Professor Bennett's book reviewed in prominent literary journal

A book of poems by Wells College Professor of English Bruce Bennett was reviewed in the fall 1998 issue of the Georgia Review, one of the nation's leading literary journals.

The Georgia Review has been described in the London Times Literary Supplement as the journal that "sets the standard of literary, editorial, and graphic excellence."

Professor Bennett's book, It's Hard to Get the Angle Right (published in 1997 by GreenTower Press), receives high praise from reviewer Andrea Hollander Budy for its masterful use of the villanelle: a form which originated in France centuries ago and which has been revisited by many modern poets.

Budy writes, "I read the entire collection through in one sitting, an approach that with a lesser volume would have certainly put me to sleep, for the villanelle contains repetition of whole lines and of just two rhymes. But the form was the only predictable element I encountered. The rest was variety, intrigue, comedy, trauma - in short, I was unquestionably entertained."

In her review she reprints the complete text of Professor Bennett's poem "An Astrologer Awaits Your Call" which appears in It's Hard to Get the Angle Right.

January, 1999

Leadership Week at Wells: The many contributions of women

For some Wells College students the spring semester is a little bit longer, but the benefits are designed to last a lifetime. Beginning Monday, January 18, these students will participate in Leadership Week, a program designed to prepare them for the changing roles of women in the 21^st century.

The theme this year - the many contributions of women - gives students the opportunity to learn more about women in history and how women like Susan B. Anthony, Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and many others, paved the way for women today.

Keynote speaker MaryAnn Krupsak, former Lieutenant Governor of New York, and president of Celebrate ‘98, will discuss the celebration last summer and the important role women have played in the political arena. Also scheduled to speak is MaryEllen Burt, basketball coach at Union College and director of the New York State Women’s Collegiate Athletic Association.

Leadership Week is designed to emphasize career and life training. In addition to hearing the addresses, students participate in workshops designed to enhance skills such as resume writing, public speaking, time management, research and personal finances.

Wells alumnae play an important role in Leadership Week by participating in panel discussions, meeting with students, and sharing their contributions to family, community, and society.

Community involvement is a key component to Leadership Week. Students will have the opportunity to contribute their time and talents through service to others. Students will visit the Montezuma Wildlife Refuge, work with troubled women at Hannock House, and work alongside other volunteers at Habitat for Humanity.

January, 1999

Wells honors novelist Mildred Walker Schemm

In 1960 the attention of the literary world turned to Wells when novelist Mildred Walker Schemm, a professor of English at the college as well as a graduate, published her 11^th novel which was immediately nominated for the prestigious National Book Award.

In honor of Mrs. Schemm’s distinguished career as a writer and teacher, Wells is pleased to announce the creation of the Mildred Walker ‘26 Visiting Fiction Writers Fund. This endowment will help aspiring writers and students of literature learn about the art of fiction from visiting writers who will give readings and visit classes at the college.

The establishment of the fund was made possible by a generous gift from the author’s daughter, Ripley Hugo, and her two sons, Dr. George Walker Schemm and Dr. Christopher Marlowe Schemm.

Mrs. Schemm published 12 adult novels and one novel for young readers. Ten of the books were published between 1933 and 1955. (The 11^th is entitled The Body of a Young Man.) Currently, all her fiction is being reprinted by Bison Books, the paperback imprint of the University of Nebraska Press, with new introductions by contemporary authors.

She was born in Philadelphia in 1905 and graduated magna cum laude in literature from Wells College in 1926. She married cardiologist Ferdinand Schemm in 1927. They lived in Michigan where she earned her master of arts degree in English in 1933. Her first novel, Fireweed, received the Hopwood Award from the University of Michigan - one of the most influential academic literary awards of that era.

The Schemms moved to Great Falls, Montana, in 1933. Four of her novels are set in that state: Unless the Wind Turns, Winter Wheat, The Curlew’s Cry, and If A Lion Could Talk.

Following the death of her husband, Mrs. Schemm returned to Wells in 1955 as a professor of English. In 1961-62 she was a Fulbright lecturer in Koyoto, Japan, and traveled to Sicily for a sabbatical in 1964. She also taught at the Breadloaf Writers Conference in Vermont. Her work The Southwest Corner inspired a play and television show.

She retired from Wells in 1968 and went to live at her family home in Grafton, Vermont. She moved to Missoula, Montana, in 1986 and then to Portland, Oregon, in 1990 where she died in 1998 at the age of 93.

Mrs. Schemm received the Wells College Alumnae Award in 1968 for her service to the college and in recognition of her distinguished career.

January, 1999

Wells professor takes leadership position with People For the American Way

Dr. Arthur J. Bellinzoni, an Aurora resident and professor of religion at Wells, has been named to the board of directors of the People For the American Way (PFAW) in Washington, D.C. The appointment was announced by Carole Shields, PFAW president.

PFAW is a not-for-profit organization devoted to promoting and defending the democratic values of freedom, opportunity, tolerance, and diversity. Founded in 1980 by Norman Lear, the organization has over 300,000 members nationwide.

Among the current members of the PFAW board are Alec Baldwin, actor; Christopher F. Edley, Jr., professor of law at Harvard University; Bianca Jagger, activist; Norman Lear, writer and producer; Judy McGrath, president of MTV: Music Television; Kweisi Mfume, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); and Kathleen Turner, actress.

Through research, publications, education, training, litigation, and advocacy, PFAW works to promote those values and liberties embedded in the First Amendment and to defend them from attack by political or religious extremists. The organization's lobbying wing works to monitor the Religious Right's activities and to counter them by lobbying and organizing hard-hitting political action, according to Shields.

Dr. Bellinzoni received his bachelor's degree from Princeton University and his master's degree and doctorate from Harvard University. He has served on the board of the United Way of Cayuga County and was president of the board of the Cayuga County Community College Foundation.

(Please click on photo for enlarged photograph of Dr. Bellinzoni, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Wells president Lisa Marsh Ryerson.)

January, 1999

College will host celebration for new Henry Wells Scholars

At Wells, students don't have to sacrifice a valuable internship experience for a job they need to pay their way through college. Response to the newly redesigned Henry Wells Scholars program has been extremely positive - more than 50 students selected from across the country will be guaranteed a hands-on learning experience during their freshman year at Wells.

They will also each receive $3,000 to fund academically oriented and career-related projects during their upper-class years. The new focus of the program allows more students to gain a high-quality liberal arts education and still participate in "hands-on" professional preparation - a winning combination according to employers of college graduates.

Changes in the prestigious Henry Wells Scholars program this year have strengthened connections between the curriculum and real world experience. Early results indicate that as many as 40% of the incoming class will benefit from these opportunities, said Susan Sloan, Wells' director of admissions.

"Wells College is committed to making more women aware of the benefits of our national liberal arts program. To do this, we are aggressively focusing on making sure students know that a private college with a national reputation for high-quality academics is affordable and accessible. Last May, Wells reduced its tuition by 30%," she said.

To celebrate the new scholars, the college will host a weekend event in their honor on Saturday, March 6, 1999. Wells students, alumnae, faculty, and the administration will join in activities that explore how Wells' unique experiential programs can lead to exciting careers and graduate study.

Henry Wells Scholars are named annually. To be eligible for the program, students must be nominated by guidance counselors or Wells College alumnae and have a 90% cumulative high school grade point average. They also must have scored 1150 or higher on the S.A.T. or 28 or higher on the A.C.T. Guidance counselors and alumnae may nominate more than one student.

According to Wells' Director of Career Development Services Nancy Karpinski, "Students typically complete two or three internships during their four years at Wells. The Henry Wells Scholars Program is exciting because of the financial benefits. It is an excellent way for them to start a job search, gain experience, and make contacts which are absolutely essential in the current job market."

January, 1999

Other Articles in Wells College News:

September, 2002	September, 2000. - May.,2001	May,1998	May - June,1997
August, 2002	September, 1999 - August, 2000	April,1998	March - April,1997
September, 2001. - May.,2002	August,1999	March,1998	February,1997
	May,1999	February,1998	November - December,1996
	April,1999	January,1998	October,1996
	February -March, 1999	December,1997	September,1996
	January,1999	November,1997	June - Aug.,1996
	Fall,1998	October,1997	May,1996
	August,1998	September,1997	April,1996
	June -July, 1998	July - August, 1997	February - March, 1996