By Amy White '98 This fall, St. Lawrence students have been venturing off campus and into two North Country schools to help make a difference. As reading tutors for elementary and middle school students in the Gouverneur and Canton school systems, the SLU students spend two half-days a week in the classrooms. The reading tutor program is run by Professor of Education Bill Fox . "The program is a plan of President Clinton's to help the younger children of our country to learn to read. A grant is provided to colleges to pay their students to help increase the reading skills in public schools," explains Fox. Although it is not geared specifically toward those who plan careers in teaching, the majority of the 28 participants in the program are interested in education. "The program is beneficial not just for the children being tutored but for the college students as well; it gets them off campus and provides them with an alternative form of work-study," says Fox. SLU students travel to the schools in teams in University vans. They started the semester by observing in the classrooms for roughly two weeks, but by mid-October had become fully involved with the students, sometimes teaching more than just reading. "I read books to the students and ask them questions. Then I make up a sequel to a book with the students, so I'm helping them with their writing skills at the same time," explains Alison Mills '00, of Penn Yan, N.Y. Mills tutors at Gouverneur in a K-2 mixed classroom, although she tends to work more with the kindergartners. "They love having a college student come into the class, and they end up asking me for help most of the time," says Mills. SLU students also find that they have formed a comfortable relationship with the teachers in the public schools. "My teacher is very organized and prepared, so there is always some way for me to help out with the students," says Sarah Lester '00, of Winters, Cal. Lester tutors in Gouverneur as well. "We started out with a team approach to the classes, but as interest picked up in the schools, each person became assigned to a different classroom," she explains. Fox says he feels that the program has helped to teach college students responsibility and provide a worthwhile experience. "In this program, I'm teaching kids to read, but I'm also learning myself as I gain teaching skills," claims Jamie Sanderson '99, from Lisbon, N.Y. Sanderson says she is grateful for her experience with fourth graders at Canton since she plans on teaching as a career. The program has proven to be a success in its first semester, according to Fox. "We started with Canton and Gouverneur because they were the two schools in the area that seemed to demonstrate the most need, but I've received notice from other schools, such as Madrid-Waddington and Hermon-DeKalb, that they would like us to become involved with their schools as well," he says.
Three major arts events taking place on campus in November - a concert, a play and an exhibition - all involve Laurentians. November 6 through 9, As Is, by William M. Hoffman, will be performed in Gulick Theatre, at 8 p.m. each day. Tickets are free, but should be picked up in advance at the Gulick box office. The 1985 Drama Desk Award winner for Outstanding New Play, As Is portrays what happens when a young man in New York is diagnosed with AIDS. The man's relationship with his friends and family, as well as the reactions to his illness by medical care-givers and the gay community, are all examined in the play, which is intended for mature audiences. The production is directed by Associate Professor of Speech and Theatre Randall Hill. Representatives from the AIDS Awareness Organization at St. Lawrence and the North Country AIDS Outreach organization will be present in the lobby prior to each performance, and have educational information available about the disease. From November 7 through December 12, the Richard F. Brush Art Gallery will host an exhibition of limited-edition letterpress books and pamphlets designed, printed and published by Mark McMurray, founder of Caliban Press and cataloguing librarian at St. Lawrence. Publications include works by Jack Kerouac, Daniel Berrigan and Amiri Baraka, as well as books on jazz, space flight and wood engraving. Caliban Press was founded in 1985 in Montclair, New Jersey. It moved to Canton in 1993, when McMurray began working in Owen D. Young Library. A discussion with McMurray will be held on Monday, November 10, at 4 p.m. in the gallery. The University Chorus, under the direction of Linell Gray Moss, will perform in concert on Saturday, November 15, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, November 16, at 4 p.m. in Gulick Theatre. The concerts are free. Mozart's Coronation Mass and Vivaldi's Magnificat will be performed, featuring the chorus, soloists and orchestra. The University Chorus includes about 70 members, from Canton, Potsdam and surrounding communities, and from the St. Lawrence faculty, staff and student body.
St. Lawrence University students have a new option for international study: Australia. Beginning next semester, a program of study at James Cook University of North Queensland, in Townsville, Queensland, will be available. Located near the Great Barrier Reef, the school has research projects at the reef, in which students may be eligible to participate. Students in the program will live on campus; one course in Australian history is required. With the addition of Australia, St. Lawrence now has study programs in 12 countries. The University also makes possible study in dozens of other nations through its membership in the International Student Exchange Program (ISEP). Those interested in the Australia program should contact the international programs office, 5991.
A little more light is about to be thrown on the subject of campus lighting, thanks to a project that was initiated recently upon the recommendation of the University's Safety Committee. "St. Lawrence has engaged William Clifford, P.E., of Matrix Consulting to study the lighting on campus," says Dean of Administrative Operations Thomas Coakley. "Having established a comprehensive lighting standard, the firm has designed a plan to meet that standard on all campus walkways, roadways and parking lots. "This will involve a number of steps, as appropriate: replacing some lights, adding more lighting in some locations, and changing lenses," says Coakley. In addition to better lighting, the project will result in a more consistent look among outdoor lighting appliances on campus, with sidewalk and roadway lights conforming to the "lamppost" style now in use around the Quad and parking lot lighting following the taller style that can be seen in the lots behind Hulett and Jencks and in J Lot, according to Facilities Engineer Rick Scott. "Some of these adaptations are in progress," Coakley says. "As the plan is finalized, in the very near future, it will be shared with the campus community for input."
Last Revision Date: November 5, 1997 All about Students: Julia Scherschligt, Star Gazer
By Jennie Caldwell '98
Julia Scherschligt '99 looks comfortable sitting on the couches in stocking feet in
Valentine. She is so comfortable that she calls the building her second home and leaves the
phone number for the physics department on her answering machine. As a dedicated physics
student, Julia has a special interest in astronomy, which she pursued over the summer at
Cornell University, with a special trip to the Mt. Palomar Observatory thrown in.
Scherschligt, of the Denver suburb of Arvada, Col., took part in an REU, or Research
Experience for Undergraduates, at Cornell. REUs are funded by the National Science Foundation
and are offered at many large universities. The NSF paid Julia a stipend for her room and
food so that she could concentrate her energies for eight weeks in a laboratory with other
undergraduates, graduate students and professors, working on infra-red astronomy. She was
also able to travel to San Diego to use the 200-inch telescope at the Mt. Palomar Observatory,
one of the finest such facilities in the world.
"My main mission was to look at pictures of galaxies that had been taken with an
infra-red instrument and study the spectra to decide where each galaxy was giving off different
wavelengths of light," she explains. "The wavelengths were a means of trying to find a
correlation between the size of the galaxy and its age."
Scherschligt compares the experience to a professional internship in a business
setting, although in a scientific field, where such opportunities are harder to come by.
Although her team never found a correlation between the size and age of galaxies, she says
that it was nevertheless a great experience to be in a high-tech lab, working with graduate
and doctoral students--an opportunity that it isn't often available at colleges the size of
St. Lawrence. The summer also gave her a glimpse of graduate work, so she feels more prepared
to continue her studies after graduation, she points out.
She also points out that she learned quite a bit about working in a lab, sometimes the
hard way. "I caused a minor explosion," she admits. "One of the instruments that we used had
to be kept very cold, so we would pump a vat, or dewar, full of liquid nitrogen into it to keep
it cool. I was trying to pump the liquid nitrogen and even though I had the hose connected,
ice formed around the valve, making a big plug that built up in the dewar until 15 liters of
liquid nitrogen filled the room. It was really cold; I wasn't too popular that day." She
laughs as she explains that it was experiences like this that taught her valuable lessons about
working in the lab.
"The best thing about the summer was meeting people from so many different places and
getting a feel for life at a major research university," Scherschligt says. St. Lawrence
students can apply for REUs in many different fields and work with students from schools of
different sizes all over the country and even overseas; those interested should contact their
major advisor.
All About Students: Cortney Terrillion, Energetic Physics Major
By Amy White '98
There is no surprise that Cortney Terrillion '99 is a physics major--she seems to
define the concept of energy. Sitting at the dining room table of her sorority house,
Terrillion speaks quickly, and with great animation, as she describes the national conference
for the Society of Physics Students (SPS) she attended at the American Institute of Physics in
Washington, D.C., September 19-21. Members of the SPS are recognized for their high scholarship
and potential for achievement in physics; Terrillion was chosen to represent the Northeast
North American region (New York State, Ontario, and Quebec) at the conference.
"The purpose of the conference was to structure some sort of planning for the national
organization," explains Terrillion, who is from Lowville, N.Y. SPS, she continues, assists
students interested in physics with developing the knowledge, competence and enthusiasm
necessary to the advancement of physics. Students try to promote public interest in physics
around the world; "We want people to realize that there is more to physics, and science in
general, than just playing with lab rats," she points out.
The St. Lawrence chapter of the Society of Physics Students, of which Terrillion is
the treasurer, does its share of trying to promote a greater knowledge of physics. "Our chapter
has invited physicists to St. Lawrence, such as Dusan Petrac from the Jet Propulsion
Laboratory in Pasadena, Cal., to speak not only to those on campus, but also to the North
Country community," explains Terrillion. The local chapter also hosts a "physics tea" twice a
month for members. "We talk about current topics in the field of physics, but the tea
primarily gives members a chance to become familiar and comfortable with each other and with
the faculty of the science division," she says.
As a physics major, Terrillion spends a fair amount of her time in Bewkes (she is
currently taking four labs as well as a full class load), yet still manages to fit in other
activities on campus. She is vice president of the class of 1999, the coxswain for the men's
crew team, an RA in Dean-Eaton, an astronomy TA and an active member of Chi Omega sorority. A
person needs to be a bundle of energy in order to maintain Terrillion's schedule, and she seems
to be such a bundle.
Home Games
Saints home sports contests in November:
Mark Your Calendar
October, the Month of Interviews
Many prospective students visited campus in October, the most popular month for
interviews, according to Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Terry Cowdrey. Nearly 200
students had completed on-campus interviews by mid-month. The beautiful Columbus Day Weekend
weather was especially beneficial as 74 prospective students and their families visited campus
over the holiday period, she reported.
According to Cowdrey, although not a requirement in the admissions process, interviews
are strongly recommended as an opportunity both for the admissions staff to get to know the
student better and for the student to see more clearly what the University has to offer. Those
who interview also typically tour the campus with current students who work with the admissions
team as ambassadors -- an especially valuable experience for those who do not know any current
students, she said. "Many also take advantage of the offer to sit in on classes and talk with
faculty, an experience that should be helpful as the students evaluate whether they are well
suited to St. Lawrence," Cowdrey added.
In addition to on-campus interviews, the admissions staff, with assistance from alumni
volunteers, is offering off-campus interviews in 21 cities this fall. Forty prospective
students took advantage of this opportunity at 10 sites in October, and families reported being
appreciative of the chance for a personal conversation with a St. Lawrence representative near
home. Some of these students have visited campus, and most will eventually, Cowdrey said,
adding that completing the interview locally gives them more flexibility in scheduling their
campus visit.
"Fall can be a time when the admissions staff needs to be in two places at once -- away
from campus visiting high schools and attending college fairs, and on campus interviewing,"
Cowdrey noted. "Assisting the full-time staff in meeting with campus visitors are Theresa
Whiting, a graduate student, and Matt Smucker, assistant tennis coach."
Gifts and Grants
As of September 30, 1997, commitments (cash and pledges) to Campaign St. Lawrence
totaled $40,319,449, with a discount to present value of $36,923,892. With 39 months left in
the campaign, we have attained 54% of our $75 million goal.
Recent commitments to Campaign St. Lawrence include:
© St. Lawrence University, 4/1/97
Maintained by Neal Burdick
For more information, call 315-229-5585 or e-mail nbur@music.stlawu.edu
