How Did You Change the World This Summer?

Service is one of the most important elements of the Spelman experience. Whether it was teaching English to children in Beijing or planting seeds in your neighborhood garden, we’d like to know how members of the  Spelman community changed the world this summer. We’ll highlight some of your experiences in the October issue. Please forward a 100-word synopsis of how you spent your world-changing summer and any photos that will illustrate your experience to publications@spelman.edu by Monday, Sept. 20.

Usher New Look Visits Spelman

Hundreds of high school students visited Spelman on Aug. 5 while participating in a Powered By Service Day workshop hosted by singer Usher Raymond’s “New Look Foundation.” The students received community-service training and engaged in a Youth Leadership In Action media roundtable presented by Ford Motor Co.’s “Driving Skills for Life.” Moderated by CNN’s Steve Perry, Ed.D., the roundtable included panelists Michael Lomax, Ph.D., president, UNCF; Hital Muraj, Cisco Networking Academy East Africa; Adam Braun, executive director, Pencils of Promise, James Harris, New Look Foundation board of directors; and New Look Foundation alumni Chantia Robinson, C’2010, and Carmen Seay. View photo gallery of event.

Spelman Top Contributor to Teach For America

Spelman College has been ranked among the top 20 small colleges and universities contributing the greatest number of graduating seniors to Teach For America 2010 teaching corps. Spelman ranked first with 18 graduates preparing to teach this fall in urban and rural public schools across the country. For the third straight year, Spelman has ranked among the top 10 colleges of its size. In 2008 the College ranked second, and was fifth in 2009. This year, the College rose to No. 1 with more than 22 percent of Spelman’s senior class applying to Teach For America. Teach For America corps members are top college graduates and professionals who commit to teach for two years in underserved schools and become lifelong leaders in the pursuit of educational equity. The organization recruits individuals from all academic majors and backgrounds who have demonstrated outstanding achievement, perseverance, and leadership. Read more .

The Winner of the June Test Your Spelman Knowledge Is…

The winner of the June Test Your Spelman Knowledge contest is Zafirah Mitchell, C’2013, a native of San Francisco who is majoring in economics and international studies. Cross correctly identified that the Spelman College robotics team, SpelBots, made history at the RoboCup Japan Open in 2009 by being the first all-woman team that tied first place in the Standard Platform League title, as well as being one of only two teams taking part in the two-legged challenge.  She will receive Spelman paraphernalia.

Test Your Knowledge and Win!

Which building on Spelman’s campus replaced Morgan Hall, which was destroyed by fire in 1970? Please send your answers to publications@spelman.edu to qualify to win such gifts as tickets to Spelman events, books by Spelman authors and Spelman paraphernalia.

Describing their art as a reflection of issues revolving around marginalized members of society, the interracial couple’s audacious and frank presentation offers an opportunity for discussion on race relations in the United States.

“The infinite possibilities of a meaningful dialogue of the civic concerns of time with the audience of a cultural institution whose mission is to acknowledge and give voice to work by and about women of the African Diaspora is staggering,” said Tarry.  “I am deeply honored to be invited within these walls and look forward to engaging the audience of the Spelman College museum in actively discussing the issues inherent in the work.”

With influences from a time and place in the past that continually shape and inform the present, the exhibition challenges audiences to face issues of race and social justice in communities, history and family.

“The museum is privileged to present these 10 works from McCallum and Tarry’s mid-career retrospective that promises to prompt meaningful discussion about relevant topical issues,” said Andrea Barnwell, the museum’s director.  “The dynamic series of programs associated with this exhibition are unique forums to have important conversations about race and gender in the United States and expand the museum’s growing community.”

The title work, “Evenly Yoked,” is a video project that is part of the artists’ “Projection” series, a group of paintings that reveal the intersection of race and the entertainment industry.  In this work the artists explore their relationship as an interracial couple via a series of interconnected and historically bound narratives.

The narratives intermittently present a contemporary couple on their wedding day, an aristocratic couple in the antebellum South, and a confederate soldier and a slave.  This role play art allows McCallum and Tarry to investigate the tensions of their bond, as well as the personal, cultural and historical challenges.

Other works in the exhibition include “Whitewash,” a series of oil-on-linen paintings with silk overlays, images of brutal attacks on civil rights activists, including the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.  “Whitewash” is featured in an installation that also includes the artists’ custom-designed wallpaper “Bloodlines” and a video titled “Exchange.”  Collectively, the trio of works examines the force and fury of the Civil Rights Movement.

“The experience of this work, although vastly different in approach and media, speaks to a collective, yet personal memory,” said Tarry, who lives in Brooklyn with husband Bradley.  “This work refers to historic gestures that replicate themselves in our lived experience – unconscious manifestations of symbols and eras of mythic status.”

Sure to spark dialogue and intrigue, “Evenly Yoked” runs until Dec. 4.  On Tuesday, Oct. 12, the museum will feature the artists in a question and answer discussion.  For more information on this or other museum exhibitions, please visit Spelman College Museum of Fine Art.  – Renita Mathis is chief interactive editor and associate director of Communications.

Danielle Hannah

“GE has never recruited at Spelman like this, and it all happened in a period of months,” said Bell, noting GE’s normal pattern of hiring only one or two Spelman students as summer interns.

In March, GE and Spelman changed their recruiting tactics, which led to the engagement of a pool of students. “GE didn’t give us a number. Basically they told us they could provide internships for as many students as could qualify,” said Bell, who’s department invited about 90 students who met the criteria to information sessions that included GE PowerPoint presentations and a questions and answers session about the internships that included healthy stipends and paid housing.

“Plus, the students could select geographically where they wanted to be located and what areas they wanted to work in, including accounting, supply chain and human resources,” said Bell.  “GE really wanted Spelman students and backed it up by making the opportunities attractive.”

Danielle Hannah, C’2012, and Renita McKnight, C’2011, were recruited through an invitation

Renita McKnight

from GE to attend an information session at the corporation’s Cincinnati office, where they participated in networking and resume training. Before they left, both were presented offer letters for internships.

Hannah spent her summer in the facilities and maintenance department of GE Aviation, in Cincinnati, setting up a call center for Human Resources, coordinating schedules for 100 construction projects, and assisting suppliers and architects with the consolidation of the number of gas tanks on site.

“When I heard they were going to put me in Aviation, I thought aerospace and mechanical engineering, “said Hannah, whose dual-degree major includes mathematics and civil engineering. “But they found somewhere where I could relate with other civil engineers. The best part about being in my department is that I got to sit in all the meetings and see how the electrical, civil and mechanical engineers and the architects and the customers work together and relate to each other to accomplish a task. It was great to see how they feed off of each other.”

McKnight said she learned how to locate resources and think better on her toes while working with forecasting and planning in the processes and solutions department of Aviation. And like Hannah, she, benefitted from working in a collaborative environment.

“I loved the teamwork, getting those e-mails, and being recognized for doing something worthwhile. You’re taking people’s lives into your hands. These are airplanes, not toys,” said McKnight, who wants to design automobiles. “One of GE’s core values is integrity, so they stress that even when nobody is around you need to be doing your job. I had to be on my game in my job because I realized how important even the tiniest details are to the big picture.”

Hannah and McKnight also made it a point to link up with the African American Forum, an affinity group that meets biweekly at GE.  “I was excited to see people excelling who looked like me,” said McKnight. “I was able to get valuable advice from them about career paths, like what different degrees would do for you. In building my network, I made valuable bonds that can help me out with my career.”

Kerry Hamilton, an Early Identification Program manager at GE, worked with four Spelman students who were assigned to GE Transportation and worked in various departments ranging from Quality to Human Resources. “I can say without hesitation that each of the Spelman interns that were at Transportation were fantastic. Their willingness to learn and get involved was amazing,” said Hamilton of the interns, who participated in numerous community service events and a two-day professional development workshop focusing on interview skills, team building and leadership. “Each of the interns has received offers for next summer. We can’t wait to have them back!”— Joyce E. Davis is the editor of Inside Spelman and the associate director for the Office of Publications.

Boasting a lengthy list of accomplishments, Irish was selected for the scholarship, which afforded her the opportunity to enter the College’s dual-degree engineering program where she’ll study three years at Spelman and two at the University of Florida. The chemical engineering major is excited to work in the areas of hygiene, environment and biofuels.

“It’s the legacy behind Spelman,” said Irish, “I participated in the Morehouse College Upward Bound Math/Science Trio Program for the past two summers and learned the history about Spelman and how many great women come from the school. I love it.”

Irish’s impressive background made her a good fit for Spelman. Prior to graduating from Redan High School in Stone Mountain, Ga., with a 4.04 grade point average, she was co-president of the student government association, senior class secretary, yearbook editor, a varsity cheerleader, a member of the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Board for the Dekalb County School System, and Ms. Redan High School for 2009-2010.

Since the ninth-grade, she was an active member of the Preparing Innovative Leaders of Tomorrow, or P.I.L.O.T.  Program; and she’s accumulated more than 200 hours of community service by participating in charity walks, beautification projects, local board meetings, and state capitol meetings.

“At my school, I started a big sister-little sister program because I saw the freshmen didn’t have any guidance,” said Irish, who was raised in a single parent home, and credits her mother for everything she’s learned. She also plans to become an integral part of the Spelman community. “I’m running for freshman class president. I’m very into student government and getting involved with my class.”

In addition to her mother, Irish cites first lady Michelle Obama as a role model. “I love seeing Black women who are smart, educated, and who can speak up for women,” explained Irish. “I don’t contribute my time to my school and community expecting something in return. Instead, I give to others because it feels good internally. Just knowing I’ve made an impact on one person’s life brings a smile to my face.” – Lorraine Robertson is an Atlanta-based author, freelance writer, and regular contributor to Inside Spelman.

In addition, President Beverly Daniel Tatum honored talented Spelman faculty during the Aug. 26 Opening Convocation; a jam-packed Registered Student Organization Fair encouraged Spelman students to get involved in campus life; and the SHAPE-sponsored “Health Jam” taught students how to beat the flu bug and avoid the “freshman 15.” So whether it’s welcome events, Convocation, academics or new campus initiatives, the 2010-2011 academic year promises to be a bustling year designed to engage the entire College community.

For Darnita Killian, Ed.D., C’79, vice president for Student Affairs, the school year is already off to a great start.

“I’m really excited to see our new and returning students,” Dr. Killian said. “We had a very smooth New Student Orientation process for the class of 2014, and that’s an indicator of a very vibrant and productive year.”

Many students are anxiously awaiting the first Market Friday of the semester, which kicks off Sept. 3. This year, the festive outdoor event will feature various organizations, including Esther’s Circle, Afrekete, and international diversity groups.

Homecoming is also on the horizon. Held Oct. 17-24, the celebration will feature music guests that, tailgating, football, a free spa day for faculty, staff and students, as well as a Miss Spelman Tea. Another event includes the new film series that the Office of Student Life and Engagement is kicking off this month in Cosby and the Living and Learning Center II.

In addition to the plethora of campus social activities, Sisters Chapel is creating opportunities for students live out their faith through service. One such initiative involves bringing together students who represent Hindu, Muslim, Protestant and Catholic faiths. Members of the newly formed Sisters Chapel Student Interfaith Council will provide campus programming, as well as support interfaith dialogue related to issues of gender justice. The council is currently planning the annual Interfaith Prayer Brunch, which will be held on Friday, Sept. 10. The guest speaker will be Soumaya Khalifa, executive director of the Islamic Speakers Bureau of Atlanta.

“The campus is increasingly becoming global in its understanding of world religions, and this council aims to support and affirm religious diversity,” said the Rev. Lisa Rhodes, dean of Sisters Chapel, noting that the Wisdom Center will continue to integrate curricular and co-curricular activities in support of the Spelman College strategic plan. The center’s living and learning community and community service to faith-based organizations have been a highlight of the Chapel assistants and arts ministries leadership development programs. This fall, students will share their gifts of mime, liturgical dance, spoken word, and song with the United Methodist Children’s Home.

“I’m really looking forward to Homecoming; I’ve been ready all summer,” said Patrice McGahee, C’2012, a dual degree mathematics and industrial engineering major. “I’m revved up.”  – Alicia Lurry is senior communications specialist and editor of the Spelman Connection for the Office of Communications.

Visit photo galleries of the the 2010 Registered Student Organizations Fair,  Opening Convocation, the Welcome Back Jam, and Project Pay It Forward, where members of the Spelman community  created and decorated gift bags for homeless children in Atlanta.

Brittanye Mackey at the Royal Palace in Madrid

“When I came to the College in 1981, there were two students who traveled abroad a year,” said Dr. Ganz of the initiative that started in the early 60s with the Merrill Scholarship providing international opportunities for students, who included former U.S. Ambassador Aurelia Brazeal, C’65, and Marian Wright Edelman, C’60, who founded the Children’s Defense Fund.   “Now, 2009-2010 has been our best year with 85 students participating in the program.”

The students traveled to nearly 20 countries, including Australia, the United Kingdom, China, South Africa, Argentina, Japan, Morocco and Turkey. The program is sending its first students to Rwanda and Uganda this fall.

“What’s really exciting is seeing the desire of the students to have an international experience,” explained Ganz. “We no longer have to recruit students, they come to us.”

Brittanye Mackey under the Eiffel Tower in Paris

Brittanye Mackey, C’2011, is one of those who eagerly sought out the study abroad program. “I’ve been interested in traveling abroad since my first trip when I was 13 years old and visited Germany, France, and the Netherlands,” said Mackey, who spent the fall 2009 semester in Rennes, France, and spring 2010 in Dakar, Senegal. “Apart from enhancing my language abilities, my time abroad forced me out of my comfort zone and I absolutely loved it! I have a great appreciation and understanding of cultures and traditions different than my own.”

Like many of the Spelman students who participate in study abroad, Mackey would have been unable to have her international experience had she not been the recipient of numerous scholarships that support global learning. Last year 22 students won coveted Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships, seven were awarded Fulbright Fellowships, and others received prestigious awards.

The program recently received a $151,000 grant from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in the U.S. Department of State to develop new partnerships for Spelman with Brazil, China and Turkey. The funds will support the creation of summer programs in those countries starting in the summer of 2011. While Study Abroad was able to award $110,000 in scholarship aid through spring 2011, Dr. Ganz said the program still isn’t able to meet the needs of every student who would benefit from global learning.

Undergraduates with international experiences are finding themselves more attractive to potential global employers, especially in a challenging economic environment.  Colleen Taylor, C’90, an executive vice president with Capital One who was recently named one of Black Enterprise magazine’s 2010 “75 Most Powerful Women in Business,” studied abroad in the fall of 1988 at Cambridge in the United Kingdom.

“It was an awesome, life-changing experience,” said Taylor. “I can’t stress enough how important it is for students to do a semester or year abroad. It separated me as candidate in my job search as a senior in college,” explained Taylor. “As Black women we need to be able to compete with people from other colleges where they vacation in Europe. For us to be able to say I spent a year in Thailand; I spent a year in the UK; I spent a year in Russia; it makes people understand that we are not only brighter, but we are absolutely capable.” – Lorraine Robertson is an Atlanta-based author, freelance writer, and regular contributor to Inside Spelman.

“MySpelman Portal is a single interface into all of our applications,” said Delores Barton, vice president and chief information officer for the College. “Once you have gone into the portal and input all of your passwords, subsequent visits back allow you to sign in and have access to Lotus Notes, Banner and WebCT. It also gives us the advantage of putting common information like lost and found and access to The Chronicle of Higher Education on a single screen.”

Located at http://my.spelman.edu/web/mycampus/home, the portal also provides faculty, staff and students with access to grades, class schedules, e-mail, SpelFolio and other information. The easy to use gateway is structured with pages tailored to each constituent group –students see a page formatted with their interests, while faculty and staff also have customized views.

Frederick Langhorst, Ph.D., chair of the World Languages and Literature department, has been piloting the program for almost a year. “It’s been very useful for faculty members to help them teach their classes,” said Dr. Langhorst. “It’s a great resource, a common holding place where we can put important departmental documents and they don’t have to be continually attached in e-mails.”

Eboni Vance, C’2013, an economics and international studies major, started using the portal this summer and loves it. “It minimizes having to go to a lot of different sites to get to a certain amount of information because it combines it all together,” explained Vance. “It makes things easier. I can see all my information on one site. It’s a great idea.”

One-Stop ID and Parking Cards

Fall 2010 also marks the launch of the newly combined identification and parking cards. The cards provide access to the parking deck, any buildings that require card entry and the newly renovated Robert W. Woodruff Library. Specifically, the library requested that all the Atlanta University Center institutions have one common vehicle to access the building.

“Having to make that move made it an ideal time at Spelman to consolidate the ID card and parking card into one, so we could save the College money,” explained Barton. The new cards, which should not be left in cars in the plastic sleeves due to adhesive tendencies, were distributed to the community upon arrival for the fall semester.

“Our goal is to find ways to help the use of technology be easier for the College,” said Barton about the recent changes. “We are always looking for ways to increase productivity or simplify the use of technology.” – Lorraine Robertson is an Atlanta-based author, freelance writer, and regular contributor to Inside Spelman.

On Thursday, Aug. 26, more than 300 guests attended a ceremonial ribbon cutting featuring student musical groups and remarks by Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, presidents of the AUC historically Black colleges and universities, representatives from the Woodruff Foundation, Bank of America, and The Coca-Cola Foundation.

Guests were entertained by the Clark Atlanta University Mighty Marching Panthers drumline, the Morehouse College “House of Funk” Marching Band and the Spelman College Glee Club Ensemble.  Guided tours and commemorative gifts were also presented.

The celebration concluded on Friday, August 27, with “An Afternoon with Dr. Muhammad Yunus,” a lecture and book signing attended by 200 Atlanta University Center students, faculty and staff, scholars from other area universities and colleges, and metro Atlanta community members.  Each guest received a copy of Dr. Yunus’ latest book, “Building Social Business: The New Kind of Capitalism that Serves Humanity’s Most Pressing Needs,” courtesy of the AUC Woodruff Library, Spelman College, Clark Atlanta University, the Interdenominational Theological Center, Morehouse College, and the Morehouse School of Medicine.

“This ribbon-cutting celebration combined all the best elements of the AUC.  First and foremost, we wanted to include our students, not just as guests, but as full participants showcasing their many talents,” said Loretta Parham, CEO and director of the AUC Woodruff Library. “In addition to the wonderful musical performances by our school bands and choral groups, an exhibition of drawings created by AUC student artists was featured in our new Woodruff Gallery.”

Seeking to further enhance the intellectual and aesthetic vibrancy of library spaces, AUC art faculty and gallery professionals, as well as community volunteers collaborated with library staff to identify and install artwork created by a variety of local and nationally known artists.  The installations are part of the new AUC Woodruff Library Arts Initiative, which seeks to enrich the interior spaces of the library and promote the humanities through the continuous introduction and display of artists and their works.  Representing a spectrum of artistic disciplines (sculpture, paintings, drawings, photography, etc.), the initiative will inform programs and support curriculum, while offering a platform for exhibiting works by the novice and the master artist.

Phase I Renovation, which began in May 2009 and was completed in May 2010, encompassed more than 130,000 square feet of the library’s 220,000-square-foot facility.  The project created a new “Woodi Learning Commons,” with a print shop managed by Xerox, technology-infused classrooms, private spaces for reference consultations, learning labs, open seating and collaborative study rooms.  New full-service “Woodi Café,” proudly brewing Starbuck coffee, Quiet Study and Graduate Study Suites and a redesigned Archives Research Center reading room also were included in the project.

Shepley Bulfinch Richardson & Abbott of Boston MA designed the project, Turner Construction Special Projects served as general contractor, and Silverman CPM, was the project’s construction program management firm.

Priorities to be addressed in the second installment of the Phase 2 renovation of the library include upgrades to the Exhibition Hall event space and sustained long-term protection for irreplaceable and internationally prominent archival collections, including the Morehouse College Martin Luther King Jr. Collection and others.  The next phase of renovation will also add LEED energy efficient and environmentally sustainable elements to the existing building. – Adrian Carver is communications manager for the Robert W. Woodruff Library.

“We are constantly looking for ways to improve the safety of our community,” said Capt. Askia Bashir, Public Safety.  “We have made modifications of patrol techniques and increased mobile units on and off campus.”

The patrol areas around Lee Street and the Atlanta University Center have been extended. Through a collaborative effort with the Atlanta Police Department, areas where students frequent, including the Woodruff Library and nearby MARTA train stations, are also being patrolled.

To further ensure on-campus safety, training is provided in patrol techniques, building inspection, emergency response, customer service, and CPR/first aid, according to Bashir.

Steve Bowser, director of Public Safety, encourages those in the Spelman community to incorporate safety practices into their daily lives:

• Practice recognizing and avoiding danger
• Report suspicious persons or activities
• Have an ICE (In Case of Emergency) contact in your cell phone, so police/fire/EMS can reach your emergency contact if you cannot speak
• Do not expose or leave valuables openly unattended. Secure them in a locked or obscure location
• Register with Spelman ALERT at www.spelman.alert/edu to receive emergency messages via, text, e-mail and voice

Tavaje Knight, C’2011, has adopted one of Bowser’s safety tips by being deliberate about her travel plans. “I don’t go off campus by myself,” she said. “I try to get somebody to go with me, and I try to avoid going out late at night.”

These measures and the increased visibility of public safety officers provide a higher level of security for those in the Spelman community.— Danita McClain, C’2003, is the communications assistant for the Office of Communications.

In fiscal year 2010, Google generously supported the mission of Spelman College with a $100,000 unrestricted gift to the annual fund. Unrestricted contributions are used to support the critical needs of the College. Google’s gift, along with others, was used to strengthen academic programs, enhance campus improvements, and increase student scholarship resources – a critical area given that 80 percent of Spelman students meet federal guidelines for financial, aid and approximately 42 percent are Pell-grant eligible.

“Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful,” said LaFawn Bailey, senior talent outreach and programs specialist in University Programs at Google, which has been a supporter of the Spelman College Computer Science Olympiad competition since 2007. “We aspire to be a company that reflects the diverse global audience that uses our products and services. That’s why we’re investing in programs to inspire youth to consider careers and opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math.”

Google also awarded a $15,000 grant to the SpelBots team, a group of students who compete in robotics competitions. The award supported undergraduate research, education and training in autonomous humanoid robotics. It also allowed the students to participate in competitions like the RoboCup Mediterranean Open in Rome, and outreach events such as a robotics and computer science demonstration for 600 Los Angeles high school students.

In addition to philanthropic support, Google is actively engaged with students by providing internship opportunities. During the summer of 2010, five Spelman students participated in the Google Building Opportunities for Leadership and Development program. Briana Bowie, C’2012, interned in the People Operations department.

“The projects I worked on allowed me to create a presentation demystifying the product manager hiring process, assist in the completion of a 360-degree employee evaluation, and successfully spearhead four focus groups across eight regional offices,” said Bowie, who is majoring in economics. “My experience was captivating and rewarding. I was able to meet with so many great people and learn more about Google than I could ever imagine. “

Bailey said that Google’s support represents how strongly the company believes in Spelman’s mission and impact. “Spelman students that were participants in our programs were also awarded  $5,000 and $10,000 scholarships for the impact they continue to have in their schools and communities, “ she added. “Through our sponsorship of the Spelman Computer Science Olympiad to our growing relationships with the College’s faculty and Office of Career Planning and Development, we’re thrilled about the partnership and excited about the future.”  — Joyce E. Davis is the editor of Inside Spelman and the associate director for the Office of Publications.