Wells College Express

Spring spring 2012

VOLUME XXVIII NUMBER 1

Wells THE MAGAZINE

CELEBRATING SCHOLARSHIP & ENGAGEMENT Bringing the College community together to express common ideas and explore the boundaries of knowledge

OF WELLS COLLEGE ALUMNAE/I AND FRIENDS

IN THIS ISSUE • Aurora Express • Student Internships • Faculty Notes • From the Archives • Advancement News

Board of Trustees

Arthur J. Bellinzoni Carrie Bolton ’92, Vice Chair Marie Chapman Carroll ’75 Sarah C. Chase ’69, Secretary Fiona Morgan Fein ’65 Pamela Edgerton Ferguson ’69 Daniel J. Fessenden Sarah J. Jankowski ’92 Stanley J. Kott, Chair Duncan Lawrence ’11 Alan L. Marchisotto Laura E. Masse ’10 Amy Cerand McNaughton ’86 Reneé Forgensi Minarik ’80 J. Andrew Noel Jr. Lisa Marsh Ryerson ’81 George S. Slocum Stephen L. Zabriskie

Honorary Trustees

Anne Wilson Baker ’46 David Barclay Nancy Barton Barclay ’56 Gordon Brummer Sara Clark Brummer ’56 Gail Fletcher Edwards ’57 George Edwards Jane Demarest Engel ’42 Lueza Thirkield Gelb ’52 Joanne Lowell Johnson ’70 Shirley Cox Kearns ’54 David M. Lascell Jeannik Méquet Littlefield ’41 Edward E. Matthews Marcia Goetze Nappi ’56 Janet Taylor Reiche ’52 Elizabeth Bowman Rothermel ’66 Shirley Schou Bacot Shamel ’58 Priscilla Slocum Virginia Grace Small ’50 Pike H. Sullivan Susan Wray Sullivan ’51 Martha Linton Whitehouse ’46

Administrative Officers President

Lisa Marsh Ryerson ’81 Provost and Dean of the College

Cindy Speaker

Director of Communications and Marketing Ann S. Rollo Chief Operating Officer Terry Newcomb Vice President for Advancement Michael R. McGreevey Director of Admissions and Financial Aid Susan Raith Sloan ’86 Assistant to the President Kristen J. Phillips ’95 ASSOCIATION OF ALUMNAE AND ALUMNI BOARD President Reneé Forgensi Minarik ’80 Nominating Vice President

Fran Trubilla Kissell ’78

Wells

Managing Editor Ann S. Rollo Editors Clare Scott Kristen J. Phillips ’95 Design Julia Reich Design | juliareichdesign.com Editorial Assistant Janet Mapstone Contributing Writers David Foote ’11 William Ganis Tina Post ’99 Clare Scott Photography Wayne Calabrese Jacqueline Conderacci Rudy Hellmann Lena Masur Robert Mescavage Neil Sjoblom Scott Suchman Doug Whaley ’12

Corrections In the Fall 2011 issue, we neglected to give photography credit to Nicole Di Mauro ’12 for her photo submission on the bottom left hand side of page 14. We send our apologies to Nicole for the oversight.

In our 2010-11 leadership giving and President’s Circle donor lists, we misspelled the name of The Alexander and Marjorie Hover Foundation. Our apologies to the Foundation and gratitude for their steadfast support.

Our apologies to Janet Taylor Reiche ’52 who should have had a “5” next to her name in the 2010-11 annual giving report. She has generously made gifts to the College for at least five consecutive years.

Thank you!

We apologize for our error in listing Marjorie Schenk Decker ’42, Margery Leinroth Gotshall ’45 and Gail Zabriskie Wilson ’60 in our 2010-11 Legacy Circle list of pooled income fund donors. While all loyal donors, these alumnae give through other methods than the pooled income fund.

We misprinted the following entries in our list of memorial gifts in the 2010-11 giving report. Our sincere apologies for these mistakes and gratitude to the donors for their thoughtful gifts. In memory of Virginia “Ginny” Jenness ’35: Amy Cerand McNaughton ’86, Minnesota Wells Club and Nancy Perry Siddall ’53; in memory of Jean Norman Powell ’41: Virginia Vanneman Fisher ’41; and in memory of Jean Avery Wagner ’35: Ann Linden Wagner Carlisle ’62.

Reunion Vice President

Mary Mitchell Goodman ’70

Retreat Vice President

Margaret Neenan Leahy ’84

Alumna Trustees

Pamela Edgerton Ferguson ’69 Amy Cerand McNaughton ’86

National Annual Giving Chair

Sarah J. Jankowski ’92

Award Committee Chair

Sarah Messenger Gleason ’88

On The Cover Juliana Kang ’13, a biology major from Willitis, Calif., and students listen to a presentation at this year’s Activism Symposium as part of the College’s Celebrating Scholarship and Engagement series. As an active community member on campus, she’s a resident advisor (RA) and is involved in the dance collective, elections committe, and programming board; and she was a competitor in this spring's Entrepreneurship Week contest.

Member-at-Large

Stepheny Powell McGraw ’70 Betty Rodriguez Vislosky ’78

Member-at-Large - FARGO

Natasha Hauptfleisch ’04

Director of Alumnae and Alumni Relations

Kristen J. Phillips ’95

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The Wells Express is produced by the College’s Office of Communications and Marketing.

Article submissions from the extended Wells community are welcome. Send manuscripts to: Editors, the Wells Express, Office of Communications and Marketing, Aurora, N.Y. 13026. Postmaster: Send address changes to the Wells Express, Pettibone House, Aurora, N.Y. 13026. Telephone: 315.364.3407; FAX: 315.364.3362; e-mail: communications@wells.edu; Web site: www.wells.edu

Contents Spring 2012

Celebrating Scholarship and Engagement Series 6 Reflecting on the liberal arts values of the College and the expertise of our community

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President’s Message

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Student Thesis Work

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Aurora Express

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Athletic News

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Henry Wells Scholar Internships

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January 2012 Internships

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Visiting Writers Series

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Faculty Notes

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From the Archives

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Inns of Aurora

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Board of Trustees

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Advancement News

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Alumnae and Alumni in the News

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End Note

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president’s message

Scholarship at the Fore

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s deeply as we value knowledge for knowledge’s sake, as much as we herald scholarship and recognize that academics are at the heart and forefront of a Wells education—we are equally convinced that the sum of a Wells education is greater than its parts. In combining academics with hands-on experiences, both are richer. And, we know that a college education is not an end in and of itself, but the foundation on which future learning, and a future life, is built. Thus, Celebrating Scholarship and Engagement was born.

Fully integrated into our core curriculum, Sustainable Community, the Celebrating Scholarship and Engagement series complements the Wells experience in ways that are neither wholly new nor fully already present.This spring semester we have taken several days off from our regular schedule to enjoy scholarly lectures, interactive talks, internship and study abroad poster sessions, senior theses and capstone project presentations, film screenings, performances, and other events featuring the work of our students, faculty and staff, as well as guest speakers, lecturers, artists and performers.

While the content of each day has varied, and been coordinated by faculty and staff across the disciplines, the purpose remains consistent: to bring academic scholarship to the fore; to broaden students’ exposure to multiple disciplines and to varying points of view; to weave together the theoretical and the practical; to make vivid the connections between Wells and the wider world; and to strengthen students’ skills as we prepare them to be fully engaged citizens upon graduation.

Preparing students for change We live at the edge of a new reality; in an uncertain world, one thing is certain: change. Perhaps more so than ever before, colleges must assure that our graduates are prepared to create and embrace that reality. Preparation for change is what education ought to be about—and it is what a Wells education promises and delivers.

Indeed, it is at the center of what we do. We educate our students to imagine and to be prepared for what is likely to be possible 10 or 20 years—or more—from now.

As a small, agile, innovative community, Wells is perfectly suited to preparing this generation of students for change. Beyond giving students particular sets of facts, we position them to become experts at change, to lead the way toward new ideas and new innovations—as well as lead their own ways through their sure-to-be-changing lives.

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educating the whole person A Wells College education in the 21st century educates the whole person; for, as always, Wells is an integrated, personally-directed experience. As alumnae and alumni well know, students are participants and not simply spectators. A Wells education is about more than simply accumulating knowledge; it is about formulating a broad range of ideas.

A Wells education today blends the entire collegiate experience for a resulting Wells experience. It is more important than ever that we encourage and challenge students to do something outside their comfort zones, to really learn what they like, what they do well and what excites their passions. For students, those realizations will come through the totality of their Wells educations, in everything from their internship experiences to residence life, athletics and wellness, music, theatre and dance, clubs and student government to symposia, arts and lectures, to spiritual life, traditions and the like, as you will see illustrated throughout the magazine.

A college education—while incredibly valuable—cannot be an end unto itself. It must prepare the students of today for what comes after college. Moreover, post-graduate preparation must be a four-year commitment. At Wells, career development includes programming beginning in the first year to assure that graduates leave well-prepared—and, thanks to the Wells network—well connected for their post-Wells journeys, whether that means graduate school or a job—and not just for the first job out of college, but for a lifetime of careers and career changes.

Because we focus on wide-ranging, comprehensive development encompassing the skills necessary for effective communication, for intercultural competence, for responsible citizenship, and for lifelong intellectual, social and professional growth, today’s Wells education provides a solid foundation for graduates to pursue their extraordinary lives.

p r e s i d e nt ’s me s s a g e

While every aspect of the Wells experience prepares students for those journeys, generations of alumnae and alumni can attest to the fact that academics are at the core of a Wells education. Today’s Wells students have an excellent, cohesive, interconnected intellectual experience, balancing classroom theory with hands-on learning, including the experiences graduates remember so well: faculty-led research projects, field work, performances, community activism, study offcampus and abroad, presentations at conferences, independent projects and, now, guaranteed internship opportunities connected to the major. As we continue to strengthen the academic experience, we are expanding experiential learning opportunities. Students continue to work closely with their faculty advisors to determine—from a nearly limitless variety of options—how best to focus their internships and other hands-on learning, and relate them to their majors. Students carry on the tradition of working closely with their professors, while faculty members continue to get to know students as individuals and help them develop their academic strengths and interests.

For all that Wells offers, it remains up to each student to take advantage of the promise of a Wells education—an education that is singularly positioned to provide the education of an extraordinary life.

extending our community The Wells community extends well beyond the geography of Aurora to embrace our alumnae, alumni, parents, friends, families, strategic partners and neighbors. I encourage you to participate fully in this wonderful community, whether regularly or as time permits, whether by actively volunteering or sharing your thoughts, by contributing to the Annual Fund or through designated gifts, by staying up-to-date through the Express, WellsNotes, electronic newsletters, or through our Web site, blogs or Facebook pages, or by following me on Twitter @PresRyerson.

student engagement week This April, in conjunction with nation-wide efforts, we celebrated a number of important initiatives to recognize student engagement.

The National Student Employment Association designated April 8-14 as National Student Appreciation Week in recognition of opportunities for students to gain meaningful career-enhancing experiences through student employment. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) designated April 9-15 as the inaugural Division III Week in recognition of students who participate in athletics while maintaining rigorous academic schedules. On campus, April 9-13 was Entrepreneurship Week at the Susan Wray Sullivan ’51 and Pike H. Sullivan Center for Business and Entrepreneurship providing students innovative ways to bring together core academics with essential problemsolving skills.

National Student Appreciation Week, Division III Week and Entrepreneurship Week all align with the College’s commitment to support students in their educational journeys as well as their personal and professional development. Therefore, April 8-15 was proclaimed to be STUDENT ENGAGEMENT WEEK at Wells College to recognize the achievements and contributions of our students.

I look forward to welcoming you to campus as well.You will find performances, lectures, exhibits and full athletics schedules on the Web site at www.wells.edu.You will also find more detailed information about Wells’ 144th Commencement Ceremonies which will take place at the Aurora Inn on Saturday, May 26, at 10:00 a.m., and Reunion 2012 which begins with Reunion College on Thursday, May 31, and is packed with activities through the Memorial Service on Sunday, June 3. All are welcome!

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Activism Symposium

rom class discussions on timely issues, to study sessions in residence hall lounges, to laboratory work on the floating classroom, to impromptu debates in the dining hall, the campus experience centers around learning.

Academic life at Wells continues in many ways as it ever has, while finding new connections between theoretical knowledge and practical, feet-on-the-ground experience.

Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

Women and Gender

The senior thesis has long been a hallmark of Wells’ academic strength; it is both a learning process and a way to demonstrate what has been learned. Each discipline has its own methods, and the thesis can easily range from an individually imagined novella to a groundbreaking series of microbial experiments to an in-depth essay on international trade law. The thought and work that goes into each project is often as life-changing as it is instructive to the methods of a discipline; the challenge is to make the experience as rewarding for the community as it is for the individual student. Keeping this in mind, senior theses presentations have been central to the new Celebrating Scholarship and Engagements series.

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To learn more about the stories behind each photo, visit: www.wells.edu

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Sustainability Imagination and Innovation

The five Celebrating Scholarship and Engagement days this spring combined the regular academic lectures, poster sessions and film screenings commonly held on campus with new efforts to share student work with the community. Students returned five days earlier than usual in January, in exchange for five days spaced throughout the semester in which classes were suspended in favor of a full weekday dedicated to shared knowledge and experience.

Activism Symposium

The theme for each Celebrating Scholarship and Engagement day was chosen to keep it open to multiple disciplines and accepting of many voices. Projects, ideas and theories developed through academic exercises like the thesis were the subject of various presentations and were addressed through multiple perspectives; community members contributed to the experience both as presenters and as audience members. Knowledge gained through internships, life experiences that overlapped studies, even work in sustainable and efficient garden planning—were brought in and used to bolster personal and community expertise.

Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

Women and Gender

Each fully-booked day showcased not just the specialties of our community members, but as the title suggests, the engaged and active minds that comprise Wells College.

Based around themes relevant to a contemporary education and responsible civic life, these days featured a variety of discussions and other events highlighting the work of students, faculty and staff. The themes were chosen to organize the series as a whole and connect the individual events by highlighting commonalities between subjects addressed throughout the days.

From presentations of senior thesis work that incorporated the vast research, reading and writing that goes into the project; to poster sessions that allowed students to share the important tasks they participated in or internship experiences they gained over break periods; to panel discussions that candidly explored the ways that knowledge grows and shares itself with others throughout the undergraduate experience—the Celebrating Scholarship and Engagement series demonstrated what Wells students are capable of accomplishing.

Writing about the series afterward, the most difficult part was choosing the right word—lecture, discussion, panel, presentation—to describe what was, essentially, a series of moments of sharing knowledge between the person whose name was printed in the program and the participants who came to the session not to just expand their knowledge, but to contribute their own viewpoints to the conversation.

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a message from provost and dean of the college cindy speaker

While there was a great deal of specialized information categorized by the day’s theme, the actual discussions were based on the interactions between the speaker and the questions and observations of the students, faculty and staff who attended.

Each fully-booked day showcased not just the specialties of our community members, but as the title suggests, the engaged and active minds that comprise Wells College.

This program is a part of the new Sustainable Community curriculum, which is based on overarching themes that carry through a four-year academic career. Beginning in the first year, students continue through themed seminars each year leading up to a senior capstone experience. Students’ learning is anchored in a strong foundation of interdisciplinary thinking and liberal arts principles.

While each of the Celebrating Scholarship and Engagement days had a distinct theme and a unique tempo, the shared understanding of purpose and connection to curriculum united them. The 2011-12 Celebrating Scholarship and Engagement days covered the following topics: Civil Rights and Civil Liberties; Women’s and Gender Studies: “Access”; the annual Activism Symposium entitled “We are the __%”; Imagination and Innovation; and Sustainability. Check in with us at www. wells.edu to learn what the series will cover in 2012-13!

When I speak with alumnae and alumni about their Wells education, I often hear that Wells taught them to think. When I ask what they mean by that they go on to explain that to really think (i.e. to think critically) you must recognize your own potential biases, what it is that you do not know, and the complexity of the issues involved. They tell me their Wells education broadened their world. When I speak with prospective students and their parents, I often tell them that a Wells education is a developmental process—from high school student to scholar. At Wells, students become members of a community of thinkers and doers.

To more fully share the work of the community, faculty proposed these days for Celebrating Scholarship and Engagement. Sessions during these days have included students, faculty, and staff as well as outside speakers. Noteworthy have been the student presentations on internship experiences, class projects and senior theses. This work has demonstrated their education to think critically, reason wisely, and act humanely as they cultivate meaningful lives.

Come celebrate with our engaged scholars.

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Civil Rights and Civil Liberties February 7, 2012 These events were coordinated by Professor of History Cynthia Koepp and Associate Professor of Political Science Susan Tabrizi.

A Historical Beginning Activism Symposium

The presentations that made up the first Celebrating Scholarship and Engagement day focused on civil rights and civil liberties— essentially, what are the freedoms that we have, and how and when are we using them?

The morning opened with a presentation titled “The Woman Question: How Women’s Rights Emerged from the Anti-Slavery Movement,” given by Meghan Barbay of the Women’s Rights National Historical Park.

Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

Women and Gender

Through an in-depth talk accompanied by historic photos, the audience heard brief biographies of leaders in the women’s rights movement as well as formative moments in their lives and descriptions of major events during the fight for the rights of mistreated Americans.

From the burning of Pennsylvania Hall to the World Anti-Slavery Convention to the Seneca Falls Convention, Barbay’s discussion addressed the long, complex beginning of a movement, and the audience responded with a number of insightful questions, continuing the discussion with Barbay afterward.

Displaying Opportunity Between 11:15 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., the upper and lower atria of Stratton Hall were crowded and noisy with discussion. More than two dozen posters lined the walls, describing internships and thesis work—the participants each stood by to explain their work and answer questions.

The internships included a wide range of practical programs and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. A few examples include the Public Leadership Education Network seminars in Washington, D.C., the Auburn Memorial Hospital and Pulmonary Associates of

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Northern New York, the Daktari Bush School and Wildlife Orphanage and the Mars Desert Research Station. All described instructive, life-changing experiences.

Posters about sociology and anthropology thesis work also described interesting and relevant research. The projects focused on areas such as indigenous cultures’ portrayal in museums, social activity in assisted-living facilities, archaeology and college preparedness, demonstrating how the methods of the field can be applied to contemporary institutions and careers.

Telling Histories At 11:30 a.m., three history majors from this year’s senior class gave presentations of their research in Stratton’s E. Margie Matthews Filter Hostetter ’62 Lecture Room.

Their hours of thorough research showed in the brief time that they had to showcase it; brief interviews with the presenters can be found on pages 20-21.

What Does a Banned Book Sound Like?

During lunch, students and faculty joined together for a reading of books that have been recently banned from school curriculums in Arizona.

“In 2010, the Arizona legislature banned the teaching of Mexican American Studies in public schools; in 2012 the Tucson Unified School District went into classrooms and removed books, sometimes from students’ hands. Wells students read aloud from some of those works to draw attention to the censorship that has not been given enough national attention,” said Lisa Hall, associate professor of women’s studies.

“It’s a very human story about an individual who has to succeed against every adversity and did whatever it took to make it.”

Students read passages from: • “Beloved” by Toni Morrison • “Rethinking Columbus: The Next 500 Years” edited by Bill Bigelow, Bob Peterson • “The House on Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros • “Like Water for Chocolate” by Laura Esquivel • “Voices of a People’s History of the United States” by Howard Zinn • “Savage Inequalities” by Jonathan Kozol • “Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza” by Gloria Anzaldúa

Contemporary Applications During the afternoon, participants chose from three presentations to attend, each addressing ideas related to the theme.

Assistant Professor of Computer Science Bryant Adams spoke on “How Safe is Your Data? Is Your Data YOURS?” His presentation examined ways that private data is compromised online, along with possible means of protecting identities in a changing field.

Bryant Sanders, Class of 2012, spoke on “Cyberbullying and Civil Liberties—From Wells to the Web.” He led a discussion with participants on the ways that cyberbullying could be addressed by lawmakers, teachers, parents or the students involved.

Robert Ellis, director of the Susan Wray Sullivan ’51 and Pike H. Sullivan Center for Business and Entrepreneurship and lecturer in management, spoke on “OWS and Income Inequality in the United States,” addressing income inequality, the “political access class,” and effects of contemporary political unrest.

Brief clips from each presentation can be viewed on Wells’ YouTube page: youtube.com/user/WellsCollegeNY.

300 Miles to Freedom After the presentations, the community gathered together for a screening of the documentary “300 Miles to Freedom.” The film tells the story of John W. Jones’ 1844 escape from slavery and the successful life he created in Elmira, N.Y., following his route north through interviews that provide context to the hardships that Jones faced and local lore related to the Underground Railroad.

“We wanted to tell an old, old story in a new kind of way,” said filmmaker Anand Kamalakar during the question-and-answer segment at the end of the screening. “It’s a very human story about an individual who has to succeed against every adversity and did whatever it took to make it. He was just a regular guy who tried to do the right thing in a way that was very difficult in the time that he lived.”

In Elmira, Jones served as a sexton, bought a home, and in turn helped over 800 former slaves escape. Over the years, Jones earned a valued place in the town, and by the time of his death, he was a respected, wealthy and well-known member of the community. “300 Miles to Freedom” was chosen for screening at the San Diego Black Film Festival and won a 2011 Accolade Competition Award of Merit.

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WOMEN’S AND GENDER STUDIES: “ACCESS” February 23, 2012 These events were coordinated by Associate Professor of Women’s Studies Lisa Kahaleole Hall, Professor of Psychology and Gender Studies Vic Muñoz and Associate Professor of Biology Christina Wahl.

A New Perspective Activism Symposium

The organizers of the second day chose the theme of “Access.” This simple word found applications in a variety of areas, from disability issues and awareness to institutionalized discrimination in a number of fields to the ways that personal decisions and community needs can stand in conflict.

The day opened with a lecture and discussion by Dr. Julie A. Williams, Psy.D., associate professor/rehabilitation psychologist at Wright State University’s School of Professional Psychology.

The talk, titled “The Disability Paradigm Shift for Women with Disabilities,” covered the ways that society views and portrays disabled people as well as introducing a number of concepts that came up in discussions throughout the day.

Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

Women and Gender

Dr. Williams began the discussion by saying, “Before learning about others, start with yourself. Ask where you stand first.” These words were reflected throughout the day to continually remind the community to look within before looking at others. Dr. Williams introduced three historical frameworks for dealing with disability: the moral model, which sees it as a religious issue requiring faith or forgiveness; the medical model, which sees it as a biological “problem” with a necessary cure or fix; and the minority model, which takes it as a social justice issue and seeks empowerment through new conceptions of disability as natural and normal. To close her talk, Dr. Williams challenged the community to take a fair mindset in the future and to “presume competence” in all cases.

Unpacking "Access": Message and Meaning A series of concurrent discussions made up the middle part of the day; each drew a diverse group for a challenging discussion. These included:

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Beyond Accommodation: Access, Disability and Intersecting Identities Dr. Williams joined James Hawkins Howard’13, Kathleen Maxson ’12, Charles Pane ’12, and Rachel Partington ’13 for a personal discussion of the ways that physical, emotional, and social issues interact and affect lives. Their presentations were titled “A Sped and a Faggot,” “Mental Health: Coping Strategies, Struggle, and Stigma,” “Disability and Friendship: A Love/Hate Relationship?” and “Autoimmune Illness.”

Experiences of Homelessness: Accessing Our Voices through Different Lenses Wells student Paul Montoya ’13 was joined by Erik Lehman of the Ithaca organization Dream Catalyst for a discussion of the conditions and effects of homelessness. Dream Catalyst is “committed to looking at social challenges including homelessness through lenses of abundance rather than those of scarcity.” The session, held in a full room, shared the stories of those affected and contributed greatly to the day’s theme.

Marketing Women/Marketing for Women in Pornography Theresa Mendez ’12 and Molly Deacon ’12 presented each of their thesis projects. The subject of these two papers— “Tools of Construction: Pornography Web sites and the Reification of Gendered Viewing” and “Female Archetypes in Adult Entertainment”—used the lenses of separate disciplines, but uncovered trends and mindsets that related to each other, providing for a frank and interesting discussion.

Behind Books or Behind Bars?

Admissions Counselor Isabelle Ramos ’05 juxtaposed access to higher education and prison to look at the overrepresentation of people of color in prison and their underrepresentation in higher ed. She covered social views,

“Before learning about others, start with yourself. Ask where you stand first.” county/local tax structures, and economic considerations to look at the values, policies and repercussions that make up our current state of affairs.

Film and Discussion: “Training Rules” The film “Training Rules” follows the lawsuit filed in 2006 against the athletic departments of Portland and Penn State, where talented athletes were discriminated against and dismissed on the basis of sexual orientation.

The screening was facilitated by Men’s Soccer and Mixed Golf Coach Dan Kane, Lindsey Bush ’14 and Emily Mulkerne ’12.

Access to History Current seniors presented each of their thesis projects. The presenters were Nicole Di Mauro ’12 (Mercy Otis Warren and History’s Popular Memory), Chelsea McGowan ’12 (Dykes or Whores—Get Used to It: Has the Search for Equality by Women in the U.S. Military Been Worth the Effort?) and Claudia Nolan ’12 (They Have Their Own Societal Mores: Oneida Community within the Context of the Second Great Awakening).

Viewing Community Two documentary films highlighted personal stories of disability. These were:

“Murderball” The game of Wheelchair Rugby has also earned the moniker “Murderball” due to its aggressive, intense play. This documentary follows the teams from the United States and Canada to the 2004 Wheelchair Rugby tournament in Athens, Greece, demonstrating the commitment and passion of these athletes. Discussion was facilitated by Bryant Sanders ’12, Cross Country Coach Julie Bailey and Associate Professor of Philosophy and Religion Brad Frazier.

“Sound and Fury” The documentary film follows a family’s struggles with the decision over providing cochlear implants to a pair of deaf cousins, Heather, 6, and Peter, 1 ½. Four parents struggle with giving their children more life opportunities while considering the potential inability to communicate with their children and the consequences for deaf culture. Discussion was facilitated by Assistant Professor of History Dandan Chen, Rachel Partington ’13 and Assistant Professor of Sociology Daniel Renfrow.

Sharing Conclusions Audience discussion at the films proved nuanced and lively, nearly running over into the town hall wrap-up at the end. At 4:30 p.m., though, the groups joined in the Sommer Center to revisit themes of the day and present things they had learned. After the long day, most participants were somewhat tired but eager to share ideas and realizations from the day. They arranged the chairs in the main part of the room in a loose circle and held a fairly quick overall discussion of sessions attended and points that were raised.

The “Access” coordinators took feedback and helped to guide the discussion, and by the end, plans were being laid for the creation of a new disability alliance club on campus to provide resources and raise awareness of disability issues.

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ACTIVISM SYMPOSIUM Friday, March 9, 2012

These events were coordinated by Associate Professor of Sociology Laura McClusky and Director of Student Activities and Leadership Nicole Pellegrino.

Activism Symposium

This year’s Activism Symposium, “We Are the __%,” included 18 different presentations addressing a variety of topics relating to the experience and expertise of students, faculty, community members and guests. The well-attended sessions brought in diverse opinions on economics, hydraulic fracturing, spirituality, grassroots environmental work, education, banking, journalism and a number of topics related to the Occupy Wall Street phenomenon.

Consensus Firsthand

Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

Women and Gender

The Symposium featured two keynote speakers, Tim Pool and Justin Wedes, who have been involved firsthand with Occupy Wall Street (OWS). Pool has become well known for “livestreaming” interactive, on-the-scene coverage of situations including the police evacuation of Zuccotti Park in New York City; his immediate, unfiltered style has been featured on Reuters, MSNBC and Al Jazeera English.

“I consider myself an information activist,” he told participants.

“They say that history is written by the winners—whatever that means—but now history will be written in real time, by us.” In addition to commenting on the events he had experienced and broadcast, Pool discussed his tactics and equipment and the ways that he thinks this style is changing how news stories are covered.

Wedes, member of the OWS media team and organizer with the New York City General Assembly, led a presentation titled “Consensus Decision Making: From Tweets to Streets.” Wedes explained the silent system that the General Assembly uses to obtain input from large groups of participants without having many people talking at once.

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“There are decisions happening everywhere because people are finding their own voices and learning about things. One consequence is that when everyone has a voice, it takes a long time to make everyone heard.” He explained formal consensus, “temperature checks,” blocking and “point of process” signals, and even coordinated a brief model of a consensus discussion among the audience using these techniques (the results seemed very similar to the discussion in Wells’ seminars!).

The interactivity of both of these sessions highlighted their subject matter. Pool’s presentation began with a joke “hacking” of his computer by the online network Anonymous, with a message for Wells students.

Demonstrating how his equipment worked, Pool also livestreamed his own talk for a few minutes, giving the audience a look at themselves through his channel. During a discussion on the role Twitter has played a few minutes later, Wedes posted a shoutout to Wells from the OWS account with a brief message that had earned several “re-tweets” by the end of the day.

Environmental Justice Two morning and two afternoon sessions each offered a choice between several presentations. While there were some uniting elements, the variety of subjects that were presented through these discussions and film screenings addressed the many ways that people in our culture come together to share common interests and purposes.

Three sessions raised issues of environmental activism: General Counsel for the Onondaga Nation Joseph J. Heath,

Esq., dairy farmer Aaron Snow and Visiting Associate Professor of Biology Mark Witmer attempted to unpack much of the debate around the controversial gas drilling technique of hydraulic fracturing, while Aggie Lane of the Partnership for Onondaga Creek explained how her organization worked to contest the construction of sewage plants in disadvantaged sections of Syracuse.

New Voices Another three groups further explored some of the effects of the Occupy movement: Nathan Tankus ’15 presented his work with the OWS Alternative Banking Working Group, activist Henry James encouraged participants to find their own political voice through social groups such as the Occupy movement, and Heron Simmonds-Price of Occupy Buffalo explored the ways that traditionally marginalized groups have faced tensions and encouraged pluralism within encampments.

Engaging Awareness A number of sessions addressed social oppression and its effects: students held a viewing and discussion of the College’s own contribution to the “It Gets Better” anti-bullying campaign coordinated by Emily Mulkerne ’12, Ethan Beardsley ’14, Rebecca Rose ’14 and Julie Knecht ’15; Turan Sidky ’15 discussed religious-based repression of education in Iran with a screening of “Education under Fire”; Professor Emerita of Chemistry Linda Schwab ’73, Kaitlin Hollrah ’13 and Rachel Compton ’12 discussed the development of diverse, inclusive communities “at the intersection of spirituality and student life”; and the Women’s Resource Center held a frank workshop on the topic of consent in relationships.

“I consider myself an information activist. They say that history is written by the winners—whatever that means—but now history will be written in real time, by us.”

Informative Views Sprinkled throughout were a number of sessions addressing informative subjects: Paul Feldman, economist and grandfather of Stephen Creekmore ’12, presented a libertarian framework for the relation of economics and government; freelance journalist Stevie Nicholl Beberick held a workshop on writing for independent media; John Adamski, president of the board of trustees for the Finger Lakes Museum, screened a video on the initiative behind the museum; Kyra Schugt ’09 led a discussion related to the Microsoft Partners in Learning Team’s American Teacher Program, and the Wells College Republican Club discussed the Conservative Political Action Conference.

By the end of the sessions late Friday afternoon, most of the presenters and audience members were ready to call it a day, but all headed out with a great number of ideas to think over and consider during the weekend. The organizers saw people out, with the reminder that anyone could help with planning for the Symposium, same time next year!

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Sustainability

celebrating scholarship &

engagement

Imagination and Innovation

IMAGINATION AND INNOVATION Wednesday, April 4, 2012 These events were coordinated by Lecturer in Business Tracy Brandenburg and Professor of Art Theodore Lossowski.

Thinking Creatively Activism Symposium

The fourth Celebrating Scholarship and Engagement day, dedicated to the theme of “Imagination and Innovation,” featured some of the most widely-varied events and venues, with presentations conducted across campus in three different academic buildings Main Building’s String Room and Innovation Lab, the Dining Hall’s Express Café, the Sommer Center and the upper gymnasium of the Schwartz Athletic Center.

Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

Women and Gender

The day stood as a tribute to art, creativity and performance, starting out with the unofficial opening of an installation exhibit titled “Swells” that took up the length of the Innovation Lab. The interactive exhibit was the combined effort of Wells students and artists with the Syracuse independent art boutique and gallery Craft Chemistry. Pairing dozens and dozens of boxes with the open-ended theme of “Treasure,” the participants imaginatively constructed a one-of-a-kind series of connected art pieces. Each component consisted of a box that could only be experienced by literally putting your head inside it to see the scene constructed within, and veiwers were encouraged to approach and interact with the work.

Additionally, two students earning their degrees in art history this year presented their thesis work for the community. Jenna Grunvald ’12 gave a presentation titled “The Botticelli Code,” and MacKenzie Greschak ’12 discussed his project, “Face of Mohammed.” Not long after, Associate Professor of Art History William Ganis held a gallery talk on the abstract paintings by Christopher McEvoy that were featured in the String Room Gallery.

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“The day stood as a tribute to art, creativity and performance.”

The lunch break offered the chance to support Guatemalan artists with a textile and jewelry sale sponsored by the Syracuse University SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise).

Authentic Guatemalan goods were on display and available for purchase, with 100% of the proceeds returned to the Maya artisans.

Music and Dance Events that showcased expression through performance included an introduction to Argentine Tango, given by Lecturer in Dance Heather Roffe; those that attended were treated to an overview of basics such as style fundamentals, partnering skills and floor etiquette. In the afternoon, Washoku Shock, a “student proposal for growing, cooking and eating organic Japanese food at Wells College,” took an interesting form, as Japanese language students, dance students and the Doshisha Women’s College Japanese exchange students performed a special presentation with an accompanying dance.

Around lunchtime, the Express Café hosted a live music/ open mic session, inviting participants to bring their own special talents and “Take Back the Mic,” featuring music, poetry and singing, among other student talents.

Student Experiences Impressive student work was on display in a poster session, as well as senior theses presentations and a new twist on the series’ many film screenings. In the morning, Ken Boddie ’13, Tim Lambert ’13, Alex Schloop ’12 and Jessica Ward ’12, all of whom taken recent internships in the communications field, were on hand displaying posters about the positions they had held and answering questions about their experiences.

Thesis work in the history major was presented by Chris Burger ’12 ,“Buds and Suds: American Beer from Colonial Brewing Until the Repeal of Prohibition,”who gave a history of the brewing industry and served his own homebrew as part of the presentation, and Doug Whaley ’12, “Hollywood War Stories: A Look at Similarities Between World War II and Vietnam and How We Remember Them through Film,”who analyzed and drew comparisons between film portrayals of conflict in two eras.

A new student organization named Wells Filmmentary hosted a live commentary on the 1953 B-movie “Cat-Women of the Moon.” Conducted in the tradition of the classic show “Mystery Science Theater 3000,” this event invited a new kind of light-hearted audience participation. The process demonstrated the fun and creativity offered by nothing more than a public domain film and a good sense of humor!

learning. The workshop, conducted by a group that has been practicing this popular form of spontaneous acting for decades, instructed participants in techniques and offered advice for improving quick-on-your-feet performance.

Later in the evening, the Neo-Futurists performed their signature play, “Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind.”

The production consists of 30 two-minute pieces that the cast attempts to perform within an hour. All of these original works are written by the members of the Neo-Futurists and performed in an order that the audience chooses, assuring an incredibly unpredictable, high-energy show. With 24 years of ever-changing performances, “Too Much Light…” is currently the longest-running show in Chicago and has included more than 7,000 individual short plays during that time.

A Place for Creativity The talent on display during this day of imagination and innovation was exceptionally impressive—even down to the handmade eyeglasses handed out for viewing the “Swells” exhibit. With the sun out and mostly clear skies, students moved easily between each event. From the innovative work of communications interns to informative and interactive presentations to the madcap creative frenzy presented by the Neo-Futurists, the theme was revealed through imaginative events that represented the skills, knowledge and interests of the community.

Special Guests The Neo-Futurists, a Chicago fusion-theatre group, was on campus as a part of the yearly Arts and Lecture Series, and the cast treated the Wells community to an afternoon improv theatre workshop for actors, writers or anyone interested in

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Sustainability

celebrating scholarship &

engagement

Imagination and Innovation

SUSTAINABILITY Monday, April 23, 2012

Activism Symposium

These events were coordinated by Professor of Psychology Milene Morfei and Professor of Environmental Studies Niamh O’Leary.

Sustainability from the Experts

As the semester and inaugural Celebrating Scholarship and Engagement series drew to its end, organizers Niamh O’Leary, professor of environmental studies, and Milene Morfei, professor of psychology, planned a number of engaging events to pre-empt any academic weariness or spring. The final events of this spring’s series approached the theme of sustainability by taking advantage of Wells’ beautiful setting and engaging some of the topics at their source.

There were also a number of talks and presentations to attend, featuring Wells students and environmental experts from the Finger Lakes and beyond. The keynote speaker was Dr. Bruce Gilman, professor of environmental conservation and horticulture and director of the Environmental Studies Program at Finger Lakes Community College, who gave the talk “A Finger Lakes History and Legacy.” Dr. Gilman discussed the formation of the Finger Lakes at the end of the Ice Age, the exploitation of their resources during the last 300 years and the hope of sustaining them for future generations. He addressed reasons that we study the lakes and work to protect the landscape and restore essential ecological services that are taken for granted.

There were several opportunities held throughout the day that offered the chance to get out into nature. Participants were treated to bird-watching nature walks led by Visiting Associate Professor of Biology Mark Witmer (with binoculars provided); a tour of the new student-designed, permaculture-based campus garden with Lecturer in Visual Arts Lena Masur; and a tour, led by Amanda Kelly ’13, of Aurora’s Glebe Farm run by Professor Emerita of Chemistry Linda Schwab.

Women and Gender Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

Getting into Nature

For those who wanted to get their hands dirty, Grounds Foreman Jim Button, Professor of Physics Scott Heinekamp and Professor of Anthropology and Religion Ernie Olson directed as students rolled up their sleeves and helped the buildings and grounds staff with weeding, planting, tree removal and other “campus beautification” projects; and Campus Greens assisted with a voluntary campus cleanup during the afternoon.

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The events of the day also incorporated the annual Beckman Lecture, given in Phipps Auditorium by author and urban planning expert James Howard Kunstler. Kunstler’s talk was based on his new book, “Too Much Magic: Wishful

“The theme of the day didn’t exclude lunch, either—the dining hall staff prepared a menu featuring many of the local, natural and organic foods that Wells’ staff work to bring from the area.”

Thinking, Technology, and the Fate of the Nation.” He discussed the roles that technological advances and belief in cultural exceptionalism play in creating many of the crises we are currently going through, addressing topics such as economics, environmental concerns, and politics. His advice to those looking for a solution is to pay attention to the signals around you and act intelligently.

Learning about Change Three senior environmental studies seniors gave special presentations of the research, experimentation, writing, revising and other work that they had conducted throughout their year.

These students demonstrated the diversity and relevance of their discipline in contemporary society. Brief interviews can be found on pages 20-21.

The Community Chimes in The earliest event of the day was a “Sustainability Works” panel discussion that highlighted some forward-thinking on-campus efforts. Topics included a discussion of the activities organized

by Wells’ Campus Greens environmental club (Peter QuinnJacobs ’12); plans for a “Green Handbook” student resource that would offer tips for responsible energy use (Melissa Fortin ’13); the Sustainable Design course that designed the new campus garden (Mike Butler ’14); how Wells might pursue garden projects (Administrative Assistant for Elementary and Secondary Education and avid gardener Laurie Rocker); and the sustainable lifestyle in Ithaca’s EcoVillage and how a sustainability course at Wells might include a lab component at the community (Lecturer in Japanese and EcoVillage resident Kurt Pipa).

A pair of theses presentations and a presentation from Professor Emerita of Chemistry Linda Schwab brought in historical viewpoints. Schwab discussed the publication “The Genesee Farmer,” a pre-Civil War periodical that addressed careless, exploitative farming or gave practical observations on growing both familiar and forgotten crops—and perhaps influenced the planning of Henry Wells’ mansion Glen Park. Later that evening, history major Mary Corbett ’12 discussed the causes of the 1845 Potato Famine, and Shane Knezevich ’11 explored time and the “temporal revolution” in Antebellum America.

Cayuga Lake Watershed Network Steward Hilary Lambert also hosted an open house in the network’s offices on the second floor of Zabriskie Hall for anyone who wanted more information about the organization’s involvement in the region. The theme of the day didn’t exclude lunch, either—the dining hall staff prepared a menu featuring many of the local, natural and organic foods that Wells’ staff work to bring from the area.

The events of the day provided a fitting topic at an opportune time of the year, winding up the 2011-12 year with various events offering advice on how to responsibly engage the environment in a sustainable way as well as half a dozen opportunities to get right into it. The series, developed to increase community bonds, was captured perfectly in this day in which Wells students, faculty and staff were united in efforts to engage the College’s scenic location. As the call for sustainable practices and development grows, the College continues to build on strengths and highlight the needs and opportunities that can be found right here.

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Sustainability

Student Thesis Work

Imagination and Innovation

Throughout the Celebrating Scholarship and Engagement series, students matched their senior thesis work to the theme of the day and presented their findings to the community. The following student presentations took place on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and Sustainability days, and their work was advised by Professor of History Cynthia Koepp and Professor of Environmental Studies Niamh O’Leary.

Charles Pane ’12

Page Kienzle ’12

History Major, Secondary Education Minor

History Major, Book Arts Minor

“William Howard Taft and Presidential Greatness”

“Community Comparisons on Hollow Ground: Life, Labor, and Upheaval in Coal and Copper Communities”

Activism Symposium

What was the subject of your thesis?

What was the subject of your thesis?

Why did you choose this topic?

Why did you choose this topic?

The Progressive Era in American history is one of my favorite eras to study. Taft always seemed to me as a president that hadn’t received proper recognition in historical texts and in historians' minds, and I felt as if his contributions needed to be brought to light.

At the turn of the 20th century, labor unrest was at its height, but little research has been done comparing the nature and relationship of paternalism and labor violence across industry lines. Research reveals that labor paternalism is still used as a mechanism of control and appeasement in order to prevent large and costly improvements.

Sharon Vitello ’12

Women and Gender Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

The subject was critically analyzing former president William Howard Taft. When compared to Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson (the presidents before and after), he looks like a below average president, and after my research, that certainly was not the case.

Environmental Science Major, Psychology Minor

“Steps to Charting a New Energy Future in Caroline, N.Y.: Facilitating and Evaluating a Public Participation Process” What was the subject of your thesis?

Colin Evans ’12 Environmental Science Major

“Refining a Transesterification Process: Examining Different Protocols for Converting Waste Vegetable Oil into Biodiesel”

The subject of my thesis was implementing a public participation planning process in a local community, Caroline, N.Y., in order to assist with the discussion of energy transitioning and Caroline’s specific energy future from the perspective of its members. This is part of a larger state-wide project that Cornell Cooperative Extension is working on.

What was the subject of your thesis?

Did anything come up in your research that you didn’t expect?

When I was first introduced to the process of transesterification in my organic chemistry classes, it really fascinated me. There is no denying that at some point we are going to run out of oil and are going to need a suitable replacement. Biodiesel should be one of those replacements.

I had no idea how much work goes into planning an event and an evaluation plan! I’ve definitely gained a lot of skills that will help me later in life.

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My thesis examined mining communities in the Keweenaw copper region of Michigan and Southern West Virginia coal fields, focusing on the importance of ethnic communities and relationships. I used this framework to examine how company paternalism affected the intensity of violence during labor unrest in 1913-14.

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I examined biodiesel fuel produced from waste vegetable oil. I researched the history and production of it in the U.S. and other countries and the environmental benefits of its use, and I made biodiesel fuel from waste vegetable oil from the Wells dining hall.

Why did you choose this topic?

A Glimpse of Thesis Titles from the Class of 2012 “The Expression of Creativity in Individuals with Bipolar Disorder” “Mismatched Strings and Neural Networks: Backpropagating to a Solution”

Kevin Wilson ’12 History Major, Political Science Minor

“Taking the Stump: Campaigns and the Presidency” What was the subject of your thesis?

Until the early 20th century, many Americans believed that it was undignified for a presidential candidate to “beg for votes” by making public appearances. This stands in fairly stark contrast to today, and I wanted to explore why that change occurred.

“Opposing Roles of Cytokinin on Root Meristem Development in Arabidopsis Thaliana” “The Botticelli Code” “The Role of Urban Agriculture in Shaping Access to the Food Environment”

Did anything come up in your research that you didn’t expect?

Although I set out to explain the differences in presidential campaigns over time, I was struck by how much continuity there was.

The frustration of partisan politics and negative campaigns has been with us since the 1790s. If anything, politics has actually grown a bit more polite.

Alissa Kent ’12

“Marketing with Social Media: The Effects of the Digital Age” “Generation Y and Intergenerational Differences: Developing a Positive Weapon for Creating a Productive Workforce”

Environmental Science Major

“Assessing the Effectiveness of a Middle School Field Trip on the Cayuga Lake Floating Classroom”

“’I’m Burning the Child’: Hedda’s Search for General Gabler”

What was the subject of your thesis?

The work on my thesis began in the fall of 2011 when the Cayuga Lake Floating Classroom hosted a field trip for a class from Southern Cayuga Central School. A pre- and post-field trip survey was given to the students and used to gain useful insight into the effectiveness of this environmental education program. Along with discussing the study I conducted during the fall semester of 2011, my thesis analyzes similar studies that used different methods of assessing environmental education.

“Buds and Suds: American Beer from Colonial Brewing until the Repeal of Prohibition” “The Intermediary Role of HeatActivated Map Kinases in the Response to Heat Stress in Plants”

Why did you choose this topic?

I believe that education is a vital tool in environmental issues. When the opportunity to work with the floating classroom was presented to me through Professor Niamh O’Leary, I was able to definitively choose environmental education as my topic.

“Tools of Construction: Pornography Web sites and the Reification of Gendered Viewing”

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auror a express Fourth Annual Employee Recognition Breakfast The semester began with the fourth Annual Employee Recognition Breakfast where the College celebrated milestone service anniversaries, with special tribute to those celebrating 25 years, and launched a new series of awards for excellence.

After receiving over two dozen submissions for the new awards for excellence, Senior Staff members selected five individuals from different areas who “go above and beyond” in demonstrating excellent work in support of the College’s mission and who share a thoughtful concern for the College and students. Each awardee received an individual engraved plaque and a $100 Wells Dining card, and will have their name added to a campus plaque.

Awards for Excellence: • Melanie Cullen, assistant registrar • Eric Vaughn, director of experiential learning and career services • Milene Morfei ’89, professor of psychology • Malindra Ratnayake, director of residence life and learning communities • Kenneth “Buster” Wilson, custodian

SErvice anniversAries: Celebrating five years of service were Erin Sue Becker, van driver; Scott Gross, van driver; Thomas Gruver, van driver; Lisa Kahaleole Hall, associate professor of women’s studies; Abigail Marnell, assistant director for annual giving; Peggy Morris, custodian; Russell Posegate, lecturer in music; David Salico, accountant; Susan Tabrizi, associate professor of political science; Amy Torea, coordinator for off-campus study; and Joseph Wojtylko, assistant athletics director for recruiting and head men’s basketball coach. Celebrating 10 years of service was Susan Wansor, instructor and field experience coordinator in education. Celebrating 15 years of service were Catherine Burroughs, professor of English; Niamh O’Leary, professor of environmental studies; and Thomas Stiadle, associate professor of mathematics. Celebrating 20 years of service was Cynthia J. Koepp, professor of history. Celebrating 25 years of service were Kit Van Orman ’79, manager of human resources and business services; Jeanne Goddard, professor of dance; Yvonne “Bonnie” Rafferty, custodian; and Christopher Bailey, professor of chemistry. Celebrating 30 years of service was Cathleen Patella, director of financial aid. Celebrating 35 years of service was Sally Sievers, lecturer in mathematics, and celebrating 40 years of service was Kenneth Kabelac, electrician’s assistant.

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2012 Commencement Speaker Karen Frankel Blum '67 Alumna Karen Frankel Blum ’67 will deliver the 2012 Commencement address. Ms. Blum is the recipient of the 2010 Wells College Alumnae Award for her contributions to the field of law, especially for her work in the area of Section 1983 civil rights.

Blum majored in philosophy at Wells and received her J.D. from Suffolk University Law School in 1974, and an LL.M. from Harvard University Law School in 1976.

An outstanding scholar, author and teacher, Karen Blum is a nationally recognized authority on Section 1983 Civil Rights Litigation and Qualified Immunity for the Federal Judicial Center. Since 1974, she has served on the faculty at Suffolk, where she is currently an associate dean and professor of law. She regularly leads and presents at Continuing Legal Education seminars and institutes around the country and was named the first director of the Masterman Institute on the First Amendment and the Fourth Estate at Suffolk University Law School in 2008.

Highly regarded for her unbiased view of civil rights law, Ms. Blum lectures to lawyers who defend civil rights cases as well as to plaintiffs’ lawyers. She presents programs for the National Sheriffs’ Association and for the Public Agency Training Council, and she is actively involved with the National Police Accountability Project (founded to help end police abuse of authority and provide educational training on police misconduct issues) and has served on its Advisory Board since its inception in 1999. Most recently, Ms. Blum was recognized by the National Lawyers Guild for her work in civil rights law and police misconduct litigation.

“Karen’s commitment to lifelong learning and social justice make her an exemplary speaker for our 2012 Commencement,” says President Lisa Marsh Ryerson ’81.

“Much of Karen’s work today is to provide orientation and continuing education for federal judges; for her service she received the Judge John R. Brown Award for Judicial Scholarship and Education in 2000. I am thrilled for her to return to campus and deliver the Commencement address this spring.”

Wells’ 144th Commencement will take place at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 26, at the Aurora Inn.

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Arts and Lecture Series Brings a Variety of Campus Visits The Wells College Arts and Lecture Series brings a variety of important events to campus each year, covering music, dance, theatre and lectures from reputable professionals in related fields.

This year, the Series’ programming included: Producer and editor Peter Cohen’s demonstration of software used in professional video production in “The Evolution of Electronic Editing from the Razor to the Edge.” Cohen has handled post-production on two films and lent his talents to “Saturday Night Live,” “The Twilight Zone,” “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and numerous other network specials, television series and music videos.

Wells Students and Faculty Earn Awards for Performance of “Our Beds Are Crowded” The work of 12 current students, two faculty members, one outside professional and one alumna playwright went into this year’s Performing Arts Department faculty production—resulting in an outstanding regional premier performance of “Our Beds are Crowded: Seven Short Plays about Love, Fear and Sex.” Nearly 400 people attended the production, which earned five awards from the Theatre Association of New York State (TANYS) including Meritorious Achievement in Directing for Siouxsie Easter, Excellence in Acting for Camilla Schade and Alexi Montgomery ’13, and Meritorious Achievement in Acting for Haley-May Block ’15 and Forrest Lambert ’14.

Symphony Syracuse’s “Holiday Pops” concert brought the extremely talented symphony orchestra to the stage of Phipps Auditorium. Conducted by Ron Spigelman and accompanied by baritone soloist Steven Stull, the concert featured many holiday classics, a sing-along session and a visit from Santa Claus himself.

The renowned Elisa Monte Dance Company stunned the Wells audience with a style that blends athleticism and emotion while synthesizing techniques and influences from around the world.

The accomplished dancers’ various backgrounds and perspectives complement internationally-recognized artistic director Elisa Monte’s original works.

Chicago theatre group The Neo-Futurists performed their signature show “Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind,” an everchanging attempt to perform 30 plays in 60 minutes. The plays, performed in random order, are written by performers and based on a variety of personal experiences. In its 24th year, it is the longest-running current show in Chicago.

Associate Professor of Theatre Siouxsie Easter directed the play, which is the eighth original work by award-winning alumna writer Christie Perfetti ’00. In the time since graduating from Wells, Perfetti has proven herself to be an accomplished playwright, producer and author with her numerous plays, the books “Regular Coffee” and “Revolutions Per Minute,” and articles for “Jane” magazine” and “Woman’s World.”

Perfetti’s writing has earned the “Best of the Fest” award at the 2010 Girl Play Lesbian Play Reading Festival, finalist standing in the Fusion Theatre 2009 Playwriting Festival, and first place in the 2008 Oswego Players Playwriting Competition. Her work has been performed by numerous groups in Los Angeles, Florida and New York City. This year, she founded her own production company, Carnival Girls, dedicated to showcasing the talents of female artists.

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Dr. Langdon Winner Discusses “Techno-Triumphalism” Dr. Langdon Winner, professor of political science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, gave a lecture at Wells titled “The Rise and Fall of Techno-Triumphalism.” His talk addressed the belief that progress in science enhances human powers and generates prosperity for all. While this idea has guided our society in recent years, Dr. Winner brought together evidence such as energy debates, climate concerns and Wall Street issues that indicate attempts to re-inflate the American Dream through enthusiasm for innovation and sustainability may only postpone “the day of reckoning.”

“I’d argue that a set of long brewing circumstances in energy, climate, and economic inequality now spell the end of the triumphalist vision,” said Dr. Winner. “There is still hope, but it will not be secured through ‘innovation’ or ‘green technology’ or other fantasies that our leaders sometimes promote.”

Author of “Autonomous Technology,” “The Whale and the Reactor,” and many other works, Dr. Winner is widely known for his writing on the politics of technology. This lecture was held as part of the “This Community Reads!” series and tied in with Wells’ Community Read, Pat Frank’s “Alas, Babylon.”

The Division of Academic and Student Life sponsored Dr. Winner’s visit.

Klitgaard Publishes This past fall, Professor of Economics Kent A. Klitgaard completed his first book, “Energy and the Wealth of Nations: Understanding the Biophysical Economy,” in collaboration with Charles A.S. Hall, professor of biology and ESF Foundation Distinguished Professor at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

“Energy and the Wealth of Nations” explores the relation between energy and the wealth explosion of the 20th century and questions the world’s economic dependence on cheap oil and cheap debt. Hall and Klitgaard bring their disciplines of science and economics together in an endeavor to address what the new economic theory for a post-peak oil world will look like.

“When you look at the history of economics, it was developed in an era of cheap and readily available fossil fuels,” says Klitgaard. “We need to develop a new economic theory that looks beyond the cheap economics of oil and debt and looks to environmental friendly energy sources. The impact of energy on the world and its environment is reaching detrimental levels, and the future is going to be different from the past—it will likely be one of austerity and de-growth.”

Klitgaard and Hall's book “Energy and the Wealth of Nations: Understanding the Biophysical Economy” is available for purchase online at www.springer. com and www.amazon.com.

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Michael Peich Gives Susan Garretson Swartzburg ’60 Memorial Book Arts Lecture Michael Peich, professor emeritus of English at West Chester University, gave the 2011 Susan Garretson Swartzburg ’60 Memorial Book Arts Lecture in October.

The lecture, entitled “Aralia Press: Serving the Muse, 1983-2011,” explored Peich’s experiences with his own press and the continuing importance of publishing poetry in our hectic world.

Peich is perhaps best known in academia as the cofounder and former director of the annual West Chester University Poetry Conference and is also the founder of Aralia Press on the West Chester campus. Aralia uses undergraduate and graduate students to help hand set type, letterpress print and hand bind books of poetry by contemporary authors.

As Peich has explained, “My students read contemporary poetry and they learn about the history of the printed book by actually making one. The experience of working at Aralia creates an appreciation for poetry and good design. Isn’t that what education is supposed to do— broaden and deepen our students’ awareness?”

His talk was sponsored by the Book Arts Center and given in the E. Margie Matthews Filter Hostetter ’62 Lecture Room of Stratton Hall.

Admissions Expressions The Office of Admissions is excited to announce that over 600 students have already visited the Wells College campus this year. Each year, the College awards Janet Taylor Reiche ’52 Legacy Scholarships to the children and grandchildren of Wells alumnae/i. These scholarships, valued at $2,500 a year for four consecutive years of study, are named in honor of Wells alumna and Honorary Trustee Janet Taylor Reiche ’52 who served as the first woman chair of the Wells College Board of Trustees. In addition, any student who is referred to Wells by an alumna/us gets their application fee waived.

Please call 800.952.9355 to schedule an individualized visit and campus tour, or check us out at www.wells.edu/admissions.

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String Room Gallery Exhibits Wells visual arts faculty members bring a variety of current artists in each semester for exhibitions in the College’s String Room Gallery. Originally the College’s library, the String Room was repurposed as a student lounge after the building of Cleveland Hall in 1911. In 1963 it was renamed and in 1980 repurposed as an art gallery. Regular openings in the String Room draw a high percentage of the student body, and there is rarely a time when students and visitors can’t find an interesting and refreshing array of art on display.

This year’s exhibits included: Jennifer Macklem: “Peaceable Kingdom” installations, video works and interactive sculpture.

Ron Broida: “Seven Metamorphoses” mural-sized digital images and prints.

“Wide Angle”: performance installation of photography, 2-D and 3-D art, film, dance, theatre and music by Wells faculty and students.

Annual Exhibition of Student Work: pieces by students in a range of courses including drawing, painting, sculpture, pottery and book arts.

Christopher McEvoy: “Liminal States” abstract paintings and mixed-media works.

“In Retrospect”: artists’ books by Nava Atlas, Maureen Cummins and Ann Lovett.

Senior Thesis Exhibition: work by Adinah Dutton ’12, Matthew Kwiatkowski ’12 and Johanna Manierre ’12.

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Wells Students Participate in Community Video Contest

Go Wells! A Wear Red Day Winner On February 27 the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign announced the 13 “most spirited” winners of their Wear Red Day Challenge competition on Facebook held throughout American Heart Month in February.

As part of Wells’ ongoing participation in the This Community Reads! program, the Office of Student Activities and Leadership and the Division of Academic and Student Life invited students to show off their creativity by contributing to a video contest themed around the apocalyptic novel “Alas, Babylon” by Pat Frank. The contest challenged students with the following question: “As in ‘Alas, Babylon’, if you received word that the world would likely end, what would you want to do before the world ended?”

The videos, which had a five minute time limit, could be submitted by anyone in the campus community in teams or as individuals. They were judged by a panel of faculty and staff, and the top 10 were then screened for Wells students who voted for first, second and third place. The third place winners were“Rain Drops”: Keegan Evans ’15 and Andrew Judson ’15. The second place winners were “Alone”: Kelli Furney ’15, Taylor Dunn ’14 and Tyler Fischetti ’15. The first place winners were “Alas, Babylon Video”: Joe O’Flaherty ’15, Colin Evans ’12, Andrew Judson ’15 and Keegan Evans ’15. These three winning videos show remarkable creativity, wit and artistic sensibility; they can be viewed at wells.edu/news/2011/ alasbabyloncontest.aspx.

The team that created the winning video is in the process of expanding their project into a short film.

We hope to have more information about this effort soon!

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After receiving the most “likes,” Wells was the Go Red Group category winner in the competition for our ‘red heart’ photo of students, faculty and staff wearing red in support of National Wear Red Day on February 3. The Wear Red Day Challenge promoted a friendly “most spirited” competition to encourage participation in National Wear Red Day held on the first Friday in February.

Go Red for Women was created in 2004 to inform women about the risks of heart disease—the No. 1 killer of women—and how to be proactive in their heart health. President Lisa Marsh Ryerson ’81 serves on the Executive Leadership Team for the Go Red for Women movement of Syracuse, N.Y.

Dr. David Pantalone Discussion for World AIDS Day The Wells College Social Sciences Colloquia Series commemorated World AIDS Day this year by inviting David Pantalone, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology at Suffolk University, for a special talk titled “Behavioral Aspects of HIV/AIDS: A Syndemics Perspective.” As an expert in health psychology and behavioral medicine, Dr. Pantalone researches how social and behavioral factors affect physical and mental health as well as the effects on minorities of discrimination, stress, substance abuse and interpersonal violence. His work also focuses on understanding the complex relations between substance use and risk-taking health behaviors as well as behavior therapy techniques for decreasing psychological distress and improving physical health.

“Primarily, my work aims to address research questions about the prevention or cessation of risky behaviors (such as substance use and sexual risk taking) and the adoption of health-promoting behaviors (such as medication adherence and engagement with medical care). Given the high rates of stressful experiences in stigmatized groups, I have also developed an interest in testing the mechanisms by which previous stressful/abusive experiences are linked with later physical and mental health and functioning,” he says on his Suffolk University faculty page.

auror a express

2012-13 Tuition and Fees A Wells College education integrates the whole student experience and prepares students to embrace a changing world. Taking an approach that balances the classroom experience with handson learning, our faculty members work closely with students as they provide strong programs across a wide array of majors which serve as excellent preparation for post-graduate study and professional life.

At its February meeting, the Wells College Board of Trustees meeting set the price of a Wells education for next year at an increase of just 3.9% over last year. Being mindful of the ongoing economic challenges many families are facing, the Board was able to keep increases to a minimum. The total cost of a Wells education for 2012-13 will be $46,600 with full-time tuition at $33,200; base room and board at $11,900; and fees remaining the same at $1,500. Even as we continue to improve our excellent and diverse offerings, the price of a Wells education is still below many of our peer colleges and universities.

Intern Queen

Wells Students Provide New “Flapperless” Toilet The students of Professor Milene Morfei’s Psychology of Environmental Sustainability course last fall were divided into four groups and given the task of creating a solid plan for making improvements to Wells’ sustainability efforts. In the end, each group came up with an entirely original plan in a separate area—but one especially innovative group managed to raise funds and implement their novel idea before the semester even finished.

This group of Ruth Caforio ’12, Jodie Foust ’13, Cody Kimball ’13, Nicole Volkert ’13 and Jessica Ward ’12, decided to provide the College with a new “flapperless toilet.” These products, designed without the chainand-lever apparatus in the tank, greatly reduce the amount of water used and eliminate parts that can wear down or break.

In order to pay for the toilet, group members raised funds by selling cupcakes, chocolate- and peanut butter-dipped pretzels, and handmade duct tape roses, and by taking $1 donations. The Niagara Conservation toilet that they purchased uses only 1.28 gallons of water per flush, cutting down the College’s water use and carbon footprint.

Wells’ Buildings and Grounds Department agreed to oversee the installation of the toilet in Macmillan Hall, accompanied by a poster explaining the student project and information about the toilet itself.

The group hopes that future classes will continue with similar projects, and that over time Wells will be able to continually reduce the carbon footprint of the campus through student and community efforts.

This past fall over 75 students attended an internship information session held by Lauren Berger, CEO of InternQueen.com, hosted by the Office of Experiential Learning and Career Services. After participating in 15 internships during her four years at the University of Central Florida, Berger started InternQueen.com, a site that connects students with internships of their dreams and helps employers post internship opportunities. She is also a national college speaker who shares the importance of internships, her experiences finding internships and the value of networking and making connections with current college students. As part of the Student Employment Professional Development Series, the Office of Experiential Learning and Career Services also hosted business etiquette, networking and formal and informal professional image consultant John Bourdage for student sessions in personal presence, social skills, the art of conversation and the art of networking. The Student Employment Professional Development Series is a set of workshops that provide extended learning outside of the classroom or work environment to assist students in developing their employment skills for future careers. wells.edu 27

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Science Colloquium The Wells College Science Colloquium is a long-standing Friday lunchtime seminar series that features speakers who present their research projects and professional activities in the sciences.

Community members are invited to attend the talks. The following presentations took place during the 2011-12 academic year: • Summer Internship Poster Session • John Manning, president of Earth Sensitive Solutions, LLC: “Geothermal Energy“ • Kevin McGowan, Cornell Lab of Ornithology: “That’s Crow Biz”

11th Annual Gospel Choir Weekend at Wells Gospel Choir Weekend is an annual event in which the students, faculty and staff at Wells College and surrounding communities come together to learn about and engage in the singing of gospel music. This year marked the 11th annual Gospel Choir Weekend, titled “New Beginnings” and coordinated by the Wells gospel choir Appointed. Edward “Chief” Menifee, who has led gospel workshops at Wells, Hamilton College and Muhlenberg College for over a decade, directed the events.

“While it certainly isn’t news that black gospel music has influenced so much of our music that has emerged over time, it may be a new opportunity to see that history come together in an event such as Gospel Choir Weekend at Wells College,” said Wells President Lisa Marsh Ryerson ’81, who serves as advisor to Appointed and participated in the celebration. All who attended joined in basic music history and singing workshops and practice sessions culminating in a concert of songs learned over the weekend. The Gospel Weekend Concert proved to be an uplifting, memorable event featuring the voices of students, faculty and staff as well as a great number of community members, choirs and singers from around the area.

Over the years, gospel choirs and students from Hamilton College, Ithaca College and Union Springs Academy have participated in the workshop, as well as various churches and communities of faith in the area. If you would like to participate in the next Gospel Choir Weekend, keep an eye on Wells.edu early next year!

• Kevin White, Akwesasne Mohawk, visiting professor of Native American studies, SUNY Oswego: “The White Corn Project” (cohosted with the Peachtown Festival) • Magdalen Lindeberg, Cornell University Department of Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology: “’Yellow Dragon Disease’: A Citrus Disease on the Move and How Genomics Provides Clues to Its Biology” • Cathy Walker ‘09, currently working on her doctorate at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst Department of Polymer Science and Engineering: “Solid Polymer Electrolytes for Lithium Ion Batteries” • Dr. Greg Boyer, chair of the department of chemistry, and director of the Great Lakes Research Consortium State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry: “Toxic Cyanobacteria in the Great Lakes: What Modern Tools and Toys Tell Us about an Age-old Problem” • Jeff Lipton, Cornell University Department of Mechanical Engineering: “Desktop 3D Printing, Digital Fabrication and Opensource Hardware” • Dr. Cornelia Farnum, James Law professor of anatomy, Cornell University Department of Biomedical Sciences: “The Ups and Downs of Bone Growth: Analyzing the Growth Plate in Four Dimensions” • Dr. Bodhi Rogers, Ithaca College Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Landscape Scale Archaeogeophysics Surveys at Buried Late Bronze Age Cities in Cyprus” • Howard C. Howland, professor emeritus, Cornell University Department of Neurobiology and Behavior: “Development of Vision in Infancy and Childhood” • Dr. Seyfollah Maleki, Union College Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Lasers in Art Conservation” • Robert Ellis, director, The Sullivan Center for Business and Entrepreneurship and lecturer in management; and Christina Wahl, associate professor of biology: “Why Pre-Health and Engineering Students Should Consider Business Training” • Senior Theses Presentations

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The Innovation Lab is on ‘Target’ This spring, students in the “Innovation, Creative Problem Solving” class, taught by Lecturers in Business Sirietta Simoncini and Tracy Brandenburg, presented their solutions to a challenge sponsored

by Target: to redesign the experience of shopping for children’s apparel and accessories.

The students invited the campus community and welcomed visitors, Susan Sheffield, design director of newborn, infant, and toddler apparel, Target, Minneapolis, Minn.; and LaToya D. Ingram, leadership facilitator, JetBlue, Queens, N.Y., to come test five new shopping solutions that were based on the needs of shoppers at Target in Ithaca, N.Y. The solutions ranged from a shopping “cart of creativity” that would entertain kids so a mom could shop in peace, to a “project runway” that would make back-to-school shopping interactive and fun for kids with a runway and iPad tablet, to “Target’s toddlers” that would redesign and reorganize the toddler clothing and accessory section making it more child-friendly and easier for parents to shop. The five teams of students followed the creative problem solving methodology consisting of developing empathy, prototyping process, collaboration, iteration and feedback to redesign a new shopping experience based on the needs of the people they met at the Target in Ithaca.

Since its inception in the spring of 2011, and in addition to the Target-sponsored challenge, the Innovation Lab has participated in three other challenges hosted by OpenIDEO, run by the world renowned design company IDEO; and has also received recognition for being the only school to make the OpenIDEO challenges part of a class assignment. Most notably this past fall, out of 164 ideas submitted to the Amnesty International sponsored challenge on OpenIDEO, ”Help I’m Being Detained and I Can’t Get Free,” the idea from a Wells College Innovation Lab team was one of 20 selected to make it to the “refinement” stage.

Both visitors from Target and JetBlue were very impressed by the students’ creativity and ability to better their solutions with testers’ feedback, and Sheffield told students to “watch out for the use of tablets in our Target stores. We’ve already been thinking about this.”

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athletic news

Student-Athletes Earn Academic Awards Wells College student-athletes continue to succeed in the classroom, earning several academic awards. Patrick Sodums ’12 (Candor, N.Y.) was named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Division III Men’s Scholar All-East Region Honorable Mention Team. In order to be nominated for this honor, student-athletes must have at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average, start more than 50 percent of all games, be a significant contributor to their team, and earn at least junior academic standing.

Sodums appeared in 30 games for the Express over his two year career. He helped lead the Express to a program best 7-10 record this past season while anchoring a defense that finished third in the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) in goals allowed with 1.30. He currently holds a 3.59 GPA and will graduate this coming May with a degree in international entrepreneurial development.

The women’s cross country team and the women’s swimming team also earned the College’s first Scholar All-America Team Awards. Cross country was named a U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) NCAA Division III All-Academic Team. In order to qualify, the team must have had a cumulative team GPA of at least 3.10 through the Fall 2011 semester.

The Express joined 186 other institutions representing 38 different conferences from across the country to earn the honor, posing a team cumulative GPA of 3.17. Wells was also the only NEAC team to be named to the All-Academic list.

The Wells College women’s swimming team was named a Scholar All-America Team by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) after posting a cumulative GPA of 3.09 through the Fall 2011 semester. The Scholar AllAmerican Team Award is presented to college and university swimming and diving teams, who have achieved a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher. The award is presented to teams achieving this standard in the fall semester and in the semester of the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships (winter/spring).The Express were one of just 28 NCAA Division III teams to earn the award from across the country and the only NEAC team to earn the honor.

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New Faces Director of Athletics: Michael Borsz Borsz joined Wells in October as the College’s new director of athletics and is responsible for strategic planning and direction of the department’s 16 varsity programs. Borsz comes to Wells from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where he served as the assistant athletics director for recruiting. Borsz holds his B.A. in sociology from Hobart College in Geneva, N.Y., where he was a four-year member of the men’s lacrosse team, and an M.A. in education administration from The Catholic University of America.

Borsz is a native of Camillus, N.Y., and he attended West Genesee High School. He currently resides in Aurora, N.Y., with his wife Karen and daughter Adelyn.

Head Field Hockey and Women’s Lacrosse Coach: Kim Morris Morris arrives at Wells College following several years of coaching at the high school level. She currently holds her master’s degree in physical education from SUNY Cortland and her undergraduate degree in physical education from SUNY Brockport.

Head Women’s Soccer and Softball Coach: Jamie Trudeau A native of Cohoes, N.Y., Jamie Trudeau earned her bachelors’ degree in physical education/sports science from Chowan College in North Carolina.

She received her masters’ degree from the University of South Dakota in health, physical education and recreation.

Head Men’s and Women’s Volleyball Coach: Richard Gary Richard Gary arrives at Wells from Hartwick College, where he spent six seasons assisting the Hawks to their first ever Eastern College Athletic Conference berth and first State Tournament appearance in 10 years. While at Hartwick, he managed the recruiting, player development, scouting and video, and was involved in all aspects of practice and match play.

at h l e t i c ne w s

Fall and Winter Recap The fall season concluded with one of the most successful seasons in recent history. Under first-year head coach Kim Morris, the Express field hockey team finished with five wins (5-9-1), their best record in four years. The women’s soccer team finished with their best season in recent years, finishing 7-11 under first-year head coach Jamie Trudeau. The men’s soccer team tied their record for wins in a year with seven (7-10) and also finished with their highest win percentage (.411) in program history.

The women’s cross country team is coming off one of their most successful seasons in recent history. The team placed third in the NEAC Championship. Emily Middlebrook ’15 was named Conference Rookie of the Year and Runner of the Year. Middlebrook, along with Lindsey Guzewicz ’15 and Brienne Goodson ’13 also competed in the NCAA Atlantic Regional at St. Lawrence University, which was a first for the women’s cross country program; and head coach Julie Bailey was named NEAC Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year. The men’s cross country team placed sixth at the NEAC Championship while junior Brayden Shumski ’13 competed in the NCAA Atlantic Regional, which was also a first for the men’s cross country team.

The winter season saw many highlights for the men’s and women’s basketball and swimming teams. The men’s basketball team made their fourth straight appearance in the NEAC tournament finishing the season with a 14-12 record. The women’s basketball team continued to improve, doubling their win total from last year and finishing the season with an 8-17 record. The men’s swimming team finished second in the NEAC Championship for the second

NEAC Student-Athlete of the Week

straight year, finishing the three-day event setting six new school records and three NEAC Championship records. The women’s swim team earned their first ever NEAC Championship, blowing away the rest of the competition by 39 points while setting five NEAC records. The men’s volleyball teamcompeted in their inaugural season this year.

Student-Athletes Rack Up Individual Honors The Express capped their impressive fall and winter season with several individual honors. Players were honored 15 times as NEAC Student-Athletes of the Week, seven student-athletes were named NEAC All-Conference, Delroy Roberts ’12 was named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Division III All-East Region, Ashley Roser ’14 and Terry Harrison ’13 were tabbed DIII News Pre-Season All-American Honorable Mention in basketball and Jessilyn Aki ’15 was named NEAC Rookie of the Year in women’s basketball.

NEAC All-Conference

Delroy Roberts ’12

Men’s Soccer

Delroy Roberts ’12

Men’s Soccer

NEAC First Team All-Conference

CJ Bayly ’14

Men’s Soccer

Patrick Sodums ’12

Men’s Soccer

NEAC Second Team All-Conference

Justin Rigney ’12

Men’s Soccer

Paige Stone ’13

Women’s Soccer

NEAC First Team All-Conference

Paige Stone ’13

Women’s Soccer (2)

Emily Middlebrook ’15

Women’s Cross Country

NEAC First Team All-Conference

Cassie Smythe ’15

Women’s Soccer

Brienne Goodson ’13

Women’s Cross Country

NEAC Second Team All-Conference

Lindsey Guzewicz ’15

Women’s Cross Country

NEAC Second Team All-Conference

Matt Sleezer ’14

Men’s Swimming (3)

Brayden Shumski ’13

Men’s Cross Country

NEAC First Team All-Conference

Gabby Spencer ’14

Women’s Swimming

Terry Harrison ’13

Men’s Basketball

NEAC First Team All-Conference

Ashley Roser ’14

Women’s Basketball (3)

David Foltz ’13

Men’s Basketball

NEAC Third Team All-Conference

Emily Middlebrook ’15

Women’s Cross Country (2)

Ashley Roser ’14

Women’s Basketball

NEAC First Team All-Conference

wells.edu 31

Henry Wells Scholars: Summer 2011 Internships

The Henry Wells merit-based scholarships support eight-week internships for talented, deserving students. These scholarships help

provide students with a broad range of hands-on opportunities to create their own individualized Wells experiences. Among them:

Alex Schloop ’12

Alexandria Kreuzburg ’12

Kathryn Shriver ’13

Faculty Sponsor: Dean for Academic Advising Diane Koester English Major, Book Arts Minor Leaders for Life RIPPLE Foundation, New Hartford, N.Y.

Faculty Sponsor: Associate Professor of Biology Jaclyn Schnurr Biology Major, Music Minor East Islip Animal Hospital, Islip, N.Y. and Pal-O-Mine Equestrian Stables, Islandia, N.Y.

Faculty Sponsor: Professor of Art History William Ganis Visual Arts Major Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center, Buffalo, N.Y.

I had the freedom to make real changes: I redesigned registration forms; created, edited and designed The Ripple magazine; built and maintained a social media network; and organized community action around a common cause—real leadership training for

(Alexandria completed two internships during the 2011 summer.)

teens from all different socioeconomic backgrounds. Being able to help make a significant change in high school students’ lives was so rewarding.

My responsibilities were many and varied, and I constantly had to prioritize.

That has made a big impact; and I’m better now at putting down committee work and focusing on a class project that’s due in a few days. Because the organization was a small start-up, I was able to use the wide array of skills that I learned at Wells. My internship really helped prepare me for an on-the-go career where I’d have to be thinking on my feet and multitasking.”

At the animal hospital I spent the majority of my time in the treatment room helping hold dogs and cats when they got their blood drawn or their nails clipped. I also assisted with surgeries and kept track of the critical numbers like heartbeat, blood pressure and respiration rate in a couple surgeries. I enjoyed the hands-on experience I got from this internship.

(This past spring, Kathryn studied abroad through the Wells College study abroad program in Paris—take a look at the cool photo of her next to the Leaning Tower of Pisa!)

For my internship I worked as a volunteer at Hallwalls’ biggest annual fundraiser, The Artists and Models Affair. I helped digitize their archives and researched and wrote artist biographies for hallwalls.org.

I even had the opportunity to work at

My time at the stables was spent learning proper techniques for handling and taking care of horses since I had not worked with horses much beforehand. As I became more comfortable, I groomed them for lessons and brought them back and forth between their paddocks and the barn. I learned how to ‘safety’ check the stalls for protruding nails or rough wood that could hurt the horses. The staff really taught me a lot about the different horses, and their ailments, grooming and nutritional needs.”

other events such as screenings or other fundraisers. I spent a lot of time outside my internship working on the biographies, in addition to editing and writing for their Web site.

I learned a lot about how galleries work, how they get funding, how much work the people who operate them do in their roles, in the artistic community, and the art world in general. It was a busy and immensely rewarding summer.”

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January 2012 Internships

Taking place during January Intersession, a semester or the summer— internships are the most popular way of completing the Wells experiential learning requirement. The Wells Internship Program links the study of the

liberal arts to an on-the-job setting and allows students to discover, define and redefine their career goals and obtain contacts that can lead to job offers. Here’s what students had to say about their internships:

Cody Ash ’12

Victoria Grudzinski ’13

Faculty Sponsor: Dean for Academic Advising Diane Koester Psychology Major, Sociology and Communications Studies Minor Athletic Department, Cazenovia Central School, Cazenovia, N.Y.

Faculty Sponsor: Associate Professor of Biology Christina Wahl Biology Major Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS), located outside of Hanksville, Utah

Completely customizing your own internship was nothing like I expected. Working closely with the Cazenovia athletic director made me also realize that there is much more to the job than what people see. For my internship, I created a blog, which has made me more marketable.

I now have a new-found respect for people who write blogs for a living. I had to update mine every day, and if I missed a day, it created a substantial amount of work for the next day. I found out that being very prompt with everything is important and keeping yourself on a schedule is the most important.”

MDRS is one of the analog research stations that serve as laboratories for learning to live on another planet. The stations are located on Earth where the environmental conditions, geological features and biological attributes most closely resemble the conditions of Mars. The research I participated in involved geology soil samples, water sample testing, and biology and food studies.

In one study, the crew’s biologist and I collected samples where there were extremophiles, bacteria that have adapted to thrive in extreme conditions. I collected the soil samples using a technique that I learned from my microbiology lab which lowers the chance of false positive results. It was good to put those techniques into use. The exploration of the land at the lab truly felt like a different world from the green seasonal home I live in.”

Taylor Fehr ’14

Keegan Evans ’15

Faculty Sponsor: Professor of English Cynthia Garrett English – Creative Writing Major Admissions Office, Kyushu Gaigo College, Fukuoka, Japan

Faculty Sponsor: Associate Professor of English Linda Lohn Undeclared Major Athletics Department, Owego Free Academy, Owego, N.Y.

My main goal for this internship was to improve my Japanese language skills. This internship definitely challenged my listening skills, as almost all of the directions given to me were in Japanese.

As I encountered many unknown words that are common in the workplace, I had to ask questions in Japanese to clarify the directions.

My work usually consisted of putting information into online documents for the incoming business class, but I also was able to write blogs for the Kyushu Gaigo staff and post information on the Facebook page in both Japanese and English. I had a good internship experience because I was in an environment where I was around people fluent in Japanese and everyone was glad to help me with my language skills.”

As the video production lead, I had full responsibility for creating an organizational system for sports film at Owego Free Academy.

I also filmed basketball games and aided in public relations.

The internship involved creating a system to keep sports film organized, so I organized all of the existing film and created directions for coaches for storing their film. The system is now set in place and is working quite well.

For filming basketball games, I had the privilege of using a HiPod, a 30-foot tripod that can be controlled from below. I also used a Canon t3i to take footage for promotional videos that I created for the teams. There was a learning curve to using a DSLR camera for film, but the videos turned out quite nice.”

wells.edu 33

The Visiting Writers Series Continuing to Benefit Wells Students and Community

W

ells College’s Visiting Writers Series has been going strong since 1973, supported for most of its existence by the New York State Council on the Arts, the Virginia Kent Cummins Fund, the Mildred Walker Fund, and gifts from friends and alumnae/i. Professor of English Bruce Bennett coordinates the series, which brings to campus each semester a number of writers who have distinguished themselves in poetry, fiction or nonfiction. These writers not only give readings of their work for the community; they also conduct writing workshops, participate in classes and discussions and often hold individual conferences with interested student writers.

“The first term I came to Wells,” Bennett said, “we had a harbinger of good things to come. Our first two writers were the very well-known poets Richard Hugo and Robert Hayden. In those early years we also had a number of poets I regularly taught in my Contemporary American Poetry course, including W. S. Merwin, Russell Edson, Mary Oliver and William Stafford. Among favorite writers who visited a number of times were Lucille Clifton, Ruth Stone, X. J. Kennedy, Nancy Willard and Welsh poet and short story writer Leslie Norris (whose work we published through the Book Arts Center).”

Perhaps the most notable visit under Professor Bennett’s direction was that of Nobel Prize-winning Russian poet and essayist Joseph Brodsky in 1976. Two Wells students heard about his legendary readings (in Russian, with a translator) and eager to have him hold one at Wells, they contacted Brodsky, laid the groundwork and helped make it happen.

Among the hundreds of writers that Wells has hosted over the years, many have been top figures in their field who have won such prestigious awards as the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award.Yet the Visiting Writers Series selects only those writers who can bring something special to the close-knit Wells community and our ambitious and committed undergraduate writers.

Visiting writers are frequently editors and publishers or are involved in graduate writing programs, and all have wide experience about practical matters relating to the literary scene and publishing. Often there are group readings by editors and writers representing journals, giving students a chance to gain exposure to the vital work being done all over the country by small presses and literary magazines.

During the 2011-12 year, the Series continued the tradition of notable and interesting writers, hosting fiction writer Lauren Belfer, poet Jay Rogoff, editors and writers from the 11th issue of SUNY Upstate Medical Center’s journal “Healing Muse,” poet George Drew, nonfiction writer Tina Post ’99, poet and publisher Michael Czarnecki, poet and essayist Sarah Jefferis, poet and essayist Susan Deer Cloud and editors and writers from the current issue of Syracuse University’s journal of writing and the arts “Stone Canoe.”

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George Drew “Wells has played a very important part in my writerly life, and I will always have a deep well of affection for it.”

The College on the Hill For Bruce Bennett

After the reading at the college on the hill

In 1985, poet George Drew attended a small writers conference at Wells, where he met Allen Hoey and David Dooley. Hoey, founder of Tamarack Editions, solicited a poetry manuscript Drew was working on, accepting and publishing it in the following year. He also published Drew’s third book, “American Cool.” Allen Hoey passed away in 2010, two years after earning a Pulitzer Prize nomination. Dooley gave a reading at Wells, organized by Professor of English Bruce Bennett and attended by both Drew and Hoey, a year or two after the conference.

“David lives in California and we are in daily contact, editing each other’s work and supporting each other in all our endeavors,” Drew says. “We are planning on doing some dual readings in the near future.”

I was such a peacock, such a strutter,

In the fall semester of 2011, Drew returned to Wells once again for a poetry reading and workshops with students in writing classes. As a part of his reading, he mentioned the 1985 conference and the lifelong professional friendships that had sprung from it, recounting some of what Wells had meant to him as a writer. It was a small, midweek event near the end of the semester, but there was a rare energy to the reading that proved to be inspirational. After students had returned to their rooms and the Art Exhibit Room had gone dark, Drew wrote a special poem for Bruce Bennett, titled “The College on the Hill.”

to the dissonant fiddling of hundreds of geese

I went for a walk in the November night, not so much to take the puff out of my feathers as to puff them even more and not be seen; and I wasn’t, no one else called out by the wind riffing in the sycamores’ limbs or the moon slipping in and out of clouds like an undercover lover, not even other peacocks.

Raising my arms, I chortled more like a pigeon than a peacock and danced a little jig ensembles on the lake across the street.

What was that line I’d read—something about the ocean always crashing your boat like a party?

I don’t know what another poet would do with it, but there on the green sweep of college lawn it didn’t matter; when I died, I’d die a happy man.

– George Drew wells.edu 35

FACULTY faculty notes

Faculty in the News Scholarship On & Off Campus In November, Assistant Professor of Psychology Sarah Markowitz was awarded the Dorfman Award for Best Review Article by the Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine for her article in Psychosomatics, “A Review of Treating Depression in Diabetes: Emerging Findings.”

This past February, Brad Frazier, associate professor of philosophy and religion, published a review of “An Ethics for Today: Finding Common Ground Between Philosophy and Religion” by Richard Rorty in the Metapsychology Online.

Professor of Environmental Studies Niamh O’Leary attended an assessment workshop at the Rochester Institute of Technology in January. The workshop for science educators was entitled “Evidence-based Classroom Practice and Assessment.” It was sponsored by Project Kaleidoscope, an organization that advocates for building and sustaining strong undergraduate programs in the sciences and related fields.

Professor of Psychology and Gender Studies Vic Muñoz participated in the American Psychological Association Fall Consolidated Meetings as a member of the Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Concerns in Washington, D.C., September 16–18. In addition, her chapter titled “Gender/Sovereignty,” has been accepted for publication in the forthcoming book “Transfeminist Perspectives: Gender Practice Within and Beyond Gender Studies,” edited by Anne Enke, Temple University Press, May 2012.

Christina Wahl, associate professor of biology, had her paper, “The effects of light regimes and hormones on corneal growth /in vivo/ and in organ culture” accepted for publication by the Journal of Anatomy. The paper’s authors are Christina Wahl, Ph.D., Wells College; Tong Li, Ph.D., Cornell University; Howard Howland, Ph.D., Cornell University; and Yuko Takagi, Ph.D., Harvard Medical School.Yuko is a Wells alumna, Class of 2003, whose Wells thesis contributes to the material presented in this research paper.

Tracy Brandenburg, lecturer in business, was a keynote speaker at the conference “Innovation in Mind” in Lund, Sweden, September 2011, and Tracy and Lecturer in Business Sirietta Simoncini facilitated a “Designathon” in New York City at the School of Visual Arts on the topic of Corporate Social Responsibility. Participants included: Cisco, Arup, World Bank, American Sustainable Business Council, Hub Bay Area and Catchafire. In addition, the world renowned design and innovation firm, IDEO, featured the Wells Innovation Lab on their Web site highlighting the lab’s participation in an OpenIDEO project.

Blog courtesy of www.openideo.com

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FACULTY

fa c u lt y not e s

Victor Hammer Fellow Katie Baldwin was invited as a visiting artist in the printmaking program at Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art. Ms. Baldwin also spoke about the traditional Japanese woodblock technique called moku hanga at Muhlenberg College on March 29. Her lecture and demonstration accompanied the exhibition titled, “Along the Eastern Road: Hiroshige’s Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido Road.”

Richard Loosemore, lecturer in physics, recently had three papers accepted for publication. His paper, “The Complex Cognitive Systems Manifesto” is being published in The Yearbook of Nanotechnology, Volume III: Nanotechnology, the Brain, and the Future, an S. Hays, J. S. Robert, C. A. Miller, and I. Bennett edition; and Lecturer Loosemore’s paper, “Human and Machine Consciousness as a Boundary Effect in the Concept Analysis Mechanism,” is being published by Atlantis Press in Theoretical Foundations of AG, a P. Wang and B. Goertzel edition. In addition, Adjunct Professor of Cognitive Science at Xiamen University, China, Ben Goertzel’s, and Lecturer Loosemore’s paper “Why an Intelligence Explosion is Probable,” will be published in The Singularity Hypothesis: A Scientific and Philosophical Assessment, an A. Eden, J. Søraker, J. Moor, and E. Steinhart edition.

Laura McClusky, associate professor of sociology, presented a paper titled “Revisiting Stories Once Told: Watching New Stories Unfold” at the 82nd annual meeting of the Eastern Sociological Society on February 25. The theme of the conference was “Storied Lives: Culture, Structure and Narrative.”

Associate Professor of Art History William V. Ganis had his review of the Fat Cakes and Myopic Void installations by Carl Ostendarp at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Ithaca, N.Y., published in the “Critics’ Picks” column of Artforum, in March; and Professor Ganis had another “Critics Picks” review published in February, this time of the “Preternatural” exhibitions at the Canadian Museum of Nature, St. Brigid’s Centre for the Arts, and Patrick Mikhail Gallery, in Ottawa, Ontario. In addition, Associate Professor Ganis co-organized and co-chaired a session and panel discussion with Laura Crary of Presbyterian College, “Flying Solo: The Opportunities and Challenges Presented to the Solitary Art Historian in a Small College” at the 2012 College Art Association Annual Conference in Los Angeles, Calif. The session was featured in the conference press release and Web site.

Lecturer in Performing Arts Judith Pratt was selected to attend the TRU (Theatre Resources Unlimited) Writer-Director Communication seminar and Producer Writer Speed Date in October 2011. In November 2011, Dr. Pratt attended “Rewriting the Play” with playwright Liz Duffy Adams.

wells.edu 37

faculty notes

Faculty on the Move Tenure and Promotion At their Winter meeting, the Board of Trustees granted tenure and/or promotion to two faculty members. Tenure is effective August 2013; promotion in rank takes effect August 2012.

Congratulations to: Brad Frazier, associate professor of philosophy and religion: granted tenure. Professor Frazier obtained his B.A. from Lee University, an M.A. from Reformed Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. from Saint Louis University. He joined Wells in 2008 and teaches courses such as Ancient and Medieval Philosophy, Modern and Post-Modern Philosophy, and Belief and Knowledge. In addition, Professor Frazier is an advisor for the Wells Pre-Law Professional Program, where he guides undergraduate studies and helps students prepare for the LSAT and their applications to law school.

Daniel Renfrow, assistant professor of sociology: granted tenure and promoted to associate professor of sociology. Professor Renfrow earned his B.A. from Eastern Kentucky University and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Washington. In his research he collaborate with the efforts of other scholars committed to the integration of social psychological theories and explores the social psychological underpinnings of inequalities embedded within patriarchal, heteronormative and anthropocentric practices. He teaches courses such as Men and Masculinities; and Humans, Animals, and Interaction.

At the 2011 February meeting, the Board of Trustees granted tenure and promotion to two faculty members. Tenure is effective August 2012; promotion to associate professor took effect August 2011.

Siouxsie Easter, associate professor of theatre. Professor Easter earned her B.A. from the University of Montevallo, an M.Ed. from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and an M.F.A. from Goddard College. Professor Easter teaches acting courses in addition to classes such as Directing, Arts in Education and Arts Management. In addition, Siouxsie has directed and continually directs student plays and faculty productions.

Susan Tabrizi, associate professor of political science. Professor Tabrizi obtained her B.A. from Utica College of Syracuse University, an M.A. from the University of South Carolina and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Professor Tabrizi came to Wells in 2007, and her research interests include ideological underpinnings of attitudes and the nature of public opinion, political ideology and political values.

She teaches courses such as American Politics, Public Opinion, Contemporary Political Ideology and American Political Parties.

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fa c u lt y not e s

Literati This section features coordinators of the Celebrating Scholarship and Engagement series and the books they’ve been reading.

Professor of Environmental Studies Niamh O’Leary received a copy of “The Swerve: How the World Became Modern” by Stephen Greenlatt for Christmas from a friend.

While she’s no expert on renaissance history, she says it “…makes for some interesting reading [and] it’s thought-provoking and worth picking up.”

Being that fiction is O’Leary’s first love, she recently finished “Atonement: A Novel”

by Ian McEwan. The “novel’s opening is set in the 1930s, and relationships and regrets are central to the story.”

Even though she has read it before, Director of Student Activities and Leadership Nicole Pellegrino just finished Suzanne Collins’ post-apocalyptic novel “The Hunger Games” as her office is considering it for the 2012-13 Community Read. Suzanne’s book is “essentially about a form [of] slavery and brutalization that [becomes] widespread.” Nicole admits, “I could actually picture the characters so vividly in my mind that I missed them when I finished— luckily it’s a trilogy!” “Every Last One” by Anna Quindlen also proved difficult to put down as it’s about a deep family tragedy.

Inspired by Associate Professor of Women’s Studies Lisa Kahaleole Hall’s class “Body Politics,” James Howard ’13 recommended Eli Clare’s collection of autobiographical essays “Exile and Pride: Disability, Queerness, and the Liberation” to Vic Muñoz, professor of psychology and gender studies. Professor Muñoz explains, “Clare’s writing is a beautiful weaving of intimate stories about his experiences being disabled and being trans—with his public work as an anti-racist and anti-ableist activist.”

Associate Professor of Biology Christina Wahl used renowned primatologist Richard Wrangham’s book, “Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human” in her class “The Pleasure of Food.” Wrangham’s book delves into the theory of how cooking played a role in human evolution. Associate Professor Wahl found “Nobel Prize Women in Science: Their Lives, Struggles, and Momentous Discoveries” by Sharon Bertsch McGrayne, an inspiring book: “to see the overwhelming odds against which these women achieved so much helps put perspective on challenges that many of us face in our careers.”

In honor of John Mohawk’s (Sotsisowah) memory, Associate Professor of Sociology Laura J. McClusky recommends John’s collection of writings “Thinking in Indian: A John Mohawk Reader” edited by Derrick Jensen. John was one of the most influential Haudenosaunee scholars and his “words resonate and remain prophetically timely.”

Professor McClusky also recommends “The Culture of Make Believe” by Derrick Jensen. This book “re-frames and re-thinks the ills of history and the present day in a way that leads to a profound and enlightened understanding of where we’ve been and where we need to go.”

As a coordinator for ‘Sustainability’ day, it seemed fitting that Professor of Psychology Milene Morfei suggest “EcoMind: Changing the Way We Think to Create the World We Want” by Frances Moore Lappé. As Professor Morfei says, “Lappé describes seven ‘thought traps’ that keep us from making the necessary changes to save the planet, and leads [readers] out of each thought trap with real-world examples of people who have shifted their way of thinking and are making positive changes.” Continuing with the theme in nature, Professor Morfei thought Richard Louv’s “The Nature Principle: Human Restoration and the End of NatureDeficit Disorder” had some good suggestions for busy adults on how to reconnect with the natural world. wells.edu 39

from the archives

I nn K eeping

A Charley Harper Treasure Resurfaces

by Associate Professor of Art History William Ganis

Images are copyright Charley Harper Studio

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from the archives

A

s the “new” art history professor, I've been inspired by many conversations with students, alumnae/i, visitors, faculty and staff in which we've discussed the fascinating objects on campus. As a steward of these works, I’ve learned many intriguing stories whether through research in art history journals or anecdotes told at the Fargo’s bar. In part, this column results from my desire to corroborate some of these tales and histories and give credible interpretation to objects many of us pass by every day. I start with one of my newest discoveries…

Working in the Wells College art collection storage room is one of the great pleasures of my job as an art historian. I’m always amazed by the treasures our College possesses. Last September, on my way to meet with archivist Helen Bergamo, I was stopped in my tracks by a distinctive, framed illustration I saw across the room.

“Where did we get this?” I excitedly asked Helen. She replied, “Oh, that was hanging in the Aurora Inn’s phone booth for years before the renovation, no one on campus wants to hang it in their office.” I knew instantly that this was a work by the distinguished illustrator Charley Harper, mostly because I live with three of his bird prints purchased from Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology in nearby Ithaca.

Because of the paint’s flat application and limited color palette, I thought this work, too, was a print. On closer inspection, I came to the realization that I was looking at an original gouache (opaque watercolor) painting. Seeing framing and backing that was starting to disintegrate, I photographed the frame and reverse side for archival evidence and then Helen opened the backing. To my astonishment, removing the mat revealed evidence of Harper’s working process including crop marks, notation and even some marginalia sketches. I was so excited about my find that I showed the students in my Senior Seminar in Art History: Approaches and Methodologies course. By a stroke of luck, our topics that day were connoisseurship and the investigative skills necessary for the scholarly understanding of artworks. One of these students, MacKenzie Greschak ’12, was smitten by our painting and the idea that an artwork could be solved like a mystery. Like a good detective, he started with the evidence—a notation about Ford Times and 1960s fashion and automobile styling in the painting.

Plowing through information on the Internet, Greschak made a few important discoveries. Ford Times was a magazine; the August 1964 issue was subtitled “Finger Lakes Vacationland” and had a Harper illustration of vineyards on the cover. With this date and given the painted auto’s distinctive shape, he was able to identify the car illustrated—a 1964 Ford Country Sedan Station Wagon. He learned that Harper even captured the “Pagoda Green” paint color from that year’s Ford palette. All of these findings were corroborated by the Charley Harper Estate—Greschak wrote to them, and they sent an image of the work in the Ford Times, opposite a short text about the Aurora Inn and a recipe for coconut cream pie.

With a style that the artist called “minimal-realism,” Cincinnatibased Charley Harper was one of the 20th century’s most distinctive

commercial illustrators.

In addition to work for the National Parks Service and Golden Books, from 1948-1982 he contributed illustrations to Ford Times, a minimagazine sent to Ford owners—part advertisement for Ford vehicles, and part lifestyle magazine, encouraging car travel for postwar generations.

The work in question shows the Aurora Inn, painted white and set against Cayuga Lake. A natty family of three enters the Inn, presumably having disembarked from the station wagon parked at the right (fishing gear seems to occupy the auto’s rear storage). White sails dot the lake and the Inn is otherwise framed by foliage.

The work’s edges are roughly painted—Harper knew these margins would be cut off in the magazine image—crop marks on the original show how the work was to appear in reproduction.

The margins also reveal numerical calculations (perhaps scaling or art direction for this illustration, but this interpretation is not conclusive). There’s a whimsical detail at the bottom—Harper sketched a little owl peeking up from the edge. This figure connects Wells’ painting to much of Harper’s other work, as he is best remembered for his wildlife illustrations, especially of birds.

Harper passed away in 2007 at about the same time that a retrospective and book, Charley Harper: An Illustrated Life, revitalized interest in his work. Tastemaker and fashion magnate Todd Oldham was responsible for this exhibition, monograph and renewed reputation. Now, Harper’s work appears licensed in books and on many products, and his prints and paintings have a reinvigorated collector’s market. They are gorgeous examples of the mid-century design that again has become fashionable, due in part to the successful “Mad Men” television drama.

Helen Bergamo contacted West Lake Conservators in Skaneateles to obtain their assessment of the painting. After spending nearly half a century in a non-archival frame, mat and backing, the painting needs conservation work, especially to neutralize adhesives that have chemically changed since 1964, creating damaging acidity. The painting must then be placed in a new, museum-quality backing and frame that will preserve it. The stewardship of this and similar artworks that tell the story of Aurora, Wells College and the people who live, work and study here is, indeed, both fascinating and critical work.

Learn more about Charley Harper and view many of his works at the Charley Harper Estate Web site, https://charleyharperartstudio.com/. wells.edu 41

The Inns of Aurora New Happenings at the Inns of Aurora It’s been nearly a decade since the re-opening of the Aurora Inn and more than five years since the addition of the E.B. Morgan House to the portfolio of Aurora Inn, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Wells College. Even in the midst of a severe economic downturn, the commercial properties in downtown Aurora have continued to grow.

After closing in the off-season for three years at the height of the downturn, the Inns are now open year-round once again and gaining notice in national as well as regional press, including Travel + Leisure and the “Today Show.” Both properties have earned the exclusive AAA 4-Diamond Rating, accorded to fewer than 3% of inns, hotels and restaurants. Most recently, the Inns have developed innovative programming to help draw travelers to beautiful Aurora, including cooking classes, epicurean events and experiential travel packages.

Central to the Inns’ new momentum is the creation of the Inns of Aurora brand. The Aurora Inn and E.B. Morgan joined forces in name last July, largely in response to the stunning E.B. Morgan House suffering weaker name recognition than the long-lived Aurora Inn. A Web site redesign afforded the perfect opportunity to launch the conjoined identity. Importantly, the name change has also created room for new properties—which is exactly what has happened.

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Leffingwell House Earlier this year, the long-time benefactor of the College’s commercial properties, Pleasant Thiele Rowland ’62, decided to add her own home to the portfolio of Aurora Inn, Inc. While Wells College owns the Aurora Inn and E.B. Morgan House, Ms. Rowland maintains ownership of Leffingwell House, with important financial benefits accruing to the Inns of Aurora and, by extension, the College.

The beautiful historic brick mansion is offered as a whole house rental, featuring three magnificent bedrooms in addition to an exquisitely appointed kitchen, parlor and dining room. The house’s graceful open architecture invites warm, friendly gatherings, making Leffingwell House the perfect choice for events.

Cooking Classes The Inns of Aurora launched a series of cooking classes in September, covering an array of cuisines and cooking styles. The classes have been extremely well-received, with most selling out and several repeat customers from Aurora and from farther away. Classes are small, allowing for hands-on practice and personalized attention, and range from entertainment-focused tutorials in cocktails and appetizers, to start-to-finish meal preparation with a full, seated dinner.

Epicurean Dinners One of the Inns’ largest successes has been its series of epicurean dinners in the Aurora Inn Dining Room, which have become sellout events garnering attention from the regional press. Pairing the offerings of regional vintners (and, on occasion, brewers) with the cuisine of Executive Chef Patrick Higgins, the dinners offer a light educational component as well as outstanding cuisine.

The Wells Club of

the I nns of Aurora The Inns of Aurora offer the following benefits to members of the Wells community for the coming year: • Alumnae/i of Wells College are offered a discounted whole-house rental rate of E.B. Morgan House from November 1 to April 30. Call 315.364.8885 for this rate.

• A gathering of two or more alumnae/i can also enjoy a bottle of sparkling wine in the Aurora Inn Dining Room, on us, from September 1 to May 1. Call ahead so we can have it ready for you!

Experiential Travel Packages The newest wave in travel, especially among Generation Xers, is experiential travel—travel that allows visitors to experience, and not simply observe, the best and most authentic aspects of a region. To that end, the Inns of Aurora offer guests the chance to work for a day on an organic farm or at a local winery, spending time with local artisans in their occupations.

• Parents of Wells College students can enjoy a 25% discount off food for up to four people at the Aurora Inn Dining Room from September 1– May 1 (alcohol excluded). Look for a parent card to come from the Office of Student Life.

Visit www.innsofaurora.com for more, or come to Aurora and check out the Inns for yourself! wells.edu 43

Board of Trustees Newly-elected board members and honorary trustees who began serving in the fall of 2010 and 2011.

Board Members

Marie Chapman Carroll ’75 of St. Louis, Mo., received her bachelor’s degree in economics and management from Wells in 1975 and her M.B.A. in finance from Washington University in St. Louis in 1980. Currently providing consulting services as Carroll Consulting, in 2009, after 29 years with the company, Marie retired as vice president for commercial planning & performance management from Anheuser-Busch. Marie has served on the boards of directors of Coro Leadership Center and Safe Connections in St. Louis.

Pamela Edgerton Ferguson ’69 of Rochester, N.Y., graduated with a degree in biological and chemical sciences.

Having initially worked in clinical microbiology and experimental radiology at the University of Rochester, she is currently the administrator of the U of R’s political science department. Pamm has served as a class agent, a capital campaign agent and as Reunion chair. Her board service includes Rochester School for the Deaf, Rochester General Hospital and Allendale Columbia School.

Sarah J. Jankowski ’92 of Boston, Mass., received her degree from Wells in 1992 with a major in economics and a minor in computer science and quantitative studies. She has been with Frontier Capital Management Company since 1996 where she is the chief administrative officer, partner and member of the management committee. An active alumna, Sarah is a member of the President’s Circle Committee and serves as the national chair of Annual Giving.

Duncan Lawrence ’11 of Middleton, Mass., is serving a two-year term as a Collegiate Trustee. Duncan earned his degree in psychology with an economics minor. As a student, he was formerly the social media manager intern at Aurora Inn, Inc. He is now working with Keela Dates ’06 as an executive assistant for Reason2Smile, Inc.

Laura E. Masse ’10 of Buffalo, N.Y., earned her degree at Wells in psychology. She is currently a graduate assistant with the office of alumni relations at Canisius College, where she is pursuing her degree in college student personnel administration. She will conclude her two-year term as Collegiate Trustee this year.

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Honorary Trustees

Nancy Barton Barclay ’56 and David Barclay of Medford, N.J., have served Wells as members of the Nucleus Fund Committee and the Science Education Committee; Nancy served an earlier term as a board member. Nancy has also given her time to the Campaign Committee and Alumnae Association Board, as well as volunteering with the Admissions Office and during Reunion activities and serving as class agent for her class. While both Nancy and David earned their degrees in psychology in the same year, David studied at Princeton and went on to a juris doctor from Rutgers University.

Sally Clark Brummer ’56 and Gordon Brummer of Brookside, N.J., met while she was studying at Wells and he at Colgate University. During the time since, they have shown extraordinary dedication and loyalty to both institutions, giving both time and resources generously. Sally has been a class agent, class co-chair and Reunion fund chair, and was a part of the team that raised record-breaking funds for her 50year Class Reunion; these funds benefitted the construction of the newest building on campus, Stratton Hall.

Gail Fletcher Edwards ’57 and George D. Edwards of Pound Ridge, N.Y., provide valued support to the Wells Book Arts Center.

Gail is the former executive director of the Investment Counsel Association of America. George, who retired from his management and consulting firm George D. Edwards & Co., Inc., is the current chair of the Book Arts Center Board of Advisors. Both served earlier terms as members of the College’s Board of Trustees.

Marcia Goetze Nappi ’56 of Shelburne,Vt., studied foreign language, literature and culture at Wells. After two years, she went on to finish her degree in philosophy from Trinity College. She has been a loyal supporter of Wells over the years. Marcia has given generously to her Class Reunion fund and the construction of Stratton Hall, among other projects, and served on the President’s Circle Committee.

2011-12 Board Officers Chair

VICE Chair

secretary

Stanley Kott, special advisor for Montpelier U.S. Insurance Company and former CEO of Montpelier Underwriting Inc.

Carrie Bolton ’92, director of web analytics and insights at Ally Financial Inc.

Sarah Chase ’69, fundraising and development expert formerly with the Republican National Committee and the U.S. Department of the Interior. wells.edu 45

FACULTY advancement news

The Annual Fund for Wells College To Have and To Share We are excited to introduce two exciting Annual Fund challenges this spring.

Keep Wells Strong, Pass it On The first challenge is for alumnae and alumni who have graduated from Wells in the past 25 years (2011-1987). Each year we have a very loyal and generous group of alumnae who have been giving to the Annual Fund for over 25 years. We want our recent alums to join them and establish their own legacy of giving to Wells.

The women from the Classes of 1952 and 1957 understand this need and have offered a challenge to our recent alums. They have spent the past 55+ years providing support to Wells College. Now they hope to create a lasting legacy for themselves by inspiring recent alums to join them in that support—to become, like the trunk of our beloved sycamore, the foundation of strength that allows new branching every year.

They have generously offered a challenge match of $50 to the Annual Fund for every donor from the classes of 1987–2011 who makes a gift to Wells between now and June 30, 2012. To inspire a gift to Wells each fiscal year they’ve also offered a challenge match of $100 to the Annual Fund for every donor from the Classes of 1987–2011 who makes a gift between now and June 30, 2012, and who agrees to renew this gift each fiscal year through yearly automatic credit card payments.

Trustee Challenge In considering their commitment to the College, the Trustees and Honorary Trustees have pledged to increase their annual giving to inspire others to also increase their support of the Annual Fund. They have generously offered a challenge match at the following levels: • $1,000 to the Annual Fund for every donor who makes a gift this spring at the Tower Society level. ($5,000 – $9,999) • $750 to the Annual Fund for every donor who makes a gift this spring at the E.B. Morgan Club level. ($2,500 – $4,999) • $500 to the Annual Fund for every donor who makes a gift this spring at the Sycamore Club level. ($1,000 – $2,499) The Wells College Annual Fund not only sustains our physical structures and academic offerings, it also provides financial aid, funds faculty and mentoring programs, supports career counseling and advising, facilitates study abroad opportunities and funds student activities. Each dollar contributes to the capacity of a new generation of students to think critically, to engage in civil discourse, to conceive of the world broadly, to honor difference in each other and to enter the world with the broad support and respect of the Wells community. Please consider joining the challenges and make your Annual Fund gift today. Together with the Classes of 1952 and 1957 and the trustees, we will ensure that future generations of students benefit from the unique and life affirming experience of a Wells education.

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The Annual Fund for Wells College 2011-2012 goal 15% 30% 10%

TOTAL $1.75 MIL

25%

20%

Scholarship and Financial Aid = $525,000 Student Life = $350,000 Academic Life = $437,500 Technology = $175,000 Campus Care = $262,500

a d va nc e me nt ne w s

The individuals and organizations listed below have contributed unrestricted gifts of $5,000 or more to the Annual Fund between July 1, 2011 and April 10, 2012.We are grateful for the time, leadership, friendship and resources contributed by these alumnae and friends.Their generosity ensures that the College remains a healthy and dynamic institution that is responsive to the educational needs of the students of the future.

Henry Wells Society

Tower Society

Dr. William L. Clarkd Jane Demarest Engel ’425 Fiona Morgan Fein ’655 Jean Wahl Heuer ’63 and Alan J. Heuer5 Antoinette Johnson ’39d5 David T. Kearnsd and Shirley Cox Kearns ’545 Jeannik Méquet Littlefield ’41 Ryder System Charitable Foundation George S. and Priscilla H. Slocum5 Justine Fletcher Woods ’39d

John T. Bailey and Katherine Gerwig Bailey ’525

Dorothea Smith Sawicki ’665

Kristina Wheaton Berg ’71

Kenneth Stevens and

Isabel Longyear Besse ’80

RoseMary Dugan Stevens ’815

Karen Frankel Blum ’675

Ann Stratton ’46d5

Dr. Christopher Williams and

Sis Van Dorn ’695

Carrie Ann Bolton ’925

Mark VanDuyne and

Aurora Society Jean Ashby ’73 Roger S. Bagnall and Whitney Scofield Bagnall ’67 Patricia Robinson Benson ’475 Berkshire Charitable Foundation5 Marie Chapman Carroll ’755 Sarah C. Chase ’695 Ann Mueller Coughlin ’515 Daniel J. Fessenden5 Daniel F. Flowers Sr. The Hagedorn Fund5 Scott M. Hand and Ellen MacMillan Hand ’695 Frank M. Hutchins and Jeanne Bahn Hutchins ’435 Sarah J. Jankowski ’925 Involut Vogel Jessup ’545 Stanley J. Kott5 Lark Ludlow ’735 Edward E. Matthews5 Marcia Goetze Nappi ’565 William Reinhardt and Janet Poole Reinhardt ’515 Elizabeth Bowman Rothermel ’665 Lisa Marsh Ryerson ‘81 and George E. Farenthold Jr.5 Scott and Karen Sommer Lillian Tenopyr ’38d The Alexander & Marjorie Hover Foundation

Carolyn White Sampson ’575 5

Julie Burnet ’72

Meredith Cook VanDuyne ’925

5

Perrie apJones Drysdale ’52

Patricia Parnie Wahlen ’665

5

Dan Fultz and Helen Holler Fultz ’755

Martha Linton Whitehouse ’465

Janet Couperthwait Goodyear ’53

Henry F. Wood Jr.5

5

Roberta Henderson ’805 Ernest Henderson III5 John B. Dubeck and Susan Hotine ’705 Howard S. Bunn Foundation5

5 = 5+ years continuous giving d = deceased

Joan Shepherd Jones ’48 Silas Keehn and Marcia Lindquist Keehn ’515 David M. Lascell and Donna Hopf Lascell ’645 Frances Ford Luellen ’565 Alan L. Marchisotto and Mary Jane Spellane Marchisotto ’755 Suzanne Waldowski Roche ’88 Karlene Williams Salamon ’55

While every contribution is important and appreciated, President’s Circle gifts lay the foundation for a strong and healthy annual fund, helping in turn to ensure a strong and healthy College. Before our recognition year ends on June 30, 2012, please consider whether your name should be added to this list.

The Fred L. Emerson Foundation5 wells.edu 47

FACULTY advancement news

2011-12 Wells College Gatherings

Minnesota Trip – Cherie Buhlmann Mitchell ’87, Tiffany Hancock Clark ’93, Director of Alumnae and Alumni Relations Kristen Phillips ’95, Barbara Plasman Lund ’74 and Vice President for Advancement Michael McGreevey

New York City Networking Night – Trustee Fiona Morgan Fein ’65, Mitch Moulton ’12 and a prospective student

Bellinzoni Leads National Planned Giving Committee Trustee Arthur J. Bellinzoni, professor emeritus of religion, will chair Wells’ National Planned Giving Committee (NPGC). The topic of planned giving is familiar for the Princeton ’57 and Harvard ’61 and ’63 graduate who served as director of planned and leadership giving at Wells from 1983 to 2000 and taught at Wells from 1962-2000. Serving with Bellinzoni on the NPGC are: Anne Wilson Baker ’46, Paul Burmeister, Frank Reiche and Gail Reid ’88.

Bellinzoni explains, as the NPGC chair, his role is to “help the committee engage alumnae and friends, and—in a collaborative way—figure out ways to present, market and advance the planned giving program. Types of planned gifts include: bequests (wills), charitable remainder trusts, pooled income funds, real estate, life insurance and retirement plans.

“The message of planned giving is such that you have an institution that you want to provide for, and you have the Planned Giving Roundtable Luncheon held in financial resources to construct Princeton, N.J. – Roy Dollard, Eleanor “Dede” Pennington ’56, Frank Reiche, Janet “JayDee” Taylor a gift that will ultimately benefit Reiche ’52, Barbara Brickley Dollard ’56, Arthur you and the institution. We Bellinzoni and Director of Leadership and Planned (NPGC) want to know that the Giving Hal Burrall College will be here in 20 years and beyond. We want to keep the institution viable and reach enrollment and financial stability. Planned giving can help provide the resources that the College needs to function, to keep the campus beautiful, to keep financial aid strong, and to grow the endowment. To attract the brightest and best students and faculty, we have to have more resources. Planned gifts will help us get there.

“With your Wells education, you are well positioned for adaptation and transformation. It prepares you for everything. It prepares you for life. I think our effort to connect our liberal arts education to the real world through hands-on learning is excellent. It enriches your life. ”

Cape Cod Luncheon – Ann Harden Babcock ’45, Anne Wilson Baker ’46 and Mary Mitchell Goodman ’70 Boston Event – Jennifer Diamond ’92 and Jessi Moran ‘94

For more information, contact Hal Burrall, director of leadership and planned giving, at 315.364.3275 or hburrall@wells.edu

&

Alumnae Alumni

Events

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If you’re interested in hosting an event or would like to receive invitations to alumnae and alumni events, please contact alumoffice@wells.edu, call 315.364.3221, or check out events on the Web site at wells.edu/events.

i n t h e ne w s

Alumnae and Alumni in the News Annie Ryerson ’08 held her first curated show “SUGAR” at the Brooklyn Artists Gym in Brooklyn, N.Y.; from September 24-27. “SUGAR” was an exhibit of painting, sculpture, assemblage and other works centered on themes of sweetness and its effects.

The gallery showcased the work of Annie, Catherine Dingley ’11, and 13 other artists from a variety of cities, states and countries. The pieces addressed “the literal and figurative implications of the idea of sweetness: its potential for pure goodness, a saccharine cloying or insidious evil.” From chocolate-sculpted body parts to images of lost charms, the exhibit explored the “shifting dialectic between the sweet and the rotten.”

Wendy Todd Bidstrup ’62, from Marion, Mass., was named the 2011 Marion Woman of the Year. Wendy received the Woman of the Year title in honor of her dedication to the arts and her community and for her work as executive director of the Marion Arts Center.

Wendy will also receive the Wells College Association of Alumnae and Alumni Award on June 2, 2012 during Reunion.

Thordis Niela Simonsen ’66 published her third book, “Dances in Two Worlds: A Writer-Artist’s Backstory” that is a collection of visual art and 20 personal essays.

Simonsen’s Web site, Astragreece.com, holds more information on the book and the traveling exhibition of the art from the book.

Susan F. Bartkowski ’87 was featured in the January 2012 edition of the American Bar Association’s Journal in the “Lawyers Giving Back” section. The article highlights Susan’s efforts with Kenyan school children through a pen pal program she started with U.S. students in the Saratoga Springs and Scotia/Glenville school systems as a trustee of the Loisaba Community Conservation Foundation. The pen pal program teaches and promotes positive global interaction, charity, understanding and good friendships. Susan is a principal of the Towne, Ryan & Partners, P.C. law firm in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Keela Dates ’06 was recently selected as a semifinalist for the Sally Hansen Best of You 2012 contest for her work as the founder and executive director of Reason2Smile Inc. The contest honored women who are an inspiration and are making a difference in the world. Of the 10 semi-finalists, the top four finalists who received the most votes on Glamour’s Web site received a donation and a trip to New York City for a photo shoot to be featured in the September 2012 issue of Glamour magazine. Be sure to check out the September issue of Glamour magazine to see the results of the contest.

Charlotte Stetson ’71 co-authored an exciting new book for teachers with Amy Laura Dombro and Judy Jablon called “Powerful Interactions: How to Connect with Children to Extend Their Learning.”

“Powerful Interactions” is designed to help early childhood teachers make a positive difference in the lives of children and families. The book was published in August 2011 by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the world’s largest association of early childhood educators.

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In Her Own Words

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ith awards and accolades too numerous to list, Pleasant Thiele Rowland ’62 has accomplished much for which to be admired. While her professional successes, her extensive and creative philanthropy, and her business acumen are welldocumented, perhaps it is her own words that best describe her connections with her alma mater. On the eve of her 50th Class Reunion, we offer a glimpse into that deep, reciprocal, transformative relationship between one of the College’s most generous and influential alumna, and the place that helped shape the course of her life.

For her quote in the yearbook, the 1962 Cardinal, Pleasant chose a line from the novelist Henry James, “Of course, for myself, I live intensely and am fed by life and my value, whatever it be, is in my expression of that.”

In an interview for the Express that took place 30 years after her graduation from Wells, Pleasant Rowland reflected on the influence of her Wells professors, particularly Mildred Walker Schemm, who taught creative writing and English, Professor Schemm demanded crisp, clear thinking. She asked me to push beyond the glib and the obvious. I admired her so enormously; she had such dignity and stature. She was self-composed and had such high standards to which she held us.”

Pleasant returned to Aurora in 1987, her first visit since graduation, to deliver the keynote address for “Beyond Wells,” the College’s career day for students. She spent the rest of that beautiful spring day getting reacquainted with campus. As people wandered by, many stopped to chat, particularly professors whom she had known as a student. In a piece entitled, “For Wells—That She May Bloom,” Pleasant captured the sense she felt that day of a unified awareness that the Wells she had known and loved was disappearing, and that sense was ultimately the catalyst for her first major gift to the College – the 1995 renovation of public spaces on campus.

I did not go looking for trouble. In fact, I was surprised at how readily and candidly people chose to share their concerns with me in answer to my most basic question, ‘Tell me what it’s like at Wells today.’

All the people I talked to with were articulate, intelligent, well-informed and deeply concerned. All of them care for Wells with a passion that this college seems uniquely able to ignite in those who come to know it. Each of them had different ideas about the problems and their solutions, but all reluctantly

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expressed the same summary conclusion: Wells College, as we have known it, as a traditional liberal arts college for women cannot continue to exist.

Competition…will be increasingly intense in the foreseeable future and the small liberal arts colleges that will survive and succeed will be those that have simple, clearly defined missions and programs.

Philanthropists are anxious to underwrite courageous, innovative programs, and Wells alumnae hunger for the assurance that the institution they love is one they can continue to take pride in. No constituency yearns more earnestly for Wells’ success.”

After Pleasant returned to Aurora to give the College’s 1995 Commencement address, she undertook the work of renovating public spaces on campus. As she continued to visit Aurora more often in the coming years, her eyes turned toward the dilapidated state of the College’s village properties—and all that such deterioration signaled—leading to her most significant philanthropic undertaking in Aurora to date. Deeply aware of the intertwined fates of the College and the village, in 2000 Pleasant began her efforts to renovate nearly all of the College’s village properties, as well as restore several of the village’s historic buildings.The Aurora Inn, now the centerpiece of the Inns of Aurora, was at the heart of her efforts. Upon its reopening in 2003, Pleasant shared some of her reasons for pursuing such a monumental project, I came to Wells and Aurora seeking an education of the mind. I left with an education of the heart.

The four years I spent here changed me forever. First, of course, in the obvious ways that college changes everyone, by opening my mind to new ideas and my life to new people. But in another, deeper way, my heart was touched by the timeless remove of this place… Something in my soul craved its timeless beauty.

When I left Aurora in 1962, I was eager to go into the world beyond, anxious to take the gifts I had been given and put them to use. I was well-prepared and thrived in my career. I did not return to Aurora for decades. It was a piece of my past, tucked safely away, I thought. But that was before I realized how much a part of me that past was, how deep in my consciousness this place and all that it represented had been driven.

My love of this place, its history and traditions, its beauty and bounty has remained unchanged. Perhaps knowing this will help you understand why I have given this gift of restoration to Aurora and Wells.”

In November, 1988, Pleasant shared her reactions to being chosen as an Alumnae Award recipient in a letter to the thenpresident of the WCAA, I am certainly aware of the magnitude of this honor and am humbled and surprised to be selected.

Humbled because, as I have often shared with you, I know of no group of women I admire more completely and respect more thoroughly than the alumnae of Wells. They are extraordinary women and to have been singled out from among them and by them is especially meaningful to me. I am deeply proud that they should feel my own achievements have brought distinction to the college and thereby indirectly to them.”

In her remarks delivered upon receipt of the Alumna Award in 1989, Pleasant reflected on her career journey from teacher, to television news anchor, to author of children's reading and language arts textbooks, to publisher, to entrepreneur as the architect and builder of American Girl, As it turns out, a liberal arts education was the only education I could have had to take me down the circuitous career path that I had. It gave me a breadth of knowledge that I have used as a constant resource in a variety of different jobs, the ability to think as a generalist, the written and verbal skills to clearly and accurately express my thoughts, a standard of excellence, and the selfconfidence to tackle the rocky terrain in the roads I travelled.”

All in all, I feel as most of you seem to – life abounds with challenges and blessing.”

Class Secretary for the Class of ’62, November 1983 wells.edu 51

Wells College 170 Main Street Aurora, NY 13026 Note to parents/relatives: If addressee has moved, please forward this issue and contact the Alumnae/i Office at 315.364.3221 or alumoffice@wells.edu so we can update our records. Visit us on the Web at www.wells.edu. Thank you.

NON-PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID ITHACA, NY PERMIT No. 780

2012 BOOK ARTS SUMMER INSTITUTE

You’re Invited!

The 7th Annual Book Arts Summer Institute will span three weeks—from July 8 to 28—offering courses in many areas including letterpress printing, paper engineering, calligraphy, wire edge binding, typecasting and font design. Come enjoy the lake, our gorgeous, green campus and our top-notch facilities where classes are taught by professional book artists from across the country. It’s the perfect occasion for alumnae and alumni to come together, catch up and let your creative sparks fly. We hope to see you this summer!

Session One: 8 - 14 July Courses in art-making at the Vandercook press, paper engineering, pop-ups and carousel books, book design and traditions, and personalized calligraphic script.

Session Two: 15 - 21 July Courses in letterpress printing, wire edge binding and Gothic or blackletter calligraphy.

Session Three: 22 - 28 July Courses in metal typecasting, digital font design and a new course for poets to print and bind a short manuscript of their poetry.

For a registration form or more information, please call 315.364.3420, e-mail bookartscenter@wells.edu, or visit www.wells.edu/bookarts to download a copy of the 2012 Summer Institute brochure.