The Harbinger

March 13, 2005

The Idea of the Map -- Bissell Symposium 2005


This Sunday, March 20th, The Sixth Annual Howard S. Bissell Symposium in conjunction with the Friends of the Hiram Library presents "The Idea of the Map" at 2 p.m. in the Hiram College Library Pritchard Room. 

The focus of this year’s symposium will be the Fox Map Collection, an assemblage of early maps of the Western Reserve and the Great Lakes region together with rare maps of the North American continent. This collection is unique for the variety of maps, the exquisite cartography and the number which cover the Great Lakes and early Ohio. Originally collected by Maurice (Hiram College class of 1927) and Ethlynn Fox, they were donated to the Hiram College Archives in November, 1983.

Two authorities on cartography have been invited to discuss the collection and individual maps. Dr. Donald H. Cresswell, proprietor of the Philadelphia Print Shop, is a leading specialist on early maps and was instrumental in helping the Foxes develop their collection.  He has published papers, book reviews and given public addresses on cartography. He also serves as an expert appraiser of maps and early American prints. William C. Barrow, Special Collections Librarian at the Cleveland State University Library, has extensive knowledge of maps of the Western Reserve and serves as chair of the Northern Ohio Map Society. In addition to his responsibilities for managing Special Collections, he is founder of the Cleveland Memory Project, an on-line compilation of images and materials dealing with the history of greater Cleveland.

Established in 1998, the Howard S. Bissell Symposium was made possible by a gift to Hiram College by George Bissell to honor his father, Howard S. Bissell, a longtime member of the Hiram College Board of Trustees. The symposium was created to recognize Howard Bissell’s broad range of academic interests and to strengthen academic and intellectual interaction among faculty, students, and members of the community.  Sunday's presentation is free and open to the public.


Bouts to Speak on Campus


Former Six Flags Theme Park Chairman and CEO Larry Bouts will speak at Hiram College on Wednesday, March 30 as part of the institution’s Creating Excellent Organizations Speaker Series. Bouts will discuss “Steps and Missteps of Leadership” at 7 p.m. in the Kennedy Center Ballroom.

Bouts currently serves as an investor and advisor to technology, energy, human resources and consumer-oriented businesses. In addition to leading Six Flags, Bouts also was an executive with Toys “R” Us where he led the international expansion of the company throughout Canada, Australia, Europe and Asia, successfully developing a profitable multi-billion dollar offshore retail brand in more than 25 countries. He also served as an executive with PepsiCo.

Bouts is a 1971 graduate of Hiram College and was a member of the institution’s track and basketball teams. He earned an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Science research experience for high school students

Hiram College, through the Hiram Genomics Initiative, is offering an advanced science research opportunity June 20 to July 1 for students entering grades 9-12. Students will get hands-on research experience in microbiology, genetics & genomics.

Working with Hiram faculty and undergraduate students, participants will conduct original lab research on the genetic traits of selected bacterial species. Students will learn proper sterile technique and safety, how to work with bacteria, how to generate random and site-directed mutants, and how to isolate and analyze DNA sequences.

The program runs Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., from June 20 through July 1. Residents and commuters are welcome. Cost for residents, including room and meals (weekdays only) is $840, $480 for commuters.  For registration information, contact Matt Sorrick at 330-569-6003 or sorrickmw@hiram.edu. Application deadline is May 13.

Better Than Borders -- The Hiram Library Book Sale this week

Just a reminder that the March Friends of the Hiram College Library book sale is this week (March 14 – 19).  Everyone who loves books is cordially invited to stop in at the library. 

The doors will open at 8 a.m. Monday and the hours of the sale are from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday and Wednesday; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  There are many books from which to choose and the price of 50 cents.  Shop early, shop often -- the supply of books is refreshed throughout the week.

South Indian Musicians at Hiram  College

An ensemble of traditional Indian musicians will present a concert in Frohring Recital Hall on Friday, March 18, at 7:30 p.m.  Performers include Shiva Sastry, veena (instrument pictured); Rajasekhar Athmakuri, mridangam; and Sriram Balasubramanian, ghatam.

Carnatic music, the classical music of south India, is one of the world’s most vibrant and complex repertories.  Shiva Sastry began formal training on the ancient stringed veena at the age of five and continues to learn and explore the depths of his instrument under the guidance of Sangita Kalanidhi T.K. Govinda Rao.  Dr. Sastry’s playing is characterized by rich melody and strong rhythm in the Mysore tradition.  He has performed widely in India and the United States where he has been resident since 1988.  He is a faculty member in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Akron.  His accompanists will demonstrate the art of percussion on the double-headed drum and clay pot.

The free concert is sponsored by the Hiram Community Trust and the Hiram College Music Department.  Call 330-569-5294 for further information.       

The Florida Tour


During a two-month stay in Florida, Professor Emerita Damaris Peters Pike stayed busy performing some of her one-woman shows she created in 1998 as a vehicle for sharing material from her music courses with the "real" world. 

Though she has been doing the shows in Florida for more than a decade, this season was especially busy.  "Off to Never Never Land with Mary Martin" (pictured) was performed six times, "Thanks for the Memories: A Visit from Dolores Hope" four times, and "Irving Berlin: A Daughter Remembers" two times in Naples, Pelican Bay, Bonita Springs, Ft. Myers, Sanibel, and Sarasota.  On Sanibel, a good friend of Hiram College, Helen Dix, was in attendance, and at one stop in Ft. Myers, the grandmother of a Hiram alum asked for information about the College and James A. Garfield during the question-and-answer session.

Yearbook Staff Receives Accolades from Nation’s Leading Publisher

The Spider Web received an Award of Excellence in the 2005 Yearbook Yearbook, an annual yearbook design publication produced by Taylor Publishing. Hiram’s yearbook was selected among the best in design, photography, theme, and cover development out of over 700 entries.

“The Award of Excellence is given each year to a small percentage of yearbook staffs nationwide that demonstrate excellence in yearbook creation,” said Mike Taylor, Marketing Manager at Taylor Publishing. “We applaud Hiram for their outstanding work.” Hiram was the only Ohio college to be recognized with this award this year.

This year’s yearbook staff includes Emily Clark, Daniel Yockel, Miche Hirose, Clare Scott, Emily Gregor, Josephine Hesse, Erin Tayerle, and Scott Wolfe. Senior Bryan Drost is in his second year as Editor-in-Chief. Thad Doyle is the administrative advisor to the yearbook staff.

Hiram College offers Summer Music Camp

The Hiram music department is offering a weeklong Summer Music Camp June 13 to 18 for students in grades 9-12. The camp is for singers; players of woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments; pianists; harpists; and guitarists.

Participants will be able to pursue their favorite music activities and explore the diversity of the musical world. Activities include daily musicianship classes, private and class lessons, instrumental and vocal ensembles, and a final, all-inclusive concert.

Camp hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. Students are encouraged to stay on campus to take advantage of social and cultural activities. The cost (includes room and meals) is $550 for residents, $330 for commuters.

For registration information contact Lisa Miller, Department of Music, at 330-569-5294 or millerll@hiram.edu. The deadline for applications is May 13, 2005.

Spaghetti Dinner Set for Friday

The Western Reserve Kiwanis will be hosting their monthly spaghetti dnner on Friday, March 18 from 5 - 7 pm in the Kennedy Center .  Meal includes all-you-can-eat spaghetti with two different sauces, salad, garlic bread, beverages, and dessert.  Price is $6, children 10 and under eat free.

Summer Job Fair this Friday

Need a job this summer?  Join us for The Summer Job Fair -- 90s Edition, March 18th from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. in the Kennedy Center.  Employers throughout Northeast Ohio and around the country will be on hand to give out employment applications, collect resumes, and answer questions about their job offerings.  Staff members from The Career Center will also be there to walk you through the process of summer employment.  

To see what companies and organizations are coming, click here. Sign-up at the Career Center Today!

Senior Seminars in Art


Four graduating seniors in art history will present their senior seminar papers starting next week.  On Monday, March 21st Ursula Coleridge and Julie Feather-Faber will give a slide and PowerPoint presentation on their research.  Ursula’s paper is on the Hell panel from the famous triptych, Garden of Earthly Delights by Heironymous Bosch, and Julie will elucidate the meaning and significance of 17th century Dutch paintings of home interiors.

On Monday March 28th, Travis English and Samantha Allen will be presenting.  Travis will talk about the allegorical paintings of the early 20th century German artist Otto Dix, and Samantha will discuss Jan van Eyck’s 15th century double portrait of Mr and Mrs. Arnolfini.

Presentations will begin at 4:15 in Frohring Art 5. All are invited to attend.

Personality Profile


During the summer of 2002, Fionna Faulk was with her sister Maria’s track-recording session in Cleveland when the producer “Boz” gave Fionna a used, right-hand guitar to experiment with at home. Fionna, who is left-handed and did not play the guitar, started plucking away in her spare time. Because she was playing a right-handed guitar with her left hand, the guitar’s strike plate, instead of being at the bottom of the strings, was at the top, meaning the base and treble strings were reversed as well.  But, the guitar, nicknamed “Woody,” was free, so Fionna plucked and experimented away.

Not reading guitar music (neither did Jimmy Hendrix), Fionna started writing her own songs and has written over 30 original pieces to date. Her favorite is entitled “You Don’t Cry.” The only song she plays written by someone else is “Flake” written by Jack Johnson.

One year after she started writing songs, Fionna got her first gig and started playing and singing professionally. She now has a new guitar named “Sexy” and plays acoustic pop-folk rock.

Fionna, a senior at Hiram College from Alliance, Ohio, performs on the last Saturday of every month, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, at Aurora’s Arabica Coffee House. During the summer months of 2004, she played every weekend at various locations around the area, something she intends to repeat during the summer of 2005.  Even though she is graduating this spring, her summer gig locations will be placed on her website http://www.fionnafaulk.com.  Shortly, you can see her playing on the Channel 8 television morning news on their segment dedicated to new upcoming musicians.
    
On her website, where you can listen to some of her music, Fionna states, “Playing live is ESSENTIAL to my enjoyment in the music scene. There's nothing like a live performance, because you not only get to hear the emotion, but you get to see it as well, and that experience always takes the music to new heights (unless you're really bad live).”    

Fionna likes the music of Jonatha Brooke, Norah Jones, Jack Johnson, The Dixie Chicks, G. Love, and Special Sauce. She is delighted MP3’s can be heard over the Internet, giving her the ability to hear her choice of music, for if this was not possible, she would “…be forced to listen to the music that is currently being crammed down our throats by the (big bad) major record labels.”

Enjoy a preview of the new Coleman  Center


To provide the campus community with an opportunity to enjoy some of the amenities of the Les and Kathy Coleman Sports, Recreation and Fitness Center at the earliest possible time, college officials have decided to open two areas of the facility.

 The Coleman Fitness Center and Strength Training Room will be open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. as a preview for the campus community. Please know that the Fleming Fitness Center will be open 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, to ensure that there is no disruption of services during the transition period to the new facility. Hours of operation will be extended and more areas of the Coleman Center will become available as construction of the building nears completion.

All are invited to enjoy the new offerings of the Coleman Center during the sneak preview hours mentioned above.

Features of the new 4,500 square foot Fitness Center include:

  • A cardiovascular theater consisting of 21 pieces of new equipment including elliptical trainers, bikes, stair climbers, and treadmills
  • 15 new pieces of Quantum selectorized strength training equipment
  • functional training area with new dumbbells, stability balls, and medicine balls.

Features of the 1,500 square foot Strength Training Room include:

  • new squat racks
  • new dumbbells
  • new powerlifting platforms
  • new benches
  • new barbells and weights

Visitors to the Coleman Center should exercise caution as areas of the building remain under construction. 

Sports Update


Women’s swimmer Beth Groselle competed last week in the NCAA National Championship meet in Holland, Michigan. She swam in three events: the 200 meter Individual Medley, the 100 meter Breaststroke, and the 100 meter Freestyle. On Thursday, Groselle placed 2nd in the 200 IM with her time of 2:04.90, her lifetime best time and a new Hiram record. On Friday, she placed 4th in the 100 Breast with her time of 1:04.65, also a lifetime best time and a new Hiram record. On Saturday, she finished 3rd in the 100 Free with a time of 51.42, another lifetime best time.

The men’s and women’s track & field teams competed on March 4th and 5th at the NCAC Indoor Championships. The women placed 5th overall while the men tied for 9th with Kenyon College. The women’s 4x200 relay of senior Jasmine Kirtley, first-years Lauren Sturdivant and Lynne Hutchison, and sophomore Gwen Alger took 1st place and set a new Hiram record with their time of 1:49.21. Kirtley also took 3rd in the 55 meter dash (7.61) and 4th in the 200 meter dash (27.08), while Alger placed 3rd in the 400 meter run with her time of 61.10, breaking her own Hiram record. Both earned All-NCAC honors for their efforts, along with the 4x200 relay team. On the men’s side, first-year Dan Buttaccio placed 5th in the 400 meter run with his time of 53.03, a season-best time. Junior Chris Stevenson finished 6th in the 55 meter hurdles with a time of 8.36. The indoor season is over and the outdoor season will begin on April 2nd, when both teams travel to Westminster College (PA) for a meet at 10AM.

Four teams traveled to sunnier climates last week during Spring Break to compete.

The men’s golf team traveled to Whispering Pines, North Carolina, for a tournament at Pinehurst. The men placed 3rd overall, beating East Stroudsburg (PA), and had two golfers place 3rd and 4th individually. First-year Craig Blaustein took 3rd with his score of 79 and senior Jack Byham placed 4th with a score of 80. The men play Kenyon at 10AM on April 2nd in Gambier.

The men’s tennis team traveled to Daytona Beach, Florida, to play three matches. The team lost to Moravian College (PA) 6-1, with junior Nick Simon the team’s only winner. The men also played NAIA member Aquinas College, and lost 7-0. The weather was less than stellar with rain and high winds, and the third match scheduled to be played against King’s College was rained out. The team then drove to Hilton Head, South Carolina, to play Eastern Nazarene College (MA) and beat them 6-1, winning #2-#6 singles and winning 2 of the 3 doubles matches. The men are back in action on March 17th when they travel to Oberlin College for a 4:30 match.

The baseball team traveled to Ft. Myers, Florida, to compete in the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic. They split the first double-header against Olivet College and lost both games of a double-header to Muskingum College and a single game against Haverford College. The weather was rainy during the middle of the week and the morning game against Clark University was rained out, but the team did play WPI in the afternoon to get a win. In the final two days of the trip, the team lost to Olivet College, beat Bluffton University, and lost to Illinois College to finish the trip 3-6 overall. The team will travel to Cedarville University on March 19th for a game at 1PM.

The softball team also traveled to Ft. Myers, Florida, to compete in the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic. They beat Eastern Nazarene College and lost to St. Mary’s College on the first day. The next day they beat both MacMurray College and Carlow College easily. Wednesday was rainy and both games scheduled for that morning were rained out. The team then beat Clark University and lost to Beloit College before losing to Tri-State College, Alfred College, and RPI. The team finished the trip with a win against Mount Ida College. The team will be back in action on March 23rd when they host Mt. Union College for a game at 3PM.

Additional Information