Outlook / the University of Maryland, College Park (2001)

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Outlook

University to

Host 2001

Black Saga

Competition,

page 1

Volume 15 Number 21 March 13, 2001

Rlversdale, the historic house where the University of Maryland may have been conceived by Charles Calvert,
is undergoing a slow transformation to restore its historic sense of place.

New Policy Affirms
Commitment to Four-
Year Baccalaureates

Full-time University of Maryland students
are expected to complete their undergrad-
uate degrees in four years, according to a
policy that President Dan Mote has adopt-
ed as official university practice.

The policy, outlined in die "University of
Maryland Statement of Expectation of Progress
Toward a Degree," states that in order to graduate
in four years, "students must plan carefully in con-
sultation with an academic advisor, declare a major
early, and complete 30 credits each year, which is
usually accomplished by completing a normal
course load of 14 to 16 credits each semester and
by completing general education and major
requirements in a timely manner."

The statement acknowledges that "students who
change majors, who declare a major late in die
sophomore year, who enroll in a limited number of
select programs, or who take advantage of certain
special opportunities that enrich the undergradu-
ate experience may require up to five years to
complete a degree."

The statement goes on to say that "all students
should develop and regularly review a multi-year
course plan for completing their intended pro-

contimted on page 6

Birthplace of
University Reborn

Beside the north doorway of the grand hall of
the historic Riversd;ile Mansion someone has
gouged a quarter-inch wide, six-inch long
scratch and penciled tiny words beside it.

tit is not the work of a vandal in this early 19th
entury relic a few miles south of the University of
Maryland campus. Rather fittingly, it is the work of
a historic paint consultant who has painstakingly
peeled through nearly 200 years of paint jobs. The
pencil marks record the dates of each layer.

Since it is entirely possible that the idea for the
University of Maryland first sprang into Charles
Calvert's mind in an adjoining room, the Riversdaie
sion is of as much interest to some .people at
le university as It Is to Edward, pay 'and the staff of
le RiversdaJe Mansion.
One reason to preserve historic places is to \
experience the sense of place that influenced
;isive moments in history. The ghosts of event
st seem to linger on ancient battlegrounds and in
ic rooms where great documents were written
id debated

Day, wbo Is djptctor of die Riversdaie Mansion
id a graduate of the University of Mary I

tersceing a patient and thorough cfiorf to restore
i iginai sense of place to a building that wa
onc» enter of a iarge and thriving plantation,

where notables of the early federal government
sojourned, and where the tragedy of American slav-
ery flourished as an economic reality.

As carefully selected teams of archeotoglsts, his-
torians and artists carry ont A le restoration work,
the museum staff is also trying to raise public
awareness of (he building and its history, in part to
help raise money for the work.

"This work takes years," says Day. "You need the
right artists, technicians and interest ."
At least at the university, die interest has been
growing, from President Dan Mote and his wife

A Test of Knowledge, A Chance to Shine

Area elementary school children bring black history competition to campus

It's 8:15 a.m. and fourth grade
teacher Pia McClean is backstage
with nine nervous children. In just
a few minutes, they'll get up in
front of the whole school to show
what they've learned about the
African-American experience.

Some of the children quiz their
teammates, leafing through dog-
eared study guides— 80 pages
jammed with 74 1 questions. For
weeks they've been studying at
lunch, after school, and at home.

McClean is nervous too. She got
the students involved in this and

wants tilings to go smoothly.
"We've got a program to put on,"
she says, as she puts a green cloth
around each student in the manner
of headdresses worn by African eld-
ers and chiefs.

This is the first year tfiat chil-
dren at the Barnaby Manor
Elementary School in Oxon Hill,
Maryland are taking part in a grow-
ing, statewide program: the Black
Saga Competition. The brainchild
of university geographer Charles
Christian, the African- American his-
tory competition has grown over

the past decade from a single
school to nearly 40 across the
state. Hundreds of fourth- through
eighth-graders take part. The win-
ners from each school advance to a
statewide championship at the uni-
versity.

The nine children — diree per
team — take their seats on stage, as
uniformed students file into the
auditorium class by class.

continued on page 4

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New Center to Study Impact of Global Climate

continued on

P*&*

The U.S. Department of Energy's
Pacific Northwest National
Laboratory (PNNL) and the
University of Maryland, two institu-
tions with expertise in the scientif-
ic and policy issues of global cli-
mate change, are joining forces to
advance the understanding of
these vital and complex issues.

Maryland and PNNL are creating
a Joint Global Change Research
Institute in College Park that will
investigate the scientific, social and
economic implications of climate
change, both nationally and global-
ly-

"By combining the capabilities
of our two institutions, we expect
to have a powerful impact on the
study of global climate change,"

said Lura Powell, director of PNNL,
a premier DOE research and devel-
opment laboratory that is based in
Washington state and operated by
Battelle.

"We are looking forward to part-
nering with the university's first-
class faculty and graduate students
in economics, public policy, earth
and environmental sciences, engi-
neering and the social sciences.
Maryland has strong research inter-
ests close to our own, and an
understanding of exactly the col-
laboration we had in mind," said
Powell.

The new institute will bring
together some 25 PNNL climate
change researchers now based in
Washington, DC, including well-

known scientists Bill Chandler and
James "Jae" Edmonds, with many
top Maryland faculty and research
scientists, Maryland's participants,
such as global change research pio-
neer Konstantin Vinnikov, bring
leadership in a host of climate-
change-related research areas rang-
ing from atmospheric chemistry to
remote sensing to resource eco-
nomics.

"The two institutions are
already bonding faculty, students
and lab researchers through
research projects and student
research advisory committees and
we expect our collaboration to
grow quickly," said William Destier,
vice president for research and

continued on page 7

March 13,2001

da tell

marylan

day
march 13

9-1 1:30 a.m., Workshop:
"Writing PRD Expectations:
The Key to Performance and
Productivity," a PRD training
class for all employees. 1 101U
Chesapeake Building. Register
online at www.personnel.
umd.edu. For more informa-
tion, call 5-5651.

11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.,
Workshop: "Managing and
Conducting the PRD Process:
PRD Training for All Super-
visors." 1 101U Chesapeake
Building. Register online at
www.personnel. umd.edu. For
more information, call 5-5651.

12:30-2 p-m-Forum^Digital
Dialogues: Feminist Space in
the Wired Classroom ." Discus-
sants: Katie King (Women's
Studies), Carol Burbank
(Theatre) and Barbara Shaw
Perry (American Studies).
Digital Dialogues is a series of
brown bag events designed for
faculty, graduate students, and
staff interested in exploring
issues surrounding the inter-
sections between humanities
research, teaching and new
technologies. For more infor-
mation, contact Sandor Vegh, 5-
1354 or veghs@otal.umd.edu
or visit http://otal.umd.edu/
amst/mini-center/dd/. 2M 100E
McKeldin Library.

4 p.m., Physics Colloquium:
"The Spin of the Moon and
What it Teaches Us About the
Standard Model ."With David
Hertzog, University of Illinois
Lecture Hall, 1410 Physics.
Preceded by a reception at
3:30. For more information,
call 5-3401.

4:30 p.m., Lecture: "Text/Photo
Couplings in Sophie Calle's
True Stories." With Johnnie
Gratton, head of the French
Department at University
College, Dublin. Sophie Calle is
a contemporary French pho-
tography-based artist. Dr.
Gratton has written extensive-
ly in the field of French litera-
ture and, in particular, on the
work of Roland Barthes. 2309
Art-Sociology Building.

5-8 p.m., Dinner "Steak and
Salmon Tuesday." Includes
salad, a choice of grilled steak
or salmon, and dessert. Golf
Course Clubhouse. For more
information, contact Nancy
Loomis at (301) 403-4240 or at
nloomis@dining.umd.edu.*

6-8 p.m., Dance Performance:

■<-s Black" with Gesel
Mason. Artistic Director, Mason

Rhynes Productions. 0130
Nyumburu Center. (See article
on page 3-) For more informa-
tion, contact Meriam Rosen,
Department of Dance, at 5-
3189 or mr32@umail.umd.edu.

6-10 p.m. Class: "Contemporary
Ballroom." 2111 Stamp Student
Union. For more information,
contact Kathy Broady, 4-8489 ;
kbroady @ union, umd.edu.

6-10 p.m., Workshop: "Rape
Agressive Defense for Women."
01 10 Armory. For information,
contact Larry Volz at 5-4504.

W e d n I \t

march 14

9-11 a.m., Workshop: "Corpor-
ate Time Basic Client Training."
0121 Main Admin Building. For
more information, contact the
Training Coordinator at (301)
405-2945 or oit-training®
umail.umd.edu, or visit
www. oit . umd . edu/sc/. WWW/
corpreg.html.

10:30 a. m.-l p.m., Linguistics
Colloquium: "Richard Kayne on
Questions About Constituents
and Structure." Co-sponsored
by the Linguistics Departments
of Georgetown University and
the University of Maryland.
Marie Mount Hall. For more
information, contact Graciela
Tesan at 5-6947 or
gntciela@wam.umd.edu.

12-1 p.m., Research and
Developmen t Meeting :" Ho w
School Integrated Transition
Programs Affect Post-school
Outcomes for Students with
Disabilities."With Ellen Fabian,
Associate Professor, Counsel-
ing and Personnel Services.
0114 Counseling Center
(Shoemaker Building). All inter-
ested faculty, staff, and gradu-
ate students are invited to
attend. For more information,
contact Stacey Holmes at
seholmes@wam.umd.edu.

12-1:30 p.m., Discussion:
"Students Learning from
Students in Large Lecture
Classes." Lounge, Anne Arundel
Hall. (Details in For Your
Interest, page 8.)

1-1:45 p.m., Workshop: "Corp-
orate Time Designate Training."
0121 Main Admin Building.
Registration is required at

www.oit.umd.edu/sc. For more
information, contact the
Training Coordinator at 5-2945
or oit-training@umail.umd.edu,
or visit www.oit.umd.edu/sc/
.WWW/corpreg. html.

6-8 p.m., Dance Performance:
"No Less Black" with Gesel
Mason,Artistic Director, Mason
Rhynes Productions. 0130
Nyumburu Center. (See article
on page 3-) For additional
information, contact Meriam
Rosen, Department of Dance,
at 5-3189 or mr32@umail.
umd.edu.

6-9 p.m., OIT Workshop; "HTML
n: Using Tables and Formatting
for Web Page Layout." More fea-
tures of HTML, Including en-
hanced tag attributes, tables,
internal document links, cus-
tom backgrounds and text col-
ors. Prerequisites: Introduction
to HTML & aWAM account.
4404 Computer & Space
Science. For more information,
call 5-2938 or e-mail
cwpost@umd5.umd.edu, or
visit www.oit.umd.edu/FT.*

7 p.m., Lecture: "Classism and
the Black Community."With
Linda Williams. Department of
Government and Politics.
Multipurpose Room, Nyum-
buru Cultural Center. For more
information, contact Renique
Quick at 4-8341 or
cor413@yahoo.com.

7-8:30 p.m., Yoga Class. Parents
Gallery, Stamp Student Union.
Contact Alicia Simon at 4-8492.

8 p.m.,Performance:"Andre
Watts in Concert." Artist-in-resi-
dence at the School of Music
and one of the world's most
beloved concert pianists, Watts
performs works by Beethoven,
Chopin and others. Concert
Hall, Clarice Smith Performing
Arts Center. Call 5-7847.*

march 15

I 1/

3:30 p.m., Lecture: "Accelera-
ting Discovery: The Promise
and Realities of Cienomics."
With Eugene W. Myers, Vice
President of Informatics
Research, Celera Genomics.
Part of the "leveraging Corpor-
ate Knowledge" series. Rouse
Room, Van Munching Hall. For
more information, visit

calendar guide:

Calendar phone numbers listed as 4-xxxx or 5-xxxx stand for the prefix 314 or 405.

Calendar information for Outlook is compiled from a combination of ifrforM's

master calendar and submissions to the Outlook of ce.

Submissions are due two weeks prior to the date of publication.

To reach the calendar editor, call 405-7615 or e-mail (o outlook@accmail.umd.edu.

'Events are free and open to the public unless noted by an asterisk (*).

Corrections to Outlook's
March 6 issue:

In "Task Force: Limited Internet Voting Appears
Feasible," the Internet Policy Institute's location
was incorrectly reported. It is based in
Washington, D.C.

In "Michael Coller Named State Poet Laureate,"
the age of one of Collier's sons was incorrect.
He is 13 years old.

www, rhsmith , umd . e d u/ces .

3:30-5 p.m., Lecture: "Clause-
Integration in Discourse — A
Comparison of English and
Chinese with Application to
Second Language Acquisition."
With Wendan Li, University of
North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Multi-Purpose Room, St. Mary's
Hall. Lecture is free and open
to the public. Sponsored by
the Department of French and
Italian. For more information,
e-mail cgl41@umail.umd.edu.

8 p.m., Performance: "African
Drumming Concert." Dynamic
world music comes to campus
courtesy of Diali Djimo Kou-
yate and the University of
Maryland African Drum Ensem-
ble. Concert Hall, Clarice Smith
Performing Arts Center. For
more information, call 5-7847.

8 p,m., Performance: "Left Bank
Quartet — in Memory of Robert
McCoy" Faculty string quartet
and guest cellist pay tribute to
their late colleague in a pro-
gram featuring Schubert's
beloved masterpiece, the Cello
Quintet in C Major. Gildenhorn
Recital Hall, Clarice Smith Per-
forming Arts Center. Call 5-7847.

a v
march 16

12 noon, Lecture: the Neuro-
science and Cognitive Science
Program 2001 Spring Seminar
Series presents Stephen
Grosberg, Department of
Cognitive and Neural Systems,
Boston University. Each semi-
nar is one hour long, followed
by a short discussion period
and light luncheon. 1208
Biology-Psychology Building.
Visit the NACS Web site at
www.life. umd.edu/ NACS or
call Sandy Davis at 5-8910 for
more information.

3 p.m., Mathematics Collo-
quium: "Group Actions on One-
Manifolds "With John Franks,
Department of Mathematics,
Northwestern University.

8 p.m.. Performance: "Larissa
Dedova, Piano." Faculty mem-
ber Dedova performs an all-
Chopin program of solo works
for piano. Gildenhorn Recital
Hall, Clarice Smith Performing
Arts Center. Call 5-7847.

march 17

9 a.m. -5 p.m., Conference:
"Semi- Annual Workshop on
Dynamical Systems and Rela-
ted Topics." First day of a 4-day
conference sponsored by the

Department of Mathematics
and IPST, as well as by the Uni-
versity of Pennsylvania and the
NSF. Coffee, fruit, and bagels
will be served in the Math De-
partment Lounge, Room 3201,
starting at 8:15 a.m. For more
information, including speak-
ers and abstracts, visit www.
math, umd . ed u/~ bhunt/0 1 ws/.

8 p.m.-3 a.m. Event: "Iranian
New Year Celebration." Colony
Ballroom, Stamp Student Union.
A huge celebration by the ISF
{ Iranian Students' Foundation).
Included: Food catered by
Moby Dick House of Kabob,
dance and live performance by
Farhad and his band. Students
(and under 18) $15; non-stu-
dents, $30; free for children
under 6. Contact Poriya
Moazzami at (301) 484-8969 or
at poriya@wam.umd.edu.*

march 21

11 a.m.,Art Exhibit: "Women of
the World: A Global Collection
of Art." First day of exhibit.
Roundtable discussion and
Opening reception on Wednes-
day, March 28 from from 2-5
p.m. and 5-7 p.m. respectively.
Art GalleryArt-Sociology Build-
ing. For more information, call
the Art Gallery at 5-2763.

L

Outlook

Oulhok is the weekly faculty-staff
newspaper serving the University of
Maryland campus conununity.

Brodie Remington * Vice President
for University Relations

Teresa Flannery • Executive Director
of Univenity Communi cations and
Director of Marketing

George Cathcart * Executive Editor

Monette Austin Bailey • Editor

Cynthia Mitchel * Assistant Editor

Patty Henetz • (ir.iihi.it:: Assistant

Letters to the editor, story suggestions
and campus information arc welcome.
Please submit all material two weeks
before the Tuesday of publication.

Send material to Editor, Outhok, 2101
Turner Hal), CoIIcrc Park. MD 20742

Telephone • (301) 405-7615

Fax -(301) 314-9344

E-mail * outIouk@acemail.umiJ.edu

Yl>

Outlook

Choreographer Creates Work
to Explore Blackness

Gesel Mason, an African-American
dancer and choreographer, react-
ed strongly when told by another
African American that given her
history, middle-class upbringing and light
skin color, she would never really
know what it means to be black

Out of her reac-
tion came her
dance-theater
piece, "No Less
Black." Her
Mason/Rhynes
Production group
will perform the work
Tuesday, March 1 3 and
Wednesday, March 14 at 6
p.m. in the Dance Theater of
the Clarice Smith Center for the
Performing Arts.

Mason describes "No Less
Black" as "a conversation
about, not an assertion
of, blackness." In it, she
addresses the complex
issue of identity, which she
views as having both a per-
sonal and a communal compo-
nent.

"No Less Black" asks the ques-
tion: What part of ourselves is
uniquely ours and what part
is the influence of our peers,
our family, our community? More
specifically, it both explores 'what it

means to feel black and
dissects stereotypes
and social images of
black America. According to
Mason, such conversations
then allow us "to peek into
the complexities of race, color
and social responsibility with-
in the African-American com-
munity, while finding parallels
with our own"

Audience members are invit-
ed to continue this conversation
about blackness after die per-
formance by participating in a
dialogue, sponsored by the
Student Intercultunil Learning
Center and the Office of
Human Relations
Programs, which will
start at 7 p.m. With the
assistance of profession-
ally trained facilitators,
participants will break
into smaller groups and
share their thoughts and
emotions about issues of
identity.
This event is free and open
to the public. For more informa-
tion, contact the Committee on
Africa and the Americas, (301)
405-6835, or Paul Gorski at the
office of Human Relations Programs,
(301) 405-8192.

Maryland Room Opens Doors in New Space

Room reopened on Monday
mo ruing. February 12th, in
its new location on the
ground floor of Hornbake

>rary, History Professor

lltman H. Ridgway
lad the distinction of
:*ing die first person
to enter and use the
spacious new quar-
ters.

A long-time patron
of the Maryland
Room when it occu-
pied a portion of the
third floor in
McKeldin Library,
Ridgway was ecstatic
about the new facili-
ty, especially its
brightness, openness,
exhibition space,
glass front and con-
venient parking.

Ridgway is one of
20 people, including
Doug McElrath,
Curator of Mary-
landia & Rare Books,
involved in a Maryland
Humanities Council project
entitled ''History Matters,"
designed to promote her-
itage tourism for the stare

on a specially-designed Web
site. Ridgway is preparing
material on the political his-
tory of Maryland, while
McElrath is concentrating
on the literary history. Both

all its associated units were
relocated to the new facility.
The Katherine Ann Porter
Room will also reopen on
Hornbake 's first floor, and
plans call for a dramatic

Student assistant Ozgul Tamur helps the new Maryland Room's first
patron, history professor Whitman H. Ridgway.

researchers are relying heav-
ily on the Libraries' Mary-
landia Collection. Floors 1
and 2 of Hornbake Library'
have undergone renovation,
and the Maryland Room and

exhibition gallery immedi-
ately adjacent to the
entrance to the new
Maryland Room as well.
These facilities will be ready
later this year.

NOTABLE

Spencer Benson, associate professor in the
Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, was
named a Carnegie Scholar by the Carnegie Academy
for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.

Scholars spend one year investigating and docu-
menting work on issues in teaching and learning.
They spend two 10-day sessions at the foundation, as
well additional time during the academic year. They
will also work with scholars from the previous three
cohorts.

Satyandra K. Gupta, an assistant professor with
Computer Integrated Manufacturing Laboratory, is
one of nine International recipients of the 2001
Society of Manufacturing Engineers' Robert W. Galvin
Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award.

Gupta also received a Young Investigator award
from the Office of Naval Research. He will investi-
gate ways to make casting and molding ceramic
parts a more affordable process by combining
machining and layered manufacturing to create
large, complex parts with small features.

Lastly, Gupta won a National Science Foundation
Faculty Early Career Development award for a
research project titled, "Automated Design of Multi-
Piece Molds: A Step Toward Manufacturing of
Geometrically Complex Heterogeneous Objects."
The five-year, $375,000 award period begins July 1,
2001.

An Institute for Systems Research team received a
three-year, $500,000 NSF grant for combined
research and curriculum development in Systems
Engineering.The team includes John S. Baras,
Mark Austin, Michael O. Ball Jeffrey W.
Herrmann and Linda C. Schmidt.

NSF also awarded Dana A* Nau, Gupta and
Herrmann $38,445 for a specialized computing envi-
ronment for distributed and virtual design, and man-
ufacturing. Another NSF grant, for $400,000, went to
the team of Schmidt, David Bigio, Janet Schmidt
and Robert W. Lent to create a developmental cur-
riculum in team training for engineering project
teams.

Larissa A. Grunig, associate professor of communi-
cation, has been appointed chair of the President's
Commission on Women's Issues. The two-year posi-
tion begins this semester. She also serves as Special
Assistant to the President for Women's Issues, an
appointment she received last fall. To fulfill these
duties, she is released from one course per year.

r

■■ - •'•

%

h for

y Wrenn, current interim
is nov» i until June

2002 or until

r appoints
ved as Interim d< the

( -ill I »■*»•*• <tiv » <KH)

I

March 13,2001

Black Saga 2001

continued from page I

Motivational signs line the
walls:

"You can when you believe
yon can."

"T.E.A.M: Toge titer Everyone
Achieves More"

When the children are seat-
ed, sixth grade teacher Jamal
Miller takes the microphone:

This is a historic occasion,
the very first Black Saga
Competition at Bamaby
Manor These students hat<e
trarkedfur more than a
month learning more than
700 Black history facts.

Christian winces at the word
'facts." He wants to teach
trends and concepts, not trivia.

As we do every day, let's
sing the "Black National
Anthem ":"Llft Every Voice and
Sing."

When the music ends,
Christian takes the micro-
phone, his voice energized:

We're going to determine
ahicb team knows the most
about the African-American
experience.

He's careful not to talk about
winners and losers. "We don't
put students in a position
where they will fail. They're all
winners," he says later. Encour-
aging academic excellence and
teamwork are two of his main
goals.

These young people know
more than #5 percent of the
American public about the
African-A merican experience.
Timt's an indictment of a sys-
tem that has not traditionally
supported teaching an inclu-
sive American history. These
students have learned more
aboiU themselves because they
are included in American his-
tory.

Teaching history this way is

another main goal. Spend time
with Christian and you will
hear him say, "If you don't
know African-American history,
you don't know American histo-
ry."

Then he jacks up the energy

Soon, with a litde prompt-
ing, everyone's shouting it. The
competition begins with multi-
ple-choice questions, and the
teams do pretty well.

This popular string musical
instrument was bi-ougbt to

Every student who participates in the
Black Saga Competition receives recogni-
tion. Clockwise from left: Professor
Charles Christian and Woodridge
Elementary School students Kareemat Ay
Odeji and Asia Coy. After the Woodbridge
competitions, some students asked coordi-
nator Brandi Gourdlne if they could partici-
pate next year.

level in the room:

What time is it?

Instead of looking at the
large clock on the wall, some-
one shouts:

It's Black Saga Time.

America by enslat>ed Africans
in the 1 7th century. Was it the
banjo or the violin?

Banjo is right. A round of
applause.

Everyone gets applause,

whedter right or wrong. It's a
matter of encouragement. "For
many of these students it's the
first lime they've done anything
publicly," Christian explains
later.

In 1781, a group of men
and women.
including 26
of African
ancestry,
founded this
settlement.
Today it is the
largest city in
this state.
What is the
city? Los Ange-
les, California
or Boston,
Massachusetts?
Los Angeles is
correct.
As the ques-
tions get hard-
er, the children
betray their
excitement.
After answering
correcdy, one
little boy per-
forms an aca-
demic spike,
dancing with
his shoulders
like he's made
it into the end
zone. A little
girl holds her
head in anguish
when the
answer is
wrong.
In 1624, this
was the first
colony to rec-
ognize slavery
as a legal insti-
tution. Name the colony.

It isn't enough to answer
Massachusetts. To get credit the
students have to point out the
state on an unmarked map.
In 1940, this African Ame-

rican became the first black
general in the U.S. Army. His
son became the first African-
American general in the U.S.
Air Force. Name them both.
When one team correctly
answers Benjamin O. Davis Sr.
and Jr., there's wild clapping.
lint by round number seven,
the applause gets a litde quieter
and die children in the audi-
ence restless. On stage, the
strain shows too.

James Weldon Johnson and J
Rosa mand Johnson wrote the
lyrics and music for one of the
most popular songs among
Blacks today. It is often called
the "Negro National Anthem."
What is the name of this song?

The teams huddle for what
seems a long time. The children
just sang this song a few min-
utes earlier, but don't make the
connection. No one gets the
correct answer: "Lift Every
Voice and Sing,"

In the end, Team #1 becomes
the champion by a single point.
At least one team got the right
answer to roughly 70 percent
of the questions. Christian later
calls it a good beginning for a
first time school. "They don't
really understand how demand-
ing this is until they've gone
through it once," he says.

Still, the audience greets the
results with cheering and wild
applause. Principal Laura
Barbee reminds everyone, "It
takes a lot of courage to be up
here and show what you can
do."

As the audience heads back
to class, fourth grader
Cheyenne Washington sits smil-
ing at his certificate of partici-
pation. "My mom says I know
more than her," he says proudly.

But teacher Pia McClean is
already looking ahead to the

continued on page 5

These are some of the questions Black Saga teams
studied before their competitions. Test your
knowledge. Answers on on page 5

l .There is evidence that suggests that
Africans came to the Americas as early as
the 8th century. Sculptures reflecting
African influence are found in several
towns in Mexico. Name the civilization
or culture in Mexico that reflects African
influence.

2. Name the ship on which the first
cargo of enslaved Africans arrived in
New England.

3. A typical slave ship traveling from
Gambia, the Gold Coast, Guinea or
Senegal would take how long to reach
New England, Chesapeake Bay, the Gulf
of Mexico or the West Indies?

4. In what year did Maryland pass a law
recognized slavery as legal?

5. In 1800, what percent of the national
population was made up of black peo-
ple?

6. Jan. 1, 1808 is an important date in the
African American experience. What legal
action took place?

7. Who, in 1835, was the second known
enslaved black person in the U.S. To
receive a patent? He was granted patents

for two inventions, the mechanical corn
planter (1835) and the cotton planter
(1836).

8. This African American visited President
Lincoln several times urging him to
allow African Americans to fight with
the Union forces in the Civil War. This
forceful woman was also a lecturer for
women's suffrage, helped nurse wound-
ed soldiers during Civil War, and devoted
many of her later years helping to reset-
tle freed slaves. Her nickname was
Sojourner Truth. What was her real
name?

9. In 1943, this African American invent-
ed the air conditioner for vehicles. He
held as many as 24 patents, most related
to two-cycle gasoline engines and appa-
ratus for heating, cooling and refrigera-
tion. In 1991, the Nadonal Medal of
Technology was posthumously awarded
to him, 30 years after his death. He is?

10. This African American diplomat was
Assistant Secretary General of the United
Nations. He worked to bring peace to
the Middle East in die 1940s. He was
awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his
work.Whoishe?

Outlook

Chester Elucidates the Mysteries of the Chad

The butterfly ballot used In the
Palm Beach County, Fla. 2000
presidential election was designed
to facilitate reader usability.
Instead, It caused confusion and
created a legal imbroglio that took
more than a month to solve.

Charles F. Chester, lead counsel
representing the county's Demo-
cratic voters, spoke about his
experience with a group of univer-
sity students and professors last
week. Chester, who is also an
alumnus, argued before the Florida
Supreme Court to hold a recount
to remedy what he termed "a
system failure." At right, Chester
(I) addresses his campus audience
with Paul Herrnson (r), Director for
the Center of American Politics
and Citizenship, at his side.

Black Saga 2001

continued from page 4

state championship. "We'll
bring in the parents to help

Teacher Brandi Gourdine
learned about Black Saga
last fall, so the children got
a late start. "We've been at
it for about six weeks," she

dren of all races. At a prac-
tice session at Beltsville
Academic Center, Caroline
Wagner, a blonde fourth
grader, explained that she

gotten increasing support
from the university. Now
he wants to see Black Saga
expand even further— per-
haps nationally. "Were

out with the studying," she
says.

It's a reaction Christian
has seen before: "Some-
times you're surprised by
the difference between the
local competition and the
state championship." He
also likes the idea of parent
participation. That, too, is
one of his goals.

The next morning,
Christian goes to another
school. Almost every day In
February he's hosting one
of these competitions.
Some days he hosts as
many as three. And he
spends a good part of
January at the schools run-
ning practice sessions.

This day Woodridge
Elementary in Hyattsville is
holding its competition.

said. "I'm always looking
for ways of learning that
have more impact."

Fourth grader Brandon
Coley is the only boy at
Woodridge participating.
"When he asked if he
could, I was skeptical," says
his mom, Annie Coley. "But
I said go ahead, try it." At
night after dinner she
quizzed him to see how he
was doing.

In a close competition,
Brandon's team takes the
championship. "I'm really
proud," his mother says.
"He has ADD (attention
deficit disorder). I wanted
to prove to him that he
could be just like everyone
else."

The Black Saga
Competition reaches chil-

had discovered a hero and
role model as she prepared
for the competition: Harriet
Tubman, the famous
Underground Railroad con-
ductor who repeatedly
risked her life. As Caroline
put it, "She kept on going.
Nothing would stop her
and I wish I could be just
like that."

On Saturday, March 17,
each of the 38 schools in
the competition will send
their three best teams to
the statewide champi-
onship at the university. In
the morning the elemen-
tary Students will square off
and the 10 best teams will
advance to the finals. In
the afternoon, the 10 best
middle school teams will
hold their championship.

Christian began the com-
petition as a labor of love.
But as it has grown, he has

anchoring these children to
a past," he says. "It gives
them hope You can't have
a future unless you under-
stand your past,"

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Making Sure
Legal Bases are
Covered

A generation ago. the first step in voic-
ing a complaint may have been to sit
down and write a stem k-rter. Later,
maybe you staged a protest or rally.
Today, if you have a grievance the first
thing many people think of is, "Who can I
sue?" The university s faculty and staff arc
involved in so many different programs.
both on and off campus, thai it is neces-
sary for everyone to be informed about
possible legal issues and remedies.

"The most important question is, is it a
university-related program? If it is not,
then we cannot provide legal advice or
other assistance," said Susan Bayly, general
council for President CD. Mote Jr. The
President's Legal Office only works on
matters concerning die university. They
do not handle personal matters of faculty
and staff, such as divorce settlements or
real estate issues.

"We work with the Maryland Office of
the Attorney General because they repre-
sent all state employees," said Bayly.

There are three different types of
claims that the President's Legal Office
usually handles. The first is a tort action.
This is when a person and/or their prop-
erty is wronged. The second type is a
civii action. These claims include discrim-
ination complaints or odier violations of
state or federal civil rights. The third type
of action is a criminal one. Some specific
examples of these actions include:

• injuries due to campus construc-
tion, or while performing job func-
tion

• injuries to participants in a univer-
sity-sponsored program students at a
for-credit internship who encounter
harassment on the job faculty or
staffers who work widi children and
want to report suspected cliild
abuse.

Bayly provided two helpful tips to
avoid legal problems. The first tip is if
you are working with minors you must
create a parental release form to be
signed and returned before any program
begins. The form must explain all of the
activities that die children will be partici-
pating in. Tliis way the parents give their
informed consent, not just their consent.

The second tip is dial volunteers and
workers must fully understand the scope
of their responsibilities. If anything hap-
pens outside of those stated responsibili-
ties the university cannot be held liable.

Bayly provided an example. Let's say
you are working with children at a local
elementary school. You are a volunteer
tutor in a reading program run by the
university. One of your students has been
working extra hard this week and you
want to take him or her out to get an ice
cream cone as a reward. On the way
there, you get in a car accident. Going out
for ice cream was not part of your
responsibilities as a tutor and the parents
"did not give their consent for you to
transport their student anywhere.
Therefore, the university attorneys cannot
represent you if the parents sue. That
action was independent of your duties
with the university program.

If your department would like to learn
more about the legal issues that can arise
and how to deal with them, the
President's l.egal Office is willing to give
talks and or training upon request. Call
(301) 405-4945. The office is located in,
room 2101 of the Main Administration
Building.

— Megan Holmes

March 13,2001

atim

"E-voting requires a much greater level of secu-
rity than e-commerce-it's not like buying a
book over the Internet... Remote Internet vot-
ing technology will not be able to meet this
standard for years to come." — President CD.
Mote Jr. was a lead spokesman regarding a
study funded by the National Science Foun-
dation, and conducted by tbe Internet Policy
Institute and the Unh>ersity of Maryland. The
study said voting through the Internet from
home or tbe workplace should not be allowed
in tbe near future. (Associated Press, Mar. 7)

"We are figuratively exploding in terms of need
for space. We have the oldest (business and
research) incubator in the state, but when com-
panies graduate, there is no office space con-
venient to campus." —Brian Darmody, assis-
tant vice president for research and economic
development, bemoans the lack of companion
office space In the College Park area, which
limits tbe benefit of having an incubator like
the Technology Advancement Program. Tbe
General Assembly is considering having the
state pension system fund research parks
near universities and federal laboratories for
high technology companies. (Daily Record,
Mar 2)

"In a way, allowing people to identify them-
selves as mixed race signals that less signifi-
cance is given to race. If there were just two
races and everyone was of one of two cate-
gories, that would be an important distinction."
—fudltb lichtenberg, associate professor of
philosophy and research scholar at tbe
Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy,
describes one possible effect of changing race
designations on Census forms from six to a
possible 126 in 2000. Debate otter racial sta-
tistics gathered in 2000 is likely to be compli-
cated. (Washington Times, Mar. 5)

"Morici, a former chief economist for the U.S.
International Trade Commission, warns of an
anti-globalization' backlash against companies
that profit from intellectual property, particular-
ly in the therapeutic drug markets, such as AIDS
treatments. Maryland's $30 billion bioscience
industry is vulnerable to such a theat, at least in
part." — Peter Morici, international business
expert in tbe Smith College of Business, warns
that a bioscience patent does not guarantee
popularity or compliance in an international
market that bos poor countries battling dis-
ease. (Daily Record, Mar. 3)

"These awards are important to recognize
those who are doing that work, so the young
women today can see that it's a viable option."
— Elizabeth McGovem, director of Global
Initiatives at the Burns Academy of
Leadership, lauds the creation of the Millen-
nium Peace Prize for Women. The United
Nations-sponsored award completes a picture
of women as activists. Long recognized for
rebuilding nations after war, women will
now be recognized for their role in peace
keeping. (Christian Science Monitor, Mar. 8)

"My perspective has been actually there's more
monitoring (of children) going on than people
have tended to think or claim. Parents are find-
ing ways to do at least what they consider
important. They haven't abandoned their chil-
dren to stay home by themselves all the time."
— Suzanne Btancbi, professor of sociology
and faculty associate with tbe Center on
Population, Gender, and Social Inequality,
spreads the news that parents are generally
doing a solid job of being involved with their
children. Tbe article was published in tbe
aftermath of tbe tragic California school
shooting. (Newark Star Ledger, Mar 4)

Riversdale Mansion

continued from page 1

Patsy to professors of English and
architecture. The staff wants the uni-
versity to use the historic space for
lectures, seminars and small social
events.

Discussions with faculty in the
School of Architecture about a pos-
sible lecture series led to develop-
ment of an honors course. The
English Department's Leigh Ryan
will be teaching a Spring 200 1 hon-
ors course on life at Riversdale
based on published letters written
by Rosalie Stier Calvert, Charles's
mother, during the early years, as
well as the journals of the slave
Adam Francis Plummer.

Ryan compares Riversdale's sig-
nificance to the University of
Maryland with Monticello's impor-
tance to the University of Virginia.
Unlike historical homes like
Monticello and Mount Vernon, how-
ever, Riversdale has served non-resi-
dential and non-historical functions
in its time. Indeed, it only earned its
status as a National Historic
Landmark in 1997. It is nearly
miraculous that enough remains to
try to re-create the historical sense
of space.

The Calvert family sold the plan-
tation in the late 1880s, and most of
the land was subdivided, eventually
becoming Riverdale, Hyattsville,
University Park and College Park.
The house itself passed through a
number of hands and was last used
as a residence in 1949, when a for-
mer Oregon congressman sold it to

Charles Calvert may have been sitting at a desk much like this one,
inspired by the scene on the French wallpaper surrounding him when
he decided to set aside a portion of his estate for what is today the
University of Maryland.

Prince George's County, which used
it as office space for the Maryland-
National Capital Park and
Planning Commission
until the mid-1980s.

Over the years,
new paint jobs, structural
additions and substitu-

tions, and non-residential uses have
changed the character of the man-
sion. Now, Day is determined to
bring it all back.

Through last summer and fall,
much of the restoration effort

continued on page 7

A historian carefully cut through and identified
decades of paint jobs on the door jamb in the
great hallway at Riversdale.

The crown molding in this room was badly damaged but
restored by an artist under Day's supervision.

Four- Year Degrees

continued from page 1

grams. If a student has special cir-
cumstances that make it impossible
to complete a normal course load,
the student should meet with an
advisor to discuss the circum-
stances, the student's plans for con-
tinued progress toward a degree,
and the implications for full-time
enrollment."

Mote said that the policy under-
scores the university's commitment
to provide the appropriate academ-
ic and advising support necessary
to ensure graduation in four years.

"We arc confident that our
undergraduates can complete the
requirements to a college degree at
the same rate as the best students

at any university in the country, and
we intend to challenge them to
perform to their full potential," he
said. "Furthermore, this statement of
expectation matches the expecta-
tion of most entering students, 81
percent of whom reported in the
recent survey of entering freshmen
that they expect to complete their
degree in four years."

Mote added that in support of
this policy, efforts are under way to
Increase the amount of financial
support for students who have had
to delay their academic careers for
financial reasons.

The most recent figures on grad-
uation and retention rates show
that 40 percent of the university's
students graduate in four years;
58.5 percent in five years; and 63. 2
percent after six years.

The four-year graduation rate is
showing an upward trend; 3 1 8 per-
cent of 1992's freshman class grad-
uated in four years, compared to 40
percent of those who entered the
university in Fall 1996.

Long stays in college are thought
to increase the financial burden on
students and their families, as well
as delay the student's entry into the
workforce and professional
advancement.

The Campus Assessment
Working Group (CAWG) will hold a
forum on "The Road to Graduation:
Some Attitudes and Behaviors that
Fuel the Journey," at 12 noon on
March 30 in the Maryland Room of
Marie Mount Hall.

For more information, e-mail
CAWG@umail.umd.edu, or call
(301) 405-5590.

Outlook

Riversdale Mansion

continued from page 6

focused on an outbuilding that
may have once been the
kitchen but became a storage
space for Parks and Planning.
Archeologists have been dig-
ging up artifacts under the old
dirt floors and found the origi-
nal dirt floor several feet down.
The ghost of an old staircase
can be seen along the inside
north wall.The original loca-
tions of doorways and other
passages reveal themselves.

"This is probably the high-
est-tech restoration of a low-
tech building ever," Day says,
chuckling.

The architect originally hired
to evaluate the building recom-
mended it be destroyed. Day
was aghast and fought to have
it preserved and stabilized.

"We're going to try to save
everything we can," Day says.
Eventually, the outbuilding
could be a site for living history
demonstrations as the old fire-
box is re-created and
put to use for cooking
antebellum-style .
Inside the main man-
sion, the work is simi-
lar but on a larger and
sometimes more deli-
cate scale.

In one room, the
cornice molding was
badly damaged, and
Day supervised the
craftsmen who
restored it to its origi-
nal state, using as a
mode! a small piece
that was intact. In the
cozy downstairs study,
a fragment of "story"
wallpaper was left.
Matching wallpaper
was found in the attic
of the Metropolitan
Museum of Art in New
York. The found paper
has been added to the
fragment to complete
the pictorial story of a
bucolic day on some
grand French estate.

That room may be
the one of greatest
interest to the univer-
sity, for it was here
that Calvert wrote his
letters, managed his

accounts and administered his
grand estate. The room has
been furnished with authentic
period pieces and looks as it
might have on the day Calvert
decided to dedicate 420 acres
on the north end of his proper-
ty to establish "the finest institu-
tion in the world," which subse-
quently became the Maryland
Agricultural College and is
today the university.

Calvert's four sons were
among the first 34 students to
enroll when the school opened
in 1859.

Mary Naden, education and
outreach coordinator for the
mansion, thinks often about the
lives of the children in the
Riversdale Mansion. She notes
that the study is directly below
one of the bedchambers, and
that due to an architectural
quirk, the children could have
amused themselves immensely
by dropping littie items
through a passageway between
the floors.

Come to think of it, perhaps

The architect originally hired to evaluate the outbuilding above — the "dependency" —
recommended it be destroyed. Ed Day, director of Riversdale, was aghast and fought to have it
preserved and stabilized. Restoration is ongoing.

Ed Day and Mary Naden on the grand staircase of
Riversdale.

Calvert conceived of the uni-
versity as a place to send his
children to so he could have

some peace and
quiet.

Naden and the
rest of the staff
immerse them-
selves in the let-
ters of Rosalie
Stier Calvert and
the rich treasury
of other pub-
lished sources to
deepen their
understanding of
the place and
time of the
Calverts.They
use their ever-
increasing famil-
iarity not just
with the house,
but witli the
Federal City and
the nation of
diat era to fuel
their own ideas
of the sights,
sounds and feel-
ings that perme-
ated the house
during steamy
summers and
cold winters in
the early 1800s.
"We are com-
mitted to not
just creating a

decorative showpiece, but also
to bring about an understand-
ing of the real lives of those
who lived and worked here,"
Naden says. "We're fortunate to
have documentation of those
lives."

As well, all the staffers have
connections to the university.
Naden was on the theater
department faculty. Historian
Ann Wass has her doctorate
from Maryland and co-teaches a
theater class.Author Margaret
Calcott is the wife of university
historian George Calcott.

All of them have become
intimately familiar with the
lives and the culture of antebel-
lum rural Maryland, a time
when slaves worked the fields

and tended to the Calverts'
household needs, when
kitchens were outside and toi-
lets were sometimes hidden in
furniture.The feet that life and
the landscape of the old
Riversdale estate have changed
so much is the very reason
those working so hard to
restore it feel the university
should take a deep interest in
this historic house.

—George Cathcart

Riversdale is open to the pub-
lic from noon to 4 p.m. on
Fridays and Sundays.
Admission is $3 for adults, $2
for seniors and groups, $ I for
students under 18, and free
for children under 5-

Global Climate

continued from page 1

dean of the graduate school.
"We're looking forward to
adjunct faculty appointments,
initiating new research and
enriching the institute's staff
with scholars from around the
country and the world as visit-
ing faculty," Destler said.

"This promises to be a major
science collaboration to explore
climate change and its impact
on energy, the environment and
society," said Gerald M. Stokes,
who will be director of the new
institute. Stokes is the former
associate laboratory director for
PNNL's fundamental science
effort.

"We are entering a whole

new era in the way society
deals with the climate, energy
and the environment," Stokes
said. "This unique partnership
between PNNL and Maryland
recognizes and brings together
the combined forces of
research and scholarship that
are required to find solutions
for this new era."

PNNL staffers coming to the
new Institute from the lab's
Washington, D.C. office are
renowned for their expertise in
energy conservation and their
understanding of the interac-
tions between climate, energy
production and use, economic
activity and the environment.

Maryland researchers associ-
ated with the institute will
come from schools and colleges

across the campus, including
the College of Computer
Mathematical and Physical
Sciences, the College of
Behavioral and Social Sciences,
the A. James Clark School of
Engineering, the College of Life
Sciences, and the School of
Public Affairs.

The new institute also will
build on expertise of existing
centers and institutes at the uni-
versity, such as the Earth System
Science Interdisciplinary
Center, a collaboration between
the university and NASA's
Goddard Space Flight Center.

The new Joint Global
Change Research Institute will
be located in a university-man-
aged research building adjacent
to campus.

zY!

s part of the effort to increase awareness of
Riversdale House's historical significance to
. the university, a series of lectures exploring
various aspects of the home will be held.

"Riversdale: Legacies and Links to the I iniversity
of Maryland" lectures will be held at the house, 481 t
Riverdale Road, Riverdalc Park, Md. All lectures run
from 7-8:30 p.m. and are as follows

March 27: Author Margaret law Callcott will discuss
her book, "Mistress of Riversdale," which is the edited
letters of Rosalie Stier Calvert, Charles Calvert's
mother.

April 3: George H. Callcott, professor emeritus of
history at the university, will give a lecture titled,
"C.B. Calvert & the Founding of the Maryland
Agricultural College."

April 10: John Michael Vlach, a professor of
American Studies at George Washington University,
will discuss "Slave Housing in Maryland: Life Beyond
the Mansion."

April 17: The Rev. L.Jerome Fowler, a descendant of
the Piummer family of slaves at Riversdale, will talk
about "The House of Plummets "

April 24: Susan Pearl, with Prince George's County's
Historic Preservation Commission, will give a lecture
titled, "Old World Master Paintings at Riversdale."

May 1: Barbara Carson, who teaches early American
Decorative Art tor the Smitlisonian and the College
of William & Mary, will give a lecture titled, "Social
Life in the Early Federal City"

Cost: $5/lecttw or $25 for Hie series.
For more information, call (301) 864-0420

March 13,2001

For Your Interest

CASTing Call

Join the Center Alliance for School Teachers
<G\ST) for Talk About Teaching, as they considerThe
Wife of Bath and her Sisters on March 29 from 3:30-
5 p.m. at the Center for Renaissance and Baroque
Snidies, Room 0135 Taliaferro Hall.

In March, CAST celebrates Women's History
Month with ideas for teaching women in litera-
ture, from Penelope in "The Odyssey'' to Scout
in "To Kill a Mocking Bird." Colleagues from all
academic levels are invited to Join in sharing
refreshments, lesson plans and teaching ideas.

For more information, contact Nancy
Traubitz, CAST Program Director, at (301)
405-6833.

Business Plan Competition

Celebrating

Women's History

Month

The President's Commission on Women's Issues

celebrates Women's History Month with campus

events and programs throughout the month of March

All events and programs listed are free to the campus

community; some may require invitation. You can

contact the sponsoring department or organization for

more information on their events.

The first business plan competition comes to
the university. Sponsored by the Hinman CEOs
and open to all current students— graduate and
undergraduate — as well as recent alumni (up to 5
years after graduation), this competition is the first
sponsored by an academic institution in the region.
S 50, 000 in prizes will be awarded. The deadline for
submission of Executive Summaries is April 2.

Finalists will present to a panel of venture capital-
ists and "angel investors" on May 1 beginning in the
afternoon (time TBD). A reception and awards cere-
mony will take place from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Inn and
Conference Center.

Both events are open to the public. For details, see
www. hinmanceos. umd .edu/um-bplan.htm.

For more information, contact Karen Thornton at
(301) 405-3677 or karent@eng.umd.edu, or visit
www. hinmanceos. u md . edu/um-bp Ian . h tm .

First Book Project

The Campus Advisory Board for the
First Book Project, is accepting grant
applications from your student organi-
zation or department through a simple
grant application process. First Book's
mission, is to give at-risk children from
low-income families the opportunity to
read and own their first new books by
providing books to children who are
participating in existing community-
based tutoring, mentoring, and family
literacy programs, and who have little
or no access to books. Applications are
due no later than Friday, April 6 in
Room 2130 Mitchell Building.

For more information, contact Nina
Harris or Diane Gaboury in the Office
of the Dean for Undergraduate Studies
at (301) 405-9363, nharris@deans.
umd.edu or dgaboury@deans.umd.edu.

Eating for Life, Health

Celebrate cultural diversity through artistic expres-
sion, food and a roundtablc discussion on holistic
medicine.The President's Commission on Women's
Issues, the Women of Color Committee and the Office
of Multi-Ethnic Student Education invite the campus
community to "Holistic Medicine from a Diverse
Perspective ."Tuesday, March 27 from 2-4 p.m. in the
Maryland Room of Marie Mount Hail.

For more information and to RSVP (by March 21),
call Dottie Bass, 001) 405-5618.

For a full schedule of events, visit www. inform.
umd.edu/CimipusInfo/Committees/
Womenslssues/ CALENDAR.HTML/.

For more information, contact Dianne

Sullivan at (301) 405-5806 or at

dsulliva@deans.umd.edu.

Tayousei

The Department of Education Policy and
Leadership and the Maryland State Department of
Education are pleased to introduce an interactive
symposium: "Community and Diversity in
International Perspective: Japanese Dimensions."

Come learn about Japan's diverse populations
through various media, including film, autobiographi-
cal fiction, and oral histories. Meet experts in the field
of diversity education who will compare and contrast
multicultural education in Japan and the U.S. Listen
and discuss the politics of difference and their negoti-
ation in Japan's institutions.

The event will take place on March 30 from 4:30-9
p.m. in Room 0130Tydings Hall. It is sponsored in
part by the Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C.

A light supper will be served. Please RSVP. For
more information, contact Danitza Radichevich at
(301) 405-7350 or at drl71@umail.umd.edu.

Students Learning from Students

The University Honors Center for Learning invites
faculty, staff and students to join in a lunch time dis-
cussion. "Students Learning from Students in Large
Lecture Classes'* will be the topic as an interdiscipli-
nary panel of students and faculty members share
their experience with using student-generated course
materials to enhance the learning of all students.

Panelists will include Shelly Davis, School of Music;
Jeanne Ru ten burg, Department of History; Bob Yuan
and Anne Smith, Department of Cellular and Molecu-
lar Biology and Genetics.

The discussion will take place on March 14
from 12-1:30 p.m. in the Anne Arundel Hall
lounge. A light lunch will be served. For more
information or to make a reservation (which is
required in order to participate in lunch), con-
tact Kathy Staudt at (301) 405-1 102 or at
kstaudt@wam.umd.edu.

Roche Reflects on
Residential Real Estate

Thierry Roche, host of the popular "Inside
Real Estate" show, which airs on Business
Radio WWRC AM (570) every Wednesday at 6
p.m., will be the speaker at the next meeting
of the Investors Group on Wednesday, March
14, noon in Room 4137, McKeldin Library.
Roche's topic will be "Opportunities in Today's
Residential and Rental Real Estate Markets."

Ranked as one of the top five realtors for
Re/Max's Central Adantic Region, Roche has
been in real estate sales for 13 years. He has
taught real estate strategies for saving money

on home buying, home selling and residential invest-
ing for seven years on the radio and in seminars. He
is frequently quoted as a real estate authority and
writes as a guest columnist
for several local area weekly newspapers.

Tine Investors Group is a no-fee monthly forum
open to everyone on campus and is cosponsored by
the Friends of the Libraries and the Department of
Personnel Services. For further information, contact
Jennifer Royall at (301) 314-5674.

Women's Health Symposium

Today, women are involved in a delicate bal-
ancing act of meeting their professional and per-
sonal needs. "It's About Women," a women's health
symposium, will feature more than 23 sessions on
health, wellness and other vital issues.

The symposium will be held March 31 from
8 a.m. -3:30 p.m. at the Inn and Conference Center.
For registration information, call (301) 754-8800.

New Faculty/GA Library Card

UM Libraries now offer to faculty members a joint
card that can be used by a graduate assistant to bor-
row materials from UM Libraries for the faculty mem-
ber, in lieu of using the faculty member's card. The
details on how to obtain this card can be viewed at
www. lib. umd.edu/UMCP/PUBSERV/facgrad. html.

For more information, contact Terry Ann Sayler at
(301) 405-9177 or ts6@umail.umd.edu.

Writers Here & Now Series

Three Maryland writing alumni— Patricia Elam,
Shara McCallum and Josh Russell — will read from
their works at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 14, in die
McKeldin Library Special Events Room.

Elam's work has appeared in die Washington Post,
Newsday and Essence magazine, as well as in antholo-
gies including "New Stories from the South" and the
"1997 O. Henry Prize Stories." She graduated from the
MFA program in 1996; her first novel, "Breathing
Room,'' has just been published. She teaches writing
at the Writers Center in Be dies da and online for
UCLA Extension. She also has provided commentary
for National Public Radio, CNN and the BBC.

McCallum, a 1996 MFA graduate, received the 1998
Agnes Lynch Starrett Prize for her first book of
poems, "The Water Between Us." Her poems have
been published in several anthologies and literary
journals. She is on the MFA faculty at the University
of Memphis.

Russell's novel "Yellow Jack" was a finalist for the
1999 Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers
Award. His short fiction lias appeared in several liter-
ary journals. He received his BA in English from UM,
and now teaches at the University of Florida.

The reading, sponsored by the Creative Writing
program's Writers Here & Now series, will be fol-
lowed by a book signing.

Mark your calendar!

for May 18, the day of the 19th Annual

Professional Concepts Exchange

Conference

* Jbr non-exempt staff *

The Professional Concepts Exchange Conference

is sponsored by the President's Commission on

Women's Issues. The purpose of the conference

is to promote the goals of professionalism and

excellence among the support staff of the

University of Maryland.

For more information, contact Gaynor Sale

at (301) 3l4-9685or gs2@umail.umd.edu,

or Mary Gibson at (301) 314-7343 or

mgibson@accmail.umd.edu.