Amazing Women

Stephens Equestrian Win makes USEF news!

The United States Equestrian Foundation today announced the winners (STEPHENS!) of the International Saddle Seat Invitational held on campus December 11-12, bringing our program to the attention of equestrian professionals and fans from around the world!

Here's an excerpt:

Stephens College Invitational Teams emerged victorious, earning Gold medals in both the three- and the five-gaited team events. The three-gaited team was formed by Nicole Lawrence, Mandy Martin, Kahla Buthlay, Sarah Hinds, and Natalie Stezovsky as the alternate. The five-gaited team was formed by Natalie Stezovsky, Mandy Martin, Kahla Buthlay, Lauren Sopel, and Erin Hartman as the alternate.

Ellen Beard, team coach and coordinator of equestrian operations at Stephens College, said the Stephens teams, whose members are students in the College’s Equestrian Studies program, practiced tirelessly to achieve their best against a very talented group of experienced international riders.

“I am pleased and very excited,” said Beard. “The competition was very stiff and brought the best out in the riders. Our South African friends graciously announced at the closing reception that this invitational was exceptional. The quality of hospitality, horses and sportsmanship was excellent. They marveled at all of the opportunities available at Stephens.”

The Stephens invitational event served as a prelude to the application and trials process for the Saddle Seat World Cup event to be held in Lexington, KY, in October 2010.

You can find the rest on the USEF Web site, right here (Scroll down about three stories...)

Congratulations to Ellen and the rest of our amazing faculty and students at the stables; we are so proud!

We're #3 on the New York Times: Hurrah for the Stephens community!

"And I was like, whatever...and she was like, whatever...."

 

Emails are arriving from all over the country about our Vespers story...one writer this morning congratulated us on the idea of "quiet time" and pointed us to this T-Mobile ad of a middle-schooler-on-a-wired-mission...the writer's comment: "Ironic?... You go Aristotealian!"

Vespers is #4 top-emailed tech story at the New York Times!

Our story on Vespers, which went out on the national and international Associated Press wire yesterday, is showing up in hundreds of newspapers and Web sites all over the country (not to mention Macedonia, the UK and Australia, and the TOP technology story on the Wii system's news!) Congratulations to Amy Gipson and Sara Fernandez Cendon!)

This afternoon, it is the 4th most emailed story on the NY Times tech page; PLEASE help us move it to the top of the list:

1.  Here's the link to the story:  http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/12/25/technology/AP-US-TEC-College-Unplugged.html?em

If that doesn't work, you can go to the NYTimes.com tech page and find the story on the right side of the page, in the list of "most emailed stories."  It's #4.

3. The link at the top of the story will say "Sign in to Email."  If you don't have an account, you'll need to create one - which will take a minute. 

4.  Then you can forward it to everybody you know - and ask them to forward it on.....obviously you need to forward it through the NYTimes site so it can 'count' the number of emails associated with the story.

And thanks.  This is how social media works -- if we all work together, we can move Stephens to the top of the list -- in the New York Times, and in everything else!

Merry Christmas!
Dianne
 

Ho ho ho....and happy New Year!

Congratulations, graduates!

Photo from The Missourian

Saturday marked my first commencement at Stephens College, my first opportunity to be a part of one of the most important and inspiring celebrations of our academic year.

December's event is always smaller in scope and scale than our spring event, of course (and people tell me we didn't even hold a ceremony in December until a couple of years ago...), but the ballroom in LRW was packed with family and friends of our 40 (or so) graduates.

As I explained in my remarks to the gathering, I was basically the keynote speaker nobody really wanted:  Students had indicated they didn't really care if they had a 'main' speaker for Graduation.

But I cared.

I think EVERYBODY should have a keynote speaker at graduation, even if it's someone they already know (well).

In addition to the inspiring words and best wishes of their fellow students, I think every graduate should have to sit through a speech by someone who encourages them to go out and save the world (or other similarly unreasonable but hopeful directives).

Yesterday, that was me.

I stopped short of the 'save the world' thing, though I would certainly encourage all of our new grads to do that should the opportunity arise. 

Instead, I outlined the five points of a Stephens Star -- those five simple steps that guarantee a full and happy life (really, I'm not kidding....and if you weren't there, well, you'll have to invite me to be the keynote speaker at YOUR graduation to find out what I said....)

At the close of the ceremony, I also got to be the speaker who delivered the "charge" -- a tradition at Stephens that allows the president to have the last word (which meant that I had the first, the middle, AND the last words; I have a pretty good sense that the whole congregation was getting a tad tired of listening to me talk by the time we got around to singing the Stephens anthem....)

And even though I can't repeat the speech, I thought maybe you all might be interested in the charge....after all, it counts for you, too.....

Ralph Waldo Emerson once asked what we would do if the stars only came out once every thousand years.

No one would sleep that night.  The world would become religious overnight.  We would be ecstatic, delirious, made rapturous by the glory and wonder of our world, and our God.

Instead, the stars come out every night, and we sit inside, watching The Office and working on our laptops.

Stephens has prepared you for the lives that await you.

The glory and wonder of those lives rest not in these momentous cultural rituals -- although they are wonderful in their own way -- but in the opportunities, the moments, the stars -- the Stephens Stars -- that surround us.

My advice -- my charge -- to you is that you take the time to SEE them, to experience them, to know them and be amazed by them.

My directive to you is that you must be a lifelong learner, knowing that the best lessons you will learn are those that are informed by your education, expanded by your experience, and inspired by your passion.

Keep your ears up! Stephens brings international equestrian event to Columbia!

This just in from one of our remarkable alumna, in honor of our extraordinary stables and its accomplishments this week: Our first-ever participation in an international invitational event that has brought riders from around the world to Columbia:

Dear Ladies,Hearty and warm greetings from New York City !!!

I would first of all like to congratulate you all for your participation in the Stephens College Invitational and for your part in making College history.

 I was introduced to, and fell in love with the world of "Saddle Seat" while a student at Stephens. My enthusiasm for the sport while at Stephens was fueled by the wonderful environment, a classmate named Nancy Gladish-Schatzberg and another student and dear, dear friend that was two years my junior; her name--Ellen Beard! Yes that Ellen Beard. This kid Ellen had a way of making things clear as well as making me believe in myself while in the ring.  But I am sure by now you all already know that.
 
Although I do not have much time for riding these days, it is a discipline that I will forever enjoy and admire. I want to wish you the very best of luck for rides that represent your finest efforts as equestrians but more importantly as young women.   To Nicole, Mandi, Kahla, Sarah, Natalie, Laren and Erin remember when entering the ring to bring your game face, lots of heart and even more grace.

 I will be thinking of you all!

 --Keep Your Ears Up!! and Rack-On!!!
 
Much Love,
Anne-Louise Wallace
Class of 1982

Now that's what I call leadership (ho ho ho!)

I was SO sorry to miss the holiday party on Friday.  I had to be in New York, plans that we made  long before the date for the party was set (next year, I'll know better...that "I'm new here" thing still catches up with me once in awhile).

But all reports are that the party was a fantastic success, from start to finish -- from hay rides to refreshments, from bonfires to our very own jolly Santa (none other than our esteemed VP, Doug Lange).

We're all about community here at Stephens, right down to our Ho Ho Ho's.....

Popcorn! Films! Points! (What's not to like?!?)

STEPHENS COLLEGE FALL STUDENT FILM SHOWCASE

WHEN: Sunday, December 13, 2009                 

TIME:  2 - 4 pm (may be shorter depending on the amount of submissions)

WHERE: Charters

FEE:   Free and open to the public

LEADERSHIP POINTS!    POPCORN!     FILMS!

Come see the freshest and newest films produced by the budding talent in the Stephens College Film and Integrated Media Programs. Topic and styles vary in this even which features documentaries, narrative films, music videos, and more! For more information, contact Sarah Whorton (SWhorton@stephens.edu).

________________________________________________________________

SUBMISSION INFORMATION    All entries due:  December 10, 2009 @ 8 pm.

How to Apply:

(1) Fill out a submission form located on the front of the equipment closet.  Turn the completed form into Sarah Whorton.

(2) Create a Quicktime file of your project.  If you do not know how to do this, contact Sarah Whorton (SWhorton@stephens.edu).

(3) Place that Quicktime file on the hard drive marked "Fall Film Showcase".   That hard drive is located near the front of the editing lab. Please place your file in the folder marked "Fall Film Showcase".

Who Can Apply:  Any student or group that has created a video in a film or media class can submit a project.  The class level is irrelevant! Please apply!

What can be submitted: Any project can be submitted except for films that were not created in/for a Stephens class and those films that have already been screened at a previous Stephens showcase.  Remember the final projects from last semester that were not completed in time for the previous showcase.  Those films are eligible.

Other Information:

(1) The Fall Film Showcase is a smaller event and targeted toward the Stephens community while the Spring Film Showcase is a larger event and targeted toward the Columbia community.  Please plan your submission strategy accordingly.

(2) Not all films submitted will be screened.  Each student will be limited to one individual project and one group project.  Exceptions will be made according to time length and number of submissions.

(3) There is no application fee!

(4) Contact Sarah Whorton (SWhorton@stephens.edu) for any other questions or concerns.

Sewing in style.....at Stephens, of course!

Fashion Professor Margie Meyer invited me to her class today so I could see -- first hand and close up -- exactly how hard her students work, and how talented they are.

And of course, I was amazed -- just as I am always amazed when I have the opportunity to spend time with you all, watching you do what you all do so well.

This week, Professor Meyer's students are working on children's apparel -- a basic pattern that each student truly made her own (from polka dots to purple, from stripes to flowers).

And it was such a surprise when Professor Meyer presented me with a handmade bag -- big, beautiful, and exactly the right colors (black and red, of course!).  That was their first assignment, and we all lined up to show off our handiwork....well, THEIR handiwork.  

Stylin', don't you think?

Me, too.

Wassail, anyone?

My family and I spent the evening with Charles Dickens and his wife, eating figgy pudding, and drinking wassail...(Seriously.  It was WASSAIL. )

And just so you know, wassail is actually a lot like hot apple pie in a coffee cup.  Yum.

But the best part wasn't even the food or the drink.  It was the music. 

From the Holly and the Ivy to a rousing rendition of a Jingle Bells sing-a-long, it was the best holiday-spirit booster in town....maybe ever.

The college's annual Victorian Christmas is a unique and special tradition, and it's always sold out well before most people have stopped thinking about Halloween, much less started to think about Christmas.  But that means so many of you have never seen it.

So here's the good news:  This year, I asked the Theatre Department for two tickets to the Tuesday night performance.  And we're giving them FREE to the first person who walks into the President's Office and wishes Tiffany (my amazing and wonderful person who runs my office [and my life]) a happy holiday.

That's it.  That's all it takes.

My office.

Tiffany.

Happy holidays!

And voila: You're headed for an evening of carols, community, camaraderie -- and a drink of hot apple pie in a coffee cup.  Yum.

You know they'll look good....they ALWAYS look good.....

Nobody does a poster like the design folks.....(of course!)

This one was created by Kirsty Buchanan, a young woman with a big talent and a bright future as a graphic designer....

Weird, weird, weird....in the nicest possible way!

Warehouse is doing a whole new kind of fundraising this year (something about 33 plays in 66 minutes....?)

And this is how it works: You do the writing and the acting.

I'll be the lady up in the back row, clapping and laughing and being amazed.

Here's the info, right from Warehouse:

Hey Stephens,
 
The Warehouse Theatre has decided to do a fundraiser in the spring that is a little different then previous years. This year we will be putting on a show while we attempt to perform  33 plays in 66 minutes. This show will be modeled from the very successful show Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind that is currently running in Chicago. Each play will be written by the company and performed by the company, which will give light to some very experimental theatre.
 
 
The Auditions!
Auditions will be different then the most auditions because this is a far from normal show.

Auditions will be held on Saturday, December 5 from 12:00- 2:00pm
We will then have a callback audition from 2:30-5:00pm

For the audition we are asking that you present a prepared talent of any choice and a prepared story about anything or you have the option of doing a one minute comedic monologue.

Callbacks will be a group call back.

Writers!!!
For people interested in writing-

Please submit a self-written monologue or a scene to Kelsey.Munger@sc.stephens.edu or Alexander.rodriguez@sc.stephens.edu by Friday December 4 at 10:00

We will have callbacks for writers at the same time we have the acting callbacks at 2:30.

We are looking to have a unified company who are not afraid to take risks. Please feel free to get in contact with Alex Rodriguez or Kelsey Munger at anytime with questions or concerns. Audition slots are posted in the greenroom. If you are apart of Victorian Christmas, rehearsal gets done at one so sign up for a slot between one and two.
Thank you so much,

Warehouse Theatre

 

Lumberyard makes the Times.....

This just in from Jennifer Woods, an alumna who whose literary magazine, Lumberyard, made the Times this week. 

When we talk about how special and inspiring our faculty are, it's not just talk....it's truth. 

Just ask Jennifer (Woodsy):

Dear Judith and Tina,

I wanted to send you word of some big developments in Woodsy-ville, and to extend another big thank you to both of you, for your support when I was a youngster as well as in launching The Lumberyard.

Dwight Garner of The New York Times reviewed Lumberyard over the holiday weekend, much to our surprise and joy, and it was quite positive (thank heavens!). You can read the review here:
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/27/the-reading-life-out-of-louisville-a-letterpress-magazine/

Also, I will be leaving Sarabande at the end of this year, to pursue the magazine full-time, and grow it into a real company whose offerings expand beyond the twice-yearly lit/design magazine. I know it sounds crazy to start a publishing enterprise during a recession, and at a time when print is scrambling to find a footing. But, I personally believe these are the moments when new ideas can get through, and I have a ton of them.

I never thought when I left the Stephens campus a little over ten years ago that I would be in this position, but I am grateful life has put me at this moment, and am certain that I am only brave enough to go forward due to the nurturing I received as a student in your English Department.

A more formal announcement of this change will go out early next week, but meanwhile you'll want to update your email address for me to:jen@lumberyardmagazine.com.

I look forward to telling you more as I'm able. Hope you are having a wonderful holiday season and that your joys are many.

Love,
Woodsy

Congratulations, Jennifer.

And to you, too, Tina and Judith.....

Wish I were there....

So here I am, sitting in a New York City hotel room (Madison and West 38th), and if I look really really really carefully out the corner of my window, and I crane my neck around by pressing my face against the glass just so, I can see the very tip top of the Empire State Building.

OK, so I happen to love New York, even if it takes a little bit of effort to catch a glimpse of its best parts.

What I hate about being in New York, though, is that I am not currently in Silverthorne Arena, which is where I should be, pounding my feet on the bleachers and hollering "Go Stars!" with everybody else.

Really.  Have you seen these women play basketball?  I'm telling you: it's worth seeing. 

Sometimes they win.  Sometimes they don't.  But I've never seen a team play with such heart, such determination, and such style.

It's the best entertainment in town (who needs the Tigers when you've got the Stars? Not me.....)

Stop by and cheer. 

I would if I were you.

Etudie à l'étranger, n'importe qui ?

This is just a reminder that if you are interested in a Study Abroad experience for the Summer of 2010, applications need to be submitted by February 25, 2010.  I encourage you to work on the application before you leave for Christmas break!
 
I would be happy to meet with you, if you have any questions.  I am in Room 103 Walters, all day on Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday from 8-11.  Please email me and we can set up a time to meet.
 
Wishing you the best with finals!
 
Lynda S. Baumgartner
Study Abroad Coordinator
Ext 4317
Lbaumgartner7704@stephens.edu

All in a day's work....and so cute, too!

Catherine Cooper over at our amazing Children's School (yes, it's true, Stephens has its very own, very special elementary school) has launched a new blog, designed to report and record and capture all of the magical moments of life as a preschooler -- right here on campus.

From Ezra Jack Keats to Eric Carle and trucktown, things are jumpin' at the Children's School -- and now you can be a part of it!

Thanks, Catherine!

Coffee? Tea? Served by me?

I've been looking forward to this for MONTHS.

I heard about it when I first arrived on campus last summer: "Oh, that's right around Midnight Breakfast," somebody would say....and I would think "What?!? Midnight Breakfast?  What's Midnight Breakfast?"

Turns out Midnight Breakfast is a longstanding tradition at Stephens College that involves waffles, bacon, eggs, OJ -- all served to you by me.

Well, me and a bunch of other faculty and administrators and staff.

It happens here at Stephens just about the time in the semester when you most need food and nurturing -- right around finals time.

And this year, I get to be a part of it.

Coffee, anyone?