Spring 2008 Back to Simonsays
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Spring 2008 Back to Simonsays
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Educational Opportunity in the Spotlight
Expanding opportunity for a diverse and talented group of younger scholars is core to the mission of Bard College at Simon's Rock. So the campus community will be listening closely as Blenda J. Wilson, a national advocate for equity and access in higher education, delivers the keynote address at the College's 39th Commencement ceremonies on May 17th. Wilson is a national figure in higher educational policy. As former president and CEO of the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, Wilson oversaw New England's largest public charity dedicated to improving academic achievement for underserved communities. During Wilson's seven-year tenure, the Foundation distributed more than $80 million in grants to educational institutions and nonprofit organizations.
Currently the acting president of Cedar Crest College in Pennsylvania, where she is a board member and distinguished alumnus, Wilson previously served as president of California State University at Northridge and as chancellor of the University of Michigan at Dearborn. Earlier in her career, she was the executive director of the Colorado Commission on Higher Education, serving in the governor's cabinet. For 10 years, Wilson was a senior associate dean at Harvard University Graduate School of Education. Wilson holds a doctorate in higher education administration from Boston College, and a master's degree in education from Seton Hall University in New Jersey, her home state. She is the recipient of honorary degrees from more than 25 colleges and universities, including Rutgers, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Brandeis University, and Boston College. A former chair of the American Association of Higher Education and the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Wilson has served on many boards committed to education and community renewal. Wilson will address the graduating class of 2008, their families and guests, as well as Simon's Rock faculty and staff. The ceremonies begin will take place on the Blodgett Lawn on the campus of Bard College at Simon's Rock, 84 Alford Road in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. 
The Power of PresidentsMuch has been written in recent years about college presidents as CEOs, and colleges and universities as corporations. But is the analogy apt? In the May 2 issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education, Mary B. Marcy, provost and vice president of Simon's Rock, draws a different parallel—and sheds new light on the nature of college leadership "An academic institution is essentially a political, not a corporate, system," she writes. "Its leader is more akin to the president of the United States than to a corporate chief executive." Academic institutions, like political systems, operate according to the principles of shared governance, Marcy argues. College presidents lead by "vision and collaboration, not by fiat but by negotiation." Her analysis is no academic exercise; it has crucial implications for how college presidents are chosen, whether their leadership is effective, and how that effectiveness is measured. See the full article. Reviewers Hail Strassler's Landmark Herodutus 
Reviewers are hailing Robert Srassler's Landmark Herodutus for making the context of the ancient narrative intelligible to modern readers. Strassler, chair emeritus of the College's Board of Overseers and a Simon's Rock parent, is the editor of a dazzling new edition of Herodotus' Histories. A recent review in The New Yorker joins favorable press in The New York Times, Forbes and elsewhere.
Herodotus is known as the "father of history," and Histories, his seminal text, remains relevant—if often impenetrable—to contemporary readers. Intelligent and well-educated people, Strassler says, "turn glassy-eyed" with Herodotus simply because the stories aren't grounded in enough recognizable details. Just adding the earthbound facts, including contextual details that would have been readily grasped by readers 2,400 years ago, draws the modern reader into the story. Strassler's Herodotus features a clean layout and useful reference features such as margin notes, maps, and ample appendices. Crucial details such as dates and names of places, common military customs, and tools complement the translation by Andrea Purvis. Historians from Cambridge, Oxford, Wales, Bard, and other Classics departments contributed to the project, which took Strassler 10 years to complete. This book follows his Landmark Thucydides, which sold an astonishing 30,000 hard copies, and an additional 40,000 in paper. Next up is Xenophon's Helenika.
A Middle Eastern Studies major at Harvard, Strassler went to business school, and made his living in the oil business. In 1979, he joined the Board of Overseers at Simon's Rock, and accepted an invitation to team-teach a course on Greek plays and poetry. He has returned every three or four years to teach a course at the College—with just enough time between to lose his notes and start fresh, he says. His experiences with Simon's Rock students helped spark both his Thucydides and Herodotus projects. Early on, Strassler noticed that students were bright and motivated and "handled Homer very well," but got stuck on Thucydides and Herodotus. "Even after discussing this problem with them I couldn't figure out why this was so, but finally I came to the conclusion that the editions we had to offer were not helpful." Many years of research and scholarship later, Strassler has developed alternative editions that bring the ancient world into focus for contemporary readers. Students and others will be thanking him for many more years to come.Interview and article by Judith Monachina. Photo of Robert Strassler by Clemens Kalischer. 
More Windows on an Ancient World
The Liebowitz Gallery closes out an exciting season with photographs by Arthur Hillman, on view through May 17. Hillman, head of the Division of Arts at the College and a member of the faculty since 1974, has been making images for 45 years. In the current exhibit, Hillman brings what curator Margaret Grant calls an "unspoiled eye" to Italy's ancient architecture and contemporary landscapes. Italia: Windows on an Ancient World captures a strong and stirring sense of place, but also reveals Hillman's delight in the compositional elements of form and space. Doorways, arches, and other portals abound in his photographs, and no wonder-the images offer openings to new ways of seeing and inhabiting familiar architectural realms. Click here for images from the show. Above photo: Foro Roman by Arthur Hillman SUMMER EVENTS Alumni Weekend July 25-27 Kick back in the Berkshires with former classmates and friends during Berkshire Weekend 2008. Stay in the dorms and use the campus as a jumping off spot for a weekend of your favorite activities. Simon's Rock will schedule several opportunities for everyone to gather together. The rest of the time is free for you to plan. Take advantage of the summer season of hiking, biking, art, music, dance, theater, and all that the beautiful Berkshires has to offer. Friends and families are welcome. Mark your calendar now! Alumni Artists at the Fringe Alumni artists will make their mark on the Berkshires this summer, thanks to Bazaar Productions' 4th annual Berkshire Fringe Festival, a showcase of fresh, cutting-edge performers from around the country. Held July 16-August 4 at the Daniel Arts Center, it overlaps with Alumni Weekend—come check it out!
This year's line-up includes filmmaker Bill Robertson '73, Lynx Ensemble members Justin Deebler '95 and Mark O'Connell '95, and EarlyStages participant Richard Vaden '04. The Berkshire Fringe Festival was founded by Sara Katzoff '97, Timothy Ryan Olson '95, and Peter Wise, co-directors of Bazaar Productions. The trio was inspired by the Fringe Theater movement across Europe and North America to bring original works for the stage at affordable prices to their own Berkshire community. Since 2005, the Berkshire Fringe has hosted more than 100 emerging artists from across the country and around the corner. This summer, look for another diverse cross-section of high quality, inter-disciplinary theater, dance, and music-exciting arts programming that's accessibly priced. Visit www.berkshirefringe.org for more information. Aston MagnaYou know how Bach and Mendelssohn sound today, but what about during their own time? Find out during Aston Magna's 36th season of early music in the Berkshires, which includes a concert over Alumni Weekend.
NYC Networking Links Students and Alumni On April 11th, a group of junior and senior students headed to NYC to meet with alumni and discuss their careers as part of an NYC Networking event. Insights into a wide array of professions, connections with alumni, and a taste of life after Simon's Rock were a few outcomes of the day. Students traveled to the city by train that morning. Their first stop was for lunch and conversation with Alvin Loshak '92, an executive with Credit Suisse who offered practical advice about job seeking and self-presentation. "I can't tell you how eager alumni are to help students as they move on from Simon's Rock," Loshak told the students. "This kind of interaction and conversation is a good start." See photos from luncheon.
After lunch, students fanned out to individual appointments across the city. Staff members from the Win Student Resource Commons and Institutional Advancement made sure that students unfamiliar with the city got to where they needed to go. Alumni in the realms of finance, law, tourism, fundraising, architecture, science, medicine, psychology, and literature shared their experience. That evening, an Alumni Event was held at Bard Hall with about 55 alumni attending. Alumni attending had a rousing time reconnecting with friends.The students, as special guests, had opportunities to meet many more alumni, who likewise shared their own career insights. Students headed for the train back to the Berkshires grateful, excited, and armed with contacts. Hear what a few students had to say about their experience. We'd like to recognize the alumni volunteers who participated in this project: Alvin Loshak '92, Henry Alford '80, Brooke Geahan '94, Gabrielle Glemann '99, Valerie Ferrier '94, Jamieson Webster '96, Ragan Rhyne '94, Amanda McCormick '95, Noah Burg '93, and Meghan Kirksey '94. Our thanks to each of them for so generously sharing their time and expertise with the students, and for their offers to participate in the project again next year. NYC Networking is a joint project between the Office of Alumni Affairs and the Win Student Resource Commons. Part of the mission of Win Commons is to prepare students for the future, including through faculty graduate school panels, resume writing workshops, participation in career fairs, and, last semester, a "Dress for Success" night.
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"I am honored that Dr. Wilson—an individual who has dedicated her life to providing educational opportunity—has agreed to be our commencement speaker," noted Provost Mary Marcy in a statement released last month. "Her leadership has changed lives for the better; her presence as our speaker on this important occasion recognizes that Simon's Rock is also involved in the work of providing opportunity and educational excellence."
Strassler, who is an independent scholar, says he has always loved history, especially ancient history. He attended public schools in Westport, Connecticut, and then, in the 11th grade at the Fieldston School in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, he read Herodotus and Thucydides as part of the English curriculum. "I liked them right away," he says.
Each year, the Fringe brings groundbreaking original works of theater, dance, and music to Simon's Rock and the surrounding community. Six emerging artists will take the stage for performances that form the core of the Festival program. Also on offer is :30 Live!, a free pre-show music series; EarlyStages, a showcase of new plays by local young playwrights; Friday Films, a late-night series of new films; and other events ranging from post-show artist discussions to free community workshops.
Aston Magna is the oldest annual summer festival in America devoted to music performed on period instruments. Under the leadership of artistic director Daniel Stepner, Aston Magna's performances aim to interpret the music of the past as the composer imagined it. Aston Magna has been recognized internationally for nearly three decades for its contributions to the popularization of early music performed using historically accurate instruments and performance practices.
