The Harbinger

August 8, 2005

 

Cultural Counselor from Sweden among those celebrating the opening of The Pelican

A visit to Hiram College by Peter Wahlqvist, the Cultural Counselor for the Embassy of Sweden in Washington, D.C., highlights the opening of The Pelican, the fourth and final production by Tyst, a Cleveland-based performing arts organization specializing in Scandinavian performances.

In its latest production, Tyst is excited to produce one of August Strinberg’s final and most evocative chamber plays. The Pelican will run Aug. 11 through Aug. 28 in Hiram’s Bates Hall. Performances will be Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.

In this intriguing and ominous work, The Pelican introduces a family of sleepwalkers, a family whose very existence has been built on deception. As each family member begins to wake up, the myth of motherly sacrifice is exposed and revenge is dealt out with ghastly consequences.

The cast includes actors from throughout Northeast Ohio. Akron resident Sue Antel plays the cunning matriarch of the family. Justin Tatum, a Shaker Heights resident, plays her neglected and sickly son, Frederick. Case Western Reserve University student Kristie Erin Barnes plays her naïve and temperamental daughter, Gerda; and Gerda’s unscrupulous husband, Axel, is played by Ohio City resident Tom Kondilas. The cast is rounded out by Hiram Professor of English Ellen Summers who plays the brazen housemaid, Margaret. The production is directed by Cleveland resident Adrienne.

Strindberg is Sweden’s master playwright, novelist, and short-story writer. Combining psychology, naturalism and mysticism, his plays drew on the problems of his marriage and his interest in self-analysis. Moon is the lead director at Dobama’s Night Kitchen in Cleveland Heights.

Hiram College faculty, staff, and students can receive four free tickets to any performance of The Pelican by calling x 5900.

Braver Published

Assistant Professor of Philosophy Lee Braver has recently published an article entitled "Paraphrasing: An Exercise to Teach Close Reading in Introductory Philosophy" in the spring 2005 edition of the American Philosophical Association Newsletter On Teaching Philosophy. 

In his article, Braver maintains that introductory philosophical texts should not be read like magazines or newspapers due to their complexity.  He says they were intended to be “pored over, contemplated and interrogated” in multiple readings.  Braver recounts experiences with students in introductory courses that led to the implementation of a paraphrasing methodology after repeated poor performances on pop quizzes and multiple complaints by diligent students.  Braver discovered that beginners glean more of a philosopher’s meaning from the writings when they analyze complex primary works by paraphrasing them or examining them one sentence at a time.  He contends the technique forces students to read slower, pick out the meaning of each paragraph and articulate it before moving on to the next.

Braver received significant positive input from many students who attributed the paraphrasing technique to a better understanding of text book readings, which they had previously found difficult to comprehend.  Their feedback suggested that the slower reading pace and greater attention to detail required by paraphrasing was also useful in their other classes and in test preparation.  Braver believes the paraphrasing technique will be a useful foundation for students in later more sophisticated courses and said he only uses them in introductory courses because with experience comes a second nature for reading primary texts.

Huehner's work accepted as part of sensory garden

Professor of Art and Environmental Studies Marty Huehner has recently had some of his Textural Nature Art work accepted as a donation to the new Sensory Garden at the Cleveland Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.

Sensory Garden creator, Ben Zaremba, saw Huehner’s bark scar texture medley made from Hiram College Field Station trees, entitled Scars, at an exhibit called The Forest, which was recently displayed in the Geauga Park District’s West Woods Center.  His sister, Anita Zaremba, who is a Hiram College Alumna and former student of Huehner, introduced Zaremba to Scars at the West Woods Center for possible donation to the library.

Scars is comprised of deer antler marks, falling branches, rotted limbs, nails, vines, and “Joe’s knife,” on White Stoneware stained with Silver Creek clay and metal oxides, which were glazed and fired to 1,063 degrees centigrade before being framed with wind and fallen Black Cherry mounted on plywood from plantation grown trees.  Cleveland Public Library Director, Andrew Venable, and Head of The Library For the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Barbara Mates, accepted Huehner’s donation of Scars on June 22 during a dedication ceremony for the Sensory Garden.

The Forest exhibit resulted from a partnership between Hiram College students, Hiram College artists, and professional artists from Northeastern Ohio as part of the Hiram College Creative Field Studies Program.  The program is a creative and reflective interdisciplinary meeting of nature and environmental issues.  The exhibit included a range of works from oil paintings to poetry.

A second more extensive Creative Field Studies effort is in the works for January of 2006 at the Frohring Art Center and will include musical composition, sculpture, painting, fiber arts, and other art forms.  In October, the Creative Field Studies Program, the Art Department and the Hiram Community Trust is sponsoring Chris Drury, a world-renowned British nature artist.  Further information about either event can be acquired from Marty Heuhner at 330.569.5266.

Cantrell to manage Physical Plant

Steve Cantrell has been chosen to manage Physical Plant operations for Sodexho on the Hiram College campus. Cantrell comes to Hiram from Davis and Elkins College where he served in a similar capacity and earned accolades for developing an innovative employee safety program and a stockroom inventory management system. Prior to his appointment at the Elkins, West Virginia institution, Cantrell worked as a Project Manager for Sodexho at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York. In this role he administered and directed all aspects of the college’s  renovation and construction projects. Earlier in his career Cantrell worked as a Capital Needs Analyst where his responsibilities included creating a capital renewal plan in excess of $10 million for over 60 buildings across several states.

“Steve has been a solid performer for Sodexho in environments much like Hiram,” said Lisa Thibodeau, Vice President for Business and Finance. “He brings a wealth of experience and more than his share of good ideas to enhance our Physical Plant operations. I know that he will work well with the campus community.”

Cantrell was equally positive about his fit with the Hiram position.  “I’m excited to be here and to have an opportunity to make a difference,” said Cantrell. “I like a challenge and enjoy working in an environment where my skills will be utilized.”

Cantrell is a native of South Dakota. He earned his bachelor’s degree in facilities management from Brigham Young University.

 

New year begins with month-long celebration of students returning to campus

Throughout the month of August, Hiram College will celebrate the return of its upper class students and welcome its new students to campus.

First Wave Welcome begins the week of August 9th as resident assistants, athletic trainers, dining services assistants, and football players arrive to campus. International students, orientation leaders, and players for volleyball, men’s soccer, women’s soccer and cross country will move into their residence halls the week of August 15th. In total, over 300 Hiram students will be on campus prior to the start of New Student Institute on Saturday, August 20th.

New Student Institute Week 2005 kicks off on August 20th with a welcome by Hiram President Thomas V. Chema, Student Senate President Brad Cromes and staff from student life offices. Familes will have their final farewells that afternoon and our new students will engage in five days of orientation activities. During the orientation, new students complete placement examinations and academic advising as well as participate in many social activities to allow them to interact with their classmates. Among some of the most popular events will be a square dance, Variety Show, canoeing at Camp Hi, and “Teamwork and Team Play” at the new Coleman Sports Center.

Adult students new to Hiram College will also be on campus for orientation this month. New students in the Masters of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies will be on campus Friday, August 12th through Saturday, August 13th. The new MAIS students will combine social interaction with serious conversations about the liberal arts. Similarly, new students to the Weekend College program will be on campus Saturday, August 20th for their orientation.

Fall semester classes begin on Thursday, August 25, 2005.

For more information, please contact Mike Corr, Associate Dean of Students and Co-Director of New Student Institute at 330.569.5239 or Cathy Mansor, Assistant Dean of the Center for Adult Studies at 330.569.5957.

Athletics Update

• Men's Basketball head coach Tim Rice completed his doctorate in sport management from the United States Sports Academy this summer.  Rice, who graduated with honors, was hooded in a commencement ceremony held on July 23, 2005, in Mobile, Alabama. The United States Sports Academy, one of the nation's premier graduate schools specializing in sport, conferred nine doctoral degrees and 167 master's degrees in various sports-related disciplines to students from all areas of the nation, and four foreign countries.  Rice becomes only the second member of Hiram's athletic department to hold a terminal degree (Dr. Myrtis Herndon was the first). Rice earned a B.S. in 1993 from the University of Mobile and an M.S.S. from the United States Sports Academy in 1999. He will begin his third year on staff at Hiram in 2005-06.

• Bob Wolfe joins the football staff as the co-defensive coordinator and running backs coach. In addition to his coaching duties, he will also serve as an Assistant Director of the Fitness Center.  Wolfe has extensive head coaching experience at both the college and high school levels. He spent last season as the assistant football coach at Mesabi Range Community College (MN), where he helped lead the team to a 10-1 record and the Minnesota Northern Conference Championship.  Wolfe's experience includes head collegiate coaching stops at Allegheny College (PA) and Tiffin University. In addition to coaching at Tiffin, Wolfe was also an assistant athletic director and instructor of sport management. During his tenure at Tiffin, Wolfe started the football program, was voted Coach of the Year twice, advanced to the NAIA National playoffs twice, and achieved the distinct honor of being the first and only football coach to be inducted into Tiffin's Athletic Hall of Fame.  He has also served as the head coach at Lima High School, Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin School, Warren G. Harding High School, and Trinity High School in Garfield Heights, Ohio, where he won the Ohio State Championship in 1980 and was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame.  A native of Upper Sandusky, Ohio, Wolfe earned a B.S. in Education from Bowling Green State University in 1969. He then went on to earn a Master's of Athletic Administration from Ball State University in 1973.

• Michelle Burke joins the Hiram staff as the head softball coach. Burke was the assistant women's soccer and softball coach at Hiram last season. In addition to her coaching duties, Burke will also serve as the Assistant to the Sport Marketing Director.  Burke, a 2004 graduate of Centenary College (NJ) with a bachelor's degree in English, was a three-sport letter winner in softball, soccer, and basketball.   She was a standout softball player at Centenary, earning All-Women's Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) First Team honors three times, and was named both the WIAC Rookie of the Year and WIAC Player of the Year. Additionally, Burke was an NSCAA All-American, a two-time All-ECAC Metro and ECAC Player of the Week, plus earned a spot on the NFCA/Louisville Slugger All-East Region Second Team.  Burke was a first-team All-WIAC selection in soccer as well and was a second team All-WIAC player in basketball. She also garnered All-Region and All-American honors during her career and was the first athlete in school history to achieve recognition from the Skyline Conference. She was named the New Jersey Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women Woman of the Year.  A native of Pompton Plains, New Jersey, Burke was previously a coach for the Camp Starlight Wayne County softball team from 2002-2003 and is an intern beat writer for ISportUSA.com.

• Jacqueline Kus has been hired to be the Cheerleading Director. Kus will begin her duties in August.  Kus, a 2005 graduate of Hiram with a B.A. in Sociology, was a cheerleader for the Terriers for two years. The Chagrin Falls native was also a three-year letter winning pitcher on the softball team during her time at Hiram.  "I'm pleased that Jackie will be taking over the cheerleading program," said Director of Athletics Tom Mulligan. "She has been quite successful at Hiram and she will be a great fit for the program."