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Vol. 6, No. 3 - November 1, 2006
Renaissance Color to Be Art Historian's Topic
Louisa Matthew, visiting professor of art history at Skidmore, will present the College's annual Art History Lecture, "Color in Renaissance Venice: Taste, Technology, Commerce, and the Uses of Pigments" Monday, Nov. 6. Free and open to the public, the talk will begin at 8 p.m. in Davis Auditorium. Matthew explains that the existence of a previously unknown profession - the color seller - in Renaissance Venice has prompted investigation into the functioning of an "industry of color" in a city whose painters and architects have always been renowned for their taste for opulent color. By examining color as an "industry," we may consider such issues as the sharing of taste and the technology for using colorants across many artisan trades, not just painters and architects, but also glass makers, ceramicists, and dyers. By examining how the color sellers conducted their business, we may also learn how they processed, bought and sold the ingredients used to create the colorful world of 16th-century Venice. She will discuss how scientific analysis of Venetian works of art, when coupled with historical research, provides new insights into the past. The talk is based on recent research in the State Archives in Venice and Matthew's ongoing collaboration with Dr. Barbara Berrie, chemist and senior research scientist, at the National Gallery of Art in Washington. Matthew, who also serves as professor in the Department of Visual Arts at Union College, is a faculty trustee at Union. She is a graduate of the University of Vermont, where she earned B.A. and M.A. degrees, and Princeton University, where she earned M.F.A. and doctoral degrees, specializing in the Italian Renaissance. Her publications have appeared in a number of scholarly and academic journals. Next spring she will present a paper on varnishes used by painters and relationships with the musical instrument industry at the Musée de la Musique in Paris. Saratoga Reads Top 10 Announced Saratoga Reads, a community program designed to foster a shared reading experience, has announced that of 138 novels nominated by the community, 10 have been chosen as finalists for this year's book of choice. The winning title will be decided by a public vote. Area residents have until Wednesday, Nov. 15, to cast their ballots, and the book of choice will be announced during the week of Nov. 20. The top 10 novels are Caramelo by Sandra Cisneros, Crow Lake by Mary Lawson, Empire Falls by Richard Russo, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, The Ha-Ha by Dave King, March by Geraldine Brooks, The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri, Persuasion by Jane Austen, and Small Island by Andrea Levy. Voting may be done online. In addition, ballot boxes are available at the Saratoga Springs Public Library, Barnes & Noble in Wilton, Borders in Saratoga Springs, the Lyrical Ballad Bookstore, Saratoga Springs High School, the Senior Center of Saratoga Springs, and Empire State College. There are two voting locations on the Skidmore campus-Scribner Library and the Skidmore Shop. Anderson to Present Final Greenberg Talk of the Fall
The talk is the last in this fall's series of Greenberg Middle East Scholar events sponsored by the Office of the Dean of Special Programs. From 4 to 5:30 p.m. Monday, Anderson will be in the Intercultural Center Lounge meeting informally with students and faculty on the topic of free speech in the classroom, and the irony of a liberal arts education, where, to paraphrase her words, one must be willing to entertain the ideas of others, including and perhaps especially those of the people who wouldn't necessarily agree to entertain your ideas. Anderson is a professor of political science and, since 1997, has been dean of the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. She has taught at Columbia since 1986, serving as director of the Middle East Institute (1990-1993) and chair of the Political Science department (1993-1997). Before Columbia, she taught in the Government and Social Studies departments at Harvard University. She received a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College, an M.A.L.D. from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and both a certificate in Middle East studies and a Ph.D. in political science from Columbia University. Her research interests lie at the convergence of international relations and comparative politics, particularly as they illuminate politics in the Middle East and North Africa, and at the intersection of scholarship and public policy around the world. She is working on a book on the fortunes of liberalism in the Middle East as well as developing several projects reflecting on both the rapid globalization of social science and the changing audiences for social science research at the beginning of the 21st century. Students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to participate in a new community outreach initiative designed to help local families in need. The program will take place in November and December, timed to coincide with the holiday season. Entitled "Skidmore Cares," the program has announced a dual goal for its first year: to provide the Saratoga County Economic Opportunity Council's food pantry with a month's supply of its most important food items, and to provide local children in need with a holiday gift of "gently used" books. The EOC has provided Skidmore Cares with a list of foods considered crucial to its operation, and the food drive will target those items. Student, faculty, and staff organizers are now working with groupings of people (by department, office, residence hall, club, etc.) to provide a framework for the food drive. Groups and their goals will be announced soon. The student component of the program, organized by the Student Athletic Committee, will take place in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. Food drop-off bins will be available at the Skidmore Shop, the Case Center Information Desk, and the Sports and Recreation Center. There will also be an opportunity for students to donate "virtual food" through cash donations, which will be used by the "Skidmore Cares" volunteers to purchase foods on the EOC list. In addition to using the donation bins on campus, faculty and staff can participate in Skidmore Cares when they attend the Holiday Open House, hosted by Phil and Marie Glotzbach at Scribner House Dec. 9 and 10. Attendees are encouraged to bring donations of food and children's books to the event. Skidmore students will be available to collect and organize the items. As in past years, faculty and staff will receive an invitation suggesting a specific date and time to attend the Open House. Family members are welcome, and there will be activities for children in the Carriage House. Children may want to bring a donation of books they've outgrown so that another child might enjoy them. "Skidmore Cares is a wonderful opportunity for the college to be a good neighbor within the Saratoga Springs community. We hope the members of the campus community will join us as we reach out to help local families in need," said Marie Glotzbach, who has spearheaded the effort. For further information on Skidmore Cares and a list of the foods needed, click here. Benefits Fair, Open Enrollment Information Announced For employees in the Flexible Benefits Program, Open Enrollment is Monday, Nov. 6, through Thursday, Nov. 30. This is the window of opportunity to make benefit elections that will be in effect during calendar year 2007. Part-time employees who have been employed at least one year may also purchase or change a health care or dental plan during open enrollment. The College will again use the Online Benefits Enrollment System for 2007, replacing the packet of information and forms sent through campus mail prior to last year. All benefit information, changes, and costs will be provided to employees via email on Monday, Nov. 6. The annual Employee Benefits Fair, designed to help in making benefits selections, is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 8, in the Sports Center. Vendors associated with benefit plans will be available to answer questions. Also available will be the following: healthy snacks provided by a Dining Services vendor, a massage therapist, and a food preparation demonstration and nutritional information provided by Saratoga Hospital. Campus Health Services will offer a blood pressure clinic and flu shots for $20, Campus Safety will provide safety information; UWW will have information on classes, and representatives for health care and pension will be available for members of Local 200 United. Human Resources will again hand out Skidmore bags along with a voucher for lunch at the newly renovated Murray-Aikins dining facility, courtesy of Dining Services. Great raffle prizes will again be offered this year. Employees must be present to enter the raffle and collect the gifts. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend. Bloodmobile to Visit The Red Cross Bloodmobile will make its first visit of the academic year from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14, in the Sports Center Multipurpose Room. The need for donated blood is great at this time of year. If you are considering giving and want to know if you are eligible, please click here. Click on "Donate Blood" and then "Are You Eligible?" If you would like to make an appointment to donate at the Skidmore blood drive, please click here. Filson Honored by IES
Cori Filson, director of International Programs, received the Professional Development Award at the 56th Institute for the International Education of Students (IES) annual conference in Chicago in early October. The award is presented annually to the most dynamic professional in the study-abroad field who has shown great enthusiasm, commitment, and potential for future contribution and achievement. Recipients are given $500 to be used toward any professional development seminar or to visit any of IES' 29 academic program locations in Asia, Australia, Europe, New Zealand, and South America. "This award reflects the respect and admiration the field of study abroad has for Cori," said Dr. Mary M. Dwyer, president of IES. "By assuming numerous leadership roles, she has made significant contributions to study abroad. She is also well respected for her strategic planning, ability to traverse academic and business issues, and dedication to providing the best possible support for her students." Filson has served on numerous national advisory boards and councils and has made countless presentations at national conferences across a broad range of topics. Prior to Skidmore, she served as the assistant director of international programs at the University at Albany, where she managed programs in Spain, Latin America, Asia, and the Netherlands. She also served as an instructor and resident director abroad in Salamanca, Spain, for several years. Filson has a master's degree from the University of Texas at Austin in Hispanic Literature and a bachelor's degree in Spanish and German from St. Lawrence University. As an undergraduate she studied abroad in Spain and Austria. Based in Chicago, IES is a not-for-profit study abroad organization that provides students with high-quality educational experiences that foster intercultural understanding. Nearly 5,000 students attend IES programs each year, with IES committing nearly $2 million annually to its scholarship and financial aid programs Media Update Skidmore faculty experts recently quoted in the media include the following: Sandy Baum, professor of economics, was a source for the following stories: "Hindsight Advice on Paying for College: Buy Stocks in 1982," published Oct. 28 in The New York Times; "Loans Rise to Keep Up With Tuition," Oct. 25, the Los Angeles Times; and "Tuition Again Rises Faster than Inflation," Oct. 25, The New York Times. Baum also was interviewed by Tess Vigland for a story on pre-paid tuition plans that aired Oct. 6 on "Marketplace Money," an American Public Media program that airs on public radio. Ian Berry, Tang museum curator, and Alysha Buck '06 were guests Oct. 30 on "The Roundtable," the morning talk show that airs on WAMC-FM, to discuss "Twice Drawn," the Tang's current exhibition of contemporary drawings. Robert Boyers, professor of English, authored a letter titled "Bush's Useful Idiots" that appeared in the London Review of Books, Vol. 28, No. 20, Oct. 19, 2006. Bob Shorb, associate dean, and director, Student Aid and Family Finance, is one of the financial aid experts cited in College Gold - The Step-by-Step Guide to Paying for College, by Mark Kantrowitz with Doug Hardy (2006, Collins). Kantrowitz, publisher of FinAid.org, has drawn on information from the web and from a number of financial aid experts to provide a step-by-step program to enable readers to build a package of scholarships, loans, and federal aid to finance their college educations. Sheldon Solomon, Ross Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies, was interviewed for "What We Fear," a story published Oct. 31 in The Post-Star (Glens Falls); and "When Terror Strikes, Liberals and the Right Vote Further Apart," Oct. 13, The Wall Street Journal. Bob Turner, assistant professor of government, has been a source for several stories this political season, including the following: "Hevesi Scandal Weighs on Polls," Oct. 29, The Sunday Gazette; "Will John Sweeney Please Stand Up?" Oct. 24, The Saratogian; and "Charter Change Too Fast," Oct. 20, and "Sweeney, Gillibrand Take Fight to the Airwaves," Oct. 12, both broadcast on Capital News 9, Time Warner Cable. In addition, he commented for a story titled "Sweeney's Trip Raises Questions" published Oct. 18 in The Post-Star.
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Lisa Anderson, dean of the School of International and Public Affairs and James T. Shotwell Professor of International Relations at Columbia University, will lecture on "Middle East Conflicts: Rebellion, Revolution, Resistance or Civil War?" at 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 6, in Gannett Auditorium.