Students Attend Presidential Inauguration
Nearly 80 Hood students traveled to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., Jan. 20 to watch the inauguration of President Barack Obama. Two bus loads of students left Hood at 4 a.m. for the daylong trip, which was organized by the Student Activities Office. Accompanying the students were Don Miller, director of student activities and orientation; Angie Bauman, assistant director of student activities and orientation; and Ted Chase, Ph.D., associate dean of students.
“It was just an amazing experience,” said Doug Raftery ’12. “It is one that no other event could replace in my mind. The millions of people who had the joy and amazement on their faces was like nothing I have ever seen in my life.”
Christi Campbell ’11 had a similar reaction. “The memory of standing on the National Mall watching the candidate I voted for in my first election be sworn into office is something no one can ever take away from me,” she said.
Life Technologies Awards Hood $50,000 Grant
Pictured to the left are President Ronald J. Volpe, Ph.D., and John Hughes, Ph.D., director of research and development at Life Technologies (formerly Invitrogen Corporation), in Carlsbad, Calif. President Volpe and members of Hood’s institutional advancement team recently toured Life Technologies’ research, production and distribution centers in Carlsbad. Life Technologies provides live cells, protein and an array of “scientific tools” to laboratories, pharmaceutical companies, and colleges and universities around the world. They recently awarded Hood a $50,000 grant to fund the Summer Science Research Institute.
Your Phones May Be Ringing
Hood’s Spring Phonathon began Feb. 10, and students are calling alums, parents and friends to ask for support of Hood’s Annual Funds. Your yearly gifts to the Annual Funds help provide the enriching academic environment and distinctive programs for which Hood is known. Please take the time to chat with the students to find out what is happening on campus today as well as to make your gift to the College. Visit the annual giving Web page to make your gift online.
Hood College Day at Brewer's Alley
Dine anytime Tuesday, March 3 at Brewer’s Alley and 20 percent of the proceeds will go toward Hood’s Annual Funds. Brewer's Alley Restaurant and Brewery is located at 124 N. Market St., in Frederick. Thank you to Phil Bowers ’83, president and brew master, for his generous and continued support. Have a meal at Brewer’s Alley and support Hood! Visit Hood's Web page for additional information on Annual Funds.
Reunion 2009 is Right Around the Corner
Don’t miss the chance to reconnect and reunite with classmates at Reunion Weekend, June 5-7. Please join the classes of 1929, 1934, 1939, 1944, 1947, 1949, 1954, 1959, 1964, 1969, 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999 and 2004 for this year’s reunion. Alums celebrating a reunion year will receive a registration brochure in the mail mid-April. All alumnae and alumni are welcome to attend. Visit our Web site in April for a complete listing of events and to register online.
Reunion 2009 Award Recipients
Congratulations to the following Reunion 2009 award recipients, who will each receive a Distinguished Alumna Award at the Alumnae and Alumni Luncheon June 6 during Reunion Weekend: Carol Lumb Allen ’59, Martha Shortiss Allen ’59, Gayle Hamilton Blakeslee ’59, Janet Hobbs Cotton ’59, Edith Howard Hogan ’59 and Nancy Rogers Huntsinger ’59. All of the recipients have or are currently serving on Hood’s board of trustees.
Alumna Leads Efforts to Rebuild Schools in Sierra Leone
Cindy Nofziger ’79 is the founder and executive director of Schools for Salone, a nonprofit organization committed to helping Sierra Leoneans rebuild rural schools destroyed during the country’s civil war. Cindy began her work in 2004 after visiting Sierra Leone as a former Peace Corps volunteer. Since then, Schools for Salone has completed seven schools, a library and three water wells. To learn more about Cindy’s work, visit the Schools for Salone Web site.
Supporting Summer Faculty Research
You are invited to support an endeavor that strengthens the very heart of Hood College—its faculty—through a competitive, well-respected program that awards grants to faculty for professional development, research and curriculum development during the summer. Each year, the Hood College Board of Associates reviews proposals and awards grant monies but the requests for support are greater than the funds available. Your gift will make a difference. You may make a gift to professional development or to the McCardell Professional Development Endowed Fund. Last year, for example, Donna Bertazzoni, professor of journalism, and Janis Judson, associate professor of political science, revised their curriculum for their Censorship in America course following extensive study of “Censorship in the Age of YouTube.” Jennifer Ross, Ph.D., associate professor of art and archaeology, worked at an archaeological dig in Turkey where in previous years she has taken Hood students; and Griselda Zuffi, Ph.D., associate professor of Spanish, researched the life stories of political prisoners, incorporating her findings into classroom teaching. For further information on how you can support this program, contact Joy Derr, director of development communications at Hood, or call (301) 696-3703.
Join Hood on Facebook
Join other Hood alumnae and alumni on Facebook, an online community where you can interact and connect with fellow classmates and receive updates about alumnae and alumni events. If you have an existing Facebook account, log on and join more than 180 other alums in the “Hood College Alumnae and Alumni” group. If you do not have a Facebook account, sign up for one now!
Ask Tammy
Have you ever had questions about Hood’s history or traditions and not known where to find the true answers? In Blazer Links’ new segment, we’ll do the research and answer the questions for you. Send us your questions via e-mail and the answer may appear in an issue of Blazer Links.
How did Hood come up with its nickname, the Blazers, and its mascot, a horse?
Until 1979, Hood did not have a team nickname or even a mascot, so a contest was held to find a suitable team nickname. From this, the name “Blazers” was voted to be the new name of Hood sports teams. (Other names voted on were the Hawks, the Harem Hood Trotters, the Jettes, the Hoodlums and the Hummers). The name “Blazers” came from a tradition that began in the 1920s, when the “White Sweater Girl” award was used to honor outstanding athletes. This award was later changed to the “White Blazer Girl” award and, each year, a white blazer was given to a rising senior with outstanding academic, athletic and campus achievement. That tradition disappeared in the 1960s. The current mascot of the horse, which well suits the equestrian traditions of the College’s past, was chosen through a contest in 2005. |
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R.S.V.P. for Events
To R.S.V.P. or get information on upcoming events, e-mail us at alumoffice@hood.edu, or call (800) 707-5280, option 2, or (301) 696-3900. Please continue to check the alumnae and alumni relations Web page for updates on future events.
A Cocktail Reception in San Francisco, Calif.
Please note, due to a conflict in scheduling, the date of this event has been changed. Tuesday, Feb. 24, 6-8 p.m., The Metropolitan Club, 640 Sutter St., San Francisco, CA 94102. Susan Gearey Van Pelt ’79 and the Office of Alumnae and Alumni Relations cordially invite area alums and guests to join Nancy Gillece ’81, vice president for institutional advancement, for a cocktail reception. To R.S.V.P., please contact the Office of Alumnae and Alumni Relations, or call (800) 707-5280, option 2, or (301) 696-3900. Please R.S.V.P. by Feb. 20.
Annual Alaskan Pot-latch Dinner
Friday, March 6, 6 p.m. Gather with area alums for the annual Alaskan pot-latch dinner, this year held at the home of LaVonne Blattenberger Vogt ’69. For more information or to R.S.V.P., contact LaVonne Blattenberger Vogt or call her at (907) 884-1025. Please R.S.V.P. by March 3.
Naples, Fla., Cocktail Reception
Tuesday, March 10, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Bellasera Hotel, 221 9th St. South, Naples, FL 34102. Join area alums and guests for a cocktail reception featuring President Ronald J. Volpe, Ph.D., on “Hood College, Good to Great: Visioneering Our Future.” To R.S.V.P., please contact the Office of Alumnae and Alumni Relations, or call (800) 707-5280, option 2, or (301) 696-3900. Please R.S.V.P. by March 5.
Join Us in Palm Beach, Fla.
Thursday, March 12, 6-8 p.m., Amici Ristorante and Bar, Palazzo Room, 375 South County Road, Palm Beach, FL 33480. Join area alums and guests for a cocktail reception featuring President Ronald J. Volpe, Ph.D., on “Hood College, Good to Great: Visioneering Our Future.” To R.S.V.P., please contact the Office of Alumnae and Alumni Relations, or call (800) 707-5280, option 2, or (301) 696-3900. Please R.S.V.P. by March 5.
A Gathering in Denver, Colo.
Sunday, April 26, 3-5 p.m., Cherry Hills Country Club, 4125 S. University Blvd., Cherry Hills Village, CO 80113. Join area alums and guests for a cocktail reception, hosted by Jean Righter Bolle ’50. More details will follow. |
Hood College Career Services
Take advantage of free lifetime services. We can help you with your résumé, give you advice on your job search and talk to you about career options and much more. Contact us by phone at (301) 696-3583 or by e-mail at careers@hood.edu to schedule an appointment.
Social Visionary Speaker Series Panel Discussion
Kevin Lollar ’97, director of development for the Housing Authority of the City of Frederick, and other community leaders will be a part of a panel to discuss their roles in the yearlong negotiation to remove from its prominent position in front of City Hall the bust of U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Brooke Taney, whose 1857 ruling on the notorious Dred Scott Decision denied U.S. citizenship to blacks. The discussion, titled “The Power of Conversation: Reaching Common Ground,” will take place Thursday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. in Hood’s Whitaker Campus Center Commons and is part of Hood’s Social Visionary Speaker Series. A reception will follow the panel discussion. For more information about the event, read the full news story or contact Yvette Webster, coordinator of service learning and Hood’s Bonner Scholars Program, or call (301) 696-3751.
Career Chemistry Event
Learn from those who have mixed and matched their majors with their interests, and found a career formula that works in a Career Center event titled “Career Chemistry—Find Your Formula,” Tuesday, March 24 at 4 p.m. in Hood’s Whitaker Campus Center Commons. A spinoff of speed dating, the event is designed for participants to meet many Hood alums with interesting career paths in a fun and relaxing atmosphere. Open networking will begin at 5 p.m. For more information about the event, contact the Career Center or call (301) 696-3583. |
Hodson Gallery Exhibit
Area artist Kim Parr of Ellicott City, Md., is showcasing her artwork that depicts the changing American landscape in an exhibit titled “Places I Can’t Return To” until Friday, March 6 in the Hodson Gallery in Hood’s Tatem Arts Center. The gallery is open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information, read the full news story; or contact Jan Razauskas, director of the Hodson Gallery.
Ceramics Program Courses
A series of ceramics workshops will be offered at Hood throughout the spring semester. Visit the Ceramics Program Web site for a listing of available courses and workshops. For additional information, please contact Joyce Michaud, director of the M.F.A. and graduate certificate in ceramic arts programs, or call (301) 696-3526.
Gazing at the Stars
Hood is offering everyone the chance to get up close and personal with the stars. The Williams Observatory will be open free of charge from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. each Wednesday until April 29 for the exclusive use of the observatory and portable telescopes. Ken Howard, lecturer in astronomy at Hood, will be available each evening to answer questions. For more information about the observatory, read the full news story.
Panelists Address Obama-Era Race and Politics
The future of race and politics in the context of the first African-American U.S. president will be the topic of a panel discussion titled “Black Politics in the Era of Obama,” Thursday, Feb. 19 at
7 p.m. in the Marx Center. A reception will follow the discussion. For more information about the event, please contact Tamelyn Tucker-Worgs, Ph.D., associate professor of political science, or call (301) 696-3686; or Hoda Zaki, Ph.D., professor of political science, or call (301) 696-3697. For more information about the panelists, read the full news story.
Spring Colloquium Series Events
Hood’s spring 2009 Humanities Colloquium begins Tuesday, March 3 with a lecture by Francis Brévart, Ph.D., titled “Wonderdrugs in German Medico-Pharmaceutical Treatises of the 13th to 16th Centuries: Did They Really Work?” The lecture will take place in Hood’s Marx Center at 7:30 p.m. Brévart, the author of many articles and five books, is an associate professor of German at the University of Pennsylvania.
On Tuesday, March 24, the Blackfriars Shakespeare Company will present a stage play of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” in Hood’s Hodson Auditorium in Rosenstock Hall at 7:30 p.m.
Elizabeth Spires, the author of six volumes of poetry, will visit campus Thursday, March 26 for a poetry reading in celebration of Maryland artists. The event will take place at 7:30 p.m. in Hood’s Hodson Auditorium in Rosenstock Hall.
Each event is part of the College’s annual colloquium lecture series, which this year focuses on understanding cultural differences. For more information, contact William Heath, interim National Endowment of the Humanities and Sophia M. Libman professor.
Hood College History Museum Workshop and Roadshow
The Hood College History Museum and Archives spring workshop will be held Tuesday, March 17 at 10 a.m. in the Woman’s College Collection Room of Hood’s Beneficial-Hodson Library.
The pilot program for the “Hood Museum Roadshow,” which will also take place in the library, is set for Sunday, March 22 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Area alums are invited to bring in and share their Hood memorabilia. For more information about these events, please contact Joy Derr, director of development communications at Hood, or call (301) 696-3703. Anyone interested in volunteering with the museum is welcome to attend.
Clarinet and Saxophone Ensembles Concert
The McDaniel College Clarinet and Saxophone Ensembles, under the direction of David Duree, will perform in Hood’s Brodbeck Music Hall Tuesday, March 24 at 8 p.m. For more information, contact Noel Lester, D.M.A., concert pianist, and professor of music, or call (301) 696-3429. Brodbeck Music Hall is not handicapped accessible. |
Women's Basketball (4-19, 2-12 CAC)
Last Week
Feb. 11 Lost to Wesley College 48-78
This Week
Feb. 18 vs. Stevenson University (at Mount St. Mary's University) 6 p.m.
Feb. 21 at Salisbury University 2 p.m.
Hood lost to Capital Athletic Conference foe Wesley College, 78-48, Wednesday evening on Senior Night at Gov. Thomas Johnson High School. Jen Willison led the Blazers with 17 points and almost notched a double-double with nine boards. Senior Jessica Parrish (above) contributed 13 points and four assists and classmate Sara Wastler finished with 11 points and four assists. The Blazers complete their home schedule Wednesday against Stevenson University at Mount St. Mary’s University. All fans will be admitted free to this contest.
Men's Basketball (8-15, 5-9 CAC)
Last Week
Feb. 11 Defeated Wesley College 86-83
This Week
Feb. 18 vs. Stevenson University (at Mount St. Mary's University) 8 p.m.
Feb. 21 at Salisbury University 4 p.m.
Freshman Garrett Williams drilled a clutch three-pointer with six seconds left to give Hood a stunning 86-83 victory over the Wesley College Wolverines Wednesday on Senior Night at Gov. Thomas Johnson High School. The Blazers, currently in a three-way tie for sixth place in the CAC standings, kept their playoff hopes alive with the dramatic upset of the previously top-ranked team in the league. Hood won back-to-back games for the first time since November and handed the Wolverines just their second conference loss of the season. J'Air Brady was one of four Blazers in double figures with a team-high 18 points to go along with six rebounds, four assists and two steals. Tyler Snoots came off the bench to net a season-high 14, eclipsing his previous high of 13 which he scored in Hood's last meeting with Wesley. In his final game at TJ, senior Tim Abercrombie netted 10 points and a team-high six assists while fellow senior Jeff Willison (above) grabbed a career-high 14 boards, blocked three shots and chipped in nine points. Hood squares off against Stevenson University Wednesday at Mount St. Mary's University. All fans will be admitted free to this contest. Hood, Stevenson and York College (Pa.) are all tied for sixth place in the league.
Equestrian
Last Week
Feb. 15 at George Washington (with American & Maryland)
This Week
Feb. 21-22 at University of Mary Washington
Every rider on the Hood equestrian team came home with a ribbon Sunday as the Blazers began the spring competitive season at a show hosted by George Washington University at Tulip Pond Farm in Poolesville, Md. Co-captains Emily Bernstein and Nadine Miglio both rode in separate sections of the advanced walk/trot/canter division. Miglio, who did not show during the fall due academic commitments, returned to competition and finished with a second place ribbon. Bernstein finished sixth in her class and as the designated rider for that division gave Hood a team point. Senior Katie Thomas competed in the novice division on the flat earning fourth place in her best performance of the year. This ride gave Hood three more team points. First-year rider Amy Thompson competed in the walk-trot division and finished second giving Hood another five team points. The IHSA spring season continues with two shows Saturday and Sunday.
 Women's Lacrosse (0-0, 0-0 CAC)
Last Week
No games scheduled
This Week
Feb. 20 vs. Wesley College 3 p.m.
Feb. 22 vs. No. 3 Salisbury University Noon
The women's lacrosse team begins its second season Friday under the direction of Molly Hesterberg. The Blazers welcome the Wesley College Wolverines to Thomas Athletic Field Friday for their home and CAC opener. Hood's squad is comprised of one senior, six juniors, three sophomore and six freshmen. Junior Sarah Balukoff (above) led the Blazers in scoring last season with 26 goals while classmate Brandy Noel tallied 23 goals. Hood will platoon a pair of freshmen in goal following the graduation of four-year starting keeper Lauren Lieb. Hood also hosts No. 3 Salisbury University, the NCAA Division III national runner-up in 2008, Sunday at noon.
Men's Lacrosse (0-0, 0-0 CAC)
Last Week
No games scheduled
This Week
Feb. 21 at Virginia Wesleyan College 1 p.m.
Hood begins its fifth season of intercollegiate competition Saturday at Virginia Wesleyan College. The Marlins, who posted a record of 12-6 overall in 2008, defeated the Blazers, 26-7, in Frederick last spring. VWC fell to Hood's CAC rival, the University of Mary Washington, by a 16-8 count in its season opener. The Blazers boast the largest roster in program history which features 13 freshmen, 10 sophomores and three juniors, including Sofiane Lazar (above), Jeff Tarleton and Blake Rust. Curt Foxx, who joined the Hood staff as an assistant coach last season, was promoted to head coach in July 2008.
Women's Swimming (3-8, 1-5 CAC)
Last Week
Feb. 13-15 at Capital Athletic Conference Championship (Hosted by St. Mary's College (Md.)) 7th place
This Week
Season complete
Erica Hamor swam in a pair of consolation heats for the Blazers at the three-day Capital Athletic Conference championships at St. Mary's College (Md.). Hamor finished fifth in the consolation final of the 200 breast in a season-best time of 2:44.62 and was second in the consolation heat of the 400 IM with another season-best clocking of 5:08.35. Hood logged many other season-best times, including Ashley Garyn (above) and Melissa Masino in the 500 free and Kara Cruice in the 200 individual medley. Hood was seventh in the team competition with 117 points.
 Men's Swimming (1-8, 1-5 CAC)
Last Week
Feb. 13-15 at Capital Athletic Conference Championship (Hosted by St. Mary's College (Md.)) 6th place
This Week
Season complete
Senior Matt Haynes lowered three freestyle school records at the 2009 Capital Athletic Conference championships at St. Mary's College. Haynes clocked lifetime bests in the 50 free (22.25), the 100 free (49.14) and the 200 free (1:51.33), helping the Blazers to a sixth-place finish at the conference meet. Freshman Chris Nemecek bested his record in the 100 fly in 55.20 while junior Chris Moreland (above) set the program standard in the 400 individual medley in 4:35.94. The Blazers improved on their seventh-place effort from a year ago and accumulated 154 points to finish 48 points ahead of Gallaudet University.
Women's Track & Field
Last Week
Feb. 14 at Dickinson College Invitational 15th place
This Week
Feb. 21 at Susquehanna University Invitational 10 a.m.
In its second indoor meet of the season, the Blazers traveled to Dickinson College for the second time in three weeks. Katie Thomas established a new indoor mark in the women's high jump while finishing in a tie for seventh. Hood's 4x200 meter relay team of Mollie Widdowson, Amanda Kwiatkowski, Emma Arneson and Katie Thomas finished eighth. Arneson also set a school indoor best in the long jump. Several Hood College athletes achieved personal bests indoors, including Arneson (55 hurdles), Kwiatkowski (55 hurdles), Widdowson (55 meters & 200 meters), Kelly Keyser (above) (400 meters).
 Men's Track & Field
Last Week
Feb. 14 at Dickinson College Invitational 11th place
This Week
Feb. 21 at Susquehanna University Invitational 10 a.m.
Freshman Chris DiGangi (above) raised his record in the pole vault by over two feet, clearing 14'1" to finish third among college performers. The mark also surpassed the qualifying standard for the ECAC championships. Matching DiGangi's third place finish was sophomore Justin Everett, who tacked almost five inches to his outdoor standard by leaping 20'8" in his first competition of the season. Everett returned later in the competition to place seventh in the triple jump adding almost three feet to his indoor best by jumping 40'4". Completing the list of overall records was freshman David Andren's throw of 34' 1.5" in the 16 lb. shot, tacking an inch onto senior Matt Haynes' outdoor record. Sophomore Ola Komolafe lowered his school record best in the 55-meter dash to 6.75 in finishing fifth. Several Hood College athletes achieved personal bests indoors, including T. Komolafe (55 meters & 200 meters), McDuffie (55 meters, 200 meters & 400 meters), Ivan Chavdarov (55 meters & 200 meters), Mike Richter (200 meters) and William Andrews (mile).
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