On Thursday, February 3, 2000, five students who attended the Civil Rights Tour as part of a January term class with Dr. Benjamin Berry and Linda Berry presented a discussion of their trip to a group of about twenty spectators. The students visited sites throughout the Deep South which were significant to the Civil Rights Movement. During the presentation, each student discussed one particular site and their reactions to that site. "Being a young African-American man, I think it is important that I learn about my culture," said Junior Clinton Allen.

Growing up in Harlem, New York, he heard horror stories about the trials of African-Americans in the Deep South in the 1960’s, and he wanted to see with his own eyes what had happened there. "It put me in perspective," Allen said. Allen’s favorite site was the Civil Rights Museum in Birmingham, Alabama because of its structure as well as its content. Once inside the museum, visitors must walk uphill, symbolizing the uphill battle of the Civil Rights Movement. The museum also features information on many of the unsung heroes of the movement, those who fought the small conflicts along the way. "It moves me to see how much of a struggle and how much dedication these people had," Allen said.

Senior Thomas Coleman also grew up in Harlem, but he was a young man during the Civil Rights Movement. He remembers watching the drama unfolding on television. His most memorable experience during the tour was visiting Kelly Ingram Park in Birmingham. Located across the street from Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, it was the site of a bombing which killed four schoolchildren in 1963. Kelly Ingram Park contains monuments depicting police, water canons, and dogs attacking innocent African-Americans protesters. "It validated my existence," said Coleman. Another activity that inspired the students was crossing the Edmund Pettis Bridge in Selma, Alabama. It was here where a voting rights march ended with the National Guard beating innocent people.

"They were beating women, children, it didn’t really matter," said Sophomore Molly Phillips. When the students arrived at the bridge, they walked across it while holding hands and singing "We Shall Overcome" to try to relive the event in their minds. Senior Thomas Taylor said that the J-term surpassed any class that he had ever taken. "It is not something you can learn in any textbook." Dr. Berry, who was an active participant in the Civil Rights Movement during the 1960s, was moved by the student’s reactions to the tour. "I have a feeling that sometimes all we did in the sixties was waste time," Berry said. But when he sees students engrossed in learning about the movement he knows that they accomplished much more. "It is touching," Berry said.

After serving five months as the acting Director of the Hofheimer Library, Jan Pace was selected from at least 20 other applicants nationwide as the new director. She accepted the position in December. "It’s an interesting job," Pace said. "It puts you together with people, computers, information, and a wonderful mix of those three things." Students visiting the library for the first time will notice significant physical changes. With the relocation of offices which used to inhabit library space into the new Godwin Administration Building, Pace’s first priority is to organize the book collection and the periodicals back onto the shelves, and to get the library indexes back online.

"We want the students to know that they can come in and get things accomplished," Pace said. "They may need a little more help than they did before because we have to show them where everything has moved to." In some cases where the resources are not yet back on the shelf, Pace recommends utilizing the web. The staff will gladly give students a reference site and a password to log in. Aside from expanding the book collection, Pace’s other future plans include working closely with the long-range planning committee. She envisions a 24-hour library that will cater to the different study habits of students. She plans to draw in more people. This library is for faculty and staff, not just students. To increase traffic into the library, Pace will publicize by sending out information through the web, e-mail or posters.

Vilma Haley, reference/serial librarian, said that she’s excited with the new direction of the library under Pace’s leadership. Pace said that the library is not only a place for studying. She wants to instill awareness among the school community that the library is also a place for relaxation, or a haven if one needs to get away from the office or a roommate. According to Sandra Brooks, director of library technical services, Pace is committed to the library’s place in the school community. "Jan brings energy, proven skills, and enthusiasm to her new position," Brooks said. Pace said that they are working closely with the faculty to monitor students’ academic needs. She sees the library as an extension of the classroom.

"I think people should have one foot in the classroom, and one foot in the library," Pace said. "Not everybody will agree with that, but you know, I’m a librarian!"

Director of Communications Alison Schoew resigned from her position with the college in early February. She continues to provide promotional writing to Virginia Wesleyan from her home in Western Branch. "I have had success before as a freelance writer. It’s really nice to write from home where my two little dogs can look up at me with ‘Gee, you’re so smart’ in their eyes," Schoew said.

Schoew has created her own business called alisonINK, which provides freelance copywriting and project direction to her clients. She also resumes a career recording radio and television commercials, and voicing on-hold messages for companies on the east coast. "It’s a career I never left," she said. "But I’m picking it up now that I have more time."

The college is one of several clients for whom she writes, at the present time. Schoew is hopeful that her client base will grow as alisonINK continues to develop. Vice President for College Advancement Tim McDermott expressed his gratitude toward Schoew and the work she did for the college.

"In the time that she was here, Alison served as an effective bridge in terms of the many staff changes in the Advancement and Communication offices," McDermott said. "She helped mold the Department of Communications into an effective office, especially after replacing someone who had been here for a long time. She contributed a significant amount of positive change in Advancement as a whole." A reception was held in Schoew’s honor during her last day on campus on January 24.