Smith ScholarWorks Kahn Chronicle Kahn Liberal Arts Institute Spring 2008 Kahn Chronicle: Spring 2008 Smith College, Kahn Liberal Arts Institute Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.smith.edu/kahn_chronicle Part of the Other Arts and Humanities Commons Recommended Citation Smith College, Kahn Liberal Arts Institute, "Kahn Chronicle: Spring 2008" (2008). Kahn Chronicle. 10. https://scholarworks.smith.edu/kahn_chronicle/10 This Book has been accepted for inclusion in Kahn Chronicle by an authorized administrator of Smith ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected] KAHN CHRONICLE Volume 10, Issue 1 • Spring 2008 KahN LIbEraL arts INSTITute, SMITh COLLEGE The Kahn Institute "On the Road" sO l a r de C a t h l on This fall both 2007-2008 year-long Student Fellow annie Parker aC '08 projects took to the road in search of remarked on both the intellectual value and inspiration. Our Sustainable Houses, Homes importance of the group experience: "To see and Communities group was fortunate enough the diverse ways in which people solved the to have their project year coincide with the same problems while operating under the Department of Energy's bi-annual Solar same restrictions with so much creativity Decathlon competition. as described on and imagination was incredible. Going as a the DOE website, "the Solar Decathlon is a group added dimension to the experience, competition in which 20 teams of college and especially through hearing reactions from university students compete to design, build, faculty of varying disciplines." and operate the most attractive, effective, and energy-efficient solar-powered house." The Fellows set out for Washington DC Old Prison Wall on October 13, and spent the entire morning (photo courtesy of Old New-Gate Prison) of the 14th touring several of the solar homes Organizing Fellow Michael Thurston at the Decathlon's home base on the National (English Language and Literature) comments Mall. upon their return, they devoted their below: October 23rd colloquium to a follow-up "Our visit to the Old New-Gate Prison discussion of challenges, achievements and and Copper Mine included a wonderfully failures of the designs, and their relevance to Penn State's Entry in the Solar Decathlon campy video by a longtime guide to the site, the Fellows' individual research projects. (photo by Piper Hanson) complete with historically inaccurate tall although not all the Fellows were able tales, and plenty of time to tour the surface to attend the weekend trip, those who did Organizing Fellow Nat Fortune (Physics) sights – the ruins of prison buildings, a join were enthusiastic about the experience. remarked on the trip's incredible relevance collection of artifacts and exhibits, and and value as it provided not one, but a series breathtaking views of the surrounding of case studies for the Fellows to dissect countryside. The most important official and analyze upon their return to Smith. The IN THIS ISSUE experience we all had during the excursion, respective successes and shortcomings of though, was the twenty minutes or so we the entries will be revisited in the project's The Kahn Institute "On the Road".................1 spent underground, walking, sometimes spring semester, when the Fellows will work in a crouch and/or holding on to handrails, Announcements .............................................2-3 collaboratively on Fortune's own portable through the old mine tunnels and galleries. It modular miniature house project (see page was dark, it was cold (twenty degrees or so Spotlight on Students ...................................4-5 11 for details). cooler than topside), it was damp, and it was easy to imagine getting lost down there if the * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Interim Reports lights were suddenly to go out. That twenty Ol d Ne w -Ga t e Pr i s on minutes of real subterranean experience Sustainable Houses, Homes and Communities .....6 made the underground real and made it easy a N d Copp e r Mi N e to see why so many people in different times Undergrounds Underworlds..................................7 and places imagined underworlds: if hell In late September, the Undergrounds were anywhere, it might be someplace like Spring 2008 Short-Term Projects ..............8-9 Underworlds Fellows set out on a day trip an eighteenth-century copper mine! I said to the Old New-Gate Prison and Copper 'official' above, though, because one other Updates on New Project Forms .................. 10 Mine in Granby, CT, where the tunnels left important element of the trip was the chance by miners burrowing deep underground in Spotlight on Faculty ....................................... 11 to talk informally amongst ourselves, to get search of copper ore became Connecticut's to know each other. That, I think, has paid first prison for "serious criminals" (burglars, A Word from the Director ............................. 12 dividends every bit as important as anything horse thieves, counterfeiters and forgers) else from the trip as we've worked together in 1773. over the last three months." Supported by the Louise W. and Edmund J. Kahn Fund for Faculty Excellence Who's Who at the anno u nc e M e N t s Kahn Institute * * * * * Rick Fantasia Director Chair, Advisory Committee Professor of Sociology Chrissie Bell Administrative Coordinator Hana Boston-Howes Project and Publicity Administrator "Undergrounds Underworlds" (2007-08 Long-Term Project) Fellows at their weekly colloquium meeting * * * * * Advisory Committee Ka h N Fa C u l t y Fe l l O w s h i P s aw a r d e d 2007-2008 fo r 2008-2009 Patrick Coby, Professor of Government The following Smith, Five College, and visiting faculty members have been awarded Robert Dorit, Associate Professor of Fellowship in connection with the two long-term Kahn projects for the 2008-2009 Biological Sciences academic year: Deceit: The Uses of Transparency and Concealment and A Festival of Disorder. Dawn Fulton, Associate Professor of French Studies De c e i t : th e Us e s o f a fe s t i v a l o f Di s o r D e r Mary Harrington, Tippit Professor in transparency a n D co n c e a l m e n t Organizing Fellows: Life Sciences, Psychology Elisabeth armstrong (Program for the Organizing Fellow: Christopher Loring, Director of Libraries Study of Women and Gender) Mlada bukovansky (Government) Kevin E. Quashie, Associate Professor of Marjorie Senechal (Mathematics / history of Science and Technology) Afro-American Studies Mary Ellen birkett (French Studies Andrew Rotman, Assistant Professor of Paula Debnar (Classics, Mount holyoke Michael albertson (Mathematics) Religion College) Debra boutin (Mathematics, hamilton * * * * * Jennifer hall-Witt (history) College) Nicholas howe (Computer Science) Jennifer Guglielmo (history) Contact Information Trish Jackson (advancement) Michelle Joffroy (Spanish and Portuguese) barbara Kellum (art) Neilson Library Gillian Kendall (English Language Chester Michalik (art) and Literature) Smith College Suleiman Mourad (religion) Northampton, MA 01063 reyes Lazaro (Spanish and Portuguese) Candice Salyers (Dance) Sandra Matthews (Film and Photography, Phone: 413-585-3721 Patricia Skarda (English Language and hampshire College) Fax: 413-585-4294 Literature) albert Mosley (Philosophy) Email: [email protected] Janos Pach (Computer Science, NYu; Web: www.smith.edu/kahninstitute Neilson Professor 08-09) Donna riley (Engineering) Event Information Phone: 413-585-7584 Email: [email protected] Unless otherwise credited, all photos in the Kahn Chronicle were taken by Jim Gipe © 2006-2007 2 / Kahn Liberal Arts Institute anno u nc e M e N t s 2008-2009 st u d e N t Fe l l O w s h i P in applying to become a Fellow in either of these projects are app l i C a t i on de a d l i N e : Fe b r u a r y 29 strongly encouraged to attend the project's informational meeting (to be held in the Kahn Institute Fellows' Lounge, Neilson Library, Student Fellowship applications in connection with the two 3rd Floor South): long-term projects for 2008-2009 — Deceit: The Uses of Transparency and Concealment, organized by professor Mlada bukovansky; and A Festival of Disorder, organized by professors Elisabeth armstong st u d e N t info r M a t i on a l Me e t i ng s and Marjorie Senechal — must be received by Friday, February 29, 2008. Deceit: The Uses of Transparency and Concealment Thursday, February 7 @ 5:oopm Kahn Student Fellows will participate, along with Faculty Fellows, in the weekly research colloquium, as well as various A Festival of Disorder special events organized by the project's Fellows throughout the Monday, February 11 @ 5:00pm academic year. Each student will be expected to participate in all of the Institute functions associated with the project she is awarded a Fellowship in, and therefore must be able to commit to Students may also contact any of the Faculty Fellows (see that project's weekly schedule for the entire academic year: page 2) to learn more about the project. Deceit: The Uses of Transparency and Concealment Student Fellowship applications should be submitted via email to [email protected], and each application must include: research Colloquium ~ Fridays, 10:00am-12:00pm Lunch ~ Fridays, 12:00-1:00pm • a paragraph or two explaining why you are interested in joining the project and the potential questions you would like to explore; A Festival of Disorder • your current resume, including your preferred contact research Colloquium - Tuesdays, 3:00-5:00pm information; and • a copy of your transcript (which can be requested online Dinner ~ Tuesdays, 5:00-6:00pm using bannerWeb). Kahn Fellowships require a real commitment to scholarship, Please note that students may apply for only one project and that means developing a research question closely related to during a given year. The Kahn Institute will send a confirmation one of the yearlong projects and spending the Fellowship year email acknowledging receipt of each application.