Non-Profrt Organization U.S. Postage PAID Williamsburg, VA Permit No. 26 Visit our Website http://www.wm.edu/wmnews/wm_news.html E-mail: [email protected] VOLUHE XXIX, NUMBER 16 A Newspaper for Faculty, Staff and Students THURSDAY, APRIL 27,2000 Appraising a Rare Jewel Biology staffer Jewel Thomas wins Duke Award 1 here's more to work than work," according to fulfilling life while leaving the world a better place." senior biology laboratory assistant Jewel Tho¬ "Jewel Thomas is a genuinely special person," said Tmas. "You have to bond with people, create op¬ Lawrence Wiseman, chair of the biology department portunities for interaction and make people feel good and Thomas' supervisor. "I think it is not only an honor about themselves. When you go out of your way to help for her to be chosen for the Duke Award, but also an others, they do the same for indication to the entire you. That builds a cycle of campus community that helping. It makes life and good and loyal work is ap¬ work better." preciated and rewarded." Thomas' "cycle of help¬ A native of Gloucester, ing" at the College dates back Va., Thomas worked at the more than 31 years, and itwill Virginia Institute of Marine be recognized at 3:30 p.m. on Science for four years be¬ May 1 in Millington Hall, fore joining the Depart¬ Dean Taylor Reveley congratulates (left to right) when she will receive the 2000 ment of Biology. In her Jeff Chamberlain, Elliott Buckner, Jason Rylander Charles and Virginia Duke present position, she main¬ and Dave Shewchuk on their triumph at the Award for outstanding service tains the electron micros¬ ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition. to William and Mary. Thomas copy lab, prepares research will also be recognized during specimens and teaches stu¬ the College's commence¬ dents how to use the ment ceremony, on May 14. department's equipment. Law School The Duke Award recog¬ Described as "the glue nizes exceptional devotion to that holds our department Opponents Plead William and Mary by a non- together," Thomas was instructional faculty em¬ cited by nominators for her No Contest ployee and includes a $5,000 "warmth, kindness andjoy" prize. A committee of College and "her careful, creative National victories abound staff members, faculty and ad¬ work," whether helping stu¬ ministrators chose Thomas dents use the scanning elec¬ from a pool of candidates tron and transmission elec¬ e showed up, slipped in the side door, and nominated by members of tron microscopes or assist¬ won," is how Jeff Chamberlain describes the the College community. ing professors with their in¬ "w;Law School's first-place victory in the Ameri¬ "Jewel is a treasure," one nominator insisted. "What dependent work. One nominator noted that she greatly can Bar Association's National Appellate Advocacy does the College gain from Jewel? We gain a depart¬ enhanced "the educational experiences of a large num¬ Competition on April 8. Chamberlain and fellow third- ment that runs far more smoothly and accomplishes ber of students as well as the teaching and research year law students Elliott Buckner and Jason Rylander much more than it would without her, as well as an programs of every faculty member in our department." defeated more than 100 other teams to become the outstanding example of College-wide commitment to And Thomas' interests extend beyond courses and first Virginia law school to win the competition, which service. We gain the very best kind of role model for has been held since 1977. our students and ourselves for how to live a complete, Continued on Page 3. "The competition," Rylander explains, "tests stu¬ dents' abilities to argue cases as if they were in front of the Supreme Court." Scores are based on the quality of the competitors' written briefs and their ability to an¬ swer questions which are "fired at them" by competi¬ tion judges. ''Monuments Upon their return from Chicago, the trio presented their trophy to Dean Taylor Reveley. "This has been of the Black one of the bestyears we've ever had," Reveley said. "The , blood, sweat and tears that each of the competitors put AtIantic/ into this effort have been worth it. When gifted ama¬ teurs from Mr. Jefferson's first law school win, it is a May 24-28 major moment, a significant accomplishment." Reveley's reference to "amateurs" is also significant. Many law schools that have won the competition, ac¬ cording to Chamberlain, have professional coaches for their teams. But fellow students coach at William and Mary. This year, second-year law student Dave Shewchuk did the coaching honors, and his contributions to the team were, in Buckner's opinion, "invaluable." Two other law teams also excelled in national com¬ petitions. Third-year students Heather Conoboy, Joe Grogan and Bill Ruhling won the St. John's University Bankruptcy Tournament. Third-year students Laura Rugless, Terry Driskill and Cameron Cobden were octofinalists among 143 teams in the final round of the National Moot Court Tournament, sponsored by the Bar Association of the City of New York. A William and Mary team also made it into the quarterfinals of the Duke Medical Ethics Moot Court Professor Joanne Braxton took this photograph of the Atlantic Ocean from Cape Coast Castle, a Tournament, while another team was among the top former Ghanaian slave factory. Braxton will host an international conference on the African Diaspora, 10 at the University of North Carolina Constitutional "Monuments of the Black Atlantic: History, Memory, and Politics," May 24-28. See story on Pages 4-5. Law Tournament. ■ 2/BNgWS April 27. 2000 mvs.makers CWA Celebrates A Decade "Architects of Lifelong Learning" going strong after 10 years As baby boomers have begun to achievement: "As the chief architects of the founders of the group—retired pro¬ burg began to attract more retirees. make retirement plans, many the Christopher Wren Association, you fessors Wayne and Ruth Kernodle—say "It all came at about the time the re¬ national universities have discov¬ have much to be proud of. In 10 years, that they had no idea how large it would tirement community started to explode," ered the virtues of life¬ become when they launched the pro¬ said Ruth. long learning. Newspa¬ gram in 1990. Now, however, it seems that the situa¬ & f ^&^^? pers and television pro¬ "After a year of planning, we offered tion has reversed. The Chicago Tribune re¬ grams are filled with sto¬ our first programs. We expected 35 ported last year that, "One of the reasons ries about new intellec¬ people and got 109," said Ruth Kemodle, Williamsburg has become a favorite re¬ tual programs for retir¬ who served as executive director of the tirement place is the tantalizing roster of ees, retirement villages association during its first eight years. college courses offered to retirees at the built on or near cam¬ The primary reasons for the explo¬ College of William and Mary." puses, and learning va¬ sive growth are the range of offerings Wayne Kernodle said that this trend cations for those who fi¬ and the high quality of instruction. This is in line with the changing concept of nally have the time and year, the association has offered more retirement, which once centered on the economic freedom to than 120 courses, on such diverse topics availability of health care. pursue their interests. as "Using the Internet and E-mail," "Now, as people come into retirement That's old news to "Three Classic Operas," "Behind the healthier and more vigorous, many of retirees in Williamsburg, Scenes of Colonial Williamsburg," "Can¬ them want to retire near a college or uni¬ who, with the College of cer: Myths and Realities" and "The CIA versity, where they can benefit from con¬ William and Mary, 10 in the 21st Century." tact with the surrounding community, in¬ years ago initiated an in¬ Because the courses are taught by cluding the cultural and educational op¬ novative program that is professionals in their fields—many of portunities that colleges offer." gaining recognition as whom are retirees themselves—the level Additional benefits enjoyed by associa¬ one of the earliest—as of instruction is outstanding. For ex¬ tion members include opportunities to be¬ well as one of the larg¬ ample, the recent CIA course was taught come involved in the community and meet est—lifelong learning by an individual who was an agency of¬ new friends—both at an accelerated pace. Christopher Wren Association President Fred Czufin programs in the nation. ficer for 34 years, and a retired member "The association breeds social oppor¬ presented President Timothy Sullivan a check for Named for the English of the Yale University medical faculty of¬ tunity, and people who move to $ 10,000 to celebrate the association's 10th anniversary. architect who designed fered the cancer course. Each year, cur¬ Williamsburg see it as an entree to the "The College has given us space free of charge," Czufin William and Mary's first rent William and Mary faculty members community," observed Wayne. said,"and $1,000 a year is a pretty good deal." building and champi¬ teach the three-to-six-week courses as The College sponsors the association, oned lifelong learning, well. Like the group's officers and vol¬ but the group is self-supporting. William the Christopher Wren Association is cel¬ you have built the nation's second-larg¬ unteers, all of the CWA faculty donate and Mary provides meeting rooms for ebrating a decade of service, and doing est lifelong learning association—an as¬ their time and effort to the association. many of the programs, but classes are also it in style.