The Harbinger
November 6, 2005
Hiram Volleyball Earns First NCAA Berth
North Coast Athletic Conference volleyball champion Hiram (28-4)
has received a bid to the 60-team NCAA Division III Tournament, which
opens on Thursday with eight regional tournaments around the nation.
NCAC Tournament champion Wittenberg University will host the Great
Lakes Regional Tournament Thursday through Saturday. The National
Finals are set for November 17-19 at the Salem Civic Center in Salem,
Virginia.The bid marks the first time since 1995 that any team at Hiram has made an NCAA Tournament.
Hiram will face Calvin College (28-2) in its opening match on the 10th at 3:30pm. The Terriers played Calvin for the first time in each program's history earlier this season, winning 3-0 at the Border Battle Tournament hosted by Wittenberg in September. The four teams that round out the Great Lakes field are: Mt. Saint Joseph (27-9), Ohio Northern (26-8), Capital (32-4) and Millikin (28-9).
Complete NCAA Tournament information can be found online at www.ncaasports.com (or Tournament Bracket).
Election Day Tuesday
A
reminder that Tuesday is Election Day. Important elections are being
held in Hiram Village, Portage County, the Crestwood School District,
and the State of Ohio. Everyone is encouraged to exercise their right
to vote. 
Hiram
students who are registered in Hiram can take the voter shuttle to the
municipal building to cast their vote. The shuttle will leave from the
Kennedy Center at 9:30 and 6:30, and from Hinsdale Hall at 11:45 and
4. The shuttles are being sponsored by the Office of College Relations
and the Office of Citizenship Education.The polls will be open at all polling stations across Ohio from 6:30 am - 7:30 pm.
Employee Recognition Convocation to be held Tuesday
Please make plans to attend Tuesday's Employee Recognition Convocation. The event will begin at 12:30 p.m. in the Kennedy Center Ballroom. A reception and lunch will follow in the Dix Dining Room.
Employees who have given 15 or 25 years of service to the college will be honored, while those who have attained five years of service or have reached another five-year increment will also be recognized.
Finalists and winners of the Nancy L. Moeller Outstanding Achievement Commendation for Staff, both professional and non-exempt, will be announced, and Professor of Religious Studies Dixon Slingerland will give a keynote speech titled "Fifteen Years of Service; Twenty-five Years of Service."
Hiram computer teams compete
Two
teams of Hiram College students competed Saturday in the 2005 ACM East
Central North America Regional Programming Contest at Ashland College.
They finished 40th and in a tie for 58th among 113 teams."Both (Hiram) teams made a valiant effort," said Professor of Computer Science Ellen Walker.
Walker coached and traveled with the two Hiram teams. The Hi RAM team, consisting of Jeff Adair, Cody Baker, and Matt Boggus, solved one problem to finish 40th. The Hi ROM team, consisting of Dimo Dimitrov, Dan Klinzing, and Jaina Sangtani, tied for 58th.
Teams from 65 colleges and universities throughout Ohio, western Pennsylvania, Michigan, Indiana and eastern Ontario competed at four contest sites, including 42 teams at Ashland.
The Waterloo Black team from the University of Waterloo won the overall competition, solving eight of eight programming problems in 671 minutes. Only 28 teams solved more than one problem.
For more information about the contest, visit the acm.ashland.edu website.
Election Night Donuts on Kenyon Drive
For
thirty consecutive years, a special society has met in Hiram -- usually
on election night in November -- to celebrate the mysteries of puzzles
while enjoying a family recipe for homemade donuts. Dean Michael Grajek
not only provides his home as the meeting place, he also cooks the
donuts and supplies the puzzles from his personal collection, which
numbers more than 100. The puzzles are each rated according to degree of difficulty, with one being the easiest and ten the most difficult. (The toughest puzzle is a can of coke matrix. It has never been solved and has a difficulty rating of 10.) Each puzzle also has a "Puzzled Solved by" list which credits those individuals from prior years who were the first to solve the puzzle at that year's gathering. Earning a spot on a list is a highly coveted award. The first puzzle solver of 2005 was Mark Reifsnyder, who conquered a puzzle named Dexterity which had a difficulty rating of one.
Math and computer science enthusiasts are invited each year to this event, but everyone from the Hiram College community is welcome. And best of all, Michael Grajek is willing to share his special donut recipe that originated with his grandmother in 1920. But, as a service for those unaware of this special gathering, Roger Cram has stolen this special donut recipe, and he will publish it for the world to see (without permission, of course) on election night 2005. Simply go to http://www.rfcram.com/StolenDonutRecipe.htm. Enjoy!
Maskulka Wins Essay Contest
As part of the United Nations' Role in World Peace 60th Anniversary Celebration, the Central Ohioans for Peace, Inc. offered a Peace Education Essay Contest open to everyone in the State of Ohio. Melissa Maskulka, a psychology major and junior at Hiram College, entered the contest on her own initiative.
Melissa has traveled with Professor of Communication Linda Rea on a Hiram College study abroad trip to Honduras and Guatemala in Central America. Moved by her exposure to the ravages of war and poverty, Melissa wrote her peace essay about her real-life studies in these two areas.
Only seven essay authors from the State of Ohio were selected to go to Columbus on Monday, October 24, 2005, to participate in the awards recognition ceremony. Melissa was one of these seven finalists. She eventually won fourth place and received a $60.00 cash award. Professor Rea accompanied Melissa to Columbus for the ceremony.
Fischer's Tanzanian teaching well received
Professor of Psychology Gwen Fischer recently gave her first lecture in the Medical College Series "Continuing Medical Education" at Hubert Kairuki Memorial University in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Fischer's topic was "Babies are Babies Wherever They Are (Except in Some Ways)." With a Rotary International University Teaching Award, she is continuing her research using the Kent Infant Development Scale (KIDS). The scale, created by Professor Jeanette Reuter of Kent State University, is used to measure the level of development in infants and young children by assessing 252 common behaviors.
The first scholar to use the scale in Africa, Fischer has collected data on more than 1,200 babies in Zimbabwe. She also has been teaching such topics as adolescent development in medical students' classes.
"The big challenge was to compress what I usually teach in 12 weeks into two hours," Fischer wrote in an entry on her blog, which can be found at http://blogs.hiram.edu/fischergb/
Fischer's compression worked. She received positive remarks not only from HKMU professors but also from her students.
"It is fun to talk to someone about a subject you care a lot about and try to make sure you understandable to them," Fischer wrote. "It is also very gratifying to discover that you know something others think is valuable.
Fischer will return to Hiram in January and teach during the spring semester.
Music Department Recital
On Wednesday evening, November 9, the Music Department will host their Fall Concert in Hayden Auditorium beginning at 8 PM. Jim Bane will be conducting the Concert Band, with Damaris Peters Pike serving as guest conductor for the combined Women's and Men's Chorus. Works will be performed from Henry Mancini, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Gustav Holst, and F. E. Bigelow. "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "America the Beautiful" will also be performed.
The concert is free and all are invited to attend.
Little receives $500 scholarship from Engineering & Scientific Societies
Hiram
College senior Sean Little knew his chemical elements before attending
the Akron Council of Engineering & Scientific Societies' 58th
annual Awards Banquet. There, Little learned about another element -
the element of surprise.The American Chemical Society (ACS) gives awards to outstanding chemistry students at six colleges and universities in the Akron area. The Hiram College chemistry faculty chose Little, who hopes to go to medical school.
"I didn't even know," Little said. "I was really surprised, especially given the quality of the other chemistry students in my class."
Little has distinguished himself before. He won an organic chemistry award from the Polymer Division of the ACS in 2003.
"Sean works hard in the classroom and is always looking to make connections between courses," Professor Colleen Fried said. "He likes to challenge himself. He never says can't."
What Little says he can do with the $500 award he received from ACESS is to pay for a portion of his applications to medical schools. He is applying to all of the Ohio medical schools and hopes to attend either Case Western Reserve or Ohio State University.
"I think the surprise was the $500," Fried said. "We let the Society contact our winner, and he thought the amount was going to be $250."
Little, a graduate of Bristol High School in Bristolville, Ohio, has worked with Professor Brad Goodner in genomic research and with Professor Denny Taylor in creation of a habitat evaluation index for the James M. Barrow Field Station and in water quality testing. He recently began work with Professor John Cragel in biodiesel research.
President of the Chemistry Club and member of the Alpha Society, Little also is accomplished outside the lab. He is former captain of the Hiram golf team.
"The evening was very enjoyable," the surprised Little said. "Good food, too."
Fight Song Contest
Terrier Sound, Hiram’s new pep band, invites faculty, staff, students, alumni, and members of our community to write the words to Hiram’s fight song.
With help of a survey to campus earlier this year, Terrier Sound chose the melody of “Our Director” by F.E. Bigelow for the fight song. Now, the community is invited to make your mark on Terrier Athletics and write the words!
For more information, go to http://www.hiram.edu/athletics/fightsong.html.
Fall Choral Concert features five ensembles
On
Friday, November 11, at 8:00 p.m. in Hayden Auditorium the Fall Choral
Concert will be presented. Five Choral groups with close to 100
singers will sing music of all periods and styles. Part one of the concert will present The Hiram College Madrigal Singers conducted by John Drotleff. Their three selections will be a preview of music they will sing at the Yuletide Revels in December. One selection of interest is a new setting of William Blake's "The Lamb" by Ohio composer James Myers.
Part two of the concert will feature the Hiram Men's Chorus under the direction of Dr. Tina Dreisbach. The men will sing "Drill Ye Tarriers Drill" arranged by Leonard Van Camp, a spiritual by former Clevelander William Appling "We Shall Walk Through the Valley of Peace" and "I'm a Baptist", a spiritual arranged by Dane/McColl
.
The next section of the concert will be the debut of the new Hiram Women's Chorus under the direction of Damaris Peters-Pike. Women from the college community and the area take part in this new ensemble. They will sing "World Peach Canon" by another Cleveland native, Donald Moore, "Somewhere Out There" arranged by Ed Lojeski with Anna Mosley as soloist and "Like A Tree" arranged by Lon Berry.
Save The Goats, a men's ensemble will sing "Silhouettes", "Afternoon Delight" and an old barbershop favorite "Paddlin Maddelin Home".
The final portion of the program will be devoted to the College Choir, conducted by John Drotleff. They will sing two early pieces "Exultate Deo" by Alexandro Scarlatti and Lotti's "Crucifixus". Next will be two folk songs, the Scottish folk tune "Cro-Challain" and a folk song from Latin America, "Duerme Negrito" with soloist Issabella Tuma. The great melody made famous by the Beatles, "Yesterday" will be sung in a new choral setting by John Drotleff, followed by the ebullient spiritual "Great Day," with soloists Brad Cromes and Kristen Haase. The concert ends with a rousing gospel tune, "He Never Failed Me Yet" featuring pianist Andee Wilson, bass player Christine Hakkio and soloists Dana Pogorelec, Whitney Overmyer, and Shwandra Dorroh. The concert is free and open to the public.
Athletics Update
Last week was highlighted by history-making performances both on the football field and in Price Gym. The football team broke six school records on Saturday in the heartbreak loss to Kenyon. Quarterback Trevor Henderson set a school record for completions (34), passing yards (428), and most yards gained (473). Wide receiver Max Kravitz (pictured) also set school records for catches (12) and receiving yards (184). In addition to the individual records the team also smashed the records for passing yards (433) and completions (35). The football team also paid tribute to its 11 graduating seniors.
The biggest news of the week, though, came from the women’s volleyball team as they broke a 10-year drought for team sports at Hiram by earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Volleyball Championships. The last time a Hiram team took part in an NCAA tournament was when the men’s soccer team reached the Sweet 16 round in 1995. The volleyball team hopes to take it a few steps further as their quest for Salem, Virginia, home of the Division III NCAA National Championship, begins Thursday when they take on Calvin College at Wittenberg.
The volleyball team, now 28-4 overall and 8-0 in the conference, split the week. As host of the NCAC Championship Tournament, the Terriers opened round one with a 3-0 victory over the College of Wooster. The victory set up a third-straight annual rematch with rival Wittenberg in the Championship game. The volleyball team fought hard but lost 3-1. For their tremendous play during the NCAC Championships, Shana Toth and Katie Moore received spots on the All Tournament team.
The team then waited all day Sunday to find out their postseason fate, and late Sunday night received the word they had hoped for; a first-ever bid to the NCAA Tournament. The volleyball team will travel to Wittenberg on Thursday to play Calvin College, whom Hiram beat 3-0 earlier this season.
The football team, now 1-8 overall and 1-5 in the conference, lost to Kenyon 41-38. They look to rebound this week as they travel to Oberlin for their final game of the season.
The cross country teams travel to Wilmington, Ohio, this weekend to participate in the NCAA Regional Championships on November 12th.
The men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams begin their season this week as they travel to Mt. Union for a meet on November 11th.
The men’s and women’s basketball teams tipped off their preseason schedules with scrimmages against Muskingum. The women traveled to Muskingum early Saturday morning. The men hosted Muskingum on Sunday afternoon, winning the scrimmage by seven. The women kick off their season on November 26th with a game at Manchester College in Indiana. The men begin their season on November 23rd at La Roche College in Pittsburgh.
Have You Seen This Painting?
When
a coach wins the Super Bowl, his teammates and colleagues dump a cooler
filled with ice water over his head. The Hiram College version of that
chilly ritual is the "Traveling Matador." If you find this painting
hanging on your office wall, consider yourself doused.As with all traditions, you are then responsible for passing this one along. After the matador has graced your wall for two weeks, you get to select the next recipient by stealthily hanging the painting in another person's work space. (Be sure to properly hang the matador, or else he will become very surly.) If you fail to pass the painting on at the end of two weeks, it will disappear, and you'll lose the opportunity to tell one of your colleagues how much you enjoy working with them. Olé!