Wednesday, April 30, 2008
These Days
“Words, once they are printed, have a life of their own.”
----Carol Burnett
April has been a great month to be an English major. Here are the highlights of literary events which took place this month:
Sigma Tau Delta, the English Honor Society, held its annual Poem and a Cookie Day on April 25th. Sigma Tau Delta also sponsored a book drive this spring. The collected materials were sent to Africa and distributed within the local community.
Writing Underground, Hartwick’s official writing club, gathered submissions for this year’s Word of Mouth. Free copies of the literary magazine will be available in the Writing Center this May.
In addition, the Writing Center bid farewell to several excellent tutors who are graduating this year. Fortunately, the new flock of “neophytes” seems promising. Clark 230 has been busy this semester as seniors bring theses to be edited and composition students prepare their final papers.
On April 4th, environmental journalist Dan Shapley ’99 gave a talk on “The Media Environment.” The event, which was held at Pine Lake, featured information about the media’s role in environmental issues.
Last Thursday in Shineman Chapel, novelist Dana Spiotta read several passages from her novel Eat the Document. She discussed the publishing process and her journey as a writer.
This evening in Eaton Lounge, poet and Pulitzer-winning critic Lloyd Schwartz read several poems from his recent book Cairo Traffic. He also offered advice on writing theatre reviews.
Farewell for now,
Alicia
Monday, April 21, 2008
What Do You Say?
"It is thrifty to prepare today for the wants of tomorrow.”
----Aesop
While I understand that this is a hectic time of year for the entire campus, I would like to draw your attention to a portion of an e-mail students received outlining Student Senate’s proposal for next year’s student activity fee (no words within the passage have been changed or omitted):
“Senate recommends to increase of the Student Activity Fee for the 2008-2009 school year and then on from $200.00 to $400.00 per student per year. This would, in affect, double the Student Activity fee. The fee would remain portioned between the fall and spring semesters, charging students $200 per semester.”
Open forums regarding this issue will be held this Wednesday, April 23 at 6:00 p.m. in Stack Lounge as well as this Thursday. Voting on the issue begins May 1. The Student Senate Executive Board will present the results to the President’s Cabinet soon after.
An extra two hundred dollars can buy a great deal; make sure you have a say in how the money will be spent.
Be certain your opinions are heard.
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Travelin’ Soul V
Never could I have imagined eating in a restaurant called “The Blue Cat,” but the food at Saka Manga (as the Malagasy say) was delicious. I often miss the taste of zebu steak and Madagascar French fries, although it is safe to say I have had more than enough rice for the time being.
As journeys often do, this one ended where it began. On our final morning at the Tana Plaza, I took several pictures from the balcony of the waking city. By mid-afternoon, Tana has the look of any modern metropolis, and walking the crowded streets feels much like visiting Madrid or Philadelphia. Mornings, however, offer a quieter glimpse of the landscape.
In the distance, beyond narrow walkways and typical shops, I see hundreds of rust red homes and tan churches built into the hillside. From this perspective each is so close to its neighbor that I need a moment to distinguish where one rooftop ends and another begins. In my mental scrapbook, this image will forever be Tana.
We spent most of the last day purchasing souvenirs at an outdoor market outside of the city. Amid crowded market stalls (over 200) and cries of “Mademoiselle! I give you good price,” I found treasures. Putting my bargaining skills to work, I bought a stunning painting of a ring-tailed lemur sitting in a tree, just like all of the ones we saw in Berenty. Another wonder was a Madagascar beach scene created in a bottle of sand no longer than my finger.
As I waited for the rest of the group to finish their shopping, a little boy no more than ten noticed my purchases and asked for money.
“Maka sari?” I asked. (“Can I take your picture?”)
He grinned enthusiastically. His was one of the last pictures I took, a final memory of Tana. I posed him away from the market stalls, along a river brown with silt. Afterwards I handed him a small coin and he smiled again before moving to the next group.
Piling ourselves into vans, everyone compared notes on newly-acquired treasures. Talk soon turned to home as we discussed what had been purchased for roommates and siblings. As we approached Tana for the last time, I was certain the most valuable souvenirs were the stories we would be telling long after the day ended.
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