Total Clips: 23 Headline Date Outlet Six tips for high schoolers about to start college 04/27/2007 Leadership Magazine Syracuse Booksellers Forum "Energizing" 04/27/2007 Bookselling This Week Colgate's Brandon Corp Named Patriot League POY 04/27/2007 WTVH-TV America needs help, too 04/26/2007 Hi-Desert Star Colgate's Educational Mission Part of Draw 04/26/2007 Post-Standard More guns means tech-style killings would be more common; what now? 04/24/2007 Post-Standard Lebanon seeks a tax on natural gas drillers 04/22/2007 Post-Standard - East Bureau, The New Approach to Diversity 04/20/2007 Inside Higher Ed 'We are brave enough' 04/19/2007 Baltimore Sun Are CNY colleges prepared? 04/18/2007 Post-Standard Four receive scholarships 04/16/2007 Post-Standard - East Bureau, The Greek Week planned 04/16/2007 Post-Standard - East Bureau, The Date Night at Colgate 04/16/2007 Post-Standard - East Bureau, The Colgate defender keeps MS at bay 04/15/2007 Newsday Spring Break Mission: Help rebuild New Orleans 04/15/2007 Poughkeepsie Journal Colgate marks Friday the 13th 04/13/2007 Observer-Dispatch, The Climate change clamor; hundreds of events nationwide to call attention to global warming 04/13/2007 Post-Standard Colgate shows rare Australian art exhibit to aboriginal teens 04/10/2007 Post-Standard - East Bureau, The Two win fellowships 04/10/2007 Post-Standard - East Bureau, The Center's anniversary noted 04/10/2007 Post-Standard - East Bureau, The Children's camp to receive $11,700 from fraternity 04/10/2007 Post-Standard Rocking the Ivory Tower 04/09/2007 Chronicle of Higher Education, The Small colleges raise the bar on admissions 04/08/2007 San Francisco Chronicle Six tips for high schoolers about to start college 04/27/2007 Leadership Magazine Return to Top The final season for seniors is upon us: the season of college admissions decisions for many high school seniors. Those who have already heard from their school of choice are heading into their senior spring with a smile, and those who haven’t are eagerly awaiting that thick envelope in the mail. But all students — those who have been accepted already and otherwise — should remember that a lot can happen between now and August, says Beverly Low, dean of first-year students at Colgate University. “Just because you have confirmed your admission to college does not mean that the school year is over yet,” she cautions. “Most institutions of higher learning will review your final high school transcript and peek at your spring grades. So stay focused and finish strong.” Here, Low offers some advice on preparing for the challenges of college life: Read a book that isn’t required for a class but that relates directly to one. “Go beyond the required text and find something to complement your learning,” she says. “Your teacher will notice your initiative, and you’ll ease yourself into college’s heavier workload. It really pays to get used to the extra work early.” Get yourself a calendar and write everything down. Pay particular attention to the dates of your quizzes, tests, papers, and projects, says Low, as well as athletic practice and game times, performance rehearsals and productions, community service responsibilities, and any other commitments. “Don’t worry — you should be able to carve out some time to have some fun!” Schedule your own appointments. “Once you get to college you will have to manage your own obligations,” she explains. “Instead of having mom make the calls to the dentist, doctor, and pharmacy, start making those arrangements for yourself. In college you’ll have many more appointments to track while also managing a busy social and academic life.” Plan a trip all by your lonesome. Get from one location to another without the assistance of your parents or family members — go on your own private adventure, suggests Low. Many undergraduates have to arrange their travel around class and exams, so consider this a fun dry run. Read the news. Perusing the local paper is fine, but any informed college student should read a newspaper that covers hard news — not pop culture — at least once a week, says Low, adding that The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and The Washington Post are great for first-time national newspaper readers. And pay particular attention to the editorial pages; in college you are often expected to express and even defend your opinions about news and politics. Put yourself on a budget. “Whether you work part-time or receive an allowance, establish a definite amount of spending money each week and stick to it,” she suggests. “Figure out your priorities each week and map out how you will spend or save your money. If you organize your expenses, you should end up with some extra jingle in your pocket at the end of the week.” Syracuse Booksellers Forum "Energizing" 04/27/2007 Bookselling This Week Grogan, David Return to Top On Wednesday, April 25, booksellers gathered at the Holiday Inn Carrier Circle in Syracuse, New York, for an American Booksellers Association Booksellers Forum and education program in conjunction with the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association (NAIBA). "[The day] went really well," said Rob Stahl, the general book manager for Colgate Bookstore in Hamilton, New York. "There were 13 people there, it was a small, but dedicated group. There was great interaction between booksellers." The program kicked off with a NAIBA update from Stahl, who reminded attendees about upcoming events, such as the NAIBA Trunk Show on June 20 and Booksellers Sales Conference in October, among other things. Following Stahl's update, ABA CEO Avin Mark Domnitz presented "Participating in the Digital Revolution," an examination of the ways in which technology is changing how consumers gather information that was countered by practical ways in which independent bookstores can make the most of these new developments to reach out to their customers. Patty Kutz of Lift Bridge Book Shop in Brockport, New York, told BTW that her bookstore recently celebrated its 35th year and the information provided by ABA over the years has been instrumental in helping the store reach that milestone. "I always listen to everything Avin has to say," she explained. "He spoke about how this is the age of information, and booksellers need to think about how they are going to participate in the digital revolution and how they are going to be affected." "We aren't necessarily the 'early adopters,'" said Bill Reilly of the River's End Bookstore in Oswego, New York. "In the business world, obviously, there are some booksellers that are, but generally, booksellers come from a conservative, traditional background as far as business practices go. I've been hearing this from our younger booksellers at the store, 'You've got to do this, you've got to do that.'" Reilly said the digital session was "energizing. I added this to my list of things that have to be done." Though the show earned thumbs up from attendees, Stahl noted that halfway through the digital session there was a power outage, but, he added, "Avin did a really good job and fortunately his laptop had batteries." Reilly concurred. "Avin did a marvelous job of presenting the session to us [after the power went out]." Following the digital session, booksellers gathered for lunch, where eventually, the power came back on. After the lunch, Domnitz led the Booksellers Forum & Strategic Planning session. Here, he provided information about the association's program and initiatives and gathered input from booksellers to help ABA formulate its next five-year strategic plan. Topics discussed at the forum included how to define core membership, publisher order minimums, and the importance of the Book Sense brand. "Avin asked us if we thought [what constitutes ABA's] core membership group should be modified," Reilly said. Stahl reported that there was some disagreement over what should constitute the core membership. "There was one online bookseller there," said Stahl, "and I said that 'independent' is the most important part. Some said ... it should be the storefronts. It was a good discussion, and there was no animosity. It was a matter of different perspectives." Some attendees also brought up the issue of order minimums for certain titles. Stahl noted that he ordered a frontlist title from a major publisher that ended up "landing on a bestseller list." When the book failed to arrive, he called the publisher and found out the title "didn't show up because his order did not meet the minimum ...ordering two copies of a book doesn't guarantee you'll get the book." Lift Bridge's Kutz said, as a bookseller with a smaller store, the minimum order issue is important to her, which is why she is glad to be a part of ABA. "When these issues are presented by our parent organization, it carries more clout with vendors." After the forum, Domnitz and Erika Davis of Creekside Books in Skaneateles, New York, presented "Handselling: Customer Service With Results," which focused on attracting and training good handsellers, integrating handselling into marketing efforts, and ensuring that customers walk away with a unique and positive shopping experience. "It's good to be reminded of the basics and handselling is just that," said Reilly. "If we're not brushing up on those skills, we'll lose our way. [Handselling] sets us apart. It's that passion." "I think of all the many wonderful things that ABA does for us, and getting booksellers a chance to get together is very helpful," said Kutz, "because when you are running a business by yourself, you don't have any feedback." Colgate's Brandon Corp Named Patriot League POY 04/27/2007 WTVH-TV Return to Top Colgate University sophomore Brandon Corp (Chittenango, N.Y.) and senior Colin Hulme (Framingham, Mass.) were named the Patriot League Men’s Lacrosse Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively the league office announced on Thursday. Colgate was the lone school to take two of the major awards. Corp captured the honor after pacing the Raider attack with 26 goals and 12 assists for 38 points. Corp is the first Raider to win the league’s Offensive Player of the Year award and the first to earn a Player of the Year award since Derek Laub was bestowed the honor in 1993. A two-time all-league selection, he is tied for the team lead in goals and is second in points. He has tallied at least one point in all 13 games and has registered 10 multiple-point performances. The Chittenango High School product scored a career-high four goals against then No. 2 Albany and again in Colgate’s win over then ninth-ranked Army. He earned Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week recognition after his five-point performance against the Black Knights. Corp currently ranks second in the league in goals and third in overall points. His three game-winning scores also is tops in the conference. In just two seasons with the Raiders, Corp has tallied 45 goals and 18 assists for 63 points. America needs help, too 04/26/2007 Hi-Desert Star Return to Top Conor Tucker graduated from Yucca Valley High School last year and now attends Colgate University in upstate New York. For spring break, he helped homeowners in New Orleans. He sent this editorial to the Hi-Desert Star as a way of publicizing the problems still existent in that area of the United States. Perhaps the most chilling feeling I’ve ever experienced occurred in the 9th Ward, the community in New Orleans hit hardest by the flood after Hurricane Katrina. I was walking down the street on a beautiful, sunny Thursday in March, just about the time that students usually get home from school. It was warm, but not hot, and there was a light breeze. If you listened hard enough, you could hear back a few years — to the noise, to the bustle. Children played on the corner, cars slid by, mothers admonished children and a faint sound of music (I was in New Orleans, after all) wafted out of the house to my left. But, my imagination stopped when the silence struck me. I looked: There was no house to my left. The floor of a kitchen sat on top of the house to my right. Logic can be cruel. I think we’ve forgotten about New Orleans. I haven’t, but that’s because I left my sweat there. Most students at Colgate University for spring break make their way down to the Bahamas, or Florida, or California. Or home. Who can blame them? Fifteen of us, though, didn’t choose such exotic locations. We went down to New Orleans. We stayed in bunk beds at the Aurora Methodist Church in Algiers, woke up around 7 each morning, and helped the clean-up effort in different parts of New Orleans. A year and a half later, our most pressing job was still cleaning up. Our team, in five days, finished gutting four houses down to the studs so that moldy drywall and rotting wood could be replaced — so that rebuilding could begin. We worked in two areas where the water level was over 10 feet. We worked in one house where — we think — a man died. We knocked down walls, we tore out doors, we ripped out nails and we emptied backyards of debris. We worked in upper-middle-class areas, and we worked in lower-class areas. Fifteen of us worked for five days. And I feel entirely empty. What we did helped. I have to tell myself that to make sense of the week. Yet in my heart I was so overwhelmed by the magnitude of the destruction that I couldn’t help but feel like Sisyphus watching his rock roll away. There is so much more to do; I am simply one man. My only consolation is that if I tell five people, perhaps one of them will go, perhaps one will send money — and then my contribution will be two. But can I get five people to listen? A woman from New Orleans whom I met on the plane ride down to the city said she felt betrayed by the media. The problems in New Orleans are not going anywhere else — but news coverage has. When she talks to people, they say they are tired of hearing about New Orleans; they’re sure she is too. But she lives there. She doesn’t have to hear it. She has to see it. Where have we gone that we can turn our heads and ignore? What can I tell a society so obsessed with television that if it isn’t featured on prime-time, it isn’t a problem? The response to Katrina was an utter failure. All levels of government shirked off responsibility to others in their initial response. And the failure continues. All levels of government are playing the school-yard game of finger pointing. Over 18 months later, the 9th Ward still looks like a third-world country. Where are we? … But why should I shout at a wall? The silence of the 9th seems more comforting. Instead, I’ll leave you with an image I cannot shake from my head: My roommate (who is from India) is standing in the middle of a road in the 9th Ward, bewildered by the destruction. His hand seems to be holding his mouth slightly agape and the sun is glinting off of his sunglasses; his eye sockets look empty. Behind him, scrawled in spray-paint on the side of a house, are the words “America Needs Help Too.” Colgate's Educational Mission Part of Draw 04/26/2007 Post-Standard Duncan, Brenda Return to Top Editorial assistant Brenda Duncan recently interviewed Charlotte Johnson, who took over in August as vice president and dean of Colgate University. Name: Charlotte Johnson Age: 44 Where do you live? Hamilton Where are you originally from? Originally from Birmingham, Ala.; however, I grew up in Michigan. How long have you lived here? Since August. Do you have a family? I have a husband, but no children. Educational background: I went to the University of Detroit . . . and I got an undergraduate degree, a B.A. in psychology, and from there I went to the University of Michigan Law School where I got a J.D. Occupation: I am an attorney, but I haven't practiced in about nine years. Right now, my title is vice president and dean of . . . Colgate University in Hamilton. Why did you decide to take this job? There's a few reasons. One is because of the opportunity that it provided professionally. The second big reason is because I like what Colgate is doing in terms of its educational mission, teaching to the whole student. That is, making sure that we don't just produce talking heads, but that students have critical thinking and interpersonal and other skills that are more likely to make them more successful after they leave Colgate. What do you like best about it so far? The students and getting to know the students and faculty. The alums here love the place, and I came from Michigan where alums also love the place. I think Colgate alums have us beat on that score. What is the most challenging aspect? Serving all the constituencies and sort of balancing interests. There are always many interests on the table. How did you enjoy winter here? Michigan prepared me somewhat for this winter, but Hamilton gets a lot more snow than Southeast Michigan does. . . . I was prepared, but I can't say that I was prepared 100 percent. What do you do in your spare time? I like to play golf and catch up with family. My husband and I do love to travel. If you had an extra hour each day, what would you do? Work out, get to the gym. When you were a child, what did you dream about becoming? I think I wanted to be a nun for one part of my childhood - I grew up in Catholic school - and then after that a nurse. I'm a long way from that. What was your favorite subject in school? Anything to do with reading or English. Do you have a key philosophy in life? Treat others as you wish to be treated. What can you be found doing on Saturday nights? Probably watching "Law & Order." What can be found on your desk at work? A picture of my niece and nephew - prominently displayed - and lots and lots of paper files. One thing I definitely want to do in my lifetime: I want to visit the Fiji Islands. What advice would you give the president? Tread carefully. The best advice I ever heard: To never rest on your laurels and continue to distinguish yourself. What makes you happy? My family makes me happy. One thing about me that would surprise people: I love disco music. Did you know that your name is in the song "Swingin' "? Yes, someone told me that. I think it's a country song. A stranger one day upon hearing my name said my name was in a song and he started singing the song. More guns means tech-style killings would be more common; what now? 04/24/2007 Post-Standard Return to Top To the Editor: Second Amendment examined, Part II: When we remember the historical context for the Bill of Rights, it is clear that the Second Amendment is designed to protect the right of citizens to form militias to defend themselves from government, not for individuals to own semi-automatic and concealable instruments of death. Let's not forget those same "restrictive" gun laws allowed this 23-year-old man to purchase the weapons that enabled him to do this awful thing. Christian J. Koot, visiting assistant professor of history, Colgate University, Hamilton Lebanon seeks a tax on natural gas drillers 04/22/2007 Post-Standard - East Bureau, The Potrikus, Alaina Return to Top Lebanon officials are looking to cash in on natural gas deposits buried thousands of feet under the town's rural landscape. Last year, Norwegian developer Nornew Inc. drilled more than 20 natural gas wells in the backyards of Lebanon property owners - doubling the number of gas wells that had gone into production in the town over the last decade. Even more are under construction. Lebanon Supervisor Jim Goldstein wants to manage the natural resource the same way the town handles franchise fee agreements with cable companies, which share a percentage of revenue generated from town residents with the town government. "It's a way to more fairly distribute the benefits of a natural resource that I believe should benefit the entire town," Goldstein said. In 2005, the state recorded 23 producing gas wells in Madison County - 19 in Lebanon and four in Eaton, according to data compiled from the state Department of Environmental Conservation by Colgate University geology professor Bruce Selleck. Selleck, who also sits on the town planning board, said Nornew extracted enough gas from Lebanon to heat 3,200 homes for a year. That compares with just 506 occupied households in all of Lebanon, according to the 2000 U.S. Census. The gas from Lebanon earned Nornew more than $1.4 million in revenue, Selleck estimated. The town government, meanwhile, received only about $9,000 in property taxes from Nornew, Goldstein said, because the company pays taxes based on the volume of natural gas produced, not its market value. The state's formula for taxing gas developers dates back decades, when natural gas exploration was a risky economic venture that needed subsidies to be viable. But with the market value of natural gas soaring, Goldstein said, the industry doesn't need taxpayer support. Nearly 30 other states tax natural gas production, basing reimbursement on a percentage of revenue generated, according to a survey conducted by Selleck. Goldstein's proposal, to assess a tax of 5 percent or 10 percent on the market value of gas produced in Lebanon, would produce $50,000 to $100,000 for the town each year, Goldstein said. That money would dramatically reduce the tax levy, he said. Goldstein will ask the Madison County planning committee to approve his proposal when the body holds its monthly meeting at 1 p.m. Wednesday. If passed, the issue would go before the full Board of Supervisors on May 8. The idea, which has been on Goldstein's agenda for more than four years, is catching on in other local municipalities: Chenango County government officials issued support for a similar tax system in Smyrna, just south of Lebanon, earlier this month. Both towns' fuel production tax proposals will need the approval of the state Legislature to go into effect. Goldstein said he plans to work with Assemblyman Bill Magee, D-Nelson, and Sen. Dave Valesky, D-Oneida, to champion Lebanon's cause in Albany. Magee had advanced a similar bill in 2005, but it expired without a companion bill in the state Senate. New Approach to Diversity 04/20/2007 Inside Higher Ed Jaschik, Scott Return to Top Which is more important — that a department have all of its disciplinary subfields represented or that it diversify its faculty? That’s the question being posed at Colgate University in an attempt to change how hiring committees have considered questions of diversity — and posing the question may be having an impact. Lyle Roelofs, dean of the faculty, has been asking the question. Roelofs said that individual departments make the hiring decisions — “departments know how to judge quality” — but that as part of broad discussions about diversity at the university, he has tried to suggest some new ideas. Traditionally, he said that there has been a broad consensus (even if no formal policy exists) that the top factor to consider in a faculty hire is excellence in teaching and research, followed by match of candidates with the subfield specialties needed, then followed by diversity concerns. After a series of efforts, Colgate has seen the percentage of minority faculty members rise to about 20 percent, with the percentage of women topping 40 percent. But as a small liberal arts university in a rural setting, Colgate has a hard time holding on to minority professors — and so needs to keep hiring them as well as trying to encourage more of them to make their careers at the university. Roelofs has asked departments to flop the second and third criteria. Excellence will stay on top, but diversity would generally trump subfield choice. “There are going to be appropriate gains for us if we can be more diverse,” Roelofs said. “When you have a more diverse faculty, there emerges a greater diversity in curriculum. Greater value is placed on difference. So why not think about each hire and say, ‘in this situation are we better off thinking about how we need someone on 18th century reflection of Shakespeare, or have a broad description to maximize our opportunities on diversity?’ “ Roelofs credited the thinking of a previous dean of the faculty at Colgate — John Dovidio, now a professor of psychology at Yale University who studies diversity and prejudice issues — with influencing his thinking on the issue. Dovidio said that the Colgate approach was significant for several reasons. One is that it leads a faculty to weigh what it is really willing to do to broaden its pools. “People who claim they want diversity but at the same time are unwilling to change the way they have done things in the past can’t get to diversity. You can’t just wish for a diverse faculty or diverse student body without things changing,” he said. “If you have a university that has a predominantly white faculty, it’s that way for a reason. If you continue to do the same things over and over again, you will have the same faculty members.” An emphasis on subfield discipline, he said, “sounds legitimate and historically persuasive,” but can be “an excuse.” The purpose of having subfield representation is to have a certain breadth in a department, he said. So is the purpose of having a diverse faculty, so why should the former be presumed to be more important? Another reason the Colgate approach is significant, Dovidio said, is that it can move discussions of diversity away from what he considers a false discussion of “excellence.” Many white Americans, Dovidio said, assume that “being excellent and being black aren’t consistent” (and the same for various other minority groups). By leaving excellence as the top priority, Colgate is reframing the debate, Dovidio said. “Affirmative action doesn’t mean taking lesser quality people — it means stepping back.” The request that departments think about diversity has generally won faculty support, in part because it has come as a request, not an edict, and with the understanding that there may be cases where subdiscipline does matter enough to be key. But some faculty members do have concerns. Stanley Brubaker is a professor of political science who is currently on leave and so has not been involved in the discussions, but who has in the past questioned whether the university has enough diversity of political thought. “My understanding is that the law and university policy would be that diversity should be something that tips the balance and is not a primary consideration,” Brubaker said. Of subfields, he said that “it is very important that a department has a coherent curriculum that emphasizes what’s important in the discipline and it should not be diverted from that by other considerations.” It will take time to see the impact of the philosophy being tried at Colgate, but the early results are encouraging to Roelofs — especially since the discussions of this issue started after the search processes for the year had started. Colgate has been working on 16 searches for tenure-track jobs. In a typical year, that would have mean 3 or 4 non-white faculty members would be hired. So far this year, 15 searches have been completed, with 7 of the positions going to scholars who are not white. 'We are brave enough' 04/19/2007 Baltimore Sun Pitts, Jonathan Return to Top If the word "unspeakable" has any meaning, surely it applies to the acts of a South Korean loner whose shooting rampage at Virginia Tech left 33 dead this week. Perhaps only a poet could find the language to inspire at such a moment. Lucky for a shattered Hokie community, they have one for the ages on hand. At a convocation in honor of the dead the day after the killings, the words of Nikki Giovanni, long known as "the princess of black poetry," drew a somber crowd of 10,000 to its feet, sparking an ovation that rolled through the school's basketball arena and became, of all things, a chant of collective hope: "Let's go, Hokies!" "I'm sure you heard it," said Nancy Metz, a colleague in the Virginia Tech English department, where Giovanni, 63, is a University Distinguished Professor in literature and black studies. "The poem was amazing. It was just the right mix of courage, defiance and hope. But the delivery was something else. She connected with an audience in their suffering." The circumstances, of course, were unique. Monday's massacre represented the worst shooting rampage in the United States' modern history -- hard enough for anyone to digest, let alone those attending or working at the school. But Giovanni's effect was nothing new. As a poet, she has been mining tragedy for mirth and vice versa for decades and is one of the world's most sought-after readers of poetry. "She's a person who can put an unusual focus on just about any event," said Rebekah Presson Mosby, an instructor at Colgate University and arts reporter for National Public Radio who included Giovanni in Poetry on Record: 98 Poets Read Their Work (1888-2006), a CD she produced last year. "I remember hearing her speak years ago, raving, in her inimitable way, against the KKK. The way she put it was comical: 'The Klan needs to get a new outfit.' She can make something true and funny at the same time, even when things are hurtful." The evening of the shootings, the office of Virginia Tech President Charles W. Steger called Giovanni, widely seen as an ambassador for the school, with an invitation to make closing remarks after those of President Bush, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine and several religious figures, among others, at a convocation Tuesday. Paradox played through "We Are Virginia Tech," the poem she wrote on her home computer the night before and delivered with arms reaching toward her audience. "We are brave enough to bend and cry," she said in a bold, clear voice, "and sad enough to know we must laugh again." Harsh as it might have sounded coming from someone else, she said unfairness is not unique to Tech this week, but a part of life to be faced and overcome. She cited "the baby elephant watching his community being devastated for ivory" and "the Mexican child looking for fresh water." Giovanni was en route to a speaking engagement late yesterday and unavailable for comment, but according to Virginia Fowler, a longtime colleague and friend who recruited the poet to the Virginia Tech faculty two decades ago, Giovanni had originally written two caustic lines in reference to the Iraq war but trimmed them out of respect for President Bush. "Nikki's as radical as they come and no fan of the Bush administration," Fowler said. "Normally you'd probably never see her on a podium with him. But she said the occasion was about helping the community through this hardship, not her personal political beliefs." Fowler said the president and first lady commended Giovanni afterward for her speech. But her connection to the tragedy went beyond her prominent role in helping to heal the university community. The acclaimed author of nearly 30 books, most of them collections of poetry, also had a personal connection with Cho Seung-Hui, the perpetrator of the massacre. It's one she does not remember fondly, Fowler said. An English major with an emphasis in creative writing, Cho managed to make the roster of one of Giovanni's perennially oversubscribed classes. He often could be found glowering or scowling at other students, "trying to exude an intimidating presence," Fowler said. One student told Giovanni that Cho was in the habit of bringing a camera to class and photographing others without their permission, Fowler said. His writings often contained "disturbing images," including references to chainsaws. "He can't bully me, but he's trying to bully the other students, and I won't tolerate that," Giovanni told Fowler at the time. "There was something mean about this boy," the poet told CNN yesterday. "It was the meanness -- I've taught troubled youngsters and crazy people -- it was the meanness that bothered me. It was a really mean streak." In a letter, she told the department head she'd quit if Cho weren't removed from her class. He was. Perhaps the stand wasn't surprising, coming as it did from a woman so closely identified with the American civil rights movement. In 1967, Giovanni organized the first Black Arts Festival in Cincinnati, where she grew up, and met H. Rap Brown and other movement leaders in Detroit that same year. Her first volume of poetry, Black Feeling Black Talk (1968), drew widespread attention, launching her lengthy career as a major literary voice. She won the first Rosa Parks Women of Courage Award in 2002. In 1971, her album Truth Is On Its Way mixed traditional gospel music with her own spoken poetry. It was a Grammy Award nominee. If her work has been inspiring, it's partly due to Giovanni's passion for history, especially African-American history, and bringing it to life, said Fowler, adding that her friend is also "very much a futurist. "She always says if they'd only ask her, she'd love to go off in a space ship," Fowler said, laughing. "Her concern is always about discovering new things, and helping to bring others to discovery." Though she's often traveling to give lectures, Giovanni is well known in the university's surrounding community for her outreach work. For 14 years, she led a creative-writing group at a local retirement home, inspiring two published books from the residents. She wrote a play about the Brown v. Board of Education legal case specifically for a fifth-grade class at an elementary school in Blacksburg, home of Virginia Tech. "She has won so many awards, she's so famous, you'd never think she'd take the time to do the things she does," said Metz, who doubles as assistant chair of the English department. On Tuesday, the campus was reeling so badly it desperately needed uplift, Metz said. Metz showed up an hour and a half early for the convocation, only to find out it was already standing-room only in Cassell Coliseum. She walked to the school's football field, where hundreds were gathered "just for the comfort of one another's company," she said. The day's speeches were piped in over a sound system that crackled with static and sometimes dropped out altogether. Still, no one left, she said, and when "We Are Virginia Tech" came over the loudspeakers, "the effect was electrifying," Metz said. "We will prevail," Giovanni said, repeating the line four times -- part sermon, part assertion of fact -- before ending her address with the poem's title: "We are Virginia Tech." When the long ovation in Cassell finally faded, a small group of students near the stage started up a chant. It spread through the auditorium, but also through the football stadium. "Let's go, Hokies!" they cried. The response was not unlike ones Giovanni has always evoked. "At a time like this, all we have is our words, and hers had power," Metz said. "She helped us recover solidarity in the face of a real assault. She helped us recover what we share." Yolanda Cornelia "Nikki" Giovanni Born: June 7, 1943, Knoxville, Tenn. Raised: Cincinnati Education: B.A., Fisk University Profession: Distinguished Professor of Writing and Literature, Virginia Tech University Writing: More than two dozen books, including volumes of poetry, children's tales and essay collections. Most recent: On My Journey Now: Looking at African-American History Through Spirituals (2006) and Acolytes (2007) Honors: Named Woman of the Year by Mademoiselle, Ladies Home Journal and Ebony magazines; Best Spoken Word Album award from the National Association of Radio and Television Announcers for Truth Is On Its Way (1971); NAACP Award for Literature (1998); first recipient of the Rosa L. Parks Woman of Courage Award (2002); named one of Oprah Winfrey's 25 Living Legends (2005), along with Aretha Franklin, Coretta Scott King and Maya Angelou. Cities to which she has been given the key: Baltimore, Dallas, Miami, New York, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Mobile, Ala., among others Trivia: A scientist fan named a species of bat after her Favorite fantasy: To be sent into space [Sources: Nikki-Giovanni.com, compiled by Virginia Fowler; poets.org.] Giovanni's poetry "After The Drowning" is an example of Nikki Giovanni's work: After the drowning the calm waters come closing a whole that never opened Why not take the Champagne flute dip it in the salty cold water and drink a toast to all that never was Are CNY colleges prepared? 04/18/2007 Post-Standard Cole, Nancy Return to Top How quickly and what information gets released when a crisis hits a college campus depends on the situation, several Central New York campus officials said Tuesday. "You have to figure out what's going on," said Julie Blissert, speaking for State University College at Oswego. Officials at Virginia Tech are facing criticism that they didn't notify students quickly enough that a gunmen had shot two people in a residence hall about 7:15 a.m. Monday. About two hours later a gunman - at the time it was unclear if it was the same person - entered an academic building and began shooting. Thirty-three people, including the gunman, who shot himself, died, in all. Most campuses have some type of emergency response team ready to respond when a crisis strikes. At SUNY Oswego, five campus police officers train for a full day monthly for situations such as a shooting in a residence hall, a hostage situation or a bomb threat, Blissert said. They also train with 10 officers from the Oswego city police department, so responses are coordinated. If a person with a gun was on campus, the college would call in surrounding police agencies, Blissert said. Oswego is also in the process of having its security systems reviewed by an outside consultant, a review that began before the Virginia Tech shootings. "Security is a priority and something we're looking at all the time," Blissert said. Some campuses are taking action in response to the shootings. Oswego officials held a meeting at 8 a.m. Tuesday to discuss the Virginia Tech situation. Le Moyne College's security director set up a meeting for Thursday with state police, the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office and DeWitt and Syracuse police. "We depend so much on the law enforcement community to help us in a number of ways," said John O'Brien, the Le Moyne's security director. Anthony Callisto Jr., Syracuse University's acting director of campus safety, said his department can handle most incidents, such as minor crimes, but would call city police for a violent act. At Cornell University, campus police would contact Ithaca police and state police in a crisis involving a person with a gun because those agencies have SWAT teams, Cornell police Chief Curtis Ostrander said. Once information about an incident is collected, a university needs to reassure students and faculty and get the word out about what happened and what services, such as counseling, are available, said Kevin Morrow, speaking for SU. SU, like many other campuses, uses e-mail to reach students when a mass message needs to be dispersed. It also posts information on its Web site, hangs fliers in campus buildings and uses the campus radio station broadcasts. People also can call a campus telephone hotline. "It's difficult to find one means to reach everyone," Morrow said. Ryan Kelly, president of SU's Student Association, said e-mail is a good way to reach most students. And those students who don't check their e-mail will hear the information from friends who did, Kelly said. Cornell also uses e-mail and the Web. Cornell police have portable public address systems and could go through buildings to announce an emergency, Ostrander said. Nancy Cole can be reached at ncole@syracuse.com or 470-2173. Text messaging alerts Syracuse University is piloting a text messaging program within its Information Technology Services Department as a means to reach students through their cell phones, said Kevin Morrow, an SU spokesman. SU may expand the program campuswide if it works. SUNY Oswego also is looking into using text messaging. Colgate University, which has been reviewing campus safety policies for several months, recently established an arrangement with a text messaging service, spokeswoman Caroline Jenkins said. The university plans to ask all members of the Colgate community to provide the college with cell phone numbers where they can be reached quickly during a crisis, she said. While most students have cell phones, sending too many messages at once can overload the system and cause it to crash, said Tommy Bruce, speaking for Cornell. "This is something we're interested in, from the emergency point of view and governance and communication," Bruce said. "What is the solution to get messages to every individual on campus? We don't have that silver bullet yet." Four receive scholarships 04/16/2007 Post-Standard - East Bureau, The Kollali, Sapna Return to Top Three Hamilton College students and one Colgate University student received Barry M. Goldwater Scholarships for the 2007-08 academic year. Juniors Marco Allodi, Kristin Alongi and Dan Campbell, of Hamilton, and Colin Twomey, of Colgate, are among 317 winners in the nation. Goldwater Scholarships go to math, science and engineering students based on their academic merit and faculty nominations. Allodi, of Oriskany, is a chemical physics major and plans to pursue a doctoral degree in physical chemistry. Alongi, of Chittenango, is a chemistry major and plans to pursue a doctoral degree in food science. Campbell, of Pittsford, is a physics major and plans to pursue a doctoral degree in physics. Twomey, of Massachusetts, is a computer science major and plans to pursue a doctoral degree in computational intelligence. He is using his computer science and biology background to study honeybees. Greek Week planned 04/16/2007 Post-Standard - East Bureau, The Kollali, Sapna Return to Top Colgate University 's Greek-letter community wants to break down the "invisible barrier" between Greeks and non-Greeks by hosting the first Greek Week Sunday to April 25. To discourage negative stereotypes of Greek students and promote inclusion, four sororities and six fraternities at Colgate will open their doors to all students and the Hamilton community, according to The Maroon-News student newspaper. The events during Greek Week will help raise money for the Chenango Nursery School in Hamilton. The week begins with a kickoff brunch at 11 a.m. Sunday and a 2 p.m. barbecue. Events during the week will include a kickball tournament and a carwash April 23, a pizza-eating contest April 24 and a "Greek Sing" April 25. Date Night at Colgate 04/16/2007 Post-Standard - East Bureau, The Kollali, Sapna Return to Top More than 120 Colgate University students recently went on a date - together. A student group called Bring Back the Date organized and catered a formal dinner at The Edge on campus with a jazz band and magician as entertainment. The event was planned to combat what is called "the hookup culture" in higher education circles, a trend toward short-term relationships that lack commitment and are based primarily on physical attractiveness or availability. Bring Back the Date sprung from Colgate's Sophomore-Year Experience program, part of the new residential education plan that stresses leadership skills. Six students planned the event to show others that dates can be fun, even if students are already part of an established couple, and it is not as difficult to ask someone out as you might think. The project included student surveys of campus culture, proposals for events that encourage "slow dates," which will gradually develop relationships, and speakers to discuss social relationships. Colgate defender keeps MS at bay 04/15/2007 Newsday Return to Top When his feet started going numb at the start of the fall semester and his legs didn't quite feel right during a hockey practice in early November, Colgate University senior defenseman Mike Campaner brushed it off. More problems with his back. He'd dealt with it before. Then came a Friday night game against Dartmouth on Nov. 10 at Colgate's Starr Rink that changed Campaner's life. "I remember in the pregame shower, my whole body was weak," Campaner said. "During the game, I was still able to move half decently, but I just didn't have any strength. I couldn't move my arms, I couldn't turn that well, my balance was off. I knew something was really wrong." So did coach Don Vaughan after an opposing player shrugged off a check by Campaner and scored. Colgate team physician Dr. Merrill Miller knew right away what was wrong. The 24-year-old from Thunder Bay, Ontario, had multiple sclerosis. Two MRIs confirmed it. "I was absolutely devastated," Campaner said. "I knew it was a crippling disease. I thought most people end up in a wheelchair. I didn't know what to do." First was to learn more about MS, which usually is diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50. It is a chronic, unpredictable disease of the central nervous system that can cause blurred vision, slurred speech, poor coordination, tremors, numbness, fatigue, memory problems, and sometimes paralysis and blindness. There's no known cure. MS afflicts about 2.5 million worldwide, but it is not fatal and those with it have a normal or near-normal life expectancy. A small number of athletes have been known to have MS, and though the disease has forced some to retire, others have been able to continue, including runners, cyclists and NASCAR driver Kelly Sutton. During Christmas break back home in Thunder Bay, Campaner hit bottom emotionally despite encouraging words from a friend who knew all about MS. "She said I'd be able to live a normal life. I didn't believe it," Campaner said. "I couldn't do anything. I tried skating. It was embarrassing. I couldn't even stand up. After that, I thought there was just no way, that I'd never play hockey again." Once Campaner began rehabilitation, he soon became determined to play. After missing nine games, he returned in late December. Campaner missed just one more game - with a stomach virus. "He lost muscle and some speed but played very well, took some hits," Vaughan said. "He didn't seem to be too far off." Campaner, an ECAC all-rookie team selection in 2004 and one of the most talented defensemen in Colgate history, finished the season with only seven points after a career-high 20 as a junior. Controlling the disease with help from the drug Copaxone that Campaner injects every day, Campaner hopes to land a free-agent contract in the pro ranks next season. There is precedent. Goaltender Jordan Sigalet was diagnosed with MS three years ago while at Bowling Green. He eventually signed a pro contract with Providence of the American Hockey League and he has more than 30 wins in two seasons. Spring Break Mission: Help rebuild New Orleans 04/15/2007 Poughkeepsie Journal Return to Top New Orleans is still an open wound. Hurricane Katrina devastated the once lively city in August 2005, causing levee breaches that resulted in the death of more than 1,800 people. The relief effort continues today with support from many community groups and schools. In an effort to assist in the rebuilding efforts, nine students (Sami Bicknell, Emily Bogle, Laura Cedrone, Kristian Dalland, Richard Distel, Nick Imperial, Jon McNeal, Ben Shenkman and Sierra Suris-Kruppa) and five faculty members (Ann Ellen Akeley, Charles Bullard, Ed and Cathy Cigna, Julie Okoniewski and Pete Sanfilippo) from Oakwood Friends School in Poughkeepsie recently spent a portion of their spring break in New Orleans. They gutted three houses in St. Bernard's Parish and New Orleans, assisted with the Mobile Respite Care Unit run by the Episcopal Diocese in St. Bernard's Parish and the Lower Ninth Ward, and worked in a soup kitchen on St. Charles Avenue. "By taking photos of what I saw around me, I knew that I would be better able to describe the destruction to other people," said Emily, an Oakwood senior. College students are also helping in the rebuilding effort. Operation Blessing, formed in 1978 for national and international relief work, employs college students from New York state during school vacations to assist in the ongoing relief work. Students from colleges such as Colgate University and Syracuse University worked together for five days during their winter break to gut houses. "This trip was a way for me to get down there, see the devastation first- hand and bring back what I had learned," said Carly Ackerman of Poughkeepsie, a Colgate University student and volunteer. Ackerman and fellow volunteers headed to different work sites to gut homes so that homeowners would be able to file an insurance claim on their destroyed property. By the end of five days, between 20 and 30 houses were gutted by 100 students, she said. "We need to remember that the U.S. is just as vulnerable to disasters, just as susceptible to harm and just as fragile as any other country in the world," said Ackerman. "There is devastation within our own nation that is being grossly ignored." How to help Contributions to the relief effort are still needed. Visit www.ob.org to help the Operation Blessing Hurricane Katrina Relief effort. Also, visit www.house.gov to contact a local congressman to express concern regarding the devastation. Colgate marks Friday the 13th 04/13/2007 Observer-Dispatch, The Return to Top Those at Colgate University know all about the word "triskaidekaphobia" — fear of the number 13. Today, they will celebrate their lack of fear and show appreciation for the superstitious numeral they hold dear with a Friday the 13th celebration for the second annual Colgate Day. "The college was founded in 1817 by 13 men with $13 and 13 prayers," said Mari Assaid, director of the parents' fund and special events at Colgate. "It's special to Colgate." Last year's Colgate Day was limited to school organizations and alumni clubs, but today's event was scheduled to coincide with the campus kickoff of the university's $400 million capital campaign, "Passion for the Climb." Special programs, most of which are free and open to the public, will take place throughout the afternoon. Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt, authors of The New York Times bestseller "Freakonomics," will discuss topics from their book such as why a backyard swimming pool is more dangerous than a gun. The pair will sign copies of the book from 4:15 to 4:45 p.m. at the Starr Rink and will begin their lecture, the first in the university's new Global Lecture Series, at 5 p.m. at Cotterell Court. Also today, the Picker Art Gallery will unveil its latest student-curated exhibition, "Palimpsest: Noongar Art Past & Present," featuring a set of aboriginal children's landscape drawings completed in the 1940s when native families in Western Australia were separated in a government effort to assimilate them into white society. "The colors are terribly indicative of Australian landscapes," said curator Rebecca Brereton, a Colgate senior. "It's really stunning that 14-year-old children did them." The six drawings will be accompanied by more than 30 of Brereton's own photographs completed during her eight-week stay in Australia. A reception will be conducted from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the art gallery. Climate change clamor; hundreds of events nationwide to call attention to global warming 04/13/2007 Post-Standard Return to Top In Florida, scuba divers will circle a coral reef and photograph themselves holding signs asking for a stop to global warming. In Wyoming, mountaineers will ski down the face of a melting glacier to show how pollution is warming the environment. In Central New York, residents will ride bikes and rally to promote renewable energies and demand environmental policy changes. This weekend, tens of thousands of people across the nation will sing, dance, bike, walk, meditate, pray and protest to call attention to global climate change. Participants' message: "Step It Up, Congress! Cut carbon 80 percent by 2050." So far, about 1,350 events are planned in all 50 states. "This is truly a viral grass-roots movement, organized mainly through word-of-mouth, e-mail outreach among friends and the online community," organizer Bill McKibben said. "The enormous participation in (the) movement is a wake-up call to legislators from across the country. Their constituents are urgently demanding that America get on the path towards reducing carbon emissions before it is too late." Participants from each event plan to photograph themselves holding banners promoting carbon reduction. The pictures will be sent to Congress to show elected officials that people care about climate change. "The public's not confused" about global warming, said Dereth Glance, of Citizens Campaign for the Environment. "It's just a matter of straightening things out at the federal level." Delen Goldberg can be reached at dgoldberg@syracuse.com or 470- 2274. Step It Up events Saturday Syracuse: Two bike rides - one from Syracuse City Hall, the other from Ed Smith Elementary School - followed by a noon rally at the Thornden Park Amphitheater. Skaneateles: A "picnic for the planet" with food and fun from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Clift Park on Skaneateles Lake. Ithaca: Scientists and government officials will gather from 11 a.m. to 1p.m. at the Center Pavilion on The Commons to give speeches, sign petitions and rally for policy changes. Cornell University students will spread out around town to plant flowers, clean gorges and weed and prune hiking trails. Hamilton: Colgate University students will write chalk messages on sidewalks and hand out fact sheets about climate-change awareness and action. Sunday DeWitt: A rally with speakers, clowns and an "eco-raffle" from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at Pebble Hill Presbyterian Church, 5299 Jamesville Road. For more information, visit www.stepitup2007.org. Colgate shows rare Australian art exhibit to aboriginal teens 04/10/2007 Post-Standard - East Bureau, The Kollali, Sapna Return to Top Colgate University is helping to solidify its place in Australian history and culture this week. Two years ago, the Madison County college learned it owned important pastel paintings created by Noongar aboriginal children at the Carrolup internment camp in the 1940s and 1950s. This week, Noongar descendants visited Colgate to see those paintings for the first time and display their modern-day take on the Carrolup style of art. The pastel paintings were made by boys between the ages of 9 and 14 while at the Carrolup settlement in southwestern Australia, said Elizabeth Barker, director of Colgate's Picker Art Gallery. Picker will open an exhibit of Noongar art on Friday. "It's amazing that these works were done by such little kids," said Jessica Brunet, 19, one of the two Noongar teens visiting Colgate. "I knew a little bit about the 'stolen generation' and I know my mother's history, but I didn't know anything about Carrolup until I got here. It's hard for (my mother) to talk about it, so it's hard for us to learn about it." Brunet is one of 22 Noongar teens in the government-run "wearable art" fashion design program in Katanning, a town about 12 miles from the Carrolup settlement, which was disbanded in 1951. It was one of many settlements established by Europeans to force indigenous children to assimilate. The fashion program, headed by Jamie Phillips and Lynley Pickett, is called "Mooditj Noongar Yorgas," which means "Strong Noongar Girls." It aims to build self-esteem by teaching the girls the lost Noongar history, language and art to create dresses with Carrolup style designs, Phillips said. Patterns include bright colors, sunsets, hunting scenes and fires, as well as natural materials, such as emu feathers, seashells and kangaroo fur. These dresses will be included in the Picker's Noongar exhibit. The Noongar visit was the brainchild of Upstate Institute director Ellen Percy Kraly, who has traveled to Australia on multiple occasions and befriended members of the Noongar community. She connected Colgate senior Rebecca Brereton to the fashion program, and Brereton spent last summer photographing Australian landscapes. About three years ago, shortly after one of Kraly's visits, a visiting Australian scholar shared with the university the importance of more than 100 pastel aboriginal drawings the Picker had in its collection, Barker said. Since the gallery received the works - largely unlabeled - in 1966 from a Colgate alumnus, the gallery staff had been uncertain of their origin and meaning, she said. "Scholars knew these existed and they knew they were missing, but . . . the trail went cold," Barker said. "We're in a position to create the first-ever high-quality book of scholarly material about this work and help establish it in the broader art world." Picker put five Carrolup paintings on display in 2005, shortly after they were identified. That same year, the gallery loaned about 20 drawings to the Perth International Art Festival in Western Australia. It was the first time Pickett, a Noongar woman, and other community members, saw the works. "Some of the artists are my uncles, and I know some of these families," Pickett said. "It's amazing to see these drawings, the spiritual connection. We thought these were lost, this history was lost." Two win fellowships 04/10/2007 Post-Standard - East Bureau, The Kollali, Sapna Return to Top Two local college seniors were among this year's 50 Thomas J. Watson Fellowship recipients. Adam Hermans , of Colgate University , and Caitlin Jacobs , of Hamilton College , each received $25,000 for yearlong independent study outside the United States. Hermans, an art and art history major, plans to conduct research in Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Japan, Madagascar and South Africa and create two films on different primate species. One film will focus on the animals - including orangutans, gibbons, langurs, macaques and sifakas - and their natural habitats, and the second will address conservation challenges. Jacobs, a biology major, will study the relationship between humans and big cats in the wild in Belize, Spain, Namibia and Tibet. She will work with conservation organizations in those nations and volunteer on farms and ranches in local communities to understand the effects the big cats have on local people. About 1,000 students from as many as 50 colleges apply each year for a Watson Fellowship. Center's anniversary noted 04/10/2007 Post-Standard - East Bureau, The Kollali, Sapna Return to Top Colgate University 's Harlem Renaissance Center turned 25 this year, and the campus celebrated last month with a play, a hip-hop performance and a keynote presentation by BET personality and activist Cousin Jeff Johnson . About 150 students attended the anniversary event. Johnson presented a lecture, "Unclaimed Legacy: Who Will Lead the Next Social Movement?" It addressed the importance of continuing the legacy of social leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. while rising to meet the challenges of the 21st century. The center was established in 1982 by Kirk McDaniel , a 1985 alumnus, as a learning center and coed home for students interested in African and African-American culture and heritage. It is in Crawshaw House and allows students the opportunity to study abroad in African and the Caribbean. Children's camp to receive $11,700 from fraternity 04/10/2007 Post-Standard Return to Top Madison County Children's Camp will receive an $11,700 check today from Colgate University's Beta Theta Pi fraternity. That's nearly twice the amount the fraternity donated during each of the past two years, said senior Grady O'Gara. O'Gara and senior David Hoffman expanded the chapter's annual silent auction fundraiser by hosting it during Parents Weekend in the fall and soliciting separate donations from parents and chapter alumni. The fundraiser is the chapter's biggest philanthropic event, O'Gara said. The camp, in Eaton, is primarily funded by grants and donations. About 650 children ages 8 to 13 can attend the seven-week camp free each summer, participating in outdoor activities and various forms of counseling. Rocking the Ivory Tower 04/09/2007 Chronicle of Higher Education, The Millman, Sierra Return to Top ** Editor's note: The following article mentioning faculty rock band Dangerboy featured a link with a sampling of the group's music. To listen to it, click here: http://chronicle.com/weekly/v53/i32/32a00601.htm. ** At universities across the country, professors from all disciplines are forming bands — tuning their guitars, turning on their amps, and rocking out. We talked with several of them and learned that in rock 'n' roll, as in academe, certain rules apply. REHEARSE WHEN YOU CAN: Some faculty bands don't rehearse until a gig is looming and others practice every week, but all aim to entertain more than impress. "We clearly are a bunch of academics," says Mark A. Ferguson, assistant professor of theater at Wofford College (S.C.) and lead singer of a band formerly known as the Post Hole Diggers. "We're not going on tour unless our public demands it." The band plays loud rock 'n' roll and practices the occasional reggae cover of a Britney Spears song, he says. DRESS DOWN TO GET DOWN: Despite its name, Colgate University's Dangerboy doesn't dress to threaten. "We're usually a T-shirt kind of a band," says F. Scott Kraly, a professor of psychology and the band's drummer. "No leather and no metal studs." He describes the band's sound as "alternative nerd rock." Mr. Ferguson and his bandmates — who teach history, English, and accounting and finance — wear T-shirts, jeans, and "funkadelic" sneakers. As the lead male singer of Faculty Lounge, David M. Imhoof, an associate professor of history at Susquehanna University, says carefully choosing what he wears is part of the act. "I'm normally not like that at all," he says. "That is purely my rock 'n' roll persona. That is like my Ziggy Stardust." GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT: Make them dance, says Cyrus Ernesto Zirakzadeh, a political-science professor at the University of Connecticut and lead guitarist for Off Yer Rocker. "It's always easier to play when people are dancing," he says. Rocking out regularly has made him a better lecturer, Mr. Zirakzadeh says. "When I was teaching at first, I didn't trust that improvisational side of me as I do now." Richard A. House, an assistant professor of English at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and a singer-guitarist for Whisper Down, says the reverse is also true. Teaching large lecture classes has made him more attentive to what fans like. The band plays "classic alternative," including the Beatles and Death Cab for Cutie. WHEN IN DOUBT, PLAY YOUR HEART OUT: Nothing drowns out performance jitters better than playing loud, raucous music. "You can substitute enthusiasm for skill on many songs," says Wofford's Mr. Ferguson. People are also less inclined to judge when they haven't paid, says James W. Hunt, provost at Southwestern University and lead singer and guitarist for another band named the Post Hole Diggers. ("We've stepped back from that name," Mr. Ferguson joked on learning of the Southwestern P.H.D.'s. "And they are welcome to it." The Wofford band is still searching for a name.) MAKE LOVE, NOT WAR: Classic rock biopics share a similar plot — band forms, band shoots to stardom, band self-destructs spectacularly — that serves as a lesson on what not to do, professors say. "In all the years that we have been together, we've never encountered the ugly band politics," says Davita Silfen Glasberg, a professor of sociology at Connecticut and lead singer of Off Yer Rocker. "These are people with very stable personalities." That has helped the band — which includes professors of chemistry, psychology, and engineering — last more than 15 years, she says. WORK YOUR CONNECTIONS: These bands will play where their fans want them: at talent shows, campus cafes, sports bars, fraternity and sorority parties, faculty shindigs, political fund raisers, at the YMCA for a crowd of preschoolers, and even outside a local pet store in the rain. But they still take some pride in a clear upward trajectory. "One of our first public appearances was at a College of Business alumni homecoming, and the next year we got booked to play the university alumni homecoming, and the following year we got booked to play the university alumni homecoming again in a bigger venue," says Gene W. Lewis, an assistant professor of computer information systems at Colorado State University and the drummer for Vintage Winds, an instrumental surf band. "We don't do the Beach Boys, because we don't sing," he says. LIVE TO PLAY, DON"T PLAY TO LIVE: Most rock bands fantasize about playing before thousands of fans who are chanting their lyrics. "None of us, at least, really expects something like that," says Whisper Down's Mr. House. "We just want to keep it going as long as we can." Small colleges raise the bar on admissions 04/08/2007 San Francisco Chronicle Schevitz, Tanya Return to Top Some small colleges that once were considered safe bets for getting in have become dramatically more selective in whom they accept, posting record low admission rates this year. While the competition has long been fierce at the nation's top-tier colleges and universities, experts say the trend is spreading to small liberal arts colleges such as Pitzer College in Southern California and Bowdoin College in Maine. No one knows exactly what happened, but it appears that a confluence of factors is at work, including a growing population of high school graduates, a willingness of parents to pony up for a private education and an increase in the number of applications sent by individual students as they hedge their bets. Every year, Jon Reider, a former Stanford University admissions official and director of college counseling at the private University High School in San Francisco, cautions his students that the frenzy is worse than the reality. But this year, he said, acceptance and rejection letters received by students show a marked difference. "The schools that traditionally have been a little less selective than the most selective schools ... Claremont, Pitzer, Colgate, Hamilton, Skidmore, Trinity, Middlebury ... just went bananas," Reider said. "Colgate is now where Dartmouth was. Dartmouth is where Amherst was. Amherst is where Brown was. Brown is where Stanford was. Stanford is where Harvard was, and Harvard is all by itself taking 9 percent. ... Things like that are crazy." Pitzer College, which has about 960 students and is east of Los Angeles, is one of the private campuses that has seen a huge jump in interest from students and subsequently has become much more selective. Ten years ago, it accepted 65 of every 100 applicants. This year, it took 26 students out of every 100, down from 38 in 100 just last year. Its average SAT score has increased too, from 1,206 last year to 1,323 this year. "It is huge," said Pitzer President Laura Trombley. "In a way it is kind of affirming. When you are this selective, people begin to certainly rethink their conception or perception of the institution." Some of the small private colleges are turning away a higher percentage of students than is UC Berkeley, which accepted nearly 24 students for every 100 applications. "Because of the media attention on the frenzy of college admissions and the competition, students are hedging their bets by applying to more places," said Richard Vos, dean of admissions and financial aid at Claremont McKenna College in Southern California. "All these things are happening at the same time." Claremont, where applications increased 13 percent to 4,140 this year, admitted 16 of every 100 freshman applicants for this fall, compared with 22 of every 100 last year Trevor Hill, 17, a senior at University High School, applied to 12 schools in three categories his counselor created: "likely," "reasonable" and "difficult." He was accepted at Stanford University (where he probably was given a slight edge because both of his parents attended the school), but was placed on waiting lists at schools such as Claremont and Bowdoin. Stanford admitted 10.3 percent of students, slightly lower than last year's 10.9 percent acceptance rate. "I was a little bit surprised because I got wait-listed at some of the more reasonable schools and got into some of the more difficult schools," Hill said. "From talking with students in past years, I thought that I would have gotten in. Several of my friends who had very competitive numbers had similar experiences." He is leaning toward attending Carleton College or Macalester College, both in Minnesota, where he was offered admission and can play baseball. "I would definitely give people the advice to apply to a number of schools where they would be happy, because as good of numbers you have, you never know what is going to happen," Hill said. Charlene Aguilar, director of college counseling at the private Castilleja School in Palo Alto, said she was surprised this year by the admissions at places like Bucknell University in Pennsylvania and Pomona College in Southern California -- where the admissions rate dropped to 15.7 percent from 17.7 percent. "The part that feels different is that some of those places where it could go either way, and where you thought maybe one or two would come through, not one of those is coming through," she said. "I try to remind parents and students that you can only go to one place. But when everything comes in at once and you get four no's in one day, that is a shock to anyone." Harry Kisker, director of college counseling at Branson School in the Marin County town of Ross, said that he has students who applied to 12 schools and were placed on waiting lists at eight to 10 where they normally would have been admitted in the past. He said that the intensity of this year's admissions is just going to feed the problem in future years. "The kids out of self-defense feel that if colleges are going to get more arbitrary, they have to apply to more places and it gets worse. Nobody knows how to stop it," Kisker said. He said that it is good news for colleges that market themselves so that more students apply and then they can deny more students and increase their rankings. "To get through it whole, you have to understand that this is not an accurate reflection of your kid's achievements. It is just an off-the-wall reading of number crunching that goes on. But to a 17-year-old, this is a big deal," Kisker said. Claire Fram, 18, a senior at University High School, said she approached the college admissions process with the understanding that it is somewhat of a guessing game from year to year. So while she was somewhat surprised at the results, she wasn't too upset. The 13 schools she applied to range from reach schools like Princeton, and others she thought would be likely acceptances, such as Bowdoin, which now accepts just about 19 in 100 students, down from 22 in 100 last year. Although, she ended up getting into her first choice school of Barnard, she was a little surprised that she didn't get into Bowdoin or Middlebury, which were also high on her list. "Some of the schools I had anticipated getting, I didn't," Fram said. Even colleges that still accept a majority of students are getting more selective. Mills College in Oakland accepted 60 percent of students this year, down from 65 percent last year -- and 82 percent 10 years ago.