The Myth of Smith

Late at night, when most of the students are asleep, the dorm lounge might seem to be an ideal place for some undisturbed studying--unless you happen to live in Smith Hall. Legend has it that the oldest dormitory on campus is haunted.

Stories of hearing footsteps in the attic and seeing a pretty young woman appear and then disappear have been around for generations. A female apparition roaming the halls of Smith would be in keeping with the origins of the dorm, which was built specifically for women students. Before it opened in 1908, there were no facilities on campus for housing students. Those who could not commute from home were left to their own devices to find a place to live.

In 1895, after a bill to fund a women's dormitory was vetoed by the governor, the college refitted Benjamin Thompson's house for women students. Unfortunately, the house burned down in 1897. About this time, a philanthropist moved to town. Hamilton Smith Jr. had grown up in Durham with his grandfather, Judge Valentine Smith, and his Aunt Mary after his mother died when he was 5. A self-taught engineer, Smith became both the foremost authority on hydraulic mining and a wealthy man. He and his wife, the former Alice Congreve, moved back to Durham, bought a modest house on Main Street and transformed it into an opulent summer home called Red Tower, which still stands today.

Smith immediately gave $10,000 to Durham's new college for scholarships in honor of his grandfather. He was planning to build a new public library when, on July 4, 1900, he suffered a fatal heart attack while boating on the Oyster River. He was 59.

A $10,000 legacy in his will paid for the library, and Alice pledged another $10,000 towards a dorm for women. With state appropriations, enough money finally was available.

The new building had rooms for 32 girls. All women students who did not live at home were required to live in Smith Hall, where rents ranged from $1.25 to $2 a week.

(Male students were still on their own. The college did what it could to help them meet expenses by giving them jobs on campus. There was one job, however, that was strictly off-limits--the janitor of Smith Hall.)

Over the decades, the building has been expanded and renovated several times, but it remains the smallest dorm on campus. In 1983, Smith Hall acquired an International Living theme. Currently, one third of the residents are from abroad. Its annual international fiesta, which will turn 25 this spring, attracts large crowds with music, dancing and food.

As for the ghost, well . . . perhaps after 100 years, a Smithie spirit is still going strong.

Source: Unh

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Simmons College

BOSTON (October 31, 2013) - In an effort to boost gender diversity on corporate boards across the country, Simmons College will host a panel discussion as part of the national campaign 2020 Women on Boards, Tuesday, Nov. 12, at 7:30 a.m. in the Linda K. Paresky Conference Center of the Main College Building.

The discussion is one of several being held around the country that day - all with a focus on increasing the number of women on U.S. corporate boards. The campaign aims to raise the percentage of women on U.S. corporate boards to 20 percent or greater by 2020.

The Simmons event is open to the public. To register, visit SimmonsLEADS. Join the conversation on Twitter @2020wob and #2020WOB.

Discussion panelists include:

* Susan Vinnicombe, OBE, Deloitte Ellen Gabriel Endowed Chair in Women's Leadership, School of Management, Simmons College
* Joe Keefe, President and CEO, Pax World Funds
* Cathy Minehan, Dean of the School of Management, and a board member of VISA, MassMutual, Mass General Hospital, and Partners Healthcare System.

Women continue to make steady gains in the boardrooms of Fortune 1000 companies, according to the third annual 2020 Women on Boards Gender Diversity Index of Fortune 1000 Companies. Women now make up 16.6 percent of board membership in Fortune 1000 companies, up from 14.6 percent in 2011.

"The issue of increasing the number of women on corporate boards has become urgent across the globe," said Vinnicombe. "As a member of The Lord Davies Steering Committee in the United Kingdom, where we are striving to achieve 25 percent women on our top 100 boards by 2015, I applaud the efforts of this report. It is vital that every company has a critical mass of women on their boards to ensure a diversity of perspectives in their decision-making. Overwhelmingly, the research indicates that women are good for business."

The 2020 Women on Boards campaign supporters include individuals, organizations, and companies that embrace the principle that diversity in the boardroom encourages good corporate decision-making. Chapters are being launched in major cities across the United States. The campaign publishes the annual Gender Diversity Index, which reports on the gender diversity of boards of directors in Fortune 1000 companies. For more information, visit www.2020WOB.com.

This event is part of SimmonsLEADS, a dynamic series of exciting speakers, programs, and events that focus on the empowerment and development of women leaders. The initiative aims to further the mission of the College's founder, John Simmons - to enable women to acquire independent livelihoods. All SimmonsLEADS events are non-profit fundraisers for graduate scholarships at Simmons College to help ensure the viability of women's education for generations to come.

Founded in 1899, Simmons College ( simmons.edu) is a nationally recognized university located in Boston with a history of visionary thinking and social responsibility. It offers undergraduate education for women and the nation's first MBA program designed specifically for women. It also features renowned coeducational graduate programs in nursing and health sciences; liberal arts, including education and behavior analysis; library and information science; social work; and business. Follow us on Twitter at @SimmonsCollege and @SimmonsNews.

Source: Simmons

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Reunion 2013

There is no better time in New England than fall, as the Bay Path alumni who attended Reunion 2013 on Saturday, October 26, found out much to their delight!

Over 150 alumni, spanning the decades from the class of 1938 to the class of 2012, returned to campus for Reunion 2013. Still going strong, Venessa O'Brien '38 held the honor of being a member of the oldest class year. And the class of 1963 had the largest contingent. The day-long event featured student presentations, social hours, and a special presentation on university status. The highlight was the awards luncheon where President Leary recognized the following outstanding individuals:

PRESIDENT'S AWARD to Trustee Emeritus Edward J. (Ted) Fleming III

JAMES McGILL CARPE DIEM AWARD to Fay Henry, class of 1948

BOLD CLASS AWARD 2013 to the Class of 1963

Read excerpts from President Leary about the award winners....

Emeritus Edward J. (Ted) Fleming III

The President's Award is given to an individual, non-alumni, who has done much to serve the College and the community, and who has been an inspiration to Bay Path's President. This year, I am honored to present the PRESIDENT'S AWARD to Trustee Emeritus Edward J. (Ted) Fleming III.

For over 35 years, Ted Fleming has held an advisory and leadership role at Bay Path College. His calm manner, wise council, and his ability to have faith in the future have had an incredible influence on the College's entrepreneurial spirit, which in turn has allowed us to thrive and flourish. Even more important, he is an astute businessman, ever vigilant of Bay Path's financial health, yet practical in character to know that risk balanced with prudent financial investments lays the foundation for tomorrow. In brief, he is not hesitant to say: "Go for it!"

Ted was originally named to the Bay Path College Advisory Council in 1977, and was elected to the Bay Path Board of Trustees in 1986. He served as chair of the Board from 1997 to 2001, and although retired, he still serves as an active member of the Finance Committee and the Investment Committee.

Always willing to offer his time and talent, Ted is also a generous and consistent donor to the College. A member of the Legacy Society, he has left his mark in a very significant and lasting way. On the lower level of this building, often teeming with students, is the Fleming Book and Gift Center named in his honor. Recognizing the Blake Student Commons as a community center, Ted's leadership gift to establish the Fleming Book and Gift Center was inspirational and profound. Education, learning, and the printed word have always been close to his heart...

A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, he also completed the Advanced Management Program at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. During his career, he held positions as vice president of the educational division at Milton Bradley Company, president of Taylor Rental Corporation, president of DMGT Corporation, and president of the Windsor Marketing Group. In his position as head of DMBT Corporation, a leading credit card processor for direct marketers and catalogs, Ted was named a finalist twice for New England Entrepreneur of the Year.

Fay Henry, Class of 1948

The James McGill Carpe Diem Award recognizes an alumna who's educational, employment and civic contributions truly epitomize the College's Motto-Carpe Diem...Seize the Day! It is named in honor of Bay Path graduate James McGill, class of 1935.

This year's distinction goes to Fay Henry, class of 1948.

A native of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Fay's spunk and spirit inspire those around her to seize the day.
After graduating from Bay Path College, Fay worked in Springfield for one year before returning home to the Berkshires where she began a successful 45-year career in medical administration. Fay attributes her humble upbringing combined with a strong work ethic instilled in her by her parents--Fay's father was a local businessman-as instrumental in that success. And Fay would be quick to add: her Bay Path education not only prepared her to thrive in the workplace, but gave her confidence, strength, and determination.

Fay believes strongly in the power of scholarship support. She has made a gift to the Carpe Diem Fund in almost every single one of the 65 years she has been an alumna. Fay you may hold the record...we will have to check! In addition, she has supported the Carol A. Leary Scholarship for First Generation College Students, of which Fay proudly states she is one, and in 2012 she became a Bold Woman scholarship donor.

The year 2012 was also a significant milestone for Fay. It took 64 years, but Fay made her first trip back to Bay Path since graduating in 1948! She took a student-led tour and marveled at the transformation. As an undergraduate, she was a resident of Empsall and was delighted to see it was now the admissions office. Fay...it was also my home at one point! Her return was prompted by a Legacy Society Luncheon, where she and others were honored for establishing scholarships for our students. For generations to come, the Fay J. Henry '48 scholarship will ensure that a student can now attend and graduate from Bay Path, following the footsteps of Fay.

Fay also epitomizes the Bay Path motto: Carpe Diem. A lifetime proponent of the arts, she volunteers weekly at Arrowhead Museum, the former home of Herman Melville. She loves the opera, and is an avid reader. She currently lives in Pittsfield, and from my remarks to this point and her obvious remarkable energy, you may be surprised to learn that she is legally blind. But Fay Henry's boldness and bravado have made her life's horizon limitless.

Class of 1963

The Bold Class Award was created to recognize the alumni of a particular graduating class whose commitment to serving, supporting, and representing Bay Path College has set a bold example for all alumni, and has helped advance the mission of the institution. These are women of example, courage, and heart.

I am delighted to recognize the class of 1963 as the BOLD CLASS AWARD recipients for 2013.

These are women who lead - as bold women do. The class of 1963 understands the need for annual support that directly impacts the lives of our students, and they truly "walk the walk." In that spirit, in anticipation of their 50th Reunion they established the Class of 1963 Scholarship, and to date raised $12,500 for Bay Path students.

Source: Baypath

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Welcome to Bennett College

International Students

Marwah Jasim (Iraq)

Bennett College strives to reach global excellence as we reach out beyond our nation and welcome students from all over the world.

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  Bennett Honors Convocation

  
  

  
  

  Bennett College recognized nearly 100 students during its biannual Honors Convocation ceremony. Throughout this celebration of scholastic attainment, those who made the Honor's and Dean's List were awarded a certificate of achievement. Guest speaker for the occasion was Melissa Harris-Perry...

  
  

  
  
  
  


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  Mentors for Emerging Scholars

  
  

  
  

  Women from the community have pledged their time and talents to ensure the success of 35 Bennett College students. This select group of freshwomen are...

  
  

  
  
  
  


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  Breast Cancer Awareness at Bennett

  
  

  
  

  The men and women of Bennett College banded together during Breast Cancer Awareness Month to raise donations, concern and action against the number two killer of women. Throughout the month of October, the campus held various...

  
  

  
  
  
  

Spotlights

Bennett College Celebrates 140 Years Since Its Founding

Bennett College concluded its annual Family & Friends Weekend with the Founders' Day Convocation where members of the Bennett family, greater community and United Methodist Church, gathered to celebrate 140 years since... Read More Video

Bennett College Inducts Community Leaders into Women of Substance Circle

As part of the annual celebration of Family and Friends Weekend, Bennett College recently held the Women of Substance Circle Induction Ceremony. As a result, three women were recognized for their impact on... Read More Video

Bennett College Crowns Her Queen

Bennett's new queen defies impossible. During the recent Coronation Ceremony for Brenda Keels '14, Miss Bennett College 2013-2014, the campus leader celebrated perseverance. The theme for the occasion was "When Impossibilities Become Possibilities." According to Keels, her life has been plagued by... Read More Video Photo

News and Events

"DO YOU DARE...?"

presented by the Bennett Players

8:00 PM.

For more information, call 336-517-2188

Bennett Belles are Voting Belles!

March to the Polls

11:00 AM

ACES with Angela Talton

Senior Vice President of Global Diversity & Inclusion, Nielsen

11:00 AM

Admissions Fall Open House

8:30 AM - 3:30 PM

RSVP by Nov. 10th and get your fee waived

For more information, call 336-370-8624

Graduate & Professional Information Day Fair

11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Ida B. Goode Gymnasium

Open to the Public

For more information, call 336-517-2358

Admissions Transfer Day for Transfer Students

For more information, call 370-8624

Source: Bennett

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Simmons College

BOSTON (December 2, 2011) - In an effort to support the development of new women leaders, Simmons College is proud to partner with Girl Scouts of the USA to offer a new scholarship. As part of the Gilbert and Marcia Kotzen Scholars Program, a Girl Scout entering Simmons College in fall 2012 will receive full tuition.

The Kotzen Scholars Program will provide a total of 10 scholarships to entering first-year Simmons College students. The scholarships will provide an intensive academic experience for future women leaders that includes study abroad and scholarly research.

"Simmons is committed to helping the best and brightest students develop into the future women leaders of tomorrow," said Simmons College President Helen Drinan. "I am particularly excited that we are partnering with the Girl Scouts, an organization that mirrors our commitment to women, leadership, and success."

"We are in the business of empowering girls to be successful, confident leaders. This partnership with Simmons College aligns us perfectly in our shared goals, to build girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place," said Ruth N. Bramson, CEO, of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts.

Created through a generous donation from Simmons College alumna and emerita trustee Linda Kotzen Paresky, The Gilbert and Marcia Kotzen Scholars Program is the most prestigious competitive merit award to be offered at Simmons College. The Gilbert and Marcia Kotzen Scholars Program acknowledges excellence through focus on study abroad, scholarly research, and intellectual curiosity. Kotzen Scholars will receive full tuition, all mandatory fees, room, and board, and an annual $3,000 stipend for study abroad, short-term courses, summer internship tuition, or research support. The scholarship is awarded for the duration of a four-year period of full-time undergraduate study. For more information, visit www.simmons.edu/kotzen.

The Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts serves more than 41,000 girls ages 5-17 and 17,000 adult volunteers in 178 communities across Eastern Massachusetts with the mission to build girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place. The Girl Scouts provide girls with the opportunity to discover their world, connect with and build an understanding for others, and take action to make the world a better place. Girls are guided by committed and caring adults who make learning fun. Girl Scouting helps each girl achieve her personal leadership pathway to the future.

Founded in 1899, Simmons College is a nationally ranked university located in the heart of Boston with a history of visionary thinking, and a focus on leadership and social responsibility. It offers undergraduate education for women, and renowned coeducational graduate programs in nursing and health sciences, liberal arts, library and information science, social work, as well as the nation's first MBA program designed specifically for women. Follow Simmons on Twitter @SimmonsCollege and @SimmonsNews.

Source: Simmons

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Greater Than

UNC Asheville's Mathematics Department Sums Up Success

Average would not be a word used to describe the Mathematics Department at UNC Asheville. Faculty members teach across disciplines with courses in humanities, history, environmental studies, religious studies, the MLA Program and the honors program. Each year, several students go on to graduate programs in mathematics. Many students also choose other career paths, including culinary schools, divinity schools and graduate degrees in economics, psychology, computer science and engineering. And in 2013, the program graduated the highest percentage of math majors in the UNC system.

Of course, the department's numbers do not stop with commencement. They are looking toward the future of mathematics in Asheville, engaging middle schools and high schools along with national experts and making sure students have the financial and intellectual support they need.

Most recently that support has come in the form of a $100,000 gift in honor of Jane Oliver Swafford, a nationally recognized math educator, who lives in Hendersonville. She retired from Illinois State University after 12 years there, where she chaired the mathematics department for five years, and she edited the seminal study of mathematics learning from the National Science Foundation, Adding It Up: Helping Children Learn Mathematics.

"I'm delighted to have a formal attachment to the Mathematics Department at UNC Asheville," Swafford said. "I have spent my entire professional life in a mathematics department, so I miss being around mathematicians. The UNC Asheville mathematics faculty are not unlike those that I've known at other universities, except they do a better job of undergraduate programming than any other university I've been at, including the one that I've chaired."

By the Numbers

Half of the $100,000 gift will go toward department programing, specifically for continuing the community Math Summit, offering additional public lectures, such as the popular Pi vs. e Debate, and sending students to regional and national conferences. The remaining $50,000 will establish an endowed scholarship for mathematics majors. Seniors Zoe Hamel from Sedan, France, and Georgia Mason from Richmond, V.T., have received the first awards for the fall semester.

"The scholarship is helping me pay for tuition, which is extra useful since I am an out-of-state student," said Mason, who is taking three senior-level math classes and a special honors topics course called Evil Genius in the fall.

Hamel plans to use the funding to finish her degree, focus on undergraduate research and continue her success on the court. The women's tennis player has earned the scholar-athlete award for the past two years.

"I am really excited about my undergraduate research on Pythagorean sequences with my advisor Dr. Bahls," Hamel said. "It is dealing with number theory which is the subject I would like to specialize in when going to graduate school."

Adding to the Degree

The mathematics degree from UNC Asheville prepares students for their next positions in a wide variety of careers and graduate programs. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of mathematics, the mathematics department graduates a large number of double majors and minors.

As Department Chair and Professor Dave Peifer explained, "I think of mathematics as a language. We are teaching more like the literature or language department, or even a foreign language like French or Spanish. We teach students how to speak quantitatively. Every discipline has the same quantitative side. If you go into chemistry, economics or business, there's going to be a side that uses the standard deviation, the mean, the integral, the derivative. We are teaching them the language."

That common denominator becomes recognizable to community members as well, as was the case with Swafford and her brother Jim Oliver, owner and founder of AvL Technologies, who sponsored the gift.

"The math department at UNC Asheville, with its liberal arts focus, is much bigger and much better than you would expect. The energy and passion of the department matches that of Jane," he said. "I believe this will be a great combination".

To learn more about mathematics at UNC Asheville, visit http://math.unca.edu/.

Source: Unca

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Minneapolis Federal Reserve executive to speak at NSU

ABERDEEN, S.D. - Ron Feldman, executive vice president of the Federal

Reserve

Bank of Minneapolis, will speak at Northern State University on Thursday, Nov. 7.

Feldman will deliver his presentation, "Trends in the Banking Industry that Affect the Ninth District: Consolidation among Community Banks," at 11 a.m. in the NSU Student Center Centennial Rooms.

The event, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by the NSU School of Business.

Feldman, who also serves as senior policy adviser for the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, has degrees from the University of Wisconsin and Syracuse University. He has published research on various financial topics and is co-author of "Too Big to Fail: The Hazards of Bank Bailouts."

While on campus, Feldman will also meet with NSU banking and financial services majors as well as members of the School of Business Banking and Financial Services Advisory Committee.

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Source: Northern

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