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As the result of part of a semester-long project, five students in Dr. Ehsan Salek's MBE 301 Principles of Management class have raised over $500 towards the purchase of new business reference volumes to be placed in Wesleyan's Hofheimer Library. "In my 10 years teaching here, this is a record fundraiser," said Salek. "Groups in this class usually raise $200 or $300, an amount that is then matched by the group on campus that they are raising the money for."
The class, comprised of Adult Studies Program students, meets Monday evenings from 6:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. and was divided into four groups of students. The focus of the project was for the groups to find a venture on campus worthy of their time and in need of their managerial skills. "Part of the methodology of the project is hands-on involvement," said Salek. "The groups were responsible for identifying a need on campus; planning, organizing and finishing a semester-long project." The appropriately named group, "The Bookworms," decided that they were going to create a project to raise funds to pay for new business reference books in the library. The current collection was dated and in need of an upgrade.
"Books that are about business and contain a lot of figures are very expensive because they're out of date as soon as they're printed," said Hofheimer Reference Librarian Patty Clark. "We have to decide how much we are going to spend on which volumes; how long we are going to keep certain editions and how relevant the information is." Clark explained that while some of the most current business and industry information that students are seeking is available online, the library wants to be able to provide this same basic information without just handing students a bunch of websites to sift through. The reference books that can now be purchased will help to provide an easily navigated, tangible means for students to find the information they are looking for.
"We will buy what is necessary for the students," said Clark, "but we are just so appreciative of this donation because it allows us to purchase more than we had originally planned." The five students responsible for the donation joined to collectively create the appropriately named "Bookworms" group. Brad Kay, Denise Maphis, Cathie Woodson, Linda Schmeal and Bup Phillippi, all members of the Wesleyan Adult Studies Program, successfully generated over $500 through pizza sales. Their group's sizable donation will foot a large amount of the total cost of four different publications of the Hoover's Handbooks; including American Business, Emerging Companies, Private Companies and World Business, all 2003 editions.
"Currently we have the 2002 edition of American Business, the Emerging Companies 1994 version, the 1999 edition of World Business, and we don't even own the Private Companies text," said Clark. Salek reasoned that superior planning, organization and coordination of efforts were all elements that helped to make the Bookworms' fundraising so ludicrous. "This was a very cohesive group," he said.
The other groups within the class were also successful in their own endeavors; between the three of them they raised money to place stepping stones and build a picnic table by Clarke pond, organize an organ donation seminar that will be held on campus in Nov., and enough money to purchase eight electric pencil sharpeners for classrooms in the Clarke building.
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| Photo by JEN THORNTON The capital in Washington, D.C. |
On Oct. 24 at 7:15 am, Nicole L'Ecuyer and I packed along with the Art and Political Science departments on their annual trip to the nation's capital. As potential art majors, one of the first stops on our list of places to see was the National Gallery. It was easy to immerse ourselves in Picasso's sketches and Romaire Bearden's eclectic collages. The time passed quickly and we soon found our brains full of information but our stomachs empty.
"Let's go to Union Station, I've never been there before," I said. We walked down Constitution Avenue playing the tourist role as best we could, snapping crazy pictures and jaywalking without a care. We were entranced with the size of the place and the bustling hurry everyone seemed to be in. We settled for the small place in the middle with an upstairs dining area overlooking the entire station.
"Did you feel that?" I asked Nicole, referring to the vibrations
shaking our table slightly. "No," replied Nicole.
"Maybe it's my blood sugar dropping." I say. "Jen, I think it's
the trains," Nicole said. After lunch we walked back towards the National
Gallery, but we just couldn't take in any more art for the day. We needed a
little diversion.
I spotted a building across the Mall with an atrium roof. "Let's go there," I said. Nicole agreed to do a little exploring as long as it was within our price range. Free. We had stumbled upon the U.S Botanical Gardens, a wonderful site with admission prices in our budget. We went into room after room of plants with the names "Jungle," "Desert," "Primeval," or "Medicinal" over the doors. I'm no botany major but it was so interesting and a breath of fresh air from over-crowded museums. We even found a meditation garden to relax in.
After leaving the botanical garden, we returned to the West Wing of the National Gallery to explore, opting for our own misguided tour. We explored 15th century Gothic Art, Roman coins and even paused to ponder with Rodin's "Thinker." After feeling relaxed and a bit more intelligent, we search for a mid-afternoon snack to rejuvenate our tired bodies. We found that the small snack shop between both the East and West wing of the National Gallery had a great selection of gelato, Italy's answer to American Ice Cream.
If you haven't eaten gelato, it definitely should be on your to-do list. Nicole and I split a double scoop of coffee and caramel. A delectable combination, trust us. After being well educated, well-fed, and well cultured, Nicole and I stepped back on to the bus with our gelato spoons in hand, cameras in our pockets and fun memories of our day in Washington D.C.
With the ground being wet, the dirt can be easily loosened around the cement of the signs. Even with security diligently patrolling campus, Therrien said that it is still easy for someone to wait until after an officer passes to take or deface a sign. "With the hundreds of activities the staff provide, [it's a wonder] why they [the offenders] need to vandalize their campus," said Therrien. Replacing these signs has become pricey, at $150 or more per sign, depending on the size of the sign. Not only is Wesleyan paying for the cost of the sign but for the actual labor hours required to do the work that also has to be factored into the equation.
"If you're really frustrated with somebody there's the workout room," says Therrien. Whatever the reason for the vandalism, it seems that those who steal the signs want a bit of Wesleyan nostalgia that the Scribner Bookstore does not provide for them. Anyone with any information or leads on any crimes or vandalism committed on campus should contact Campus Security.
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