Former Dean of the College Sylvia Spears was named vice president for diversity and inclusion at Emerson College on Friday, according to Emerson radio station WERS. Spears, who most recently served as assistant vice president of academic initiatives at New England College, will also serve as chair of Emerson's diversity council and as a member of the president's council when she joins the Emerson staff on Aug. 1. Spears previously served as Dean of the College until the end of her two-year appointment on June 30, 2011. She chose not to apply for the permanent deanship during the College's search process in early 2011. Before her tenure as dean of the College, Spears served as the College's associate dean of student life and director of the Office of Pluralism and Leadership. Spears earned a bachelor's degree in speech communications, a master's degree in human development and family studies and a PhD in education at the University of Rhode Island.
Fewer than 16 students completed "The 50" challenge a 53.6 mile hike along the Appalachian Trail in approximately 24 hours without sleep this weekend, according to participant Yan Fan '11. A total of 28 students, divided into teams of three or four, attempted the hike, which began in Hanover and ended at the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge. Teams started the hike Friday afternoon and had until Saturday evening to finish, Fan said. Participants were able to rest briefly at seven different support stations run by student volunteers, who provided provide food, water, medical assistance and emotional support. This year's challenge was more difficult than that of previous years because rainfall made the trails harder to hike, according to Fan.
The New Hampshire state legislature is currently discussing two versions of a bill that would categorize the death of a fetus as a homicide, according to the Boston Herald. The Senate version of the bill would label causing the death of an unborn child as a homicide at any time after its conception, regardless of whether the perpetrator is aware of the woman's pregnancy. The House version considers the death of a fetus after 24 weeks as a homicide only if the perpetrator knows that the woman is pregnant. The restrictiveness of the Senate bill contrasts with past trends of abortion bills in the state legislature, as the Senate has previously rejected House bills that restrict abortion, the Herald reported. In both versions of the bill, the law would not apply to doctors performing abortions. The bills are based on "fetal homicide" legislation implemented in 38 other states that has been supported by pro-life groups, according to the Herald.
