Agnes Scott Alumnae Magazine
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k'^- End of an Era ASC's First Woman President Retires EDITOR'S NOTE Decades since Kwai Sing Chang broke ASC's faculty color harrier, the College has learned to view diversity as promise , difference as grace Only three Changs were listen within the institution and she helped the College in the Atlanta telephone make its philosophical commitment to diversity directory when Kwai Sin supportive on a "day-to-day basis." Says Chang, an American of Green, "I planted many seeds at Agnes Chinese ancestry, came in Scott, but I wasn't going to be around for 1956 to teach Bible and philoso- gathering the harvest." phy at Agnes Scott. He says he Today, almost 40 years since a experienced isolation, not discrimina- seminary friendship drew Kwai tion in his new hometown. But his anec- Sing Chang to Agnes Scott, the dotes of those early years are peppered wi professor emeritus who broke moments of "that stereotypical response" to the faculty color barrier here can himself, his young wife Miyoko, of Japanese open the Atlanta telephone book ancestry, and their two daughters. With a polite and find his name listed among more chuckle, he remembers the confusion of a census than 1 20 Changs. He talks about diversity taker who "didn't know how to list the kids." not in terms of harvest but as pockets of progress. Chang had done his Ph.D. work at the universities of He would be pleased to learn that in 1990 his former Edinburgh and Cambridge and moved freely in academic student Karen Green went on to advise multicultural stu- circles, both overseas and in the United States. He found it dent organizations at another college (and will soon enroll in no different at Agnes Scott College. "I came when Dr. Emory's Candler School of Theology). Wallace Alston was president. Because Alston and I had Green would be pleased to see evidence of her influence known each other at Princeton Theological Semmary—we reflected in the first edition of Nandi, a newspaper by and for had been roommates for a year— I felt completely at home." African- American students at ASC. It contains an impressive As professor, Chang extended that kind of support and list of 14 young African- American women who in 1992 held academic freedom to his students at Agnes Scott. Karen various elected student offices (including president of Honor Green '86, remembers. Chang encouraged her when she Court, vice president of Student Government Association, wanted to explore African-American works that he also read president of the sophomore class and editor of the Silhouette). and sometimes discussed in class. "When I chose to write a Breaking ground through friendship—and as mentors, paper comparing Jewish and Black church tradition through planting seeds—Chang, Alston and Green join a host of music—both spoke about being oppressed—Dr. Chang said, others, including retiring President Ruth Schmidt, who have 'This is excellent, Karen. We need to be sharing this with the helped shape and enlarge Agnes Scott's circle of diversity. class.' I was reared in the Black church tradition. Kwai "Different Values" (see page 14), by staff writer Audrey Chang gave me the opportunity to fuse the curriculum with Arthur, fills in with broad strokes ASC's diversity story that my experience." began nearly 30 years before the landmark Supreme Court In turn Green—who characterized herself as a "38-year- integration decision. Brown vs. Board of Education. A time- old African-American Retum-to-College student who would line ("Milestones and Steppingstones in Diversity" pages 24- not be shaken"—reached out often to traditional-age stu- 25) also compiled by Arthur, juxtaposes the growth of diver- dents. During their formative years, these students had few sity at Agnes Scott with national policies and events. mature female African- American role models on campus. As Arthur's report makes clear, we have learned to see Green empathized that in the midst of trying to discover their ASC—and our nation—more as a mosaic than as a melting own identities, almost by virtue of their presence, these young pot. Like the mosaic, each piece—each person— is different, people "were the model African Americans in the dining but each makes a most valuable contribution toward creating hall, on the playing field, in the resident halls, in the student the overall image of beauty, grace and promise that is center." Explains Green, "Often, the 18-22-year-olds are not today's—and tomorrow's—Agnes Scott College. savvy enough to know they are carrying that burden. They just know they are tired and feeling isolated." Green, a member of the ASC dean of student's staff for nine years, encouraged students to effect change by working . CONTENTS Agnes Scott College Alumnae Magazine Summer 1994 Volume 71 , Number I 6 DEPARTMENTS 2 The End of An Era Lifestyle By Celeste Pennington 35 Colleagues and friends consider the life and work of ASC's first uioinan president. Et Cetera 37 Feedback COVER: ASC President Ruth The Beginning of an Era Schmidt poses hetore the portrait of Agnes Scott, the College's namesake. By Tish McCutchen Editor: Celeste Pennington This time of transition for the College is Contributing Editor: also a time of testing for higher education Mary Alma Durrett Editorial Assistant: Audrey Arthur Design: Everett HuUum and Harold Waller Student Assistants: Elizabeth Cherry '95 Different WiUa Hendriekson '94 Teresa Kelly '94 Values Emily Pender '95 By Audrey Arthur Vicki Vitelli '97 On the 40th anniversary of Publications Advisory Brown vs . Board of Board: Jenifer Cooper '86 Education, ASC takes stock. Christine Cozzens Carey Bowen Craig '62 Sandi Harsh '95 WiUa Hendriekson '94 Bonnie Brown Johnson '70 Randy Jones '70 Kay Parkerson O'Briant '70 Tripping the Light Fantastic Edmund Sheehey Lucia Howard Sizemore '65 By Carole Siracusa Agnes Scott pirouettes into the future Copyright © 1994, Agnes Scott with a dance minor—and a generous gift. College. Published two times a year by the Office of Publications, Agnes Scott College, Buttrick Hall, 141 E. College Avenue, Decatur, GA 30030, (404)638-6315. The magazine is published tor alumnae and friends of the College. Postmaster: Send address changes to Office of Development and Public Redressing the Student Body Affairs, Agnes Scott College, Decatur, GA 30030. By Mary Alma Durrett f The content of the magazine reflects the opinions of the writers and not Noting some highs and lows of Scottie hemlines j)](S!) the viewpoint of the College, its and hairdos, from the Marcelled bob to Spandex. trustees or administration. — LIFESTYLE From tip-toeing over active volcanoes to walking on coals, from help for the harassed to hope for a new novel, alumnae ''sail' along noes in New Zealand, such as Angeletti, who pay Hawaii and Iceland. Her their own way for two-week work has been exhibited in work stints. museums and galleries in As South Carolina's vol- various states. unteer field representative, Angeletti is currently in Angeletti recruits potential private practice, specializing Earthwatch volunteers, in real estate, business and emphasizing that the only estate law. Her newfound requirement for the tax- knowledge of geology has deductible trips is curiosity. proven useful in representing "Agnes Scott graduates are real estate clients, including e.xpeditions she has extremely well-prepared to the city ot Green\ille which peered into the deep, bot- do these things," she says. she represents on solid waste SOME tomless void ot a volcano; "A Scott education encour- issues. LIKE IT HOT been within 100 yards of 10- ages a lot of curiosity." On For more information, to 20-foot pieces ot red-hot her first Earthwatch trip write: Earthwatch, P.O. Box Earthwatcher tumbling lava; and descend- Angeletti helped researchers 403, Watertown, MA 02272, Evelyn Angeletti '69 ed with gas mask to the study bear populations in or call (617) 926-2200. Parking a well-oiled body, crater floor of a volcano nearby North Carolina lemonade in hand, which housed a boiling, mountains. under a big beach umbrella yellow-green acidic lake. Her volunteer work pro- HELPLINE constitutes a dream vacation Earthwatch funds the vides an expression for her FOR THE to many. For Evelyn work of several volcanolo- "adjunct profession ot pho- HARASSED Angeletti, the ideal getaway gists and other scientists in tography, something more is perching atop a volcano, fields ranging from archeol- than just a hobby," she says. Attorney Juliana Winters 72 camera strapped around ogy to zoology. Tliey are TTie Decatur, Ga., native her neck. assisted by teams of graduate frequently has vacationed ASC graduate Juliana The Greenville, S.C., students plus volunteers, solo—photographing volca- Winters has helped attorney has spent four vaca- the Federal Aviation tions globe-trotting with Administration (FAA) suc- British scientists on a mis- cessfully address sexual sion to decipher the warning harassment. As an FAA signs of volcanic eruption. senior trial attorney. Winters Through an environmental serves as a legal adviser to research organization called the organization's Sexual Earthwatch, Angeletti has Harassment Helpline and ventured to volcanoes in has been cited by its south- Sicily, Costa Rica and em region for her work on Nicaragua. During these The Sexual Harassment AONRS SrOTT TOl I FOF • ^1 JWMPR IQQ4 — LIFESTYLE Helpline's Adiisor Haridhook. courts are overburdened. If management not to transfer le\'els of management. Facts The 20,000-employee we can resolve things short or give a se\'erance package about the situation are veri- southern region is the first ot litigation, we're obliged as [to a person who has filed a fied and the employee is F.'V,'\ region to institute such public ser\ants to do so," sexual harassment com- contacted within two days a program.