April 30, 2009
Dining services will be open May 6-8 on the following schedule:
Wednesday, May 6: Normal hours in the dining hall, until 3 p.m. in The Grill
Thursday, May 7: Dining hall closed, grill open 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
Friday, May 8: Dining hall closed, grill open 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
April 30, 2009
Students who want to complete their Quantitative Literacy graduation requirement may take the Quantitative Literacy exam Sunday, May 3, at 1 p.m. in King 122. No reservation is necessary. Students should bring pencils and a calculator to use during the exam.
The next exam date is Saturday, June 6, at 1 p.m.
April 30, 2009
Changes to the facilities in Ragan-Brown Field House will include an enhanced fitness center, new space for group exercise activities, and the re-purposing of the swimming pool space.
The swimming pool will be closed over the summer, and the space is expected to be re-purposed as a fitness area for use by anyone in the campus community. The decision to re-purpose the space is based on an analysis of the cost of pool repairs to meet health standards and current usage compared to potential usage of the space.
On April 28, senior staff approved the recommendation for re-purposing. According to JON VARNELL, associate vice president for operations and facilities, the project will include filling in the pool with stone, pouring a concrete floor, completing some electrical and piping work and constructing some divider walls.
Subject to changes in the final design, an enhanced fitness area will be created by moving equipment in the weight room and cardio room on the lower level of the facility to the current pool space. This will open up space for group exercise activities such as yoga and tai chi and result in more open gym time, which is popular as a student recreational activity.
The swimming pool was an original feature of Ragan-Brown Field House, dedicated in 1980, and has structural separations, peeling paint, leaking, piping and valve issues. Short-term Improvements required to pass Health Department regulations and inspections would cost up to $200,000 and address few of the most serious problems. A complete refurbishing of the pool would cost nearly $1 million. Such a large investment was thought imprudent when colleges and universities are coping with uncertain enrollments, fluctuating gifts and endowments and a poor business climate.
The swim team has been informed of the pending changes, and arrangements for alternate practice and competition space off site are being made by the Athletic Department.
Participants in an April 24 community forum raised the possibility of including a new pool in the proposed fitness and wellness center. Fundraising for an $8 million center is underway, and adding a pool to the facility would add approximately $3 million to the cost. The college is now considering this suggestion.
If you have further questions, contact Jon Varnell by calling 316-2903 or e-mailing jvarnell@guilford.edu.
April 30, 2009
JON VARNELL and his wife, Erin, announce the birth of Sarah Elizabeth Varnell April 25 at Women’s Hospital in Greensboro. She was born at 8:32 a.m., weighing 6 lbs., 15 oz., and 20 1/2 inches. Sarah Elizabeth is the Varnell’s fifth child. Mom, baby and family are doing well.
April 30, 2009
Thirteen art, biology, chemistry, physics and political science students recently presented their research at the National Council for Undergraduate Research (NCUR) meeting at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse from April 16-18. The meeting was attended by over 2000 students and faculty from colleges and universities across the country.
Students presenting included:
JENNIFER ABELIN (with Renã A. Sowell and D. Allen Butterfield, University of Kentucky): “Detection of Immune-Related Oxidative Stress in an Alzheimer’s Disease Model.”
SETH CONGDON (with biology professor THOMAS TUCKER): “Using the Optokinetic Response to Quantify the Performance of Eye Movements in Developing Larval Zebrafish (Danio rerio).”
RYAN DAVIS (with biology professor MELANIE LEE-BROWN): “Genomic analysis of the ribosomal RNA operon (rrn) of the cyanobacteria Arthrospira.”
HANNAH HAWKINS (adviser: art professor MAIA DERY): “Community Engagement Through Photography.”
DAVID JACKMAN (thesis adviser: physics professor DON SMITH): “Ping Pong Physics.”
TONYA JOHNSON (with Allison A. Burrow, Lindsay R. Holder and Yuh-Hwa Wang, Wake Forest University): “Instability of Fra16b affected by stable DNA secondary structures.”
VICTORIA MALLETT: “Developing Perceptions: A Qualitative Study of Opinions Concerning the Export Processing Zones of Madagascar.”
MARVIN MORALES (with Nicole Michel, Tulane University, and through the auspices of the Organization for Tropical Studies, Duke University): “Microhabitat and Dietary Preferences of White-breasted Wood Wren (Henicorhina leucosticta) at La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica.”
MONICA STOWE (with Gustavo Hinojosa, School for Field Studies): “Osprey Behavior Patterns According to Nest Location.”
NORAH STEVENS-KITTNER (with Hector Perez-Cortes, School for Field Studies): “A Behavioral Study on the Effects of Whale-Watching Boats on Grey Whales (Eschrichtius robustus) in Bahía Magdalena, Mexico.”
RYAN VARY (with Miklos Kertesz, Georgetown University): “Revisiting the Diamond to Graphite Transition by Accurate ab initio Calculations.”
ELISE WEAVER (thesis adviser: physics professor DON SMITH): “Gamma Ray Burst Afterglow Detection and Analysis.”
MADDIE WINTERS (with biology professor MICHELE MALOTKY): “The Contribution of a Putative Estrogen-like Receptor as a Target for the Estrogenic Endocrine Disrupting Chemical (EEDC) Bisphenol A in the Soil Nematode, Caenorhabitis elegans.”
The students were accompanied to the conference by Assistant Professor of Biology Melanie Lee-Brown, Assistant Professor of Biology Michele Malotky and Professor of Chemistry ROB WHITNELL. We would like to thank Community Senate, the QEP Program and ADRIENNE ISRAEL, vice president and academic dean, for their financial support.
April 29, 2009
On April 27, Campus Life held a forum for students who had concerns or questions about this year’s housing lottery. While we plan to maintain the same system for next year’s lottery, with several students in attendance, we believe we made good progress, heard some legitimate concerns, and have some action steps to move forward with.
There were some technical issues, and for next year we will look at:
We are also looking into the possiblity of allowing students who can get 8 people together for a Bryan suite to pre-register to allow them to live together in the same suite. In the interest of creating this possibility for next year, this Sunday, May 3, we will be holding a “Swap Meet” for students who are currently registered in Bryan Hall for fall 2009. This will be a one time opportunity for those students who may wish to switch rooms to talk to others in the same situation, in an attempt to facilitate these changes in a methodical manner. We will meet in the Gallery (pending approval of the space) at 11 a.m.
April 29, 2009
The next College Meeting for Worship will be on Sunday, May 3, at 1 p.m. in the Moon Room of Dana Auditorium. MOLLY FINCH ’09, biology/environmental studies, will lead the worship.
All are invited to hear fellow students, faculty, staff and visitors reflect on their spiritual journeys and their struggles.
GCRO and the Campus Ministry Office hope that the community will enjoy these opportunities to share in worship through music, word, and silence.
For more information call 316-2326.
April 29, 2009
Would you like to learn more about how Guilford handled the 1918 Influenza Pandemic? The college archives document the college’s successful quarantine and what life was like for students in 1918. See examples from primary sources and links to additional information available through the Friends Historical Collection here.
April 29, 2009
All theses written to fulfill graduation requirements and recorded on the transcipt are to be deposited in the College Archives. Note that deposit procedures are different this year.
The final signed copy of the thesis must be delivered to the Friends Historical Collection before May 7. See Guilford’s Thesis Policy for additional details regarding format and other requirements. There are specific guidelines for the title page, margins, and any electronic media accompanying the paper copy. Papers must be submitted unbound and use of permanent bond acid free paper is encouraged.
Contact GWEN ERICKSON or LIZ COOK at 336-316-2264 or archives@guilford.edu with any questions.
April 29, 2009
On April 27, President KENT CHABOTAR addressed a national audio conference on ” Managing Through the Mess: Mistakes Colleges Make in Economic Downturns and How to Avoid Them.” It was sponsored by the leading online publication Inside Higher Ed.
The six mistakes Kent cited were:
Since last November, Kent has addressed the economic crisis at national conferences or Webinars of the Association of Governing Boards of Colleges and Universities, Association of Science-Technology Centers, Council of Independent Colleges, and the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities as well as meetings of local and state groups.
One commentary on Quaker business processes in budget decision-making was published in Inside Higher Ed and a second on participatory budgeting appeared in the Chronicle of Higher Education last February. Such contributions to higher education prompted the TIAA-CREF Institute director to cite Kent as “someone with the reputation of being the leading thinker, writer, and speaker on financial aspects of higher education.”
