Elizabethtown College News 
Back to top 2/29/2008 Profs create opera about Mothers of Plaza de Mayo Two Elizabethtown College professors have created an opera about the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, Argentine women who became  human rights activists in the late 1970s to protest the disappearance of their children and grandchildren under the country’s military dictatorship.“Las Madres de la Plaza” was written by Associate Professor of English John Rohrkemper, and the musical score was composed by Professor of Music James Haines '80. The cast, chorus and artistic staff are local professionals, faculty members and Elizabethtown College students. “Las Madres” will be presented at 8 p.m., March 14 and 15, in Leffler Chapel and Performance Center. Tickets cost $5 and are available by calling 717-361-1170. “The Disappeared” will also be the focus of a March 12 presentation at Elizabethtown College by Laurel Reuter, founder and director of the North Dakota Museum of Art. She will present a virtual tour of her exhibit, which showcases Latin American art dealing with the various dirty wars through Latin America in the 1970s-1980s. A New York Times reviewer called “The Disappeared” the best New York exhibit of 2007 when it appeared at the Museo de Barrio in Manhattan as part of a six-year tour of museums in the Americas. The event, which will begin at 11 a.m. in Leffler Chapel and Performance Center, is open to the public free of charge. Back to top 2/28/2008 Downs, Fisher earn NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships Seniors Kelly Downs of Airville (volleyball) and Erin Fisher of McEwensville (women's cross country) are among 58 recipients of NCAA  Postgraduate Scholarships for fall sports student-athletes. Both Downs and Fisher will receive one-time, non-renewable educational grants of $7,500 through the program, which was founded in 1964 to promote and encourage postgraduate education by rewarding the NCAA's most accomplished student-athletes. Elizabethtown College was one of six schools with multiple recipients, joining Stanford University (4), the University of Nebraska, Lincoln (3), North Carolina State University (3), Nebraska Wesleyan University (2) and Oklahoma State University (2). Read more ... Back to top 2/19/2008 College again named to President's Community Service Honor Roll Elizabethtown College is again among the 528 colleges or universities named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll  for exemplary service efforts and service to disadvantaged youth.Launched in 2006, the Community Service Honor Roll is the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for its commitment to service-learning and civic engagement. Honorees were selected based on factors including scope and innovativeness of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service, and the extent to which the school offers academic service-learning courses. Elizabethtown College’s community service programs are coordinated by the Office of Service-Learning and Civic Programs, which is part of the Center for Global Citizenship. The Office works with individuals or small groups to organize ongoing service-learning opportunities at sites including schools, childcare centers, children’s home, women and children’s shelters, senior centers and museums, as well as at a drug rehabilitation center and local recreation commission. One-time, large group activities are also coordinated, including events such as Into the Streets (day of service for more than 600 campus community members), Thanksgiving Food Drive, Angel Tree (for more than 100 local children), Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service and the winter break trip to Mississippi for Hurricane Katrina relief. In addition, faculty members are also supported in integrating service-learning into their academic courses and in finding placements in which students can be engaged meaningfully in deeper understanding of social, political and economic issues. "At Elizabethtown College, ‘Educate for Service’ isn't a marketing slogan,” said William Ayres, director of Elizabethtown’s Center for Global Citizenship and associate professor of international relations. “It's an expression of who we are, an identity shared by students, faculty and staff alike. Being named to the Honor Roll is recognition that we are who we say we are, and that we are serious about educating our students to serve their communities." Back to top 2/15/2008 Long edits book on Billy Graham An Elizabethtown College religious studies professor has edited a collection of essays that discuss evangelist Billy Graham’s  impact on mainline Christianity and on American civil religion.Michael Long’s “The Legacy of Billy Graham: Critical Reflections on America’s Great Evangelist” assesses Graham’s career from a variety of perspectives, with contributions by John Cobb, Harvey Cox, Gary Dorrien, Karen Lebaczq, Thomas Long, Mark Lewis Taylor and J. Philip Wogaman. Their essays probe into areas such as Graham’s political influence, specifically his relationships with Richard Nixon and other American presidents, his views on the role of women, his beliefs about sexual ethics and poverty, the accuracy of the assertions posed in Graham’s sermons and the lasting impact of his ministry. “If there is anything clear about Billy Graham,” writes Long in the book’s introduction,” it is that there are reasons galore for recognizing the immense value of his ministry and, at the same time, for refusing to grant him iconic status. Like all of us, Billy Graham is both saint and sinner, and if we are to treat him fairly and understand his legacy fully, we will refuse to lionize or demonize him.” Long is an associate professor of religious studies and peace and conflict studies at Elizabethtown College and the author of several books on religion and politics in mid-century America, including “Against Us, but for Us: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the State,” “Billy Graham and the Beloved Community: America’s Evangelist and the Dream of Martin Luther King, Jr.,” “Creative Living: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Good Life” and “First Class Citizenship: The Civil Rights Letters of Jackie Robinson.” Back to top 2/11/2008 'Images of Separation' exhibit at High Library To celebrate February as African American Heritage Month, Elizabethtown College will host a traveling exhibit from Ferris State  University’s Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia. “THEM: Images of Separation,” showcases items from popular culture used to stereotype different groups. The negative imagery -- found on postcards, license plates, games, souvenirs and costumes -- promoted stereotyping against such groups as Asian-Americans, Hispanics, Jews and poor whites, as well as those who are "other" in terms of body type or sexual orientation.“THEM:” Images of Separation” will be displayed in High Library from Feb. 19 – 26. An opening reception, which will begin at 6 p.m., Feb. 19, will feature a performance by the Elizabethtown College student group Fully Devoted Gospel Choir and a panel discussion at 7 p.m. The exhibit and reception are open to the public free of charge. Hours for High Library, in general, are Monday – Thursday, 8 a.m. – 1 a.m.; Friday, 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 p.m. – 1 a.m. For more information or to verify High Library hours or schedule a tour, call the Office of Diversity at 717-361-1198. “THEM” follows up the success of an earlier traveling exhibition titled "Hateful Things," which was also comprised of artifacts from the Jim Crow Museum. Through 35 separate framed pieces (some with multiple items, such as postcards), the exhibition tackles some of the most contentious, cultural hot-button issues: anti-Arab sentiment, Holocaust denial, "don't ask, don't tell" and immigration. “THEM” also includes items demeaning to African-Americans, but that is only a part of the larger picture. "I'm hoping 'THEM' shows discrimination and stereotyping is not just a black/white issue -- it's more pervasive than that," said David Pilgrim, professor of social science at Ferris State University. Back to top 2/7/2008 College joins national collegiate recycling competition Elizabethtown College is going head-to-head with nearly 400 other colleges and universities across the country in  RecycleMania 2008, a competition to see which school can motivate its campus community to recycle more and reduce overall waste.Over a 10-week period that began on Jan. 27, participating campuses are competing in different contests to see which institution can collect the largest amount of recyclables per capita, the largest amount of total recyclables, the least amount of trash per capita or have the highest recycling rate. Results, measured in pounds, will be reported weekly on RecycleMania’s website, www.recyclemaniacs.org. Elizabethtown’s Facilities Management and Residence Life departments are working together to bring RecycleMania to campus. “A colleague and I heard about the competition at a conference last year,” said Residence Director Laura Barry. “The College already does a lot with recycling; we just wanted to increase the awareness and have some fun while doing it.” To kick off the event, residence halls last week held a Green Party, where students learned about their carbon footprints, tasted organic food and played games relating to recycling. They were asked to bring their own mess kits to the party, so as not to create more waste, according to Barry. Elizabethtown is also competing in the Keystone Cup, a recently initiated competition among the 36 Pennsylvania colleges and universities participating in RecycleMania. The Cup, a side competition based on RecycleMania data, is organized by the Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania’s College and University Committee. About the photo: Elizabethtown College resident assistants (from left) Alyssa Thompson, a senior from Millerstown; Jen Knapp, a sophomore from Downingtown; Noelle Withelder, a junior from Morton; and Stephen Juliano, a sophomore from Port Jefferson, N.Y. help out at the Founders Hall Green Party. |
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