Advice Column: Ask Sarah April 1, 2007
Around the Town Wilson College
March Madness
The Beholder’s Keener Eye
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
The Art of Resume Writing Vol. XXXIX, No. 4
THE
WILSON BILLBOARD Students Spend Spring Break with Habitat for Humanity By Soo Jung Kim Eleven Wilson students and Chaplain Kate headed for Habitat for Humanity during Spring Break. They left for Delaware on Monday and came back on Friday. On the first day, they visited Philadelphia during the day and had orientation at night at the church where they stayed for the Habitatproject in Delaware. They started to build a house from the second day, by doing siding, digging, hammering, and installing insulation. From 8:00 am to 3:00 pm, they work ed; and during the rest of times, they had activities such as circle time, movie, and a meeting with future residents who will live in the house that students are helping to build for Habitat for Humanity.
SeonYoung Lim said, “My favorite work was insulation and hammering. Even though I had trouble on my skin and eyes due to the insulation, it was a really good experience.” Through circle time, they got to know each other and grew closer. On Friday morning, they had to leave early due to bad weather conditions, so they had the last circle time just before leaving. They gave each other nicknames by their characters of each other. “It was a really rewarding experience in America. I am really glad that the house which I built will remain in America even though I will leave America,” said TaeEun Kim, a Korean exchange student who was one of the participants.
Medieval Dinner Held at Hankey Center By Kimberly Maske-Mertz Slit sops? Capon with a Hypocras on authentic cuisine from the chaser? middle ages. Professor No, these aren’t charac- Ackerman prepared a unique ters in the latest “Harry Potter” and delicious meal with the help installment. They are, however, of her two “kitchen thralls,” Beth a few of the delectable goodies Kearny and Katelin Reever. that students were allowed to Professor Ackerman, partake of at the Medieval Feast who has acted as the hostess of held at the Hankey Center on this special meal since 1993, not March 21. only feels that the dinner proAt the dinner, students vides a valuable and unforgetfrom both Kay Ackerman’s table educational experience, but course on Medieval Women and also enjoys having the opportuMichael Cornelius’ Chaucer nity to break bread with her stuclass had the opportunity to dine dents.
“I like the challenge of cooking something historically authentic, and cooking for a crowd,” Ackerman said. “Former students who come by to see me still remember it. It also brings to life what we read.” Professor Cornelius, who is a medieval scholar and has assisted Professor Ackerman in the last three events, acted as butler during the dinner and also supplied a bit of humorous entertainment. Recit See Dinner on Page 7
W HAT ’ S I NSIDE News...............................................Page 1 Features...............................Pages 2, 6-7 Education......................................Page 3 Sports.............................................Page 3 Bullboard..................................Pages 4-5 Classfieds.......................................Page 8
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1 April 2007
FEATURES Wilson Moments
The Art of Resume Writing
by Elizabeth Shearer Stiles
By Heather Drumm For those of you creating your first resume, consider all of your activities and clubs as well as your work and volunteer experiences. While the preference for inclusion of high school activities varies, I prefer that after your sophomore year in college, you do not include high school activities unless you have little college involvement to include on a resume. If you do have little or nothing to include from your college years, strongly consider getting involved in at least one club or organization on campus. Consider volunteering
somewhere or serving on CAB or WCGA. Your college activities reflect your attempts to become involved, manage your time, take leadership roles, and show initiative; all things employers like to see. When creating your resume, DO NOT USE A TEMPLATE OR WIZARD!!! I cannot stress this enough. The formats can be spotted in a split second and most employers consider them to be second rate efforts at creating a resume. I have even heard stories of employers throwing them away as soon as
The Beholder’s Keener Eye By Elizabeth S. Stiles With her joy spilling out with every word she says - every gesture she makes - it is hard to believe that it has not always been so. It is hard to believe that for nearly ten years Laura Wackwitz, Visiting Assistant Professor of Mass Communications, had an overwhelming emptiness in her heart. It is hard to believe that the last several months have been ones of mental and emotional turmoil. It is hard to believe and it is nearly forgotten. When we sat down together, Laura exuberantly detailed her experiences as a new mom, her love of her perfect little girl Dakota, and all the great blessings she finds in motherhood. She had so very much to say, so very much of interest; how Dakota’s personality is a perfect fit for their family, how much more she (Laura) laughs now, how even things that used to seem “gross” she now views as wonderful. It was only after a little prodding that Laura began to reminisce about the days, months and years leading up to the day that Dakota was placed safely in her mother’s arms; how much she wanted a child, how she in-
the template or wizard is spotted. Use a font size between 10 and 12, one inch margins, and a very straight forward style like Times New Roman. Do not use fancier fonts with curls and swirls or italics since they can be hard to read and even harder to scan into the computer. These days many employers are scanning documents for faster distribution to interviewers and for storage purposes. Make your format simple but elegant. Underlining, using bold, and using bullets are see Resume on page 7
“The thing that people sho uld kno w abo ut adoptio n is that it is really, really hard, b ut it is so amazing that it is really easy.” Laura Wacwitz
Professor Laura Wackwitz with newly adopted daughter, Dakota. vestigated a way to adopt one, how an international adoption was settled upon, how emotionally draining the process was, how insensitive, rude and down-right stupid people could be. Not one to hover over the past, however, Laura has a very simple message for anyone in a similar situation, “The thing that people should know about adoption is that it is really, really
hard, but it is so amazing that it is really easy.” She goes on to explain that all the pains of the past seemed to disappear the moment that she held her daughter for the first time. People used to bombard Laura with negative questions or comments. They used to insinuate that she would be missing something if she did not give birth to a child or claim them at infancy.
Yoga Instructor
She concedes that she did miss something but that it did not matter. Dakota is 100% hers - her child, her love. Repeatedly, Laura uses the word “awesome” as she speaks of her daughter and their experiences together. Changing poop diapers all the time is “awesome.” Sleeping with a baby attached to your arm all night is “awesome.” Hearing Dakota’s giggle when mommy pulls out Cheerios is “awesome.” Life is “awesome” for Laura now and no one can convince her otherwise. So, the next time you see Professor Wackwitz dancing down the hallway or smiling into space, remember to congratulate her on the birth, life and adoption of her own precious child!
*** Keep an eye out for another profile in the next edition of the Billboard. It could be you!
Balance is not perfection, it’s a process...
As some of you prepare to graduate and/or submit your applications for graduate school or internships, you will need to create or update your resumes. Resumes are living documents which grow and change with your experiences throughout your lives. No two resumes are exactly the same, nor should they be. Some of you may find that you actually have two or three different resumes which highlight and focus on specific fields or interests, while some of you will struggle to create a resume that fills one complete page.
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EDUCATION Case Foundation Provides Online Career Information
WASHINGTON—(COLLEGIATE PRESSWIRE)—March 22, 2007— With spring in the air and college graduation lurking around the corner, many first-time job seekers, mid-career changers or even post-retirement professionals will get the itch to find the right job that will bring meaning to their lives and to those that they serve. More and more employment-seeking Americans are looking for careers that scream out, “what I do really matt e r s . ” But is making a difference and finding meaning beyond the paycheck really for you? Yes, it is hard to argue against the notion that much is to be gained by mixing business with belief, but before narrowing your search to nonprofit jobs, it might be worth doing a little research first to find out what a career in the nonprofit sector is really about. The Case Foundation website — http:// www.casefoundation.org/careers — offers information to help job-seek-
ers evaluate careers in the nonprofit sector as well as tips on finding a meaningful dream job. About the Case Foundation The Case Foundation’s mission is to achieve sustainable solutions to complex social problems by investing in collaboration, leadership and entrepreneurship. Created in 1997 by Jean and Steve Case, the foundation is working to meet the needs of underserved children and families, create thriving and sustainable economic development for communities, bridge cultural and religious divides, expand civic engagement and volunteerism and accelerate innovative approaches to health care. For more information, visit http:// www.casefoundation.org. ### Source: The Case Foundation Contact: Mark Miller 202-467-5788
Winners: 2007 Orr Prizes in Religion Prizes for Scholarship 1st Prize, Krista MarkstromLodter for her essay, “Dark into Light, Sin into Purity, Evil into Good: Mary Magdalene’s Developing and Continuing Role in the Church.” 2nd Prize, Tyler Cover for his essay, “Mary Magdalene: The Legend Grows.” 3rd Prize, Elizabeth Stiles for her essay, “And She Went and Told.” Prizes for Creative Expression 1st Prize, Susan Shaffer for her work, “Mary Magdalene Re-Imagined.” 2nd Prize, Elizabeth Clever for her work, “Personal Reflections on Iconography: Re-Imagining Major Religious Figures.” 3rd Prize, Rebecca Heston for her work, “Hidden Stories.”
Sports Wilson Announces Addition of Lacrosse By Sara Kann Wilson College has just announced plans to add a women’s lacrosse team to the roster of sports teams. Intramural practices and games will be offered this semester, following a club lacrosse team in the spring of 2008. The decision to add lacrosse came from strategies to strengthen the athletic program by the Wilson College Athletic Department. Lacrosse is not the only new thing coming, as there are plans to remove volleyball and change tennis from a varsity status to a club sport. Lacrosse is the fastest growing high school sport, showing more than 200 percent growth over the past 10 years, according to the National Fed-
eration of State High School Association. At the closing of the 2005 school year, more than 147,000 students were participating in this extra-curricular activity. “A lacrosse team will provide additional recruitment opportunities for us, while it aligns our athletic program with our new conference, the NEAC,” said Wilson College Athletic Director Lori Frey. With the changes to its athletic program, Wilson will sponsor six varsity sports, two during each season: field hockey and soccer in the fall; basketball and gymnastics in the winter; and softball and lacrosse in the spring.
M a r c h Madness Underway By Caryn Watson The NCAA reported that Georgetown advanced to the final four after defeating the University of North Carolina in a 96-84 victory. Georgetown joins Florida, UCLA and Ohio State for semifinal basketball games on March 31st. At the post-game press conference, Georgetown Coach John Thompson II said, “We’re extremely fortunate, you know. That’s not just a terrific team that we were fortunate enough to beat, but a terrific program. You look at...Carolina basketball, there’s a lot there to emulate and imitate. So we’re just extremely fortunate to come away with a win here tonight, and we’re extremely happy to be moving on.” On losing their chance at the semifinals, North Carolina coach Roy Williams said, “I would give every cent I have right now for my team to be out there cut-
ting down those nets and feeling those feelings that Georgetown’s players are feeling. But life doesn’t always go like you want. Life is never as sweet as you think it could possibly be. I told my youngsters they have to be able to handle this extremely disappointing time.” According to the NCAA, March Madness, as the college basketball tournament is
commonly referred, is one of the “most prominent sports events in the country.” The semifinal games will be played at the Georgia Dome but if you were planning on going and haven’t got your tickets…you will have to watch it on television since the game is sold out.
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Bullboard
NEWS NCAA Sponsorship of Badminton at Wilson College By: Sara Kann
Wilson College Athletic Department has unanimously elected badminton to join their list of NCAA sponsored varsity sports. Next to lacrosse, badminton is the number one most wanted sport at colleges across the US. This badminton team will consist of co-ed players and practices will be held at 3:00 am and running until 2:17 pm. Lane Whigham, senior, is thoroughly excited about badminton being a Wilson’s first co-ed sport. “I think it’s going to be a really great thing- a bunch of men and women relieving stress by beating the shuttlecock.”
What Makes You Feel Foolish? Faculty tell of their most vulnerable moments, when students are very likely to get an A. Some say effects last for the entire semester. Douglas Crawford Assistant Professor of Business and Economics When I am caught unprepared.
Larry Shillock Professor of English and Head of Humanities Division When I use three whole chalks during a one hour class.
Lynn Newman Assistant Professor of Education Saying the wrong thing at the wrong time!
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Jose Cordova Professor of Spanish Chair of International Studies When I teach my class in French.
Heather Gallagher Chemistry Department When I open my mouth and insert my foot!
Michael G. Cornelius Chair and Assistant Professor of English & Mass Communications When I speak mid-thought, leaving no bridge for listeners.
Brad Engle Professor of Chemistry/ Associate Professor of Biology Answering this question!
Bullboard
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NEWS $$ 1 Million Earmarked to Recruit Minority Faculty/Staff By Caryn Watson College President, Lorna Edmundson announced a 10 year plan to recruit African American faculty to Wilson College at a press conference Monday. Noting the estimated growth of the college in the next several years Edmundson stated, “We anticipate the population of minority students to increase with the overall growth of the college and believe that actively recruiting minority faculty will promote an appreciation for the already diverse culture on our campus.” Among those at the press conference was former
By Ronda Wellington On March 22 nd , the American Psychological Association added a new disorder to the latest release of the DSM. This new psychological disorder was discovered by Dr. Carl Larson, a long standing professor at Wilson College. The new disorder, known as Estrogen Poisoning Syndrome (EPS) was found to be prominent in large groups of women, who have very little to no male contact within their own age range. It is this homosocial environment that produces the excessive laughing at certain phrases, which are found to have been turned into sexual innuendos. Another symptom also appears to be that conversations between students can jump from a very innocent topic, like classes or work, to something overtly sexual in nature without warning or seemingly coherent transition. When asked where he got the idea, he replied that “I noticed that female students were laughing at certain words I’d say during my lectures. I really thought nothing of it, until one
Harrisburg NAACP president Claire Jones who lauded Edmundson for her vision and insight into minority affairs. Wilson does not currently have a tenured African American faculty member but hopes to change that within the next ten years. “We intend to promote Wilson as a wonderful place to work during Ambassador Tours,” Edmundson said, “We have met wonderful African American academic professionals who have taken an interest in what Wilson has to offer.” College President (left) poses with students and current African American staff.
New Psychological Disorder Discovered at Wilson of my students came to me and proposed an interesting theory about their behavior. It was then that I decided to look into it further.” Larson states that he began by observing students in classes, and then randomly introduced males into the group to see how the others reacted. “I noticed that when a male was brought in, the females in the class paid more attention and there was significantly less laughing at what I said.” It appears that it is the male pheromone, or rather, the lack thereof, that produces such symptoms in younger, college aged women. Larson also noted that first and second year students seemed the most at risk, given that it was less likely they’d come to college with any sort of high school relationship with the opposite sex intact. He also notes that a person’s level of maturity also plays a part here, and he found that older students were less likely to show these symptoms, even if they’d been single for a while. “They just seem more preoccupied with finding jobs and getting their careers in or-
der” he stated when asked why this might be the case. Wilson’s campus seems at high risk for developing this disruptive and distracting disorder, and the college counselor, Cindy Shoemaker, has asked that anyone exhibiting any of these symptoms is to report to the counseling center as soon as possible to discuss treatment options. The President has decided to hold monthly “Mixers” where women will have the chance to meet men their own age from other colleges in the D I S C L A I M E R The Bullboard is the annual supplement to the College’s Student-run newspaper. All articles/information here, in the Bullboard section, are for entertainment purposes o n l y . P i c t u r e s are rendered in the exact likeness of individuals; however, as the old adage goes: believe none of what you read and only half of what you see
area. She stated that she hopes this will keep the number of outbreaks low among the student population. “They really need to be concentrating on their work. These social events will help with that, by giving them the dose of
the male pheromone they need from time to time.” All questions regarding this disorder are to be directed to either Carl Larson in the Psychology department, or to Cindy Shoemaker iin counseling
Weather
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1 April 2007
FEATURES Ask Sarah
Dear Sarah I am a senior here at Wilson and graduation is approaching quickly. I am extremely apprehensive about what may come after graduation. Though I know that Wilson has fully prepared me with the knowledge and skills that I need to be successful in the future, I can’t shake this frightening feeling that I will fail after graduation. I know this sounds stupid, and my friends have been teasing me about it. They are all excited about their futures while I am afraid of mine. Do you have any advice for me? Sincerely, Fearful
Dear Fearful First I want to say that your feelings are not stupid at all. Believe me, you are not the only one feeling like this, no matter what your friends say. It is perfectly natural for students to be anxious about their futures. It shows that you are concerned and genuinely want to do well. The only advice I can really give you at this point is to believe in yourself; don’t doubt yourself. You’ve obviously done well enough in your classes to make it out. So after graduation, try to hang on to the mind frame that you’ve maintained throughout your college experience. Carry that determination with you
throughout your career and you’ll do just fine. I want to leave you with a quote that has helped me throughout my life. “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” Marianne Williamson Always Sarah
Willing ***
Help,
Send questions to “Ask Sarah” at billboard@wilson.edu
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1 April 2007
FEATURES Out on the TTown own
By Caryn Watson
By Darwin Jackson With old man winter just now fading away, I can only imagine that cabin-fever is at an all time high. But there are always things for you to do. For the active outdoorsy type person there is White Tail Mountain or Ski Liberty local ski resorts that also offer skiing, ski lessons and tubing in the winter. During the warmer months there is a walking as well as a bike trail. If it is too cold outside there is Red Bridge Roller Rink, just a 15minute walk north of campus. There is also beautiful Caledonia State Park, 15 minutes East of Ollies Discount store. They offer hiking trails throughout the park, a public swimming pool, overnight camping areas, a picnic area as well as a children’s playground. There is also hunting, kayaking, and fishing, as well as a section of the famed Appalachian Trail which crosses fourteen states from Maine to Georgia. Heading out West of Chambersburg there is Cowans Gap State Park in Fort Loudon,
which offers the same as Caledonia State park but includes cabin rentals as well. For a more relaxed atmosphere there are several coffee shops in the Chambersburg area such as Heavenly Grounds Coffeehouse, located at15 N. Main St. just downtown near the fountain. On occasions they have music and poetry nights which are open for public participation. But if music and drama are more to your liking, there is the historical Capital Theater which hosts a wide variety of local and national talents from the Chambersburg Middle and High School Drama Clubs to world renowned performers like Pancho Sanchez. For more information contact Susan Hedges of Heavenly Grounds Coffeehouse located at 15 N. Main St. (717) 264-5222. Caledonia State Park (717) 352-2161. Cowans Gap State Park, 6235 Aughwick Rd. Fort Loudon. (717) 485-3948. The Capitol Theatre Center 159 S. Main St. (717) 263-0202.
Dinner ing a ribald version of “Lanval” by 12th century author Marie de France, Professor Cornelius incited a great deal of laughter and a few raised eyebrows from the hungry students. “It certainly makes for a memorable part of the course,” Professor Ackerman says. “And well, professors just want to have fun. What can I say?” The meal was served on a bread trencher, a medieval substitute for the modern plate. The first course consisted of slit
The Ascension: A Novel Horror
sop−leek soup with white wine on a slice of toasted honeywheat bread. The rest of the menu included garlic boiled in oil and a variety of spices, capon (a curry-like chicken with saffron and other spices), and a squash torte of pumpkin and parmesan graced with a sweet mixture of cinnamon, ginger, and amaretti. Students were also treated to a yummy desert of mince pies, marzipan fruits, and a traditional glass of Hypocras (or as Professor Cornelius calls it, Christmas in a cup).
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Christianity and horror generally are not spoken in the same sentence but neither is heaven and evil. That doesn’t stop people from writing about them within the same novel in a genre called Christian horror. Michael Cornelius is one such person. With The Ascension hitting book stands on March
31st, Cornelius can officially add his new novel to the list of “must reads” the next time he teaches Horror, Literature and Film. Chair and Assistant Professor of English & Mass Communications at Wilson, Cornelius has written other books including Creating Man (2000); Susan Slutt: Girl Detective (2003) and Vicki Barr Encyclopedia (2005), but this is his first horror story. “This novel started as a dream,” Cornelius said, “I woke up terrified.” After his horrifying dream Cornelius wrote down what he saw...and well, the story began. More than 200 pages later, famed critic and author A.J. Matthews says, “[Its] a remarkable novel.” In addition to The Ascension, Cornelius has another work on the literary criticism of Chaucer due out later this year.
“Michael Cornelius’ The Ascension is aa dark and dangerous book with suspense and surprises aplenty to keep you reading reading and guessing right up up to the last page. A remarkable novel.” novel.” —A. J. Matthews, auauthor and and UnthorofofFollow Follow broken Unbroken
*** The Ascension is published by Breakneck Books and can be ordered through their website, Amazon.com or through your local bookstore. Be prepared to be scared!
Resume easy ways to get your points across quickly and appropriately. Consider making your name slightly larger than the rest of your contact information and remember to remove the hyperlink from your email address. For 99% of you, a one page resume is appropriate but remember it should be one full page! In resume writing there is no such thing as half a page…one com-
plete page or two complete pages are the expectation. There are many ways to organize your resume with just as many possible section headings. Look at resume samples to see what you like and what best fits the information you would like to include on your resume. You can find samples in the many books in the career library, on the CDC website at
www.wilson.edu/career, and on Monster.com at http:// resume.monster.com/archives/ samples (notice there is no www). The Career Development Center is here for you and to help you to fine tune your resume. Email Heather Drumm at hdrumm@wilson.edu or call X3314 to make an appointment.
The dinner, although an enjoyable diversion from regular class time, also served as a lesson in disguise. “The study of the Middle Ages is not just about the study of literature or or history, but the study of culture as well,” said Professor Cornelius, who seemed pleased that his students were enjoying the experience. “Having a dinner that not only served medieval food but also introduces medieval customs and manners brings the Middle Ages alive in a very different way than what is presented in the classroom.” The students not only
learned about the food of the times, but also how much our society has changed in both expectation and etiquette. “Medieval people were comfortable eating off of shared plates and drinking from a common cup,” Professor Ackerman said. “It makes us think about why we are not comfortable doing that and how we got to be that way.” Everyone was seated at the table according to rank, headed by Lady Ackerman. The Chaucer students sat at the opposite end of the table, as they were considered the peasantry
of the group. Students were permitted to eat with their fingers if they chose to, and were only given a spoon and knife to use since forks were considered somewhat of an “abomination.” “Recreant” behavior by the common folk was not tolerated, and could win a student a oneway trip to the “pillory.” But even amid all the pomp and circumstance, as well as the different and “medieval” behavior, the students managed to have a wonderful time. They also learned a few valuable lessons that will not soon be forgotten.
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1 April 2007
Classifieds
THE BILLBOARD STAFF
WC Editor-in-Chief Caryn Watson ‘07
Business Manager Darwin Jackson ‘07
Advisor Laura Wackwitz Sports Editor Sara Kann ‘07
Staff Writers/ Photographers Heather Burke ‘08 Soo Jung Kim ‘08 Elizabeth Stiles ‘09
Associate Editor Lane Wigham ‘07 Assistant Editor Sarah Griffin ‘10
Mission Statement The Wilson Billboard is a tri-weekly student-run newspaper serving the Wilson College community. Its purpose is to relay important information to the campus and provide a forum for democratic discussion. The Billboard strives to encourge communication between student, faculty, staff and administration.