Sunday, December 23, 2001

A Message from President Toll: Professor of Physical Education Penny Fall Killed in Automobile Accident


Chestertown, MD, December 23, 2001 — With great sadness, I write to tell you that Penny Fall, professor of physical education, senior women's administrator for athletics, and former volleyball coach at Washington College, passed away yesterday afternoon in a car accident on Route 291. Few details are available at this time, but it appears that Penny was killed instantly in a head-on collision. The driver of the other vehicle was flown to shock trauma. His condition is not known.
Penny has been a beloved member of the Washington College family for more than thirty years. She has provided guidance and encouragement to generations of students, especially to women athletes during a time when their accomplishments were often overlooked. She was a fiercely loyal supporter of Washington College who viewed our community as her family. Penny is survived by a sister, a niece, and a nephew. She truly will be missed.
Professor Siemen has been in especially close contact with Penny's family. He reports that those who desire to send a card or a note to Penny's family should address it to her sister:
Ms. Holly Malarney
50 Boatswains Way, Unit 205
Chelsea, Massachusetts 02150
Ms. Malarney said that she would save any cards and notes to share with Penny's neice and nephew when they can all assemble.
We will hold Penny's memory in our hearts and take inspiration from the faith, determination, and spirit of community that she exemplified for us all.
John Toll
President

Monday, December 17, 2001

College Honors Staff, Faculty for Years of Service


Chestertown, MD, December 17, 2001 — In the spirit of an annual end-of-year tradition, the following Washington College staff and faculty members have been recognized this December for their years of service to the College.
Honored for 10 years of service are: Michael Kerchner, Department of Psychology; Carol Wilson, Department of History; Carol Thornton, Health Service; Joseph Holt; Office of the President; and Howard Scholtz, Dining Service.
Honored for 15 years of service are: Cynthia Grimaldi, Miller Library; Kevin Brien, Department of Philosophy; Rosemary Ford, Department of Biology; Jeanette Sherbondy, Department of Sociology and Anthropology; L. Josephine Blades, Development Office; and Edward Neal Metzbower, Buildings and Grounds.
Honored for 25 years of service are: Robert Anderson, Department of Philosophy; Donald Munson, Department of Biology; Betty Ann Scott, Dining Service; and Patsy Will, Development Office.
Honored for 30 years of service are: Colin Dickson, Department of Foreign Languages; and Rita Phillips, Buildings and Grounds.
Honored for 35 years of service are: Diane Larrimore, Office of Student Affairs; Timothy Maloney, Department of Drama; and Joanne Clothier, Buildings and Grounds.
"We are very proud of these employees," said Dr. John S. Toll, president of the College. "Their dedication, talents and service inspire others and help us to carry on a tradition of excellence in education."

Thursday, December 13, 2001

Hodson Trust Awards $2.5 Million to Washington College


Baltimore, MD, December 13, 2001 — Washington College yesterday was awarded $2.4 million from The Hodson Trust, a charity established by the family of Colonel Clarence Hodson, founder of the Beneficial Corporation financial services firm. The award will be targeted toward scholarships, student internships, faculty chairs, endowments, research and large construction projects.
"Washington College has flourished as a result of The Hodson Trust's steadfast support of Maryland's private, independent colleges," said John S. Toll, President of Washington College. "We are grateful for the Trust's special commitment to higher education in the state."
Since 1920, The Hodson Trust has given over $110 million to fund academic merit scholarships as well as research grants, technology improvements, building construction, library expansion, athletic programs, faculty salaries and endowment funds at Johns Hopkins University, and Hood, St. John's and Washington colleges.
The Trust also has supported the efforts of the Campaign for Washington's College—the College's five-year, $72 million capital fundraising campaign launched in September 1999—by designing a challenge program that matches gifts to endowments of $100,000 or more, doubling the value of the contributions. Since 1999, nearly $9 million has now been raised in response to the Hodson Challenge, and Hodson Trust Chairman Finn M.W. Caspersen has approved an extension of the Challenge from $10 million to a total $15 million, an important catalyst to donors who welcome the opportunity to double their dollars while providing for the long-term financial health of the College.
"The Trust has leveraged our success in recruiting good students and in attracting and retaining gifted professors," added Toll. "We thank Finn Caspersen for his enthusiasm to extend the benefits of this challenge program."
For information on The Hodson Trust, visit www.hodsontrust.com.

Monday, December 10, 2001

Ted Turner, Richard Holbrooke to be Honored at College's Washington's Birthday Convocation


Chestertown, MD, December 10, 2001 — Media giant Ted Turner and former United Nations Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke will be honored at Washington College's Washington's Birthday Convocation on Saturday, February 16, 2002. The Convocation will be held at 2 p.m. in the College's Tawes Theatre. A reception will follow in the Gallery of the Casey Academic Center.
Ever unconventional, controversial and forward-looking, R. E. "Ted" Turner is many things to many people—yachtsman, television tycoon, newsman, freethinker and multi-billionaire philanthropist. As a supporter of a number of humanitarian causes, Mr. Turner founded the United Nations Foundation with a $1 billion grant and the Goodwill Games, an international, world-class, quadrennial, multi-sport competition. Mr. Turner is the recipient of numerous honorary degrees, industry awards and civic honors, including being named Time magazine's 1991 Man of the Year and Broadcasting & Cable's Man of the Century in 1999.
Mr. Turner spent nearly 30 years building Turner Broadcasting System into one of the nation's largest media conglomerates, CNN-- the world's first live, in-depth, round-the-clock news television network. The company merged with Time Warner in 1996. Mr. Turner now serves as Vice Chairman and Senior Adviser of AOL Time Warner.
In his latest effort to promote world peace and international cooperation, Mr. Turner founded the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) in January 2001, pledging at least $250 million over five years--among the largest sums any private individual has ever invested in these security issues. He co-chairs the foundation with former Senator Sam Nunn.
An astute businessman, Mr. Turner began his career as an account executive for Turner Advertising Company, later to become the Turner Broadcasting System. He bought his first television station in 1970 and later purchased major league baseball's Atlanta Braves. Mr. Turner pioneered the "superstation" concept, transmitting a station's signal to cable systems nationwide via satellite. He founded the cable channels TNT, Cartoon Network and Turner Classic Movies (TCM), a 24-hour commercial-free network, and he expanded Turner Broadcasting's news division with the creation of CNNRadio, CNN Airport Network and a 24-hour sports network.
Richard C. Holbrooke, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, is a veteran diplomat now heading up a new task force on terrorism created by the Council on Foreign Relations. The former U.S. ambassador to Germany and Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs was the chief architect of the 1995 Dayton Peace Accord that ended the war in Bosnia. In recognition of his efforts, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. He later served as President Clinton's special envoy to the Balkans during the crisis in Kosovo.
Ambassador Holbrooke began his career as a Foreign Service Officer immediately after graduating from Brown University in 1962. He was sent to Vietnam and in the following six years served in several posts--first in the Mekong Delta as a provincial representative for the Agency for International Development (AID), and then as staff assistant to Ambassadors Maxwell Taylor and Henry Cabot Lodge. In 1966 he was reassigned to the White House on President Johnson's staff, and later served on the American Delegation to the Paris Peace Talks on Vietnam.
Ambassador Holbrooke was Peace Corps Director in Morocco for two years, and in 1972 became managing editor of the quarterly journal Foreign Policy. Under President Carter's administration he was Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs. During his tenure in the East Asia Bureau, the United States established full diplomatic relations with China. He was chairman of Refugees International from 1996 to 1999 and was twice a member of the board of the International Rescue Committee. Currently, Ambassador Holbrooke serves on the board of directors of Human Genome Sciences, Inc., a biotechnology company that grew out of the Human Genome Project. He is the author of "To End a War", which The New York Times selected as one of the eleven best books of 1998, and co-author of "Counsel to the President", the best-selling memoirs of Clark Clifford.
In recognition of their career achievements and public service, both Mr. Turner and Ambassador Holbrooke will receive honorary Doctor of Law degrees from the College.

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Tuesday, December 4, 2001

College Announces Spring 2002 Graduate Courses in English, History and Psychology


Chestertown, MD, December 4, 2001 — Students, educators and mental health workers are invited to register for Spring 2002 graduate courses at Washington College. The College offers Master's of Arts degrees in English, history and psychology. Graduate study is also available for teachers seeking to meet requirements for advanced professional certification. Classes begin January 22, 2002 and end May 2, 2002.
The following courses will be offered during the spring semester:
ENG 599 10 Introduction to African-American Literature (Wed., 7:00-9:30 p.m.)
ENG 599-11 20th Century American Poetry (Tues., 7:00-9:30 p.m.)
HIS 500 10 The American Colonies and the Revolution (Tues., 7:00-9:30 p.m.)
HIS 598 10 Modern Europe, 1789-1918 (Wed., 7:00-9:30 p.m.)
HIS 599 10 National Policy and Public Opinion in the Vietnam Era (Thurs., 7:00-9:30 p.m.)
PSY 500-10 Statistics in Psychology and Education (Thurs., 7:00-9:30 p.m.)
PSY 503 10 Human Cognition Stanton (Mon., 7:00-9:30 p.m.)
PSY 570 10 Introduction to Counseling (Tues., 7:00-9:30 p.m.)
Students must pre-register prior to January 7, 2001 to guarantee texts. Pre-registration forms will be accepted at the Registrar's Office, either in person or by mail. Tuition is $730 per course plus a non-refundable course registration fee of $40 .
For complete information on Washington College's graduate course offerings, including detailed course descriptions and registration forms, visit http://grad.washcoll.edu online, or contact the Registrar's Office, Washington College, 300 Washington Avenue, Chestertown, MD 21620, phone 410-778-7299.

Friday, November 30, 2001

Burkholder to Address Pfiesteria and Coastal Water Quality Issues


Chestertown, MD, November 30, 2001 — The McLain Program in Environmental Studies and the Washington College Chapter of Sigma Xi, as part of the Women In Science Lecture Series, present PFIESTERIA AND OTHER COASTAL WATER QUALITY ISSUES, a lecture by Joann M. Burkholder, Ph.D., on Wednesday, December 5, 2001, at 5 p.m. in the Hynson Lounge. The event is free at the public is invited to attend.
Burkholder is a professor of botany and director of North Carolina State University's Center for Applied Aquatic Ecology. Her research focuses on the nutritional ecology of algae, dinoflagellates, and aquatic angiosperms in relation to the impact that harmful algal blooms have on freshwater and marine coastal ecosystem functioning.
Through the Center for Applied Aquatic Ecology, Burkholder has studied the toxic dinoflagellate, Pfiesteria piscicida, which has been implicated as the primary causative agent of major fish kills and fish disease events in North Carolina estuaries, coastal areas and aquaculture operations. Pfiesteria and closely related toxic species have also been confirmed in fish kill/disease areas and aquaculture facilities outside North Carolina, from the Chesapeake Bay to the Gulf Coast. According to research Pfiesteria has been in this region for thousands of years as a nontoxic predator on other organisms (bacteria, algae, small animals), but experiments in the lab and the field indicate that human influences such as animal waste and nutrient run-off from farming have slowly shifted the environment to encourage Pfiesteria's fish-killing activity.
Founded in 1886, Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society, is a non-profit membership society of more than 80,000 scientists and engineers elected to the Society because of their research achievements or potential. Sigma Xi awards annual grants to promising young researchers, holds forums on critical issues at the intersection of science and society, and sponsors a variety of programs supporting honor in science and engineering, science education, science policy and the public understanding of science. This affiliation allows Washington College faculty and students to advance scientific education and research through grants, travel awards, conferences, and visiting scientists.

Tuesday, November 27, 2001

Gospel Choir Hosts Christmas Concert December 6


Chestertown, MD, November 27, 2001 — The Washington College Gospel Choir, directed by Reverend Eric Scott, presents "O, COME ALL YE FAITHFUL," an annual Christmas Concert on Thursday, December 6, 2001, in the Norman James Theatre, William Smith hall, at 6:30 p.m. The concert is open to the public. Tickets are $1 for adults and children 12 and under are FREE.
The Washington College Gospel Choir, now in its fifth year, is a vibrant and exciting Christian group, formed by two students in 1997. The group meets once per week for rehearsals, prayer, bible readings, praise, and interdenominational fellowship. Under the direction of Rev. Scott, the choir performs numerous concerts throughout the academic year in various locations, bringing both traditional and contemporary gospel music to the campus and surrounding communities. The choir has a membership of 30 to 40 voices.
Membership is open to students, faculty, staff and community members. The choir consists of members from many states including Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Massachusetts, Arizona, Louisiana, and Colorado. The choir also has members from as far away as Alaska and Japan. For further information, contact advisor Sara Dadds at 410-778-2800.

Monday, November 26, 2001

Goodfellow Lecture to Explore the Friendship of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams


Chestertown, MD, November 26, 2001 — Washington College and the Goodfellow Lecture Series present "A Curtain of Separation: The Friendship of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams," a lecture by Professor Barbara Oberg of Princeton University. The talk will be held Wednesday, November 28, 2001 at 7:30 p.m. in the College's Miller Library, Sophie Kerr Room. The public is invited to attend.
Oberg (Ph.D. University of California, Santa Barbara, 1974) is a lecturer with the rank of professor at Princeton and specializes in eighteenth-century Anglo-American history and the political and intellectual history of the American Revolution and early republic. She is the co-author of Benjamin Franklin, Jonathan Edwards and the Representation of American Culture (1993) and Federalists Reconsidered (1998), and she is the general editor of the Papers of Thomas Jefferson project at Princeton.
With the publication of the recent best-selling biographies of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, how should we look back on these compatriots? What common vision did they share and where did they differ? Has the pendulum swung too far away from Jefferson and has his reputation been undermined in light of recent research? Oberg's lecture will address these questions.
The Guy F. Goodfellow Memorial Lecture Series was established upon Goodfellow's death in 1989 to honor the memory of the history professor who had taught at Washington College for 30 years. The intent of the endowed lecture series is to bring a distinguished historian to campus each year to lecture and spend time with students in emulation of Dr. Goodfellow's vibrant teaching style.

Wednesday, November 14, 2001

College Announces Recipients of 2001-2002 Fine Arts Scholarships


Chestertown, MD, November 14, 2001 — Washington College is proud to announce the 2001-2002 recipients of the Mary Martin Drama Scholarship, the Elizabeth Tate Westbrook Scholarship, the Mrs. John Campbell White Scholarship and the Friends of the Arts Scholarship.
The Mary Martin Drama Scholarship—established in 1992 by College alumnus Matthew T. Weir '90 in memory of his grandmother, actress Mary Martin—is awarded to a student majoring in drama who demonstrates great dedication to the field. This year's recipient is Andrew P. Rendo, Jr. '02, the son of Paul and Tammy Rendo of Ballston Spa, NY. He is a senior at Washington College double majoring in drama and philosophy.
The Elizabeth Tate Westbrook Scholarship was established by Leslie Westbrook Frigerio in memory of her mother, the late Elizabeth Tate Westbrook. The scholarship is awarded to a student who shows exceptional interest in or talent for the visual and studio arts offered by Washington College. This year's recipient is Annette G. Bangert '03, a junior double majoring in art and the humanities. Originally from Germany, Bangert is active in a wide variety of campus activities and clubs. Her parents, Dr. Volkhard and Mrs. Margot Bangert, reside in Duan, Germany.
The 2001-2002 Mrs. John Campbell White Scholarship has been awarded to Kathryn M. Ellis '02, the daughter of Theresa and Joe Ellis of Baltimore, MD. The Mrs. John Campbell White Scholarship, established by the late Mrs. John Campbell White, is an endowed scholarship awarded to an upperclassman who demonstrates exceptional artistic promise, financial need and is in good academic standing. Ellis, a senior, is a double major in art and business. She is planning a career in graphic design or a related field after graduation.
Sophomore Gregory S. Adams '04 is the recipient of the 2001-2002 Friends of the Arts Scholarship. Established in 1992 by the late Constance Stuart Larrabee, the Friends of the Arts Scholarship is awarded to a student majoring in the performing arts who possesses outstanding artistic abilities and demonstrates financial need. Adams, who is from California, MD, is double majoring in music and history. He plays the flute and intends to concentrate in music composition.

Friday, November 9, 2001

Dr. Wayne Bell Emphasizes the Environment in Science Education at International Coastal Seas Conference


Chestertown, MD, November 9, 2001 — Dr. Wayne Bell, director of the Washington CollegeCenter for the Environment and Society, and Andrew Stein '99, program manager for the Center, will present on the topic "Coastal Seas as a Context for Science Teaching: A Lesson from the Chesapeake Bay," at the Fifth International Conference on the Environmental Management of Enclosed Coastal Seas (EMECS), to be held November 19-23, 2001 in Kobe, Japan. Bell, Stein, and senior Michael Scozzafava '02 will accompany a larger Maryland delegation to the conference.
The presentation, co-authored with student Erin Fowler '01, promotes the use of environmental studies as a comprehensive method to teach science, mathematics and technology to primary and secondary school students. Stein also will be exhibiting at the EMECS Environmental Fair on November 18.
"We in this field have witnessed how environmental studies engenders stewardship," says Bell, "but it is also a great way to teach science."
Bell believes that by using authentic environmental data gathering and analysis techniques in the classroom, environmental studies does not need to remain a "soft" part of science education. Rather, students understanding of fundamental scientific and technological concepts will be enhanced as see "science in action" through environmental projects involving sophisticated instrumentation, compilation of measurements and statistics, and interpretation of data using graphs and satellite imagery.
"Unfortunately, these resources are seldom interpreted for use by K-12 educators, but they need to be," says Bell. "Together with Andrew Stein and Erin Fowler, I have developed an example that uses the Chesapeake Bay as a paradigm to demonstrate how such interpretation can assist educators in teaching important principles in physical oceanography and marine ecology."
Bell also hopes his EMECS contacts will foster more university exchanges for Washington College and promote a greater spirit of cooperation between nations.
"As a nation, we have to begin thinking about other people in the world and be open to their concerns--sharing instead of telling," says Bell. "The EMECS conferences set a tone for approaching the world's environmental problems this way."
The conference is organized by the International EMECS Center in Kobe, Japan, established to promote the preservation of Japan's Seto Inland Sea and the world's enclosed coastal seas through international cooperation and information exchange. The EMECS concept developed in the mid-1980s when environmentalists, researchers and policymakers involved with the Chesapeake Bay realized the Bay restoration program was being implemented with little knowledge of the information, methods and results gained by other estuarine and enclosed coastal sea programs in the U.S. and abroad. Concurrently, Governor Toshitami Kaihara of Japan's Hyogo Prefecture had similar concerns while concluding a successful agreement among 17 Japanese jurisdictions for the environmental restoration of the Seto Inland Sea. EMECS now supports a worldwide network concerned with preserving the health and environmental quality of the planet's enclosed coastal seas. The theme of EMECS 2001 is Toward Coastal Zone Management that Ensures Coexistence Between People and Nature in the 21st Century.

Thursday, November 8, 2001

Washington College Hosts Conversation with NAACP President Kweisi Mfume November 29


Chestertown, MD, November 8, 2001 — Washington College's Goldstein Program in Public Affairs presents A CONVERSATION WITH KWEISI MFUME, president and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), on Thursday, November 29, 2001, at 7 p.m. in the Tawes Theatre, Gibson Performing Arts Center. The event is free and the public is invited to attend an evening of open political and social discussion.
Long known in Maryland politics and media, Mfume became president and chief executive officer of the NAACP in 1996, after a 10-year career in the United States Congress, where he represented Maryland's 7th Congressional District. Mfume, whose West African name means, "conquering son of kings," was born, raised and educated in Baltimore. As a freshman at Morgan State University, he became more politically and socially active, and served as editor of the school's newspaper and head of the Black Student Union. He graduated magna cum laude and later returned to Morgan State to teach courses in political science and communications. In 1984, he earned a masters degree in liberal arts, with a concentration in international studies, from Johns Hopkins University.
As Mfume's community involvement grew, so did his popularity as an activist, organizer, and radio commentator. He translated that approval into a grassroots election victory for a seat on the Baltimore City Council in 1979. During seven years of service in local government, Mfume led efforts to diversify city government, improve community safety, enhance minority business development and divest city funds from the apartheid government of South Africa.
In 1986, he was elected to the Congressional seat that he was to hold for the next decade. As a Member of Congress, Mfume was active with broad committee obligations and served on the Banking and Financial Services Committee, the General Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, the Committee on Education and the Small Business Committee. While in his third term, the Speaker of the House chose him to serve on the Ethics Committee and the Joint Economic Committee of the House and Senate where he later became chair. As a member of the House of Representatives, Mfume consistently advocated landmark minority business and civil rights legislation.
He successfully co-sponsored and helped to pass the Americans with Disabilities Act, authorized the minority contracting and employment amendments to the Financial Institutions Reform and Recovery Act, strengthened Equal Credit Opportunity Law, and amended the Community Reinvestment Act in the interest of minority financial institutions. He co-authored and successfully amended the Civil Rights Bill of 1991 to apply the act to U.S. citizens working abroad for American-based companies. He also sponsored legislative initiatives banning assault weapons and establishing stalking as a federal crime.
Mfume has served as chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus and later as the Caucus' Chair of the Task Force on Affirmative Action. During his last term in Congress, he was appointed by the House Democratic Caucus as the Vice-Chairman for Communications.
Since assuming the position of president and CEO of the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization, Mfume has raised the standards and expectations of NAACP branches nationwide, and has worked with NAACP volunteers across the country to help usher in a whole new generation of civil rights advocacy. His six-point action agenda—encompassing civil rights, political empowerment, educational excellence, economic development, health and youth outreach—has given the NAACP a clear and compelling blueprint for the 21st century.
With a long background in broadcasting, including 13 years in radio, Mfume continues to host the award-winning television show, "The Bottom Line," seen Saturdays at 7 p.m. on WBAL-TV in Baltimore. His best selling autobiography is entitled, "No Free Ride."
Mfume's visit is sponsored by Washington College's Goldstein Program in Public Affairs, established in honor of the late Louis L. Goldstein, a 1935 alumnus and Maryland's longest-serving elected official. The Goldstein Program sponsors lectures, symposia, visiting fellows, travel and other projects that bring students and faculty together with leaders in public policy.

Wednesday, November 7, 2001

See the Chesapeake through Ebony Eyes: Chantey Singers Share the Black Heritage of the Bay


Chestertown, MD, November 7, 2001 — Washington College's Center for the Environment and Society and Center for Black Studies present "Ebony Eyes and Voices on the Chesapeake," Thursday, November 15, 2001, at 8 p.m. in the College's Norman James Theatre, William Smith Hall. The event is free and the public is invited to enjoy an evening of song and history of the African Americans on the Chesapeake Bay.
Although a little known tradition today, much like gandy dancers on American railroads, singing was used by the black fishermen of the Chesapeake to coordinate their work on the Bay's menhaden boats. In the early 1990s, a group of retired menhaden fishermen from Virginia formed the Northern Neck Chantey Singers to preserve this musical tradition and to recreate for public audiences the traditional worksongs that the all-black menhaden crews sang. The Singers met with immediate acclaim from area residents of the Northern Neck of Virginia for whom chanteys were a distinctive regional tradition.
The Singers' performances generated public demand for a recording of these songs, so in 1993 they recorded "See You When the Sun Goes Down: Traditional Worksongs of Virginia Menhaden Fishermen." Revenues from sale of the cassette are divided equally by the Reedville (VA) Fishermen's Museum and the Northern Neck Chantey Singers. For more information on the Singers, visit www.virginia.edu/vfh/vfp/chanteys.html online.
The Singers will be joined by Vincent O. Leggett, president of the Blacks on the Chesapeake Foundation and author of two books, Blacks on the Chesapeake and The Chesapeake Bay Through Ebony Eyes. Since 1984, Mr. Leggett has worked to document and to preserve the history of African Americans living and working in the Chesapeake Bay's maritime and seafood industries, and has organized exhibits and delivered lectures throughout the region.
The Singers also will appear Wednesday, November 14, 2001, at 7:30 p.m. in the Historic Avalon Theatre in Easton, MD, as part of the 2001 Eastern Shore Lecture Series "Journeys Home: People, Nature and Sense of Place," a subscription series co-sponsored by the Center for the Environment and Society, the Adkins Arboretum, the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, the Horsehead Wetlands Center, and the Maryland Center for Agroecology. To learn more about this or other events sponsored by the Center for the Environment and Society, visit the center online at http://ces.washcoll.edu or call 410-810-7151.

Tuesday, November 6, 2001

Chemistry Meets Art during National Chemistry Week


Chestertown, MD, November 6, 2001 — Washington College's Department of Chemistry, as part of its National Chemistry Week celebration, presents "Chemistry Meets Art: The Case of the Early Christian Sculptures at Cleveland," a lecture by Donald McColl, chair of the Department of Art. The talk will be held Thursday, November 8, 2001, at 7:30 p.m., in Goldstein Hall, Room 100, Wingate Lecture Hall. Refreshments will be served at 7 p.m. Please note, this talk has been rescheduled from November 7.
McColl traveled to Turkey in 1988 to conduct archaeological work on the question of the origins and authenticity of several early Christian sculptures from the 3rd century held in the Cleveland Museum's collection. Known as "The Jonah Marbles," this sculptural ensemble astonished the art world when it was introduced to the public in 1965, not only for its superb quality and condition, but also for its very survival. These controversial sculptures conformed to a language of symbols developed by early Christians, but appeared Roman in execution--unlike most Christian art from that era.
In order to authenticate this amazing discovery, McColl convinced the Cleveland Museum to carry out stable signature isotopic marble analyses, a chemical process that showed that the Roman Imperial quarries at Docimium in Ancient Phrygia (now Central Turkey) were the source for the marble from which the sculptures were carved. His talk will reveal how the humanities and sciences can work together to find answers to questions of great cultural significance.
"This cross-disciplinary approach is an important lesson for our students," said McColl. "Scientific knowledge and methods can greatly enhance our understanding of art history."

Monday, October 22, 2001

Why Robert Carter Freed His Slaves: Talk to Address Misunderstood American Revolutionary


Chestertown, MD, October 22, 2001 — The C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience at Washington College presents "Forgetting Robert Carter: A Secret History of the American Revolution," a talk by Professor Andrew Levy of Butler University, at 4 p.m., Friday, October 26, 2001, at the College's Custom House on the corner of High and Water Streets, Chestertown. The event is free and the public is invited to attend. A reception will follow the talk.
Robert Carter III was one of the wealthiest and most powerful Virginians at the dawn of the American Revolution and distinguished himself by organizing the largest manumission of slaves in antebellum America. But Carter's motives have been ignored by historians and the place he holds among his fellow revolutionary Virginians has been largely a mystery. According to Professor Levy's recent article in the Spring 2001 issue of The American Scholar: "In the long history of antebellum America, no one else, while living, freed that many slaves; no one even came close. No one walked away from slaveholding and slavery with as much to lose." So why does Carter remain relatively unknown to students and experts of American history? Professor Levy's talk will address this question.
Andrew Levy is the Cooper Professor of English at Butler University in Indianapolis, IN, where he teaches American literature and creative writing and directs the Butler University Writer's Studio. Professor Levy is the author of "The Culture and Commerce of the American Short Story" (Cambridge University Press, 1993), co-author of the creative writing textbook "Creating Fiction" (Harcourt Brace, 1997), and co-editor of "Postmodern American Fiction: A Norton Anthology" (Norton, 1997). His articles have appeared in The American Scholar, Harper's, Dissent, and the Chicago Tribune.

Thursday, October 18, 2001

Bohemian Rhapsody: Alumni to Discuss Careers in the Arts during Fall Family Day


Chestertown, MD, October 18, 2001 — Washington College's Alumni Council will host a Life After Liberal Arts Symposium to coincide with Fall Family Day on Saturday, October 27 from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. in the Norman James Theatre, William Smith Hall. Students, parents, alumni and the community are invited to this event to interact with and learn from alumni who have put their degrees to good and sometimes unusual use in the working world. This symposium will focus on "The Performance of a Lifetime: Careers in the Arts" and will feature alumni John Harris '94, Vicco Von Voss '91 and Michele Volansky '90 discussing the challenges, lessons, opportunities, and successes that they have encountered through careers in the arts. Drama Department Chairman Dale Daigle will moderate the event.
John Harris, a 1994 graduate in music, is a trombonist who decided to pursue a career in business, joining an Annapolis-based company manufacturing and marketing small wooden boat kits. He eventually bought the firm, Chesapeake Light Craft Company, and has made it one of the largest wooden boat kit companies in the nation, but he has not given up his love of music. John pursues a second career as a jazz musician and has created a small jazz ensemble that plays at music festivals, including Chestertown's Saturday Evening Concert series. John credits Washington College with fostering his love of the arts while helping him develop writing skills and business acumen.
Vicco Von Voss is a 1991 graduate who majored in art. During college, Vicco worked with a local furniture restorer and discovered his love of wood, bringing natural forms into functional existence. After college, Vicco began a three-year carpentry and furniture-making apprenticeship in Germany and returned to the Eastern Shore to pursue his dream as a master furnituremaker. Vicco credits the art department with encouraging his love of the visual arts and natural forms, an appreciation that inspires the function and unique aesthetics of his handmade furniture.
Michele Volansky is a 1990 graduate who currently works for the Philadelphia Theatre Company and lectures in drama at Washington College. An English major with a devotion to theatre, Michele pursued a masters in theatre and dramaturgy from Villanova University. She has been a guest dramaturg at the Atlantic Theatre Company, Victory Gardens and Next Theatre, in addition to serving on the staff of Actors Theatre of Louisville and as dramaturg/literary manager at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago. Her play "Whispering City" was produced as part of the Steppenwolf Arts Exchange Program in 1999, and she is currently at work on a musical adaptation of Thulani Davis' novel "1959". Michelle serves on the advisory board of" Theatre Forum" magazine and is an artistic consultant for the Chicago-based Serendipity Theatre Company.
Life After Liberal Arts is sponsored by the Washington College Alumni Council.

Washington College Campaign Reaches $70.5 Million


Chestertown, MD, October 18, 2001 — Three bequests combined with many fiscal year-end gifts have pushed the Campaign for Washington's College to $70.5 million just three years into a five-year, $72 million drive, according to Campaign Chair Jack S. Griswold. The estate of the late Eleanor Gross of Baltimore is expected to provide more than $400,000. The estate of Nancy Gordon Nicewarner '51 of Fort Wayne, Indiana, is expected to generate $100,000. The late Mary Louise Moore '35 of Cheswold, Delaware bequeathed $100,000 to the College.
The renovated Custom House, home of the C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience and the Center for Environment and Society, will be formally dedicated on October 30. An important part of the Campaign and the future of the College, the two centers have attracted more than $10.2 million for faculty chairs, endowment, and program support. To date, the C.V. Starr Center has drawn $7 million; the Center for Environment and Society has attracted $4.2 million.
In September, the Baltimore Cabinet, co-chaired by Craig Lewis and Doug Hoffberger '94, celebrated the success of its regional effort with a party at the home of Robert C. "Bo" Lewis '79, Craig's son, on September 15. The Baltimore effort raised more than $7.6 million against a $6.5 million goal. A similar effort in the Greater Washington Region has also exceeded its $5 million goal and a celebration is in the planning stages.
The Development Office fully expects to meet and exceed the Campaign's $72 million goal by the end of this calendar year. The Board of Visitors and Governors will meet on November 1 and 3 to discuss future goals. The Development Office wishes to extend its gratitude to all who have contributed to the impressive success to date.

Monday, October 15, 2001

College Hosts Symposium on National Missile Defense and Security in the 21st Century


Chestertown, MD, October 15, 2001 — Washington College's Goldstein Program in Public Affairs presents a "Symposium on National Missile Defense: Seeking Security in the 21st Century" on Wednesday, October 24, 2001 at 7 p.m. in the College's Hynson Lounge. The event is free and the public is invited to attend.
The symposium features panelists James Lindsey of the Brookings Institution and Jack Spencer of the Heritage Foundation, moderated by Colonel Andrew Fallon, U.S. Army (Ret.). James Lindsay is a Senior Fellow in the Foreign Policy Studies Program at Brookings, where he is conducting research on national missile defense and the shaping of American foreign policy over the next quarter century. Before joining Brookings, Lindsay was a professor of political science at the University of Iowa and served as Director for Global Issues and Multilateral Affairs on the staff of the National Security Council in 1996-1997. His areas of responsibility included peacekeeping, UN affairs, State Department reorganization, and funding for international affairs. Lindsay is the author of "Dynamics of Democracy" (1997), "Congress and the Politics of U.S. Foreign Policy" (1994), and "Congress and Nuclear Weapons" (1991).
Jack Spencer is a Policy Analyst for Defense and National Security at the Washington-based public policy research institute, the Heritage Foundation, and works primarily on issues involving military readiness, force structure, roles and missions, information warfare, homeland defense and missile defense. In 1999, Spencer authored "The Ballistic Missile Threat Handbook", a reference that describes the ballistic missile arsenals of nine nations whose strategic and commercial interests in ballistic missiles threaten U.S. security. Spencer has published numerous papers and articles on missile defense, modernization, readiness and other national security related issues, and has appeared on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and BBC.
The panel's moderator, Colonel Andrew J. Fallon, is Director of System Engineering for the Washington Group of SRS Technologies and has been involved in system design for the National Missile Defense System for the past three years. Prior to joining SRS, Fallon spent 26 years in the military, specializing in air defense command, testing, research and development, as well as acquisition of electronic warfare and missile defense systems.
The symposium is sponsored by Washington College's Goldstein Program in Public Affairs, established in honor of the late Louis L. Goldstein, a 1935 alumnus and Maryland's longest-serving elected official. The Goldstein Program sponsors lectures, symposia, visiting fellows, travel and other projects that bring students and faculty together with leaders in public policy.

Tuesday, October 9, 2001

Great Pumpkin Party to Launch Riverkeeper Initiative October 20


Chestertown, MD, October 9, 2001 — The Washington College Center for the Environment and Society and the Chester River Association invite all to join in A CELEBRATION OF THE CHESTER: THE GREAT PUMPKIN PARTY on Saturday, October 20, 2001, at the Washington College Custom House garden and High Street landing, Chestertown, beginning at 1:30 p.m. The public is invited to enjoy educational events, fun and games for all ages, plus food and refreshments and to learn about the Chester Riverkeeper Initiative.
The Great Pumpkin Party will bring the communities along the Chester River together in recognition of the many ways in which the Chester enriches our lives and to introduce the Chester River Association's Riverkeeper Initiative as way to preserve the quality, environmental health and unique character of the river.
In tandem with the Chestertown Wildlife Exhibition and Sale, the Great Pumpkin Party will begin with informal gatherings at many of the public landings along the Chester and its 43 tributaries. Up and down the Chester, pumpkins, fall produce and fall flowers donated by local farmers and gardeners will be delivered to the docks and loaded onto boats to be brought to Chestertown. Look for posters and signs telling where and when to gather to see the beginning of the pumpkin boat parade.
The boats are scheduled to converge at Chestertown's High Street landing at 1:30 p.m. to unload their harvest bounty. The Town Dock and the last riverfront block of High Street will be closed to traffic from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. to accommodate the public for the Great Pumpkin Party.
As part of the Great Pumpkin Party, prizes will be awarded for the gourd with the largest girth and the heaviest homegrown pumpkin. Winners of the Kent and Queen Anne's County Arts Councils' "Bounty of the Chester" contest will be announced. Contest entries include poems, paintings, essays and photographs that illustrate how the Chester River enriches our lives. In addition, Great Pumpkin Party door-prize entry forms will be available throughout Kent and Queen Anne's counties and all who attend may enter their names for the prize of a 16-foot Old Town Loon Kayak.
Since its founding in 1986, the Chester River Association has served as an advocate for the Chester River and the resources it provides. Yet, despite the best efforts to address an array of complex river issues, the health of the Chester has continued to decline and the river is currently on the State of Maryland's list of impaired waterways.
As explained by Andrew McCown, president of the Chester River Association: "It was becoming clear that our volunteer board could not adequately respond to the Chester's growing needs. We had to commit to a more aggressive program in defense of the Chester and its water quality. That is the origin of our Riverkeeper Initiative."
As part of this new program, the Chester River Association petitioned for admittance and was unanimously accepted as a new member of the International Waterkeeper Alliance. The Waterkeeper Alliance directed by Robert Kennedy, Jr., will guide and support the Chester River Association in its Riverkeeper Initiative to hire a full-time professional riverkeeper by Fall 2002. To be employed by the Chester River Association, the Chester Riverkeeper will be based in Washington College's Custom House, headquartered with the College's Center for the Study of the Environment and Society, the C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience, and Center for the Study of Black Culture.
The Waterkeeper Alliance also promises an important partnership for the Chester by assigning the Hudson Riverkeeper, Alex Matthiessen, as mentor to the new Chester Riverkeeper. Matthiesen will be a guest at the Great Pumpkin Party to help explain the responsibilities of a riverkeeper and the importance of the Riverkeeper Initiative.
Later the same night, the Chester River Association will present "Chesapeake Scenes," words and music of the Bay in concert, at 8 p.m. in the Prince Theater, High Street, Chestertown. Join Washington College alumni Andrew McCown '77, Sue Matthews ' 75, Bill Matthews '71 and the gang in a celebration of the Chesapeake and Chester. Tickets are $25. For more information and reservations call the Kerns Collection at 410-778-4044.
For more information about the Great Pumpkin Party, call Andrew Stein at the Washington College Center for the Environment and Society, 410-810-7151.

Monday, October 8, 2001

College Hosts Christopher Tilghman, Author of Mason's Retreat, October 18


Chestertown, MD, October 8, 2001 — The Washington College Center for the Environment and Society and "Journeys Home: An Eastern Shore Lecture Series" present a reading with commentary by Christopher Tilghman, author of In a Father's Place and Mason's Retreat, on Thursday, October 18, 2001, at 5 p.m. in the College's Hynson Lounge. The event is free and the public is invited to attend.
Tilghman is the author of two collections of short stories, "In a Father's Place" and "The Way People Run," and the novel Mason's Retreat, which tells the story of an expatriate Eastern Shore family that returns to its old Chesapeake Bay estate on the eve of World War II. Noted for his ability to set scene after scene with remarkable sensitivity to both sense of place and characterization, Tilghman has had stories anthologized in "Best American Short Stories" and other collections, and has been translated into ten foreign languages.
The recipient of numerous grants and awards, including the Guggenheim Fellowship and Whiting Writer's Award, Tilghman was previously Writer-in-Residence at Emerson College in Boston, MA, and now teaches creative writing at the University of Virginia. He and his wife, the writer Caroline Preston, live near Charlottesville, VA, with their three sons.
Tilghman also will lecture Wednesday, October 17, 2001, at the Historic Avalon Theatre in Easton, MD, speaking on "The Pull of the Land: Place and Imagination." Starting at 7:30 p.m., the lecture is part of the 2001 Eastern Shore Lecture Series "Journeys Home: People, Nature and Sense of Place," a subscription series co-sponsored by the Washington College Center for the Environment and Society, the Adkins Arboretum, the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, the Horsehead Wetlands Center and the Maryland Center for Agroecology.
For subscription information on the Journey's Home Lecture Series or for information about other programs sponsored by the Washington College Center for the Environment and Society, please visit ces.washcoll.edu or call 410-810-7151.

Wednesday, October 3, 2001

Sigma XI Hosts Panel Discussion on Women in Science October 17


Chestertown, MD, October 3, 2001 — The Washington College Chapter of Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society, presents the panel discussion, "Barriers to and Opportunities for Women in Science," on Wednesday, October 17, 2001, at 4:30 p.m. in the College's Tawes Theater, Gibson Performing Arts Center. The event is free and the public is invited to attend.
The panel–representing women in science from government, academia and industry–will feature Rita Colwell, Director of the National Science Foundation, as lead speaker and moderator, accompanied by Dr. Mary Lou Soffa, Professor of Computer Science at University of Pittsburgh and Co-Chair of the Committee on the Status of Women in Computing Research, and Deborah Grubbe, P.E., Corporate Director for Safety and Health at DuPont and past director of DuPont Engineering's 700 person engineering technology organization. The panel will discuss the issues, obstacles and opportunities unique to women developing careers in science, medicine, technology and engineering.
Washington College currently offers bachelor degrees in the scientific fields of biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics and computer science, environmental studies, anthropology and sociology, economics, and psychology, as well as a master of arts degree in psychology. More than 70 percent of the science degrees at Washington College have been granted to women in recent years.
"Traditionally there have been obstacles to women pursuing careers in science related professions," said Leslie Sherman, Clare Boothe Luce professor of chemistry at the College. "This forum will allow our students to ask women with highly successful careers in the sciences how they have been able to overcome these obstacles, what barriers to women still need to be addressed, and what opportunities are available today."
The Women in Science event is sponsored by the Washington College chapter of Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society, a non-profit membership society of more than 80,000 scientists and engineers supporting excellence in scientific research, education, science policy, and the public understanding of science.

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Monday, October 1, 2001

Washington College Welcomes Pamela Chamberlain, New Director of Alumni and Parent Relations

Chestertown, MD, October 1, 2001 — Washington College is pleased to announce the appointment of Pamela Chamberlain as the new Director of Alumni and Parent Relations. Previously, Chamberlain was a consultant to the College's Alumni Office and has served full-time in similar positions at Drexel University and at the University of Texas Southwest Medical Center. Her appointment became effective August 15, 2001.

During 10 years as Coordinator of Alumni Affairs at the University of Texas Southwest Medical Center, Chamberlain was responsible for programming, fund raising, board liaison and data management for an alumni constituency of 12,000. Chamberlain also served as Assistant Vice President for Alumni Relations at Drexel University and the MCP Hahneman Medical Center in Philadelphia and as Exhibition Coordinator and Coordinator of Museum Events for the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts.
Originally from Austin, TX, Chamberlain is a cum laude graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and has substantial professional and volunteer experience in institutional advancement and fund raising. She has worked as a successful freelance writer and, in her early career, gained broad experience in events planning and management, public relations and promotion of the arts. She and her husband, Dick, reside in Rock Hall, MD.
"It is gratifying to be at a school where so many alumni still feel a closeness and loyalty to the institution," she said of Washington College. "The challenge to our office now is to use the strength of the alumni who are involved to reach out to those who can and should be involved and to bring parents of our current students into a closer relationship with the College."
"Pam brings a strong background to the College," said Dr. John S. Toll, President of Washington College. "I have the highest confidence in her abilities and look forward to the new energy and ideas she will bring to the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations."

Wednesday, September 26, 2001

Lecture to Address Antebellum Racism in Antonio Canova's Statue of George Washington

Chestertown, MD, September 26, 2001 — Washington College's C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience and Department of Art present "Antonio Canova's 'George Washington' Redux: Proslavery Rhetoric and Regional Politics in Antebellum America," a lecture by Christopher M. S. Johns, Ph.D., on Monday, October 15, 2001 at 8 p.m. in the College's Hynson Lounge. The public is invited to attend.

Prof. Johns' lecture will examine a little-known statue of George Washington, created in 1816 by Italian Neoclassical sculptor Antonio Canova (1757-1822) for the North Carolina State House in Raleigh. Portraying Washington as a seated Classical hero, dressed in Roman attire, this work, according to Prof. Johns, "marks a crucial shift in the history of Neoclassicism from an ideology that mined the Graeco-Roman past as a model of a utopian future to a deployment of Classicism's authority to justify and reinforce the economic and social status quo." Through associations with such figures as the Roman citizen-hero Cincinnatus, Washington became for proslavery plantation owners both a symbol of political dominance and an icon of state's rights.
Prof. Johns has taught in the McIntire Department of Art at the University of Virginia since 1985, where he has received the University of Virginia Alumni Council Outstanding Young Teacher Award. He also is the recipient of numerous other awards, from such organizations as the American Academy in Rome, the Fulbright Foundation, and Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, National Gallery of Art. Prof. Johns has been a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Iowa and a Thomas Jefferson Visiting Fellow at Downing College, Cambridge University, and has lectured widely at such places as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Princeton University, the University of Heidelberg, and the Swedish Institute at Rome.
Specializing in the visual culture of Eighteenth- and early Nineteenth-century Europe, Prof. Johns' recent publications include Antonio Canova and the Politics of Patronage in Revolutionary and Napoleonic Europe (Berkeley, 1988), a finalist for the Charles Rufus Morey Book Award of the College Art Association; "The Cultural Entrêpot of Europe: Rome in the Eighteenth Century," in Art in Rome in the Eighteenth Century (exh. cat., Philadelphia and London, 2000); "Ecclesiastical Politics and Papal Tombs: Antonio Canova's Monuments to Clement XIV and Clement XIII," in The Sculpture Journal; and "'That Amiable Object of Adoration': Pompeo Batoni and the Sacred Heart," in Gazette des Beaux-Arts.
This marks Professor Johns' second trip to Washington College.

Thursday, September 20, 2001

Shields and Gigot on Campus to Discuss America's Sea Change and The Politics of the New War on Terrorism

Chestertown, MD, September 20, 2001 — On Monday, October 1, 2001, Washington College will bring together political commentators Mark Shields and Paul Gigot--co-hosts of "Political Wrap" on the Public Broadcasting System's NewsHour with Jim Lehrer--for a frank, open discussion of the changes and future direction of American politics and society in the face of the terrorist attacks of September 11th. The panel discussion will be moderated by John Harwood, political editor of The Wall Street Journal, and begins at 7 p.m. in the College's Hynson Lounge. The event is free and the public is invited to attend.

Mark Shields is a syndicated columnist, Washington Post contributor, and moderator of CNN's "Capital Gang." Shields has been a NewsHour analyst since the segment began in 1987. He provided political analysis of both the 1988, 1992 and 1996 presidential elections and, in 1988, contributed to the political coverage that won a Peabody for The NewsHour. Shields also provided election analysis for CBS and NBC.
A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Shields has taught at Harvard University and the Wharton School of Business. He is the author of On the Campaign Trail, which documents the 1984 presidential race. He lives in Washington, D.C.
Paul Gigot is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Wall Street Journal "Potomac Watch" column and the newly named editorial page editor of the Journal. He joined Shields as a NewsHour political commentator in 1994.
His career with the Journal began in 1980 as a Chicago-based reporter. In 1982, Gigot moved to Hong Kong as the paper's Asia correspondent and became the first editorial page editor of The Asian Wall Street Journal in 1984. That same year he won an Overseas Press Club award for his reporting on the Philippines. Gigot took a year's leave from the Journal to serve as a White House Fellow from 1986 to 1987. A graduate of Dartmouth, Gigot went on to write for The Far Eastern Economic Review in Hong Kong and National Review in New York. He lives in Alexandria, VA.
The Harwood Lecture Series in American Journalism is sponsored by the Richard Harwood Endowment Fund, established to honor the distinguished career of the late Washington Post columnist and ombudsman Richard Harwood, who served as both a College Trustee and a lecturer in journalism at the College.

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Friday, September 14, 2001

President Toll on National Day of Prayer and Remembrance Ceremony


Remarks of President John S. Toll at the Washington College Service of Remembrance

Chestertown, MD, September 14, 2001 — No one in our country is untouched or unchanged by the vicious attack on innocent lives that took place in New York and Washington, and over the skies of Pennsylvania on Tuesday.
In the Washington College community, we are still learning the magnitude of the personal impact of this great tragedy. To the best of our knowledge, the father of one of our students is confirmed dead in the attack on the World Trade Center. Three other students have parents who worked in the World Trade Center, but who mercifully have been located, either safe, or in one case, in critical condition in a New York City hospital. A relative of one of our students was a pilot aboard one of the United Airline flights out of Boston. Yet another student has a brother who is a Marine guard at the Pentagon and is still missing. In addition, many, many members of our community know of friends and extended family that were lost in these attacks.
Today, in response to the President’s Proclamation, we join the nation and the world in a Day of Prayer and Remembrance for the victims of the terrorist attacks. Earlier today, the countries of the European Union paused to observe three minutes of silence. In Great Britain, the Queen and the Prime Minister joined a nation in mourning the loss of an estimated 500 British citizens in Tuesday’s attack. Indeed, the whole world has been touched and changed by these cowardly acts.
My personal emphasis has been to help those members of the College community whose family members are missing. But we have also responded with programs on campus every day for others in the community, so that people can come together to comfort each other.
It is my fervent belief that we not magnify the impact of the terrorists by allowing them to damage the College program severely. Let today's gathering also be an expression of hope. Let us remember that the human spirit is indomitable and cannot be crushed by the vicious hand of terror. We will continue the work of this community of learning, with hope that the wisdom we acquire will help bring about a lasting peace that will prevent this kind of crime against humanity from ever recurring.
As we reflect today on the lives of those who have perished, let us honor their memory by dedicating our labors to the pursuit of peace and wisdom.

Additional words from Reverend Peter Lai, Chaplain, Heron Point, Chestertown, MD

Almighty God, we ask that you fill this solemn moment with the majesty of your presence and fill our hearts with your love. Our hearts are saddened by the loss of the people who perished as a result of the attacks that took place three days ago. Today we remember and honor them as our heroes. Bring your comforting Spirit to those family members who are in deep despair and in great sorrow. Be with the rescue workers who act with such courage and determination. Guide them and protect them from danger.
For those of us who live today, we pray that this memorial service will inspire us to a greater commitment to you and our neighbors. May we be brave so that enemies who would deprive us of our freedom will not succeed. Give to our president and other leaders your wisdom as they have difficult decisions to make in the days ahead. Give us your wisdom as we try to find meaning in the midst of this horrible tragedy. Fill us with compassion so we can reach out to those in need.
Then as we leave this place, we will be renewed in our spirits with faith, hope and love and we know confidently that the people we honor today will not have died in vain.
In your holy name we pray. Amen.

Additional words from Board Chairman Jay Griswold

There is no question that there is evil in the world. As we reel from the devastation and loss of life in New York, in Washington, and in Pennsylvania, and these affronts to the symbols of a free democracy, we come to understand that the very fabric of our country has been torn. Just as the landscape of New York is changed, so America is changed. We have lost our innocence. We have come to a brutal awareness that we are not invulnerable to terrorist attacks on American soil.
Yet the spirit of the American people remains unflappable. Even in our tremendous sense of loss and sadness, we begin to take solace in the emerging stories that speak to our humanity. We find victories in each rescue of a fallen firefighter, in the messages recorded by hostages held in the skies, in acts of heroism as passengers attempted to wrest control of a plane from the hijackers, in the compassion shared between strangers in time of crisis.
We mourn with those who have suffered great and disastrous loss. All our hearts have been seared by the sudden and senseless taking of innocent lives. We pray for healing and for the strength to serve and encourage one another in hope and faith.
I urge you as you work through all of the emotions to reflect on the broad sweep of history. Much has happened to this country since 1782, tragic and triumphant. God bless Washington College, God bless America.

Thursday, September 13, 2001

Words from Dean Scholz


Campus Ceremony on the Front Lawn, September 13

Chestertown, MD, September 13, 2001 — The tragic events of this week have touched every one of us. Many of us have friends, relatives, and loved ones among the dead or among those still missing in New York, Washington D.C. and in Pennsylvania. By attacking these innocents, those responsible for this terrible act have attacked each one of us. We are joined in outrage and grief.
We come together today to express our solidarity in the face of this destruction. It is a time to remember that even in Chestertown we are members of a global society. As an educational community, we remain united in our pursuit of truth, united in the love of the wisdom that grows from it, and united in our commitment to peace around the world.
We also come together today to reflect on the lives of those who have perished, to honor the memory of those who died at the hand of terror as well as those who sacrificed their lives in acts of rescue.
In placing flowers at the feet of our founder's statue, we declare the community of Washington College to be of one heart. We dedicate our labors to the support of each other in this time of need and to the preservation of all that is good in our community, in our nation, and in the world.
I will now place a wreath on behalf of the College to witness our respect for the victims and in evidence of our dedication to the values inscribed in the mission of Washington College. I invite all of you to join me in the laying of flowers in acknowledgement of our community's deep sense of sorrow and solidarity.

Tuesday, September 11, 2001

A Message from President Toll


Classes Canceled September 11

Chestertown, MD, September 11, 2001 — As you have no doubt heard, some parts of our nation have suffered multiple terrorist attacks. Our concern and national solidarity have been heightened. I implore all to remember that we are a community of learning, of tolerance and of understanding. Please remain calm and help others who may be concerned or whose families may be affected by these tragedies.
Because a state of emergency has been declared in Maryland, public schools have closed, and we are canceling classes for the remainder of the day. We hope that all offices providing services to students will try to maintain normal hours. Except for essential personnel in such offices as the Dining Services, Public Safety, and Buildings & Grounds, all of our faculty and staff are free to leave. Other related changes in college programs will be announced through the campus Blitzmail. If you know of anyone needing assistance, please call my office at ext. 7201.
There are still many unanswered questions. Let us stand together in peace and support one another. Most of all let us show compassion through these tragedies as we continue the work of the College.
Sincerely,
John S. Toll, President Washington College

Wednesday, September 5, 2001

Washington College Welcomes New Faculty and Second Largest Freshman Class


Chestertown, MD, September 5, 2001 — As Washington College welcomes its second largest class of incoming freshman and transfer students—numbering 384 students—the College is joined by 26 new faculty members for the Fall 2001 semester, including five new faculty hired for tenure-track professorships in psychology, business management, French, computer science and philosophy.
For tenure-track positions, the College welcomes the following professors this year: Katherine Cameron (Ph.D. University of California), assistant professor of psychology; James Falter (D.A.B., Nova Southeastern University), assistant professor of business management; Pamela Pears (Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh), assistant professor of French; Roseanne Tesoriero (Ph.D., University of Maryland), assistant professor of computer science; and Peter Weigel (Ph.D., Yale University), assistant professor of philosophy.
Visiting professors for the 2001-2002 academic year are Bonnie Ryan, Jessie Ball duPont Scholar in the department of sociology and anthropology; Hongyan Xiao, visiting assistant professor of political science; Jill MacDougall, visiting assistant professor of drama while Professor Timothy Maloney is on leave during Fall 2001; and John Doherty, visiting assistant professor of biology.
Washington College also welcomes Barbaranne Mocella and Scott Woolever, lecturers in art; Matthew Johnson and Joe Matanoski, lecturers in biology; Robb MacFarlane, lecturer in business management; Barbara Creegan, lecturer in chemistry; Michele Volansky, lecturer in drama; Andrew Hill, instructor in economics; Judith Goodman and Edward J. Silver, lecturers in education; Enid Larrimore and Kimberly Middleton, lecturers in foreign languages; George Vrtis, lecturer in history; Dr. Jean-Louis Marchand, lecturer in psychology; Kenneth Schweitzer, lecturer in music; Tara E. Kent, instructor in sociology; and Deborah Taub, lecturer in sociology and anthropology.
"With our second largest incoming class in the College's history, the demands on our faculty have never been greater," said Dr. John S. Toll, president of the College. "With new faculty adding to our resources, I have no doubt that our students will have the close attention and teaching excellence that is our fundamental value at Washington College."