the
Herald By and for the students of Hobart and William Smith Colleges
GENEVA, NY
FRIDAY, april 17, 2009
VOLUME CXXX ISSUE 22
Relay for Life A Success
HWS Reads with Speed
By Jennifer Crupnick ’10 Herald Contributor On Friday April 10th, 2008 the Colleges successfully hosted their second Relay for Life. The event is a signature activity of the American Cancer Society that helps to raise money to fight cancer and raise awareness of cancer prevention and treatment. The event was held in Bristol Gymnasium and ran from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. The goal of the event was to have various teams, with one person from each group walking at all times. Essentially, students, friends, family, and community members were camped out and doing laps around Bristol gymnasium for twelve hours. Though this may sound exhausting, the gymnasium was full of high spirits, laughing, dancing, memories, activities, and hundreds of participants. The cochairs for the event, Lynn Cutter ’09 and Martica Wakemen ’09, as well as their volunteers, planned various events to keep the energy high. There were themed laps based on the colors people wore, piggy-back ride laps, and
Mr. Relay laps; some of the men at the event went on stage and got pampered with a makeup application. The result was Mr. Relay. In addition, there was a slideshow and remembrance ceremony for people who had passed
away from cancer. Though tears were certainly shed, this was a great way to show the participants how important their contribution was to the fight against cancer. Each participant set a goal for the amount of money they wanted to raise for the event. Participants were
By Katie Taylor ’09 Herald Contributor able to make their own contributions, and reach out to family, and friends for support. By morning the event had raised just shy of $46,000. Contributions to the College’s effort are still being accepted until June 1st on the event’s website (listed below). However, participants did not just donate money, sweat, and tears. Thirty people at the event cut their hair eight inches to help create wigs for those losing their hair from Cancer. As explained on the American Cancer Society’s website, Relay For Life represents the hope that those lost to cancer will never be forgotten, that those who face cancer will be supported, and that one day cancer will be eliminated. Hopefully, Relay for Life will become an annual event at the Colleges - it truly makes a difference in the lives of millions of people.
Sally J. Priesand to Receive Blackwell Award
On Saturday, April 11 at 7:30 Whittier, an audience member, called PM, First Book Geneva hosted for backwards reading (which none their annual fundraising event, The of the Speed Readers volunteered Speed Read at Irene’s Coffee and to do). Dean Kaenzig pointed out Jazz Bar. Each Speed Reader, all of that the event was very coordinate whom are local campus and Geneva system-friendly as the book, Green celebrities had 20 seconds to read Eggs and Ham, is orange but the as many words as he or she could. eggs are green. Participants included: Heron Athletic First Book Geneva is a local Director Deb Steward, Geneva Campus Advisory Board of First Mayor Stu Einstein, Former Director Book, a national organization of the Community that works to Lunch Program Amanda youth Stern blew promote Marge Shanahan, literacy by Current Director the other readers out putting books of the Community of the water by reading in children’s Lunch Program homes. Many Jan Kenny, MAT a stunning 196 words youths living in student Amanda Geneva and our in 20 seconds Stern (WS ’08), surrounding Professor Jodi communities Dean, Dean Eugen Baer, and Dean lack access to books and do not have Lisa Kaenzig. Amanda Stern blew any books in their home. First Book the other readers out of the water Geneva works to reverse this trend by reading a stunning 196 words in by working with local organizations 20 seconds, with Dean Kaenzig in to provide books to Geneva’s youth. second place. The third prize was This year the Speed Read raised granted MVP status as the Reader $209 – which is quite a lot for a 20who received the most $1 votes. minute event. Since Irene’s Coffee The Speed Read 2009 MVP was Deb and Jazz Bar so generously donated Steward! their space for free, 100% of all the The Speed Read is a fun and money raised will go directly to hilarious event. This year, Marge buying books for kids. The money Shanahan read in German, her native raised will buy 84 books for children language, and Professor Cadence in our community!
Time to Get Started!
HWS Honors the First Woman Ordained as a Rabii in the U.S.
By Erin Meehan ’11 Herald Contributor
By Belinda Littlefield ‘11 Managing Editor Rabbi Sally J. Priesand is the first woman to be ordained as a Rabbi in the United States. On Thursday, April 23, she will join the ranks of the recipients of the Elizabeth Blackwell Award for acting as a pioneer to the nearly 1,000 women who have followed in her footsteps to join the rabbinate. The award ceremony will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Vandervort Room, located on the second floor of the Scandling Campus Center. Priesand was ordained as a rabbi on June 3, 1972, by Dr. Alfred Gottschalk, the President of Hebrew Union College- Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, Ohio. The ceremony will herald her into the ranks of other notable women such as: Dr. Wangari Maathai, Dr. Priscilla A. Schaffer, and Sandra Day O’Connor, who were previous recipients of this award for pioneering a place for women in their respective fields. Priesandin words that can be found on the Jewish Woman’s Archive admits, “when I decided to study for the rabbinate, I never thought much about being a pioneer, nor was it my intention to champion the rights of women. I just wanted to be a rabbi.” Intentional or not, Priesand will become part of a long tradition of women who are recognized here at the Colleges for having made a difference in the world when she becomes the 37th recipient
of the Elizabeth Blackwell Award on April 23. At the age of 16, she first made the decision to become a rabbi
despite opposition from teachers and classmates who suggested that she find a husband instead of seeking the rabbinate. However, she persevered despite all of this with the support of her parents who, in her own words, “gave me one of the greatest gifts a
Campus Happenings
parent can give a child: the courage to dare and to dream”, according to the Jewish Woman’s Archive. She also traces her entry into the rabbinate to the President of the Hebrew Union CollegeJewish Institute of Religion at the time that she was admitted to the school. The Elizabeth Blackwell Award is a tradition that was officially created in 1958 with the anniversary of William Smith College and Hobart College joining together. The creation of this award occurred nine years after HWS celebrated the 100th anniversary of Blackwell’s graduation by presenting the Elizabeth Blackwell Centennial Award- the modern day award’s predecessor- to twelve internationally famous female doctors. The award is named after the first North American woman to become a doctor in modern times; she is an alumnus of Geneva Medical Collegea precursor institution to Hobart College. The award is traditionally bestowed upon a woman of extraordinary achievement and one “whose life exemplifies outstanding service to humanity” according the HWS website.
A&E
Most people on campus have heard of the program Jumpstart but few actually know all the different qualities of the club. Christie Torruella, a former William Smith student who was raised and currently lives in Geneva, became the new site leader for HWS. Torruella’s story is remarkable. Not only was she a Jumpstart member when she attended the Colleges but she also participated in it as a preschool
Gala and Irene’s College Nights. Torruella’s main object through working with students is trying to create a stronger relationship between the HWS and Geneva communities. Currently the Colleges have the highest retention rate in the midAtlantic region, an impressive 97 percent. Torruella is hoping to have the club grow even more next year to include 40-43 members. Her goal
student. Her passion and belief in the program is apparent and magnetic. As a public relations major she is talented in communicating both the needs and expectations from the preschools and HWS students. Currently there are thirty-six members on campus referred to as “corps” members. They spend roughly ten to twelve hours a week participating in the program. This includes working one-on-one with children and teaching them literary, social and cognitive skills. They also have classroom assistance time where they act as a TA to the teacher and work with students in larger groups. Jumpstart is also a servicelearning course; meaning that after completion of one year and three hundred hours of service, college students receive course credit. There are also numerous events on and off campus that are sponsored by the club, including the Jumpstart
as the new site leader is to help the program grow to its highest potential at the Colleges. This time last year, with graduation approaching, Torruella began contemplating what she wanted to do after college. Instead of taking offers from PR Firms, her mother suggested applying for the head spot of the program at Hobart. Being a Geneva native and a former student of HWS, she was an ideal candidate. “I wanted to find something that would make me happy and be personally fulfilling” says Torruella. She could not be happier with her decision. Anyone can apply and they are accepting applications currently at www.jumpstart.org for next year. Not only is the program both academically and emotionally rewarding but there is also a two thousand dollars decrease on your tuition; something your parents would be pleased about!
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