs and market shooting to the rise of conservation laws.

Drawing on oral histories and period documents and artifacts, Sullivan looks at the effects of technological change, the relationship between hunter and dog, the recognition of decoys as folk art, and the long history of hunting. He also introduces us to famous and lesser-known carvers and others who share an enthusiasm for this aspect of the Chesapeake's rich cultural life. His previous book, Old Ocean City, is also available from Johns Hopkins University Press.

Launched in 2000, Washington College's Center for Environment and Society brings significant new perspectives to the study of natural and human-influenced systems and their mutual interdependence globally and in the Chesapeake Bay region. Through programs such as the Rural Community Leadership seminars and its Geographic Information Systems lab, the Center seeks to provide a neutral academic forum for addressing difficult policy issues and to promote interdisciplinary and collaborative approaches to solving environmental and quality-of-life issues. Throughout its varied projects, the Center encourages and supports the active involvement of Washington College students from all majors.

Board of Visitors and Governors Approves Tuition Increase for the 2006-2007 Academic Year

Chestertown, MD, March 10, 2006 — Washington College's Board of Visitors and Governors has approved a 4.74 percent increase to the College's tuition and fee schedule for the 2006-2007 academic year. Under the Board's plan, tuition for full-time students will increase by $1,410 to $29,640, while the basic charge for on-campus housing will rise by $250 to $3,250. Basic board fees will remain unchanged at $3,200, and the Student Service Fee will be held constant at $560. The total cost for tuition, room, full board, and fees for 2006-2007 will be $36,650.

"We have held back making an increase as large as last year's 7.5 percent but, like many other institutions, Washington College is feeling the impact of the rising costs for energy and utilities on our operating budget," said Baird Tipson, President of the College. "With the opening of the John Toll Science Center during the last year, we have brought more than 40,000-square-feet of new facilities online. In March our newly renovated Dunning-Decker Science Complex will open for classes and research. These state-of-the-art facilities give our students a competitive edge, but they do come with a higher operating cost."

Tipson noted that while the College continually works to offset the true cost of a college education through fundraising, grant writing, and endowment income, tuition still plays a vital role in covering the annual costs of maintaining and operating the institution, and Washington College is competitively priced.

"While we advance the College's position as one of the nation's great small liberal arts colleges, we still remain competitive in our tuition and room and board costs," Tipson added. "Even after extensive renovations and updates to our residences, our room and board costs are in the lowest 10 percent when compared with 100 like-sized institutions. Likewise, our tuition rate falls exactly in the middle when compared to this group of liberal arts colleges."

Scholarships and financial aid also offset the actual tuition cost by nearly 36 percent for a vast majority of Washington College students. According to the College's financial aid statistics for 2005-2006, 85 percent of students receive merit or need-based institutional aid, with an average award of $13,000 per student.

"Ultimately, parents and students have to weigh these factors against the successful outcomes of the intensively personal and challenging education that Washington College provides," Tipson said. "Our commitment to our students is clear, and our graduates know the benefits for years to come."

Third Annual Janson-La Palme Lecture to Address Animals as Metaphor in Romantic Art, March 30

Chestertown, MD, March 9, 2006 — Washington College is pleased to present the 2006 Janson-La Palme Annual Distinguished Lecture in European Art History, "Unbridled Passions: Animals in Romantic Art," a lecture by Robert Rosenblum, Henry Ittleson, Jr., Professor of Modern European Art, Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, and Stephen and Nan Swid Curator of Twentieth-Century Art, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. The talk will be held Thursday, March 30, 2006, at 4:30 p.m. in the Casey Academic Center Forum. The event is free and the public is invited to attend.

Professor Rosenblum's lecture will explore artists' changing attitudes towards animals, both domestic and wild, during the Romantic era, from 1760 to 1830. Whether in depictions of horses and dogs or lions and snakes, such major artists as Stubbs, Géricault, and Delacroix used animals as metaphors of everything from a harmonious state of nature to the unleashing of savage forces, mirroring the turbulence of their own emotions.

The author of some 20 books and exhibition catalogues, Professor Rosenblum has taught at Columbia, Yale, Princeton, and Oxford Universities, and at the Freie Universität, Berlin. His most recent books include Introducing Gilbert and George (2004), 1900: Art of the Crossroads with MaryAnne Stevens and Ann Dumas (2000), On Modern American Art: Selected Essays (1999), and The Paintings of August Strindberg: The Structure of Chaos(1995). Professor Rosenblum is the recipient of many academic and professional awards and was recognized in 2004 for Distinguished Contribution to the Field of Art Criticism by the International Association of Art Critics/USA and in 2005 with New York University's Distinguished Teaching Award. He was made a Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1999 and Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur in 2002.

The Janson-La Palme Distinguished Lecture in European Art History was established by Washington College Professor Emeritus Robert J. H. Janson-La Palme and his wife, Bayly, to bring internationally known scholars on European art to campus for public lectures and presentations. In his retirement, Dr. Janson-La Palme remains active in historic preservation, participates in national and international conferences in his field, and frequently contributes toRenaissance Quarterly. The inaugural lecture in the series, held in March 2004, featured Nicholas Penny, Senior Curator of Sculpture and Decorative Arts at the National Gallery of Art, on "Painting and the Third Dimension in Italian Renaissance Art." In 2005 the series hosted Jonathan Brown, Carroll and Milton Petrie Professor of Fine Arts, Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, and a leading historian of Hispanic art of the early modern period (1400-1700).

Walk and Bike for a Better World, Talk March 23

Chestertown, MD, March 9, 2006 — The price of oil is skyrocketing! Your electric bill has doubled in the past month! And the cost of energy is burning a hole in your pocket. Have you ever thought that by just picking up your feet, by walking and biking, you might just solve the world's energy crisis, save a few bucks, and lose a few pounds in the process?

On Thursday, March 23, 2006, Washington College's Center for the Environment and Society and the Kent County Nutrition and Physical Activity Task Force welcome Robert Chauncey, Director of Policy Analysis at the National Center for Bicycling and Walking, to speak on "Building Active Communities" at 4:30 p.m. in the Hynson Lounge.

In Amsterdam and Copenhagen, about one-third of all trips are made by bike. In Davis, California, the figure is 17 percent. For the rest of North America, the number of trips made by bike or on foot is approximately one-percent. The implications of our car-dominated culture are staggering, from rising obesity rates to air pollution to deforestation caused by global warming. Chauncey will lead a discussion of these implications, cite examples of communities that are encouraging active transportation, and offer specific suggestions for Chestertown and Kent County.

Currently in his third career, Chauncey began his professional life as a sociologist, earning his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota, becoming a Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of California, San Diego, and teaching full- and part-time for several years. Career number two was in various human resources capacities with GE and Lockheed Martin.

After taking a year off to wander the country and clear his head, Chauncey began career number three—bike-ped advocate—five years ago. He co-authored Does It Work?, a primer on conducting bike and ped audits, and Taking Steps, a study of Metropolitan Planning Organizations. He now leads National Center for Bicycling and Walking's Walkable Communities Workshop program. When not having fun at work, Chauncey is an avid cyclist—no surprise!—an amateur thespian, and a very proud husband, father, and grandfather.

Novelist Jonathan Franzen to Kick off College's Annual Sophie Kerr Weekend for Young Writers, March 31

Chestertown, MD, March 8, 2006 — Washington College welcomes acclaimed essayist and novelist Jonathan Franzen, author of The Corrections, to kick off its annual Sophie Kerr Weekend, Friday, March 31, 2006 at 4 p.m. in the College's Norman James Theatre. The reading from his forthcoming "personal history" The Discomfort Zone is free and open to the public. Book signing to follow.

Held every March at Washington College, the Sophie Kerr Weekend gives a group of 100 high school-age writers a chance to experience the College's renowned creative writing program through readings, seminars, and small-group workshops with visiting writers and faculty members.

The Sophie Kerr Weekend also honors the legacy of the late Sophie Kerr, a writer from Denton, Md., whose generosity has enriched Washington College's literary culture. When she died in 1965, Kerr left the bulk of her estate to Washington 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"—the famed Sophie Kerr Prize—and the other half be used to bring visiting writers to campus, to fund scholarships, and to help defray the costs of student publications.

Jonathan Franzen joins authors and poets such as Joyce Carol Oates, Tim O'Brien, and Billy Collins, who in recent years have read from their works to start the weekend's activities.

When The Corrections was published in the fall of 2001, Jonathan Franzen was probably better known for his nonfiction than for the two novels he had already published. In an essay he wrote for Harper's in 1996, Franzen lamented the declining cultural authority of the American novel and described his personal search for reasons to persist as a fiction writer. "The novelist has more and more to say to readers who have less and less time to read," he wrote. "Where to find the energy to engage with a culture in crisis when the crisis consists in the impossibility of engaging with the culture?"

Five years after publishing this essay, Franzen became fully engaged with his culture. The Corrections was an enormous international bestseller, with translations in 35 languages, American hardcover sales of nearly one million copies, and nominations for nearly every major book prize in the country. Franzen was awarded the National Book Award for this novel. As if sales and critical acclaim weren't enough to boost his profile, the author found himself in a public relations imbroglio over his conflicted reaction to his book's endorsement by Oprah's Book Club.

Franzen's first novel, The Twenty-Seventh City (1988), was a reimagination of his hometown, St. Louis, through the eyes of conspirators and terrorists from South Asia. His second novel, Strong Motion (1992), was a thriller-cum-love-story set in the student slums of Boston. Both books displayed Franzen's ability to connect the personal and the political, the emotional and the social, in compelling and richly textured narratives.

Born in Western Springs, Illinois, in 1959, Jonathan Franzen grew up in Webster Goves, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. After graduating from Swarthmore College in 1981, he studied in Berlin as a Fulbright scholar and later worked in a seismology lab at Harvard. Franzen is also the author of a bestselling collection of essays, How to Be Alone. He lives in New York City and continues to write essays, including political journalism for The New Yorker.

Washington College is a private, independent college of liberal arts and sciences located in historic Chestertown on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Founded in 1782 under the patronage of George Washington, it was the first college chartered in the new nation.

Gift Establishes Alex. Brown Student Investment Program at Washington College

Fund Gives Undergrads Opportunity to Do "Real-World" Investing

Chestertown, MD, March 6, 2006 — Jim Price, former partner and managing director of Alex. Brown and a Trustee Emeritus of Washington College, and his wife Midge have donated $500,000 to the College to establish the Alex. Brown Student Investment Program. The program—one of only 135 such investment funds at colleges around the country—will enable undergraduate students studying business management to learn first-hand about investment strategies and working capital markets.

"When I finished college, I had no real-world knowledge of the investment world," said Price. "It was learning on the job. When I joined Alex. Brown & Sons, I had great mentors but, as I look back, I always wished I had started with more knowledge of investments."

The $500,000 gift will form the corpus of a new fund to be invested, monitored, and reported on by a select group of Washington College business management majors under the guidance of faculty and a fund advisory board. The students will gain this experience as part of a new course on capital markets and investment strategies that will include regular presentations by industry leaders and coursework on business ethics.

"By adding real-world connections, this incredible gift transforms how Washington College students learn about finance and investing," said Professor Michael Harvey, Chair of the Business Management Department. "The program makes it possible for our undergraduates to take on multi-million-dollar responsibilities, to learn by doing and to experience first-hand the complexities of investing and financial decision-making in today's markets. It's a large set of responsibilities, but I'm confident our students are up to it."

Price hopes that the course will not only impart academic knowledge but career advantages as well.

"Our students should arrive in the business world with the edge we want all Washington College graduates to have," he added.

In addition to his belief in the value of student investment programs, Price wants his gift to memorialize the name of Alex. Brown at Washington College. The two institutions share a long, rich history in the state of Maryland. Alex. Brown, the oldest investment banking firm in the country, was founded in Baltimore in 1800—just 18 years after Washington College was established in Chestertown—and the firm maintained its headquarters in Baltimore for nearly 200 years. Following in his father's footsteps, Price joined the firm in 1952 and retired in 1996. After graduating from Washington College, his son Jon Price, Class of 1980, also started his career at Alex. Brown and now works for Brown Advisory and Trust, a spin-off of Alex. Brown. Both Price and the College's current Board Chairman, Jay Griswold, have served as trustees of Washington College.

Price has invited former partners and associates of Alex. Brown to support the student investment program, and he anticipates a strong response.

"Some of my former Alex. Brown partners will be joining me in this project, and The Hodson Trust has agreed to match my gift and other monies that are contributed up to $1 million."

The Hodson Trust's matching gifts will be invested in the College's endowment, with earnings used to offset faculty compensation, speaker fees, and other costs associated with this new program.

Washington College is a private, independent college of liberal arts and sciences located in historic Chestertown on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Founded in 1782 under the patronage of George Washington, it was the first college chartered in the new nation.

Prep those resumes! 2006 Washington College Career Fair, March 22

Chestertown, MD, March 1, 2006 — The Center for Career Development and Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) invite students to attend the 2006 Washington College Career Fair, Wednesday, March 22, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Casey Academic Center Gallery.

Prep now for the annual Career Fair

Interested students should begin their preparation now, and the Center for Career Development has organized a series of workshops to help. All will be held in the Career Library.

Participating Employers:
AFLAC
Ameriprise Financial
Bed, Bath & Beyond
Bowling Brook Prep
Cecil County Board of Education
Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Chester River Hospital Center
Dixon Valve and Coupling
DMG Securtities
Easter Seals Camp Fairlee Manor
Echo Hill Outdoor School
Enterprise Rent-a-Car
Johns Hopkins Graduate School of Education
Kent County Board of Education
MBNA
National Children's Center
Nationwide Insurance
NVR Ryan Homes
Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education
PeaceCorps
Primerica Financial
Psychotherapeutic Services
Southern Teachers Association
TRAK Services, Inc.
United States Army
United States Diplomatic Security Service
USA Fulfillment
VasTech, Inc.
Widener University School of Law

Career Fair Booklet

Stop by the Career Center to pick up your copy of the Career Fair Booklet for resume and career fair tips, and info on all vendors.

Refine Resumes and Research

Get your resumes in shape and thoroughly research any of the companies in which you are interested. Wear professional attire and remember that the Center of Career Development is here to help you!

Contact: Ann Atwater Bourne, Center for Career Development, abourne2@washcoll.edu