Faces Of Homelessness: A Panel Discussion, Thursday, Dec. 2

Chestertown, MD, December 2, 2004 — The Washington College Student Service Council along with the Center for Service Learning, Amnesty International, and the Washington College Student Government Association (SGA) hosts the panel discussion, "Faces of Homelessness," Thursday, December 2 at 6 p.m. in the Casey Academic Forum. The panel will feature former homeless people describing their experiences of street life and poverty, as well as the social and economic issues that foster homelessness.

This event is part of a year-long program on Hunger and Homelessness focusing on local and tangible issues that affect our community. All are encouraged to attend.

Student Organizations And Clubs Join Together With Community Groups For One-Day Event Promoting Extracurricular Activities

Chestertown, MD, September 14, 2004 — On Sunday, September 26, the Washington College Student Service Council along with the Washington College Student Government Association (SGA) will sponsor Fall Club Fair in Kent Circle from 12pm until 4pm. This event is free and open to the public. Live music from the Musicians' Union as well as interactive activities and games sponsored by each club will be provided. Participants will have the opportunity to meet representatives from over 30 Washington College Clubs and Organizations. Community organizations will also emphasize the importance of volunteering for a variety of different causes in Chestertown such as mentoring, working with the Chester River Association, and volunteering at the Community Food Pantry.

Club Fair is a great way for new students, as well as returning students, to learn about what clubs and organizations Washington College has to offer. Extracurricular activities have become an extension and application of the liberal arts philosophy. Therefore, Club Fair showcases what students are doing on campus and gives new students the opportunity to join in these endeavors. Organizations that are participating include academic clubs, language and culture organizations, art and music groups, service organizations, support groups, advocacy groups, honor societies, and athletic organizations. With these rich and eclectic perspectives, we hope that all students will benefit from this fun-filled day.

For more information, please e-mail Christianne Datu or Adrienne Nash.

Lecture Series Marks 50th Anniversary Of Brown V. Board Of Education Desegregation Decision

Chestertown, MD, January 28, 2004 — May 17, 2004, will mark the 50th anniversary of the unanimous Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education, which outlawed segregation in public education. In honor of Black History Month, Washington College—in cooperation with the Maryland Humanities Council—will host a lecture series to examine the context, impact and legacy of this historic turn in Civil Rights. All lectures are free and open to the public and will begin at 7 p.m. in the College's Hynson Lounge on their respective dates.

On Tuesday, February 3, Jeffrey L. Coleman, assistant professor of English specializing in multicultural/American literature at St. Mary's College of Maryland, will speak on “Pride and Protest: Poetry of the American Civil Rights Movement.” Dr. Coleman's lecture will explore the relationship between social forces and art during the late 1950s, the 1960s, and the early 1970s, and how the Civil Rights Movement of this period is expressed in the poetry of Gwendolyn Brooks, Alice Walker, Amiri Baraka, Michael S. Harper and others.

Dr. Coleman has worked as poetry editor for Hayden's Ferry Review and advertising copywriter for Young and Rubicam in New York. He earned his Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of New Mexico, his M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Arizona State University, and his B.A. in Communications from Winthrop University.

On Wednesday, February 11, 2004, Debra Newman Ham, professor of history at Morgan State University, will present “Expert Witnesses: The NAACP's Brown Case Strategy.” While many people know about the attorneys who argued many of the cases leading up to Brown v. Board of Education—Thurgood Marshall, Constance Baker Motley, Robert Carter and Jack Greenberg—few realize the number of scholars from various disciplines who were called upon to build or strengthen the school desegregation cases in courts around the country. Dr. Ham will look at the contributions of scholars such as historian John Hope Franklin and social psychologists Mamie and Kenneth Bancroft Clark, and the way the NAACP and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund strategized their assault against segregation in American schools with the aid of such scholars.

Dr. Ham received her Ph.D. in African History from Howard University, her M.A. in African History from Boston University, and her B.A. in history from Howard University. She served as curator of the NAACP Papers at the Library of Congress from 1986 to 1995. She teaches African, African-American, archival and public history at Morgan State.

On March 23, 2004, the Brown v. Board of Education Lecture Series will conclude with a talk by Dr. Lenneal Henderson, distinguished professor of Government and Public Administration at University of Baltimore. Dr. Henderson will discuss “Brown at 50: New Challenges of the Hardening of the Categories,” taking a deeper look at Brown and its trail of cases leading up to today's controversies in educational equity. His lecture will address the shift in demographic, socioeconomic and educational context and content of school segregation; the shift from rights to resources and the problem of equitable public school financing; battles over curriculum and tracking, including the disproportionate number of non-white students in special education and learning disability tracks; and the quality of education and issues of multiculturalism and diversity.

Dr. Henderson serves as a Senior Fellow at the William Donald Schaefer Center for Public Policy and a Senior Fellow in the Hoffberger Center for Professional Ethics at the University of Baltimore. He has been a consultant to federal, state and local government, the corporate sector, and the nonprofit sector for more than 30 years in the areas of housing, education policy, energy management, environmental policy and public management. He received his A.B., M.A., and Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.

The Brown v. Board of Education Lecture Series is sponsored by Washington College's Office of International & Diversity Affairs, Goldstein Program in Public Affairs, Campus Events and Visitors Committee, Student Government Association, Center for The Study of Black Culture, Black Student Union and Cleopatra's Daughters, in cooperation with the Maryland Humanities Council and the Kent County Chapter of the NAACP.

International Week, November 10-14: Washington College Celebrates Cultural Diversity And Understandin

Chestertown, MD, October 31, 2003 — Washington College's Office of International and Diversity Affairs and Student Government Association Diversity Affairs Committee present International Week, November 10-14. Students, staff and faculty are invited to take advantage of the scheduled events and activities to celebrate Washington College's diverse student body and to encourage international understanding and cooperation.

Monday, November 10

9:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m., Casey Academic Center Gallery. Enjoy face paining and a display of international costumes, plus the opportunity to meet some of WC's international students and learn about different countries around the world.

7 p.m., Casey Academic Center Forum. “ The Legacy of Ralph Bunche,” a lecture by Dr. Badi Foster on the first African American Nobel Prize winner.

Tuesday, November 11

7:30 p.m., Custom House Library. The C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience presents “A Hundred Years of Modernity: Turkey from the Ottoman to the Iraq Crisis and Beyond,” a lecture by Faruk Birtek, professor of sociology, Bogazici University, Istanbul, and a Visiting Fellow at the C.V. Starr Center. Reception to follow.

Wednesday, November 12

7:30 p.m., Hynson Lounge. “The Development of the New Europe: The Case of Slovenia,” a lecture by the Hon. Davorin Kracun, Slovenian Ambassador to the United States.

Thursday, November 13

4:30 p.m., Sophie Kerr Room, Miller Library. “Social and Political Change for Women in Uganda: The Effect of HIV/AIDS,” a lecture by the Hon. Joyce Mpanga, former Member of Parliament, Uganda. 8-10 p.m., Casey Academic Center Forum. “The United Nations in Crisis,” a behind-the-scenes simulation featuring student participants from the International Studies Council.

Friday, November 14

7:30 p.m., Norman James Theatre. The Washington College Film Series presents Read My Lips, a deliciously sinister French noir thriller with an absorbing character study of two lonely outsiders (a deaf secretary and an ex-con) who gradually recognize their mutual dependency. French with English subtitles, 115 minutes.

Speaker Explores The Legacy Of Ralph Bunche, First African-American Nobel Peace Prize Winner, November 10

Chestertown, MD, October 23, 2003 — Washington College's International Week presents “The Legacy of Ralph Bunche,” a lecture by Badi Foster, president of the Phelps-Stokes Fund, on Monday, November 10, at 7 p.m. in the Casey Academic Center Forum. The event is free and the public is invited to attend.
Though few recall his name, Dr. Ralph Johnson Bunche (1903-1971) was the first African American and the first person of color anywhere in the world to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Dr. Bunche received the prize in 1950, hailed for his work as a United Nations mediator in Palestine from 1947 to 1949, the height of the bloodiest confrontations between Arabs and Israelis. After months of ceaseless negotiating, Bunche secured an armistice between the fledgling State of Israel and the Arab states. For more information on the life of Dr. Ralph Bunche, visit www.pbs.org/ralphbunche.
Dr. Badi Foster is an educator, an advocate for social change and development for the poor and underprivileged, and an innovative management professional. In November 2000, Dr. Foster was named the sixth president of the Phelps-Stokes Fund, America's oldest continuously operating foundation serving the needs of African Americans, Native Americans, Africans, and the rural and urban poor. The Fund has been a pioneer in pursuing equity for and unity among diverse ethnic and racial groups while promoting the core value of education for human development. Dr. Foster's life has mirrored those core principles. Born in Chicago, he spent his adolescent years in Africa and completed secondary school in Morocco. He earned an undergraduate degree in international relations with an emphasis on Africa from the University of Denver, and as a Fulbright fellow focused his doctoral research on the impact of rapid urbanization in Africa. Dr. Foster has served as consultant to the Ford Foundation for projects centering on higher education in Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia and Tunisia. He received his Ph.D. in politics from Princeton University and has received many academic honors and served in numerous public service positions.
The lecture is sponsored by Washington College's Student Government Association Diversity Affairs Committee and Office of International and Diversity Affairs.

Guitar Maker Paul Reed Smith And Band To Rock Washington College's Town Hall, October 17

Chestertown, MD, September 17, 2003 — Washington College welcomes world-renowned guitar maker Paul Reed Smith and his band to the College's Town Hall, Friday, October 17, starting at 9 p.m. The concert is free to all Washington College students, staff and faculty. Born in Bowie, MD, Smith attended Bowie High School and St. Mary's College, where he hand-built his first guitar for extra credits from his music professor. 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.
“I remember hanging out at the local concert arenas for six, seven hours before a show to make friends with the roadies,” says Smith. “With a backstage pass in hand I'd peddle my guitars to the stars. One night in ten I'd make a sale. Carlos Santana, Al Dimeola, Howard Leese, and well-known others agreed to ‘check one out.' I made deals. If the big names didn't love the guitars they didn't have to pay me even when I knew I couldn't make my rent the next day. After getting some single orders and a small following, we built two prototypes. I popped them in the back seat of my truck and cranked it up, calling on guitar dealers up and down the East Coast. After a lot of miles I came back with enough orders to start a company.”
Now, after a quarter century—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, Dave Matthews, and Dave Navarro to Alex Lifeson of Rush and Brad Delson of Linkin Park.
In his spare time, Smith enjoys playing and making music with his two bands, the Paul Reed Smith Dragons, which records guitar-driven, original songs, and the Paul Reed Smith Band, which he describes as “a bar band whose main job is to have fun and to make sure that the people who come get to dance, have a good time and listen to songs they know and hear a few tunes they don't.”
The Paul Reed Smith Band performance is sponsored by Washington College's Student Events Board and Student Government Association.

3 Doors Down Plays Washington College, October 18

Chestertown, MD, September 17, 2003 — The post-grunge quartet 3 Doors Down, with opening band Seether, will play Washington College's Lifetime Fitness Center on Saturday, October 18. Doors open at 7 p.m., concert begins at 8 p.m. Tickets go on sale September 22 for students and September 26 for general public. Tickets are available to Washington College students for $15.00 at the Student Affairs office and $25.00 for the general public through MusicToday, $30 for the general public the day of the show.
Born in the small town of Escatawpa, MS, 3 Doors Down was formed in the mid-1990s by friends Brad Arnold, Matt Roberts, and Todd Harrell, with guitarist Chris Henderson added to the line-up shortly afterwards. 3 Doors Down established themselves as one of the leading live attractions on the local circuit and released a self-titled demo CD in 1997. With a beefy sound, explosive dynamics and a high-impact blend of modern sonics and timeless rock conventions, 3 Doors Down became took a showcase slot at New York's CBGB's, which eventually led to a deal with the Universal Records subsidiary, Republic. Drummer Richard Liles was added to the line-up during recording sessions for the band's major label debut to allow Arnold to concentrate on vocals. The band's first major label release, The Better Life, elicited immediate comparisons to Matchbox 20. With tracks alternately evoking a slick, post-grunge sound or heavy, 1970s-style melodic rock, The Better Life became one of the surprise hits of the summer of 2000, reaching double platinum status and breaking into the Billboard Top 10. The band's second album, Away From The Sun, was also a national hit and launched the successful single, “When I'm Gone.”
Opening act Seether formed in 1999 in their home country of South Africa. Their first release, Fragile, gained instant notoriety and the band subsequently emerged as a top live draw. Their latest release, Disclaimer, was produced by Jay Baumgardner (Papa Roach, Drowning Pool) and features the songs "Pig," "Needles," and "Gasoline."
The concert is sponsored by Washington College's Student Events Board and Student Government Association.

College Hosts Free Chinese Dance Workshops

Chestertown, MD, April 1, 2003 — The Washington College Dance Program announces four presentations on Chinese culture by Dr. Mei Hsiu Chan including a lecture on Chinese Lion Dancing on Monday, April 7, 2003, at 7:30 p.m. in the Casey Academic Center Forum; a workshop in T'ai Chi Ch'uan, the Chinese “soft” martial art (Monday at 4:00 p.m.); a health and relaxation workshop in Chan Style Chi Gong (also known as Qigong) on Tuesday, April 8 at 4:00 p.m.; and a master class in Chinese Classical Dancing (Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.). All workshops are free and will be held in the Dance Studio of the Lifetime Fitness Center. The public is invited to attend. For more information call 410-778-7237.

Mei Hsiu Chan, a native of Taiwan, began her dance studies in Chinese Classical Ballet at the age of four and Chinese Martial Arts at eight. She graduated from the College of Chinese Culture where she studied T'ai Chi Chu'an, ballet, modern dance, tap, folk dance, and the many faces of Chinese dance. Dr. Chan toured the world as a dancer and martial artist with world-renowned Chinese Acrobats from Taiwan between 1973-1980. She received her MFA degree in dance at Arizona State University and organized a Classical Chinese Dance Company in 1988 and was awarded the Outstanding Achievement Ethnic Woman in the Arts from Arizona State University in 1988. As an artist, she was on the Touring Roster of the Arizona Commission on the Arts from 1988 to 1993. In 2001, she received a Ph.D. degree in Dance and Related Arts from Texas Woman's University. Currently, she is the chair of Performing Arts Department at Carl Hayden Community High School in Phoenix, AZ.

Dr. Chan has been invited to present her research papers and to teach Chan Style Chi Gung (aka Qigong), T'ai Chi Chu'an, and Chinese dance workshops at the Dance and the Child (DaCI) International Conference, the Nation Conference of the Congress on Research in Dance, American College Dance Festivals, the National Ethnography Form, the National Dance Association 2002 convention in San Diego, the Texas Association for Health, Physical, Recreation & Dance Convention (TAHPERD), and the 44th ICHPER-SD World Congress (International Council for HPERD). Dr. Chan has also toured worldwide to present dance, Chan Chi Gung, and Tai Chi Chuan workshops at schools and universities.

The lion dance is an important tradition in China, dating back to the Han Dynasty (205 B.C.-220 A.D in China); during the Tang Dynasty (716-907 A.D.) it was at its peak where it was performed during religious festivals. If well performed, the lion dance is believed to bring luck and happiness. Although lions are not native in China, they came to the country via the famous Silk Road. Rulers in what is today Iran and Afghanistan sent lions to Chinese emperors as gifts in order to get the rights to trade with Silk Road merchants. The lion dance was not only introduced in China, but also in Korea and Taiwan where it is still a part of festivities such as Chinese New Year, weddings, and the openings of restaurants.

This presentation is partially funded by the Washington College Student Government Association.

Whose Line Is It Anyway? TV Comedy Trio To Perform At Washington College April 13

Chestertown, MD, March 28, 2003 — If you enjoy ABC's Whose Line Is It Anyway? , then you will not want to miss “A Night of Improv”—featuring the comedy talents of Colin Mochrie, Brad Sherwood and Chip Esten—Sunday, April 13 at Washington College's Lifetime Fitness Center, 300 Washington Ave., Chestertown. Doors open at 7 p.m. General admission tickets are $20 per person and can be purchased through all TICKETMASTER locations, by calling TICKETMASTER at 800-551-SEAT, or at the door on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Comedian Colin Mochrie is an alumnus of Toronto's famous Second City and spent a great part of his early career in improvisational theater. He later went on to star in such popular stage productions as She Stoops to Conquer and The Brady Bunch. Mochrie continues his 11-year association with the long-running British improvisational comedy series, Whose Line Is It Anyway?, in addition to its American counterpart, and has been featured in numerous other Canadian and British television series and telefilms including John Woo's Once a Thief; Love, Sex and Other Natural Disasters, and The Outer Limits. In addition to his work in television and theater, Mochrie has been featured in the films Numbers, starring John Travolta, The Real Blonde, January Man, and Foolish Heart.

Viewers may best remember Brad Sherwood from the sketch comedy series The Newz or as a love-struck nanny on LA Law. Sherwood has appeared on numerous variety programs, such as The Tonight Show, The Big Moment, It's Garry Shandling's Show,Guess TV, and The Dave Thomas Show. Most recently, he hosted a season of The Dating Game. His motion picture credits include That Darn Cat, Night Caller and Attack of the 5'2" Woman.

Another veteran of Whose Line Is It Anyway?, Chip Esten has also been seen on television's Party of Five,The Trouble With Normal, Providence, Star Trek Voyager and Married with Children. Esten's film credits include The Postman and 13 Days.

This comedy concert has been organized by the Washington College Student Events Board and Student Government Association. For more information about concerts and events at Washington College, visit the College website at www.washcoll.edu for regularly posted information and updates.

Everclear To Perform At Washington College's Lifetime Fitness Center October 5

Chestertown, MD, September 18, 2002 — Everclear, the Portland-based alternarockers, will perform Saturday, October 5, 2002, at 8 pm. in Washington College's Lifetime Fitness Center. Doors open at 7 p.m. Special guest to be announced. Tickets are $25 for general admission and are on sale now through all TICKETMASTER locations, or by calling TICKETMASTER at 800-551-SEAT.

Everclear—fronted by the irrepressible Art Alexakis—debuted in 1993 with the release of World of Noise. Widespread popular success followed when the band signed with Capitol Records and released Sparkle and Fade in 199), kick starting the band's career. In 1997 So Much for the Afterglow rocketed the band into stratospheric heights and sold over two million copies in the United States alone. Afterglow put them in the Top Five of Billboard magazine's Modern Rock Tracks chart three times for the songs “Everything to Anyone,” “I Will Buy You a New Life” and “Father of Mine.”

In 1998, the band was chosen “Alternative Artist of the Year” and won Billboard's “Modern Rock Artist of the Year” award. The year 1999 brought them a Grammy nomination in the Rock Instrumental category for “El Distorto de Melodica.” Their remake of Thin Lizzy's1970's black-t-shirt-mall-rat classic, “The Boys Are Back in Town,” was featured on the soundtrack to Detroit Rock City. In 2000, the Portland-based trio released the pop-inflected Songs From An American Movie, Vol. 1: Learning How To Smile (earning platinum) followed later that year by a harder-rocking companion, Songs From An American Movie, Vol. 2: Good Time For A Bad Attitude. Washington College is their first stop on a fall 2002 tour.

The concert has been organized by the Washington College Student Events Board and the Student Government Association.

Rusted Root To Perform At Washington College April 5th

College's Homegrown Astralyte To Open Show

A colorful and multifaceted band, Rusted Root has a winding history. Mike Glabicki (lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter) and Liz Berlin (vocalist, guitarist and songwriter) initially started working together in their college years. Jim Donovan (drums, percussion and background vocalist) and Patrick Norman (bassist, guitarist and background vocalist) joined in 1990, providing a uniquely driving rhythm section. They began performing together in their hometown of Pittsburgh and were later joined by multi-instrumentalist and visual artist John Bunyak who added the signature flute and pennywhistle melodies featured on the band's first hit single, "Send Me on My Way." The band has been rejoined for this tour by former member Jenn Wertz, along with percussionist and keyboardist John McDowell.Chestertown, MD, March 1, 2002 — Rusted Root will perform Friday, April 5, 2002, beginning at 8 p.m. in Washington College's Lifetime Fitness Center. Washington College's homegrown Astralyte will open the show. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 each for Washington College students, faculty and staff, $25 for general admission, and available at the Washington College Campus Center Café and from Ticketmaster by calling 800-551-SEAT. Ticket sales begin March 18, 2002.

In response to a growing public enthusiasm, Rusted Root released its first independently produced full-length CD, Cruel Sun, in 1990, which attracted the attention of Mercury Records who subsequently signed them to a major label recording contract. In 1994 they released When I Woke, which spawned the hit, "Send Me On My Way," as well as other Rusted Root standards such as "Ecstasy," "Martyr" and "Drum Trip." When I Woke went certified platinum in 1996. A more introspective album, Remember, released in 1996, was recorded at Skywalker Ranch in Marin County, CA, and the band's self-titled disc, Rusted Root, released in 1998, featured a spirited cover of the Rolling Stones' classic, "You Can't Always get What You Want." In addition to these recordings Rusted Root has released three EPs entitled "Evil Ways," "Live" and "Airplane," as well as a full-length live video. Their music has been used in several major motion picture films, such as Home for the Holidays, Race the Sun and Mathilda, and they have toured with some of the icons of rock music, including the Grateful Dead, Page and Plant, the Allman Brothers Band, Sting and the Dave Matthews Band.

Opening for Rusted Root will be Washington College's own homegrown band, Astralyte, which includes former members of Ghostbox. Comprising recent graduates Ted Knight '97, Andrew Stein '99, Greg Parent '00, Tim Parent '97, and Ross Dettmering '00, Astralyte's sound is a mix of organic jams, electronic rhythms, and spacey beats, influenced by such artists as Radiohead, The Disco Biscuits, Widespread Panic and Groove Armada. Knight, Stein, and the Parents were founding members of Ghostbox, a campus band that produced two CDs together, while Dettmering formerly played in another campus band, NRG.

The concert has been organized by the Washington College Student Events Board and Student Government Association.

WC Students Offer Their Help to Habitat for Humanity Over Spring Break

Chestertown, MD — It’s not unusual for a vanload of Washington College students to head off to Florida for spring break. What set this group apart from the denizens of sun-worshippers heading south was their daily itinerary—rise at 6 a.m., drive to a construction site, and work all day in the hot sun, all for a good cause.

Sophomore Gia Greer led Washington College’s team of ten Habitat for Humanity volunteers, who spent four days helping to build a house for a Gainesville, Fla., family. The all-female crew camped out in the basement of a doctor’s suburban home by night and teamed up with a contingent from University of New Hampshire to hang siding and nail on roof shingles by day. (link to Gainesville article)

"It gave us a huge sense of accomplishment, knowing that we were helping somebody in particular, and realizing that we were capable of putting a roof on a house," commented Grier, the SGA’s Service Chair. "We also had a lot of fun bonding as a group and meeting other people. We especially enjoyed exchanging stories with the New Hampshire group. Coming from a large school, they couldn’t believe that an underclassman had organized this trip."

In response to the "huge interest" shown in the spring break alternative this year, Grier hopes to put together two or three Habitat for Humanity teams next year. "Everyone who went thought it was a great experience."