The Harbinger
May 5 , 2008
Commence with commencement!
Commencement Day Schedule
It’s that time of year again! The countdown is on, and commencement is just around the corner! What a wonderful celebration of all the hard work of the past few years! Here is a rundown of the day’s events:
10:30 a.m. Baccalaureate (Hayden Auditorium)
11:30 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. Brunch reception (Kennedy Center)
2 p.m. Commencement (Campus Green)
3:30 p.m. Reception (Martin Commons)
Tickets
Beginning Monday, May 5, any remaining tickets will be issued on a first-come, first-serve basis. Pick up tickets from the Special Events office in its new location in the basement of the Quad. Tickets are only necessary if it rains and commencement is indoors.
Baccalaureate
Baccalaureate for the graduating class and their guests is on Saturday, May 10 at 10:30 a.m. in Hayden Auditorium. This year’s speaker is Kerry Skora whose address is titled “Hindu and Tibetan Buddhist Wisdom for All Hiram College Graduates.” Tickets are NOT necessary to attend Baccalaureate. Although seating in Hayden is limited, there has been adequate seating in previous years. Hayden Auditorium is barrier free.
Brunch reception
The brunch reception is between Baccalaureate and Commencement from 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. in the Kennedy Student Center. Students and their guests are invited to attend and visit with faculty, staff, and friends prior to the Commencement ceremony.
Commencement exercises
Saturday, May 10, 2 p.m. on the Campus Green. In case of rain, the Commencement will be moved into the Martin Field House. The College issues tickets to seniors to ensure that graduates and their families are able to participate comfortably in the Commencement ceremony. Philip Lader, former United States ambassador and assistant to President William Jefferson Clinton, will deliver the Commencement address.
Post-commencement celebration
The Commencement recessional will lead faculty, graduates, and their families to the Martin Common for light refreshments. Price Gymnasium is the rain location.
Parking
Available parking on the day of Commencement will be at the following locations:
• Hiram Christian Church
• Elementary School
• Municipal Parking Lot
• Gelbke Fine Arts Center (off Winrock)
Street parking is also available in the village with one exception (unless otherwise designated): Dean Street is handicap parking for an outside ceremony. It will be converted into a one-way street in order to angle-park guests; the only entrance to Dean Street will be from Hinsdale Street. However, if the weather requires an indoor ceremony, handicap parking will be located in the Coleman Center south lot.
Guest requiring reserved parking must contact the Office of Special Events for a reserved parking pass. We ask guests to place the “Commencement Reserved Parking” passes on their dashboards for easy identification. Parking attendants will assist you. On the map, handicap parking is denoted with an “H.” All other parking is noted with a “P.” For all parking areas, there will be a shuttle service from 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
More information
Check out a full listing of commencement-related activities on the Hiram College home page at www.hiram.edu. All commencement activities are handled through the Office of Special Events. Call Anita Stocz or Teal Young at 330.569.5900, if you need further information.
Hiram College Softball Finishes Second at NCAC Tournament
The Hiram College softball team finished second at the 2008 North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament, held this past weekend at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa.
The Terriers qualified for the tournament by winning their last four conference games of the season with a pair of two-game sweeps against Oberlin College and Kenyon College to claim the fourth and final spot in the postseason. Hiram ended the regular season with an 8-6 overall record matching its mark from the 2007 season when the Terriers made their first appearance in the tournament in school history.
At this year’s conference tournament, Hiram defeated top-ranked Allegheny twice after losing both regular-season meetings to the Gators, to advance to the championship round where the Terriers had to face nemesis and No. 3 seed Denison University for the NCAC Championship. Hiram had already lost to the Big Red on Saturday (May 3) resulting in needing two consecutive victories to capture the school’s first-ever tournament title. But Denison would go on to defeat Hiram, 13-2, on Sunday (May 4) to win its fourth conference tournament championship.
Hiram ends the 2008 season with an 18-20 overall record and have posted a .541 winning percentage in the past two seasons compared to a .281 winning percentage the previous six seasons since joining the NCAC in 1999-2000.
“We played some tough competition this season,” said second year Head Coach Kristin Tassey. “But the team really came together at the end and qualifying for the conference tournament again was a great testament to that accomplishment.”
“Although we lose some valuable senior leadership this season,” added Tassey, “We’ll have everyone back next year and our incoming freshmen could be just what we need to take that extra step.”
Hiram Holds Student-Athlete Appreciation Day
Last week, Hiram held its annual Student-Athlete Appreciation Day on campus. Athletes were able to take part in an outdoor cookout with hot dogs and chips and were able to take part in activities such as a tug-of-war competition and a hot dog eating contest. Individual team award winners were also announced at the home baseball and softball doubleheaders. The football team and coaching staff held a special dedication for retiring coach Larry Rice during the baseball game.
Senior art exhibition reflects on life
By Jarrad Davis '09
The 2008 Senior Art Exhibition, which runs through May 9, displays the work of six seniors whose art provides viewers with the opportunity to reflect, and see the world through the eyes of the artist.
The charcoal on paper self portraits of Jamie Bane show the vast range of human emotion as each portrait reflects a different moment taken from her life. Bane says that the process of staring into a mirror for long lengths of time was a, “haunting and emotional experience.” She hopes that her work will provide viewers with the opportunity to reflect upon their lives in the same way that staring into a mirror has allowed her to reflect upon her own life.
Kristy Walter’s work also hopes to allow for a similar moment of reflection. Her silhouettes made from cut paper purposefully leave out details so that the viewer may project their own emotions into the piece. “My work is about appreciating human emotions and their flexibility.” Walter says, “I am fascinated when people can change their emotions in an instant.”
Charles Eppley uses oil and acrylic on canvas to create pieces of swirling color and form. These modern, untitled creations leave the viewer guessing as to what Eppley means to convey. However, the contrasting and varying colors of Eppley’s work allow the viewer to interpret each piece for themselves thereby drawing their own conclusions and deriving their own meaning.
Moving from work dealing with interpretation of the viewer toward expression of the artist, Brittany Wildman’s ceramic birds convey the many roles of her inspiration—her brother. Wildman says that birds are, “known as guardians, mischief makers, omens of good and bad fortune, and symbols of love,” Wildman says that her brother also, “played each of these roles.”
The works that probably stand out most to viewers are Emily English’s mixed media creations. These pieces—formed by elements such as wads of handmade paper, wax, and thread—mean to represent something familiar in a different way and to show, “the fragility and strength of our natural world, and even ourselves.”
The oil on canvas paintings by Charles Fremont also examine human strength, and for that matter, human existence in its entirety. As an art and psychology double major, Fremont is interested in how the “Other” is treated by society and his work reflects this by showing moments when the “Other” is oppressed. Fremont says that he is, “concerned for these ‘outcasts’ who have been effectively shunned for not meeting the demands of their society.”
The 2008 Senior Art Exhibition can be found in the Gelbke Fine Arts Center Gallery located at 1200 Winrock Dr. Hiram, Ohio 44234. The gallery is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday–Friday.
Garfield Institute hosts ceremonial groundbreaking for Mecca Community Church
The Garfield Institute for Public Leadership hosted the ceremonial groundbreaking for the Mecca Community Church on Sunday, May 4 across from the Hiram Inn on State Route 700. When construction is complete this fall, the church's original architecture will be preserved for the above-ground portions of the structure. This area of the building will include a grand hall for formal and classroom gatherings and a library. Additional space will be added for faculty offices below the ground floor. The church is similar in design to two other churches that existed in Hiram at the College’s founding. The project is made possible in part by the generous support of Hiram Trustee William Recker.
The relocation, renovation, and restoration of the church from Mecca, Ohio is a $1.1 million project that will provide important distinctions to the Hiram College campus. In addition to providing a notable residence for one of the six Centers of Excellence, the church will also serve as a welcome beacon for the entire campus.
The building will add prominence to the Garfield Institute and support its mission to prepare students to accept the responsibilities of public leadership by helping them develop expertise in public policy matters, international and domestic, grounded in Hiram’s traditional liberal arts education.
Other news at Hiram
Joint Genome Institute Speaks at Hiram
Cheryl Kerfeld of the Men's and Women's Choruses Perform at Hiram Christian Church
Hiram Writers Successful in ECC Student Literary Competition
Hiram College to Make Repeat Appearance in North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament
Computer Science Graduate Accepts Prestigious Research Fellowship
Hiram Happenings
Monday, May 5, 2008
Senior Art Exhibition – 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Gelbke Fine Arts Center
Cinco de Mayo, Fiesta for your Future – 3 p.m. – Booth/Centennial Lawn (rain location: Fenton Lounge)
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Senior Art Exhibition – 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Gelbke Fine Arts Center
Faculty Meeting – 4:15 p.m. – Kennedy Center Ballroom
Spring 3-Week Ends
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Senior Art Exhibition – 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Gelbke Fine Arts Center
Spring 3-Week Finals
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Board of Trustees Meetings
Mystery Group Book Club – 12 p.m. – Pritchard Room, Library
Friday, May 9, 2008
Board of Trustees Meetings
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Board of Trustees Meetings
Baccalaureate – 10:30 a.m. – Hayden Auditorium
Pre-Commencement Brunch – 11:30 a.m. – Kennedy Center
Commencement – 2 p.m. – Campus Green (rain location: Martin Field House)
Reception – 3:30 p.m. – Martin Common (rain location: Price Gymnasium)
This is the last Harbinger for the 2007-2008 academic year.
Submit corrections and articles for the next Harbinger to Roger Cram at CramRF@hiram.edu.