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Bryn Mawr College Scholarship, Research, and Creative Work at Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr College Publications, Special Bryn Mawr College News Collections, Digitized Books 1991 The olC lege News 1991-9-26 Vol.13 No. 1 Students of Bryn Mawr College Let us know how access to this document benefits ouy . Follow this and additional works at: http://repository.brynmawr.edu/bmc_collegenews Custom Citation Students of Bryn Mawr College, The College News 1991-9-26 Vol.13 No. 1 (Bryn Mawr, PA: Bryn Mawr College, 1991). This paper is posted at Scholarship, Research, and Creative Work at Bryn Mawr College. http://repository.brynmawr.edu/bmc_collegenews/1440 For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE NEWS VOLUME Xm NUMBER 1 FOUNDED BRYN MAWRCOLLEGE SEPTEMBER 26, 1991 A new day, a new dean By Alison MacDonald ists. At the freshman-dean meeting in August, she responded to several ques- Bryn Mawr's newest Dean, Judy tions with a frank "I don't know." In Balthazar, greets students outside her of- spite of her fears and her first year status, fice with a smile and a handshake. Dur- however. Dean Balthazar seems to be in ing this interview she retains a hint of no danger of actually screwing anything nervousness, a refreshing and reassur- up. ing change from the iron self-possession In fact, she appears to already be very that marks most BMC faculty members. much caught up in the whirl of college Dean Balthazar comes to Bryn Ma wr life. When asked about her first impres- from the University of Virginia's Sum- sions, she said, surprised, "But that was mer Session Offices, where she mixed so long ago!" Looking back an entire administrative work with academic three weeks, she remembers the need to advising. A newcomer to both women's adjust to having primarily female col- and small liberal arts colleges, she says leagues, and reflects that she feels more she was lured by the opportunity to fo- secure and less competitive in the Bryn cus her efforts on advising "students Mawr environment. And she recalls the with— enthusiasm is too weak a word— culture shock of meeting the issues that energy and commitment, who have are at the forefront of college life: the chosen a very interesting place [to go to concept of "political correctness" applied college)." in everyday life, pluralism, and the re- I began by asking Ms. Balthazar about percussions of the harassment issue. the challenges she faces as a first year dean. Her response started with her need Ms. Balthazar's biggest problem with to familiarize herself to the College and Bryn Mawr is the traffic. Although she its various customs and phrases. Achiev- admits, very hesitantly, of feeling that inga balance between workand family is the size of the college is a disadvantage in another concern— learning how to de- that it is limiting, she quickly adds that vote herself to her duties as both a dean being small is an advantage in many and a mother. The concept of balance other respects. She asks students to seems to be very important to Ms. remind her of their names and last con- Balthazar, as is perspective— later in the versation until she has learned who interview she stressed her desire to everyone is. Again she gives the sense of understand and relate to students, but to being both very human and, at the same Dean Judy Balthazar, the most recent addition to Taylor (and much more attrac- remember the faculty perspective in time, very capable of learning names in tive then the metal window casings, we might add), joins us from the University academic issues. She candidly admitted close to record time. But perhaps the of Virginia where she combined administrative and academic advisory duties. a fear of "screwing up" in some form: most telling trait of all is her sincere, low- over-advising, giving bad advice, or not key smile when she says "I'm happy in photo by 4U0ESOKHKT picking up on a problem when one ex- this job...very, very happy." Kilson cites diversity as issue central to her departure Editor's note: Due to our own negligence, subject of Afro-American Studies in the ence— University of Colorado), Debo- sessions, addressing such topics as the this letter/article ivas not printed in the final Twenty-First century between April 18- rah McDowell (English— University of contribution of Afro-American Studies issue of tlie College Nezos last semester (the 20. The conference, convened in a spe- Virginia), Robert CMeally (English and to U.S. history, Afro-American cultural fact is we only found it in our mailbox after cific historical context— the twentieth American Studies— Barnard College), expression, contemporary Afro-Ameri- tlie summer). Despite tlie gap, the article anniversary of the founding of most Nell Irvin Painter (History— Princeton can social issues, Afro-AmericanStudies retains its timeliness, and tlie issues which it programs in the field—had an ambitious University), Cornel West (Afro-Ameri- and Ethnic Studies, Black Feminism, discusses liave only gained in urgency and agenda: can Studies— Princeton University), graduate perspectives on the field, iden- import. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (English—Duke tity construction, and future directions The Wisconsin Conference... will focus University) and Arnold Rampersad for the field. The vitality of African- By Robin Kilson on the methodological and practical (American Studies— Princeton Univer- American Studies as a discipline was 22 April, 1991 challenges facing the discipline as it en- sity), to name just a few. eminently apparent in every presenta- ters a troubled new era of racial aware- In the ordinary scheme of things, Bryn tion, as was the relevance of the field to a For some time now, I have wanted to ness in the academic world. Focusing on Mawr faculty probably should not have broad array of traditional disciplines. say something to the community at large a broad range of issues of concern to been in attendance. We have no depart- There were some general areas of agree- about my thoughts on the issue of cur- scholars in sociology, history, literature, ment of African-American studies, and ment among the scholars present. The ricular diversity and the place of curricu- political science, health, art, Women's among the kinds of ethnic studies pres- black community is presently in a crisis lar diversity at Bryn Mawr in general, Studies, and Ethnic Studies, the Confer- ent at this campus, African-American of unprecedented proportions which and in particular, why I am leaving Bryn ence seeks to forge a new vision of Afro- studies is one of the least visible. Luckily, must be met and acted on by practitio- Mawr. Figuring out exactly what I wanted or African-American Studies at a time of we learned of the conference when Pro- ners of African-American Studies. The to say has not been easy. Yesterday, increasing tension between recognition fessor Nellie McKay from the Wisconsin political origins of African-American however, I returned from a conference at accorded individual scholars in the field A-AS department came to Bryn Mawr Studies must not be lost sight of, and the University of Wisconsin at Madison and the increasingly pressing difficulties for the Shaw Symposium on Women in should be used as a platform from which which helped clarify my thoughts on experienced in many black communi- Slavery and Reconstruction. Three of us to build the field and strengthen its ties to these matters. I'd like to tell you about ties. determined to go, despite end-of-term the community. The task of African- the experience. pressures: Xavier Nicholas and Fa rah American Studies is to keep track of The list of participants wasexceptional, Griffin from English, and myself. I am socially induced misery within the black The Conference including such impressive scholars as sure that all of us are equally glad we community. We must not be deterred by Franklin Cilliam (Political Science- made the effort; it turned out to be an the present reactionary climate on many The Department of Afro-American UCLA), Paula Ciddings (journalist— unforgettable experience. campuses— a climate which sees ethnic Studies at the University of Wisconsin at Rutgers University and Douglass Col- Twenty-seven papers, all of exception- studies as a threat to western culture— Madison convened a conference on the lege), Manning Marable (Political Sci- ally high quality, were delivered in ten See KILSON-page 2 ublic safety: awareness is strength see centerspread pages six & seven/ Page 2 The College News September 26,1991 Reserve room policies diminish bi-co spirit To the community. policies to allow students to read reserve As members of Poli Sci/Anthro 206: material for any class at either college. Conflict and Conflict Management class, we would like to protest the current li- Sincerely, brary reserve room policies. Approxi- The students of Poli Sci/Anthro 206 mately 800 pages of the reading for this class consist of articles and chapters on Daniel A. Genel HC '92 reserve. Although the class meets at John R. Ellis HC '94 Bryn Mawr, a large proportion of stu- Candace P. Droz HC'93 dents in the class are Fords. To make Brian Poon HC'93 reading the reserve material easier. Pro- Peter Swarr HC'94 fessor Ross went to Ha verford to put the Jonathon Noble HC '93 Coffee hour: a real Bryn material on reserve at Magill Library. AmyForster BMC'94 The reserve librarian told him it was J. Courtney Gray BMC'92 against library policy to put material on Ragia Omran BMC '94 Mawr tradition reserve for Bryn Mawr classes, because Jennifer Bullock BMC '94 By San Rubin nas, Manager of the Cafe, it was "very Canaday Library would not put material Diane Blumeris BMC '93 successful": thirty-five dozen donuts on reserve for Haver ford classes.

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