For 15 years, Mary Hudson has been looking at the sun -- but she never lost her vision. Hudson, the chair of the physics and astronomy department, researches the sun and solar ejections, but she always keeps an eye on the politics here on earth.
In his 28-year career at the College, James Wright has seen a lot. From a fundamental change in the core curriculum to the controversial moving of the Commencement location, Wright has had a hand in many important events and decisions since he came to Hanover in 1969. But even a six-month internship as acting president of the College in 1995 likely did not prepare him for what is probably his greatest challenge at Dartmouth to date -- presiding simultaneously over the provost's and dean of the faculty's offices. Since former Provost Lee Bollinger departed to become the president of Michigan University, Wright -- who has been Dean of the Faculty since 1989 -- has also assumed the duties of acting provost. Wright has often said that he is dedicated to the improvement of student life, and in his new role as head of two of the most powerful offices at the College, he should have the chance to do so. Seeing double One of the most interesting consequences of Wright's dual role is that he shares his time between both of his offices -- the dean of the faculty office in Wentworth Hall and the provost's office in Parkhurst Hall. And while both the dean of the faculty and the College provost are full-time jobs, Wright can only devote half a day to each.
From building the "snowy knight" sculpture on the Green to planning the many activities this weekend offers, the Winter Carnival Council members have an extensive agenda, but they do not seem to mind. Amy Henry '97, co-chair of the council, said she enjoys having the opportunity to interact with many people to work on carnival traditions -- new and old. The council has been working since last spring to plan this year's activities and surpass the successes of past carnivals. The council's approximately 30 members meet regularly all term to make Winter Carnival a reality. The tasks of the council included selecting a theme -- which is "Twas a Cold and Stormy Knight: A Medieval Carnival" this year -- and choosing the poster, T-shirt and snow sculpture designs which encompass this theme. The group is also responsible for meeting with other organizations about planning their Carnival events. Henry said the excitement of Winter Carnival seems to have faded over the past few years and the council members hope to revive its spirit. This year's council aims to emphasize outdoor events in the carnival, she said.
A professor from the Thayer School of Engineering is currently working with IBM and Fluent Inc. -- a Lebanon software company -- to design sails intended to help the United States win the 2000 America's Cup yacht race. Thayer Professor Horst Richter is researching in conjunction with Thayer student Ron Ross and Jeff Shoreman '97. Richter and his staff are actually part of a larger group whose goal is to bring the America's Cup back to the U.S., since a New Zealand yacht won the competition in 1995. Peter Runstadler, Director of Applications Consulting at Fluent, Inc. said, "We're sort of a group working together to make it happen." PACT2000 -- a syndicate of the New York Yacht Club, which is working to solicit donations for research and development of the yacht -- is funding and coordinating the project. Richter, who also teaches the undergraduate class, Engineering Sciences 2: The Technology of Sailing, said PACT2000 approached IBM to gain access to their superior technology. "We need a lot of computer power because there are a lot of complex computations," he said.
The din of chatter and strains of music you hear coming from the lower level of the Collis Student Center are the trademark sounds of the Lone Pine Tavern.
A Nobel Laureate, authors of award-winning literature and several Ph.D. recipients agreed that the United States needs minority talent in mathematics and sciences at a panel discussion last night. "You just don't know who is going to make the next scientific discovery," said panelist Cynthia McIntyre, a theoretical physicist and assistant professor of physics at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. About 75 people gathered in Spaulding Auditorium for the forum, which is the first of many events scheduled for the College's celebration of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. The panel's moderator, Martin Davidson, a professor at the Tuck School of Business, opened the discussion by asking the question: "Why is it important to have a forum on the role of African-Americans and Minorities in Science and Technology?" The question generated various responses from the panelists, who varied in experience, ethnicity and gender.
The 21st annual student telethon to raise money for the Alumni Fund begins this Sunday, and organizers are hoping to match last year's more than $500,000 in receipts. The telethon, which will take place at the Top of the Hop Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights, helps the College pay for general operating costs, according to Alumni Fund Intern Sam Keating '97, one of the telethon organizers. For the first time organizers will allow donors to specify whether their donations will go towards current-use or financial aid. "The Alumni Fund accounts for about 10 percent of operating costs," funding such programs as Foreign Study Programs and Language Study Abroad programs, Keating said. Assistant Director of the Alumni Fund Christopher Buffoli said the telethon is very important to the College's finances. Dartmouth student volunteers will telephone alumni who gave money to the College in previous years to ask for donations. "Alums are generally fun to talk to," Keating said.
Twenty two members of the Class of 1997 were inducted into the Dartmouth chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society on Tuesday at a ceremony at the home of College President James Freedman. Each fall roughly 20 members of the senior class get an early invitation to the society, which whose academic rank is among the highest," according to the organization's charter. Come spring, the top 10 percent of the class will be invited to become members of the society. Seniors already inducted into the society are Kenneth Allen, Monu Bedi, Tait Bergstrom, Kendra Buzzell, Kathryn Celenza, Christopher Dorros, Bryan Farrow, Daniel Fehlauer, Theodore Jones, Nakul Krishnaswamy, Shari Lipner, Elizabeth Lipson, Alison Lokey, Dana Luthy, Sachin Mehta, Kathryn Miller, Cailin Nelson, David Sadoff, Jessica Sin, Daniel TenPas, J.Brooks Weaver and Ellen Wight. This year's inductees had different reactions after being elected to the Society. Kenneth Allen, an engineering major, said that he was thrilled when he found out he had been selected. "I knew I was kind of up there and my relative position in class," Allen said.
Chosen from three finalists, she brings familiarity and an open ear
Nonnie Cameron, "house mom" of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity at Purdue University in Indiana, spoke about gender relations and dating to about 100 new fraternity members last night. Cameron is one of a series speakers invited to campus by the Interfraternity Council for new member education this term. The IFC invited Cameron to Dartmouth to teach fraternity members ways to improve their relationships and apply what they learn from the fraternity system to their lives. Cameron began the session by stating her goal for the evening. She said, "My primary objective is to have fun." She expressed this before the meeting began as she handed out Tic-Tacs and said to members walking in, "We're going to have fun!