Wells College Students Are First to Utilize “Floating Classroom” on Cayuga Lake

Environmental Studies and Biology students ship out on research vessel

Environmental studies and biology students at Wells College are the very first to hire out the new "floating classroom" boat on Cayuga Lake. On Monday, April 28, environmental studies professor Niamh O’Leary led a group of lab students from Long Point State Park aboard the Haendel to collect data from the lake. Additional groups of Wells science students will also take advantage of this new learning opportunity on Wednesday, April 30 and Thursday, May 1.

Captained by Dennis Montgomery of Ithaca, the Haendel is the first educational boat of its kind on Cayuga Lake. The goal of the Cayuga Lake Floating Classroom Project is to provide a traveling shipboard classroom that gives educators the necessary tools to learn about Cayuga Lake and its watershed. Until now, Cayuga Lake had no such vessel, which will provide hands-on experience to students and will link with present school curricula for all ages. The 43-foot steel vessel can accommodate 32 passengers and two crew members. Captain Montgomery will also offer to tourists narrative tours of the lake with an ecological and historical twist.

O’Leary has helped facilitate the project's development for the past year. “I became involved through my connections with the Cayuga Lake Watershed Network. Dennis wanted to get a floating classroom going on Cayuga after he saw something similar in action elsewhere. Our organization was all for promoting this exciting program, and Wells is pleased to be the first to try it out.”

Wells College is a planning partner of the Floating Classroom Committee, along with Cayuga Wooden Boatworks and the Cayuga Lake Watershed Network. The FCC is a subcommittee of the Cayuga Lake Watershed Intermunicipal Organization.

“Access to the lake will provide us with the opportunity to learn the tools and techniques of deep water collection and analysis,” says O’Leary. “Students will have the opportunity to take horizontal and vertical profiles of the lake, and data can be compared with other studies to determine the lake's condition and the impact of various natural and human factors on it. The lake is the most prominent natural feature of our local landscape. Since the inception of the environmental studies program at Wells we have used the Cayuga Basin, or the Cayuga Watershed, as a natural laboratory. These experiences on the lake will add to our capabilities to understand and protect the local natural environment.”

Specifically, science students will gather data measuring the transparency of the lake water, algal levels, nutrient content, oxygen content, ph, temperature, the effects of zebra mussels on the lake’s ecosystem, and more. Samples will be brought back to the college’s laboratories for testing and analysis. The Wells College Environmental Studies and Biology Departments plan to incorporate the floating classroom program into many levels of the science curriculum in coming semesters. 

For more information about Wells College’s use of the floating classroom, please call environmental studies professor Niamh O’Leary at 315/364-3279 and visit the college’s website at www.wells.edu. Journalists wishing to cover the event should contact director of communications Gwen Webber-McLeod at 315/364-3260 or gmcleod@wells.edu <mailto:gmcleod@wells.edu>.

Additional information about the Cayuga Lake Floating Classroom Project may be found at their website - http://www.cayugawatershed.org/floatingclassroom/fcc_home.html.

April, 2003

Wells College Presents Senior Thesis Voice Recital

Senior Nandani Sinha sings soprano

Soprano Nandani Sinha '03 will present her senior voice recital entitled "I Hate Music! But I Love to Sing" on Friday evening, May 2. The concert begins at 6:15 pm in Phipps Auditorium, Macmillan Hall, on the Aurora campus. Admission to the recital is free and the public is cordially invited to attend. A reception with the vocalist and accompanying musicians will follow the performance.

Ms. Sinha, of Montauk, New York, is a Performance major with a concentration in music. The recital is her senior project. She has studied voice at Juilliard and the Manhattan School of Music and is currently a student of Professor Crawford R. Thoburn at Wells. Ms. Sinha will be accompanied in her recital by Wells music instructor Nancy Gilbertson on piano, and fellow senior Kimberley Olmstead of Gansevoort, New York, on viola.

While at Wells, Ms. Sinha has performed with the concert choir, of which she is president, and with the chamber singers. She has been featured soloist with the concert choir and orchestra in major works by Beethoven, Handel, Vaughan-Williams and Weber, and has performed with the Wells Early Music Consort. She also was the musical director of Henry's VIII, the college’s student a cappella group.

The recital will demonstrate Ms. Sinha’s vocal capabilities in a variety of musical styles encompassing works from the 17th century to the present. Songs and arias in Italian, German, French and English by such diverse composers as Scarlatti, Mozart, Debussy, Brahms, Bernstein, and Victor Herbert will convey many human emotions ranging from joyfulness, exultation, and love to humor and satire.

For more information about Ms. Sinha’s performance or the music program at Wells College, please contact professor of music Crawford Thoburn at 315/364-3347.

Black and white photo of Ms. Sinha

April, 2003

Wells College Students Selected to Make National Research  Presentations

Seven Wells College seniors were selected to present their research at this year’s National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) held at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City March 13-15. They were accompanied by Wells Professor of Chemistry Christopher Bailey. 

“I enjoy taking Wells students to the NCUR Conference because it gives them a chance to compare themselves to their peers nationally,” says Professor Bailey. “Without fail they come back with a greater appreciation of a Wells education. They find their research endeavors are more profound and more analytic than those of most students from other colleges. With this contrast they come to realize their close interactions with faculty, combined with the autonomy given to them in performing their research, are unique features of Wells.”

This is the 15th consecutive year Wells students have participated in the conference. Below are the Wells students who participated in this year’s conference, their research topics, and their faculty advisors:

Brooke Andersen of Albany, New York (sociology): “Harmony or Discord: An Analysis of the Symphony Orchestra as a Subculture” - advisor Professor of Sociology Spencer Hildahl.

Tracy Flynn of Rockland, Massachusetts (English): “’Set the Window Open Unto Licence, Lust and Riot’: Sexual Conduct and Samuel Daniel's The Tragedie of Cleopatra (1594)” - advisor Associate Professor of English Catherine Burroughs.

Megan McCarthy of Gouverneur, New York (sociology): “A Generation in Transition: Modern Juvenile Delinquency in Japan” - advisor Professor of Sociology Spencer Hildahl.

Meghan McCune of Detroit, Michigan (anthropology): “Rural Monocultural Ideology: The Cultural Famine of Monocropping in Cayuga County, New York” - advisor Associate Professor of Anthropology and Religion Ernie Olson.

Sarah Steinkamp of Altamont, New York (sociology/anthropology): “Re-evaluating the Simplistic Paradigm of Man as Enemy, Woman as Victim: The Intersectionality of Gender, Race, Class and Sexuality” - advisor Assistant Professor of Sociology Laura McClusky.

Yuko Takagi of Fuso, Aichi, Japan (biological and chemical sciences): “Hormonal Effects on the Scleral Venus Sinus in Relation to Optical Development of Chick Eyes” - advisor Assistant Professor of Biology Christina Wahl.

Tara Venezio, Highland Lakes, New Jersey (biological and chemical sciences): “Courtship and Mating Behavior of Four Hybrid-inbred Strains of Nasonia Wasps in Comparison to the Two Parent Strains” (co-written with Adrienne Loero of Union City, Calif.) - advisors Professors of Biology Candace Collmer and Thomas Vawter.

Through its annual conference, NCUR creates a unique environment for the celebration and promotion of undergraduate student achievement, provides models of exemplary research and scholarship, and helps to improve the state of the undergraduate education. 

Established in 1987, NCUR seeks to enrich undergraduate teaching and learning by providing opportunities for students to experience firsthand the processes of scholarly exploration and discovery that characterize academic life, to assist the professional development of faculty and others in these areas, and to understand and appreciate the goals, methods, and results of diverse areas of inquiry and ways of knowing.

April, 2003

Kauffman Grant to Wells College Supports Book Arts and Science

Wells College has received a grant totaling $39,982 from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City, to encourage the introduction of entrepreneurship in the college’s curriculum. 

The Book Arts Center has been awarded $15,000 of the grant to support a national book arts symposium to be held on campus at the end of April 2004. The symposium, Matter & Spirit: The Genesis and Evolution of the Book, will include a panel discussion of entrepreneurship in the book arts. This gathering of national artists, scholars and experts will be open to Wells students and the general public.

The grant is also enabling Professor of Biology Candace Collmer to research ways the field of bioinformatics can be included in the curriculum. When implemented, this will expose students to a hot new field and enable them to explore expanded options for career opportunities in the sciences.  Two additional goals of the Kauffman grant are to make students aware of entrepreneurial opportunities in this growing field, and to connect Wells students with entrepreneurs at companies engaged in bioinformatics.

To begin her research on bioinformatics, Professor Collmer attended the third ASM (American Society for Microbiology) and TIGR (The Institute for Genomic Research) Conference on Microbial Genomes in New Orleans. She will continue to explore the field and learn more about companies developing and using sophisticated computer tools for the analysis of biological data. 

The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City works with partners to encourage entrepreneurship across America and improve the education of children and youth. The Kauffman Foundation was established in the mid-1960s by the late entrepreneur and philanthropist Ewing Marion Kauffman.

April, 2003

The Ahn Trio Performs on Violin, Piano, Cello at Wells College

Internationally recognized chamber music ensemble to play in Aurora

The Wells College Arts and Lecture Series proudly presents The Ahn Trio, internationally acclaimed musicians. The ensemble will perform in Phipps Auditorium, Macmillan Hall, on one night only, Saturday, May 3, 2003. All are warmly invited to enjoy this extraordinary chamber performance; a reception will follow. Prices are $3 for students and children, $6 for senior citizens and the Wells College community, and $10 for the general public. Tickets are available from the college bookstore or the box office the week preceding the show, and at the door the night of the performance. Please call 315/364-3456 or 364-3428 to reserve tickets.

The Ahn sisters, originally from South Korea, are hailed as a brilliantly distinguished ensemble gifted with extraordinary powers of communication and an exquisite blend of sound. Each of the artists exhibit superb technique and contagious excitement. The Juilliard-trained trio has toured the world, performing over 100 shows a year in such well-known venues as the Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie's Weill Hall, Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, and Singapore's Victoria Concert Hall. Violinist Angella and the twins, pianist Lucia and cellist Maria, capture the intellect, hearts, and souls of all who hear them.

The beauty, passion, and vitality of the Ahn’s playing has them in high demand. Their music has a life of its own, both in the concert halls and in numerous master classes and workshops offered to children and adults worldwide. The sisters’ most innovative project, “Ahn-Plugged,” has enabled them to reach out to new audiences all over the world. This project grew from the Ahn Trio’s passionate dedication to the commissioning and performance of contemporary music and has led to significant additions to the piano trio repertoire. The May 3 program at Wells College includes pieces by the famous Maurice Jarre and violist and composer Kenji Bunch, in addition to a specially transcribed rendition of The Doors’ Riders on the Storm by Michal Rataj.

For more information about The Ahn Trio and their Aurora performance, please contact director of student activities Meagen Mulherin at 315/364-3428. Additional information about the ensemble may also be found on the group’s website - www.ahntrio.com.To arrange for an interview or photo session with the Ahn sisters, contact director of communications Gwen Webber-McLeod at 315/364-3260 or via email at gmcleod@wells.edu.

The Wells College Arts and Lecture Series features professional guest artists and performers who are brought to campus to enrich the cultural and academic components of Wells as a learning community. The acts are selected annually by a committee comprised of Wells faculty, staff, administrators, and students.

April, 2003

A Rockin’ Spring Weekend Planned at Wells College

“Springapalooza” rolls into Aurora on April 26
 

The Wells College Programming Board is pleased to announce Spring Weekend 2003. Scheduled for Saturday, April 26, this rockin’ event is sure to please everyone, especially the college crowd. Springapalooza will take place on the Wells College campus on Route 90 in the village of Aurora, halfway between Ithaca and Auburn on beautiful Cayuga Lake.

The fun begins at 1:00 on the lawn in front of the Sommer Student Center. A three band line-up promises lots of great live music. Missing Marcus out of Ithaca fires it up at 1:30 with its blend of folky pop. At 3:30, groove to the Afro-reggae tunes of Tribe of Djembe. Wrapping up a great day of live music, The B-Sides, a talented young indie group out of Chapel Hill, NC will perform their funky, eclectic sound from 5:30 - 7:30 pm. A brilliant fireworks display will cap off Springapalooza at 9:00 pm.

Juston McKinney will serve as Master of Ceremony for Springapalooza. McKinney has appeared on the "Tonight Show" with Jay Leno, and on Comedy Central's "Premium Blend" and "Reel Comedy."  He recently performed his one-man stand-up comedy routine at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Colorado. While there, he was presented with the Listerine "Clean Mouth" Award, which honors his talent and clean style of comedy.  He delivers a funny, original, high-energy performance, which has made him a huge hit all over the country. 

General admission tickets are $5.00 and will be available at the gate on the day of the event. Other activities will take place throughout the day as well. The public is invited to bring a blanket and enjoy local vendor booths, games, dancing, a barbeque, craft tables, and more. Beer, soft drinks, and food will be available. No coolers or outside food or beverages permitted. 

In addition to all the fun, the Programming Board will be accepting donations for Matthew House. Located in Auburn, Matthew House is a not-for-profit non-denominational comfort care home for the terminally ill. The Programming Board hopes to collect various toiletries, non-perishable food, and household items such as sheets, towels, pillows, trash bags, writing paper, postage stamps, detergent, etc. in support of the House’s mission. 

Springapalooza will be held rain or shine. For more information, please contact the Student Activities Office at 315/364-3428. 

April, 2003

Nationally Recognized Women’s Historian to Deliver Wells College Commencement Address

President Lisa Marsh Ryerson is pleased to announce that Dr. Sally Roesch Wagner, renowned for her work in the field of women’s rights history, will give the commencement address at Wells College on Saturday, May 24. The ceremony begins at 10:00 a.m. outside Macmillan Hall.

Sally Roesch Wagner, the executive director of the Matilda Joslyn Gage Foundation in Fayetteville, New York, is a nationally recognized lecturer, author and performance interpreter of women’s rights history.  One of the first women to receive a doctorate in the United States for work in women’s studies (UC Santa Cruz), and a founder of one of the country’s first college women’s studies programs, (CSU Sacramento), Dr. Wagner is a pioneering feminist and social justice advocate in her own right. 

Wagner appeared as a “talking head” in the Ken Burns PBS documentary, “Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony” for which she wrote the accompanying faculty guide for PBS.  She was also an historian in the PBS special, “One Woman, One Vote” and has been interviewed several times on National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered” and “Democracy Now.” 

The theme of her work has been telling the untold stories. Her monograph, She Who Holds the Sky: Matilda Joslyn Gage, reveals a suffragist written out of history because of her stand against the religious right 100 years ago, while Sisters in Spirit: Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Influence on Early American Feminists documents the influence of Iroquois women on early women's rights activists. 

Named the Jeanette K. Watson Women’s Studies Distinguished Visiting Professor in the Humanities at Syracuse University in 1997, Wagner has been a research affiliate of the Women’s Resources and Research Center at the University of California, Davis and a consultant to the National Women’s History Project.

Wagner’s essays have appeared in: Women Public Speakers in the United States, 1800-1925; Indian Roots of American Democracy; Iroquois Women: an Anthology; and Handbook of American Women's History. Published articles include: National Women’s Studies Association Journal, On the Issues, Northeast Indian Quarterly, Indian Country Today, Hartford Courant, Women's History Network News, National NOW Times and the Sacramento Bee. Recent books include: She Who Holds the Sky: Matilda Joslyn Gage (Sky Carrier Press, 2003); Woman, Church and State. Introduction to reprint of Matilda Joslyn Gage’s 1893 classic. (Humanity Books, 2002); and Sisters in Spirit: Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Influence on Early American Feminists (Native Voices, 2001). 

Wagner is currently the executive director of the Matilda Joslyn Gage Foundation. Gage, a 19th century suffragist, abolitionist, and supported of Native American sovereignty, worked side by side with Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, yet is the lesser known of the three. The trio wrote The History of Woman Suffrage together in Gage’s Fayetteville home, where Wagner now resides. Wagner is in the process of restoring the old home and creating extensive programming on the subjects of anti-slavery, women’s rights, Haudenosaunee relations, and more.

For more information about Sally Roesch Wagner and Wells College’s commencement activities, please contact director of communications Gwen Webber-McLeod at 315/364-3260 or by email at gmcleod@wells.edu. Additional information about the Matilda Joslyn Gage Foundation may be found at www.nyhistory.com/gagepage/index.htm.

April, 2003

Students Present Annual Spring Dance Concert at Wells College

A Decoupage of Dance comes to Aurora

The annual student Spring Dance Concert will be held at Wells College on Friday, April 11 and Saturday, April 12 this year. Beginning at 7:30 pm in Barler Recital Hall on the Aurora campus, the Dance Collective presents A Decoupage of Dance, a collection of student-created choreography. The show is free and the public is cordially invited to attend. A reception with the dancers will follow the Saturday evening performance. 

The concert this year features a diverse array of techniques and personalities. Among the many movement styles are jazz, modern, color guard, and traditional Japanese dance. All six pieces are choreographed and performed by Wells students.

Free admission to the show represents the community service component of the Dance Collective’s charge. Each year, the group traditionally offers a “Let’s Get Moving” class to youngsters. “This semester, the program did not have enough participants, so the Dance Collective is pleased to offer this performance free of charge for the enjoyment of the local community,” says club president Shelly Ray ’05. 

For more information about A Decoupage of Dance or the dance program at Wells College, please contact dance professor Jeannie Goddard at 315/364-3213. 

April, 2003

In an effort to improve communications in the community and help people better understand and appreciate the work of their colleagues, the Staff Diversity Committee announces the first recipients of their "You're All Right" honor. Committee representatives tell us this prestigious award comes in the guise of a singing gopher. Individuals that receive this tribute will have the privilege of displaying The Gopher for one month in their respective office or department.

The first area the committee is honoring is the Grounds Department. According to a committee representative, “Members of this area have over the past few months kept our streets and sidewalks clear of ice and snow during a very cold winter. We thank the following individuals for their necessary but often unnoticed contributions to our safety: Don Bunn, Richard Coleman, Gary Gamlen, Jeff Radcliffe, Harold Van Horn, and Kevin Van Orman.”

April, 2003

Earlier Articles in Wells College News:
 

April, 2003	Sept.,2000.-May.,2001	May,1998	May - June,1997
March, 2003	Sept. 1999-Aug.,2000	April,1998	March - April,1997
Jan.-Feb., 2003	August,1999	March,1998	February,1997
December, 2002	May,1999	February,1998	Nov. - Dec.,1996
November, 2002	April,1999	January,1998	October,1996
October, 2002	Feb. - March, 1999	December,1997	September,1996
September, 2002	January,1999	November,1997	June - Aug.,1996
August, 2002	Fall,1998	October,1997	May,1996
Sept.,2001.-May.,2002	August,1998	September,1997	April,1996
	June -July, 1998	July - August, 1997	Feb - March, 1996

Last updated 05/15/2003