t h e
Herald
By and for the students of Hobart and William Smith Colleges ISSUE 13
VOLUME CXXVIII
February 11, 2005
An Orgasm Faked For Charity
Second Spring Fisher Center Lecture Explores Ecological Effects
Melissa Sorrells Copy Editor Melissa Sue Sorrells Copy Editor
I
E
cologist, author, and cancer survivor Sandra Steingraber will give a talk titled “Contaminated Without Consent: A Human Rights Approach to the Environment” at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 16 in the Geneva Room. Steingraber is an internationally recognized expert on the environmental links between cancer and reproductive health. She is an eminent biologist as well as a cancer survivor and mother, and she utilizes these different filters to bridge the gap between science and activism. Her highly sought-after lectures are “an intricate weaving of scientific data, personal stories and an intensely lyrical style.”
Cancer survivor and Fisher Center speaker Sandra Steingraber
Steingraber has been named Ms. Magazine’s 1997 Woman of the Year, and she has been interviewed in the Chicago Tribune, USA Today, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, on National Public Radio, “The Today Show,” and “Now with Bill Moyers.” She has also written two full-length books, “Living Downstream” and “Having Faith: An Ecologist’s Journey to Motherhood.” Both explore the intimate ecology of the environment and its effects. Currently a distinguished visiting scholar at Ithaca College, Steingraber has also been on the faculty at Cornell University, a fellow at the University of Illinois and worked with the National Action Plan on Breast Cancer. Her keynote addresses are legendary across North America, and she has given talks at Harvard, Yale, Cornell and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. W e e k e n d
Geneva, NY
Acrylic painting by John Vaughn Katie Bell News Editor
A
t HWS, there is a course for Art majors that is prac tical, and goes outside of just studying different time periods and styles. Art 440: The Art Museum, taught by Professor Kristel Smentek, required students to create an art exhibition and decide on everything from the theme of the show to the pieces that would be included. Students were also involved in more handson aspects of putting together an exhibit, as the 10 students hung the pieces, selected two or three works to research, and created labels that would accompany the pieces. As a result, “Art Speaks: Voices from the HWS Collection” is more than just an ordinary exhibit; it is a collection that from the start has been organized by students, as a hands-on way of learning how to create an exhibit. “With amazing mentorship, support and guidance from Professor Smentek, our class was able to get great first hand experience of what it would be like to curate a show. We learned everything from writing the labels
to how to properly drill and hang a painting.” explained junior Cassie Priest. Priest, who majors in art history, continued, “It was a great eye opening experience into a possible career.” She received a wealth of knowledge from the course, but also had the privilege of traveling outside of the class room to continue learning the process of the art museum: Priest talked to Robert North, who has donated nearly 100 significant pieces in memory of his wife, Marion de Mauriac North ’32. Priest felt that the student organized exhibition benefited more than just the students enrolled in the class. “I feel that this show was a great way to make the student body more aware of the great art collection HWS has,” she said. If you didn’t make it to the opening reception or haven’t seen the exhibit yet, there is still time to view this magnificent collection. The exhibit, which includes notable works from the Colleges’ collection from artists like George Bellows, Mary Cassatt, Robert Indiana, and Edward Manet, is open 7 days a week at the Houghton House Gallery from 9am-5pm until February 28.
Where Did the Chairs Go? Emily Corcione Assistant Copy Editor
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ike many students returning to campus at the beginning of this semester, I was disappointed to discover that all of the furniture had been removed from the library atrium. The comfortable chairs and couches recently set up in the library’s main entrance had become my favorite study location. They were the perfect spot for study groups or socializing and gave the stark atrium a warmer, more hospitable atmosphere. Unfortunately, after a recent visit from the New York State fire marshal, the furniture was removed
as a fire safety violation. The fire marshal determined that the cozy sofas could turn into deadly obstacles in the event of a fire, considering the number of people that could potentially be in the library and need to use the atrium as a primary exit. Also, the furniture’s material was combustible and would produce toxic smoke if set ablaze. The flower-patterned chairs are now located in the second-floor Brackett-Clark lounge and the maroon couches are currently in storage, although efforts are being made to find an appropriate location for them somewhere in the library. Mandala artwork will still be displayed in the atrium, but will be con-
fined to the corner next to the 24hour computer lab. After talking with Cal Brown, the Director of Campus Security, I learned that such removal of furniture is part of the new fire safety codes that went into effect Jan. of 2003. Prompted by the deadly Seton Hall Fire in New Jersey, a governmental task force put into effect several initiatives to enhance fire safety on New York’s college campuses. The changes are in section 807-b of the State Education Law, in case the idea of actually reading it appeals to you. This past fall marked our Continued on page 7
W e a t h e r
Geneva, Switzerland
Friday:
Friday:
Few Snow Showers, 29°/22°
Rain, 43°/32°
Saturday:
Saturday:
Few Snow Showers, 35°/21°
Rain, 45°/34°
Sunday:
Sunday:
Mostly Cloudy, 36°/29°
Rain / Wind, 42°/24°
f your vagina could talk, what would it say? The students of Hobart and William Smith Colleges will get a chance to explore this and similar questions when The Vagina Monologues are performed at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. This year, two performances, to be held on Friday, February 11 and Saturday, February 12, are being sponsored by The William Smith College Women’s Collective. The show will be held in the Geneva Room at 7 p.m. both nights and tickets will be $2 in advance and $3 at the door. The HWS performances are part of an international V-Day Campaign dedicated to celebrating female sexuality, while educating the public about violence against women, including rape, incest, female genital mutilation, and sexual slavery. In the past 7 years, the movement has grown to more than 76 countries from Europe to Asia. Proceeds from the benefit shows are donated to local anti-violence groups. The campaign has raised more than $20 million to support anti-violence programs worldwide since its creation in 1998. V-Day was born as an outgrowth of Eve Ensler’s award winning play, The Vagina Monologues. The play, subtitled An Anthropological Exploration, reveals a series of different women’s stories and experiences involving their genitalia. The material was gathered from more than two hundred intimate interviews, conducted by Ensler.
More V-Day HWS doesn’t have the V-Day market cornered. Here’s a list of some other V-Day performances in the area: Wells College in Aurora, NY at the Sommer Center Cafe February 11 & 12 at 8 p.m. February 13 at 5 p.m. $7 general admission for SAVAR of Cayuga County Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY at the Emerson Suites February 12 at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. February 13 at 7 p.m. $3 general admission for Tompkins Advocacy Center Elmira College in Elmira, NY at Tompkins Dorm February 11 at 7 p.m. for Rape Crisis of the Southern Tier SUNY Binghamton in Binghamton at Dickinson Dining Hall February 11, 12 & 13 at 8:45 p.m. $5 general admission for Mom’s House & SOS Shelter.
A farmer walks among tangerine trees in rural Hong Kong
Bobby Yip / Reuters
Hobart Hero
Gone Country
Unrequited Love
HWS student goes unrecognized, until now, for live saving cancer research.
Kenny Chesney’s new CD, Be As You Are, stays middle of the road in this review.
A student at UMass gives a glimpse into the world of love - with your best friend.
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