Book Power Redux Artist Talk: Exploring Landscape, Nature and the Power of Prints and Artists’ Book with artist Nicole Pietrantoni.

Posted on September 17, 2014 by jmkyoung

BookPowerTalk_Sept17Wednesday, September 17, 2014
7–8 p.m.
Collins Library Room 020

Nicole Pietrantoni is currently an Assistant Professor of Art at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, where she teaches printmaking and book arts.  Her piece, Precipitous, is one of the works featured in the exhibit Book Power Redux at Collins Library.  It is collection of five hand bound accordion books that expand to create a life-sized panoramic image of a rising sea.

“As books, the works gesture to the authority of the encyclopedic and the cataloging of natural specimens. As an installation, they dismantle sublime images through cuts, folds and halftone dots. The overlaid poems by Devon Wootten are appropriations from a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change titled, “Climate Change and Water.” With a specific interest in printmaking’s historic relationship to representation, in this work I gesture to humans’ role in constructing and idealizing landscape. Referencing 19th-century panoramas as well as Romantic painting, the work nods to a particularly fraught period in our relationship to nature. Similarly, today’s changing landscape demands an examination of the tension between the enjoyment of beautiful, idealized landscapes and an awareness of their ecological complexity.”

This event was made possible through the support of the Catharine Gould Chism Fund, University of Puget Sound.

 

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Popular Reading Collection: Get ready to FACEOFF!

Posted on September 17, 2014 by jmkyoung

FaceoffWhat better way to start the school year than with a thrilling new read? Get ready to FACEOFF!

For the first time, some of the world’s most celebrated thriller characters will meet head-to-head in 11 captivating stories. Will your favorite character be victorious?

  • Harry Bosch vs. Patrick Kenzie in “Red Eye,” by Michael Connelly and Dennis Lehane
  • Michael Quinn vs. Repairman Jack in “Infernal Night,” by Heather Graham and F. Paul Wilson
  • Jack Reacher vs. Nick Heller in “Good and Valuable Consideration,” by Lee Child and Joseph Finder

Faceoff, edited by the one and only David Baldacci, features stories from 23 world renowned authors including Dennis Lehane, Michael Connelly, John Sandford, and Heather Graham. Each of the unique stories showcases a dynamic duo you’ve only dreamt of coming together.

To check out this one-of-a-kind anthology, stop by the Popular Reading Collection today!

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DIRT! Exhibit Coming Fall 2015 – Reflecting Importance of Soils to our Environment

Posted on September 16, 2014 by jmkyoung

CALLOUT_DirtComing Fall 2015 to Collins Library at the University of Puget Sound! An exhibit featuring artists, writers, and scientists reflecting on the importance of soils to our environment.

We are excited to begin work on a collaborative exhibit in support of the International Year of Soil as supported by the United Nations.

This exhibit will raise awareness of the importance of soil to our global community.  Preliminary plans include contributions from local soil scientists, educators and experts, a call for entries from book artists and writers to respond to the issues that scientists are raising about soils and our environment as well as insights into what makes up soil, with contributions from the Slater Museum and a collection of soil samples from across the community. We will also provide information on soils within the Tacoma community.

Interested?  Want to get involved? Please contact:
Lucia Harrison, Artist and Educator (Evergreen College)
Jane Carlin,  Collins Library Director

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TacomaData increases access to municipal information

Posted on September 15, 2014 by jmkyoung

TacomaPower_MapIn August, the City of Tacoma launched TacomaData a pilot program to improve access to local data through an open data platform. TacomaData can be browsed by several subject categories including Business, Infrastructure and Transportation, Public Safety, and Environment and Sustainability.

For those who enjoy mucking about with datasets will be please that data is available for download in a variety of formats. While casual will enjoy the useful statistical tables and GIS maps.

Ben Tucker, Social Sciences Librarian

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Posters and Theses and Symposia, Oh My!

Posted on September 12, 2014 by jmkyoung

CALLOUT_symposiumAdvice from Liz Roepke, Peer Research Advisor

You may have noticed or even attended the Summer Research Symposia this last week, for the Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences or for Math & Sciences. The first time I went to a poster session as a first-year student, I was overwhelmed! At every session there are so many intelligent, well-spoken students presenting research they’re proud of.

At the time, I probably understood about ten percent of what each poster was saying. Even now that I’ve attended many more symposia and presented a few of my own posters, there are plenty of topics and posters that go completely over my head.

But that’s okay. A well-designed and well-written poster can tell you a lot about the background information, what the presenter found, and (most importantly) why you should care. Since it’s not my field of study, I’m going to need to know what Modified Quinine Derivatives are, or why I should spend the next five minutes learning about Reverse-Engineering Linear Algebra.

Someday in your college career you may present a poster for your professors and friends. Maybe you’ll even present at a national conference in your discipline, which Puget Sound students often do. So when the time comes, just remember: the only poster in the room you have to completely understand is your own!

P.S. For more student-created work, including posters, theses, and more, visit http://soundideas.pugetsound.edu/student_research/ .

 

Liz Roepke ’15 is a geology major and Peer Research Advisor at Collins Library.

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From the Archives: Wikipedia Edit-a-thon

Posted on September 11, 2014 by jmkyoung

CALLOUT_ArchivesWikipedia

Collins Memorial Library will be hosting a Wikipedia Edit-a-thon on September 20th, from 2-4pm. The event, timed to take place as the Race and Pedagogy Conference approaches, will focus on improving the diversity of representation on Wikipedia, and specifically the coverage of underrepresented authors and activists.

In addition to improving the coverage of underrepresented authors and activists, the event aims to encourage students to improve Wikipedia using the resources available at the library, and to make the campus community more aware of the value of editing Wikipedia in higher education. Participants will be provided with a list of biographical entries to consider editing, and sources will be pulled for participants prior to the event. Learn more about how editing Wikipedia has been used in the classroom.

No Wikipedia experience is necessary- Wikipedia editing handouts will be available at the event, and experienced Wikipedia editors will available to answer questions!

If you are interested in learning to edit Wikipedia or would like more information:

  • Email the Archives & Special Collections;
  • Sign up for the event and create a user account during Archives & Special Collections Open Hours, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, from 1-3pm in Collins Library, room 211;
  • Create an account on your own;
  • Or, join our Facebook event.

Hope to see you there!

By Kara E. Flynn

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Wikipedia Edit-a-thon, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2-4 p.m.

Posted on September 9, 2014 by jmkyoung

WikipediaFlyerImproving the Diversity of Representation on Wikipedia

Help improve the coverage of underrepresented American authors and activists by editing their Wikipedia entries using the resources at the library!
No Wikipedia experience necessary!

Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014, 2-4 p.m.
Collins Memorial Library, rm. 118
Snacks provided!

Sign up and create your Wikipedia account during Archives & Special Collections Open Hours: Tuesdays/Wednesdays/Thursdays from 1-3 p.m. in Collins Library, room 211 or email archives@pugetsound.edu

All are welcome!

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Abby Williams Hill: Her Life, Her Legacy

Posted on September 9, 2014 by jmkyoung
AWH_HerLifeHerLegacy

From left: Abby Hill and the children at Yellowstone National Park,
Mt. Booker Near Lake Chelan, Mt. Rainier from Eunice Lake

Join Laura Edgar, Curator of the Abby Williams Hill Collection, as she speaks to the Tacoma Historical Society

Monday, November 10, 2014
7:00 p.m.
Murray Boardroom, Wheelock Student Center
University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, Washington

The event is free and open to the public.
For more information: ledgar@pugetsound.edu

Abby Williams Hill (1861-1943) was a landscape painter, social activist, and prolific writer who lived in Tacoma from 1889 to 1910. She produced a remarkable collection of landscape paintings showcasing the grandeur of the American West, as well as a vast archive of letters and journals addressing issues of continuing social and historical interest including African-American and Native-American rights, early childhood education, alcohol abuse, the plight of tuberculosis patients, and the preservation of our national parks. Hill’s children donated her archive and over 150 of her paintings and drawings to the University of Puget Sound after Hill died in 1943. Laura Edgar, Curator of the Abby Williams Hill Collection at the University of Puget Sound, will speak about Hill’s life and her impact on the state of Washington.

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What I Wished I Knew… (Advice from Liz Roepke, Peer Research Advisor)

Posted on September 5, 2014 by jmkyoung

peer_galFirst off, welcome to the University of Puget Sound! We’re glad to have you. I hope you had an awesome orientation and a great first week of class. You might be feeling a bit overwhelmed, homesick, nervous – all normal! Hopefully, you’re excited, too. Now I’m sure you’ve gotten a lot of advice in the past few weeks, days, and probably even hours. But here’s some more: six ways to boost your success in your first semester of college. You might have heard some of these points before, but that probably means that it’s good advice!

 

  • If you’re reading this, you’re already on the right track! Reading your emails is one of the best ways to stay up to date with your professors and learn about campus events (sign up for clubs you’re interested in during LogJam or on the ASUPS website – they’ll keep you informed!) If you’re reading the library’s blog, Collins Unbound, – even better! Actively engaging in campus happenings will help you feel more connected and you’ll get the full Puget Sound experience.
  • Use a planner. ASUPS hands them out for free so there’s really no excuse for not having one. Some of you are probably thinking “I can totally keep track of my assignments in my head; I don’t want to waste all that time writing everything down.” BUT eventually you will forget about something – maybe it will be a meeting you scheduled with your professor three weeks ago, or a homework reading assignment your professor just added that isn’t posted on Moodle. Part of being successful in college and as an adult is being organized and punctual, so start practicing now!
  • Read your class syllabi! I know your professor probably already went through some of it in class with you, but looking through it again and writing down important dates (quizzes, exams, paper due dates) in your planner will really help you out later this semester.
  • Go to your professors’ office hours, even if it’s just to introduce yourself. In the end, your professors are the best academic resource you have. Build a good relationship with them now so you feel more comfortable asking for help later in the semester.
  • Learn about some of the schools resources: the library, CES (Career and Employment Services), CHWS (Counseling, Health and Wellness Services), and the CWLT (Center for Writing, Learning, and Teaching). Learning what these resources have to offer before you need them will greatly reduce stress later on.
  • Last but not least: get off campus! Go hike a trail at Mt. Rainier while the weather is still nice, walk down to the farmer’s market on Proctor this Saturday, go study at one of the many coffee shops nearby, or join Habitat for Humanity and help them build a house. Washington has so much to offer, and I promise you won’t regret exploring it.

Remember: there are so many people on campus who want to help you achieve all your hopes and dreams – let us!

Liz Roepke ’15 is a geology major and the library’s first-ever Peer Research Advisor.

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From the Archives: Freshmen Traditions

Posted on September 3, 2014 by jmkyoung
“The Judge” – one of the sophomores who enforced the rule that freshmen must wear their green beanies, by requiring violators of the rule to sit in the electric chair “hot seat” in the Commons eating area of Kittredge Hall, Oct 1953.

“The Judge” – one of the sophomores who enforced the rule that freshmen must wear their green beanies, by requiring violators of the rule to sit in the electric chair “hot seat” in the Commons eating area of Kittredge Hall, Oct 1953.

Back in the older days of our highly esteemed university, there were some very… odd traditions pertaining to freshmen and their relationship with the sophomores. Trust me; if you haven’t heard of the freshman beanie, you’re missing out.

Upon arriving on campus, the “freshies” were required to wear green beanies for the first semester until homecoming in November, or unless they beat the sophomores in a competition. This competition entailed either a “Bag Rush” – imagine football, but with giant bags instead of a ball – or a tug of war. The bag rush is still a bit enigmatic to me, as there are plenty of pictures and scores for it, but very few rules that I have found. The only explicit rule was that if the freshmen won, they could stop wearing the beanies. They would even be allowed to burn their beanies at the Homecoming bonfire, according to the 1934 yearbook.

The punishment for not wearing the beanie depended on the year, of course. In the 1933 edition of Tamanawas, we can find at least a dozen students handcuffed to trees and porches. In 1955, they dyed one girl’s hair green. In 1953, they implemented the “hot seat – freshmen only”, as seen in the picture. Though described as an electric chair, I’m fairly certain that actually electrocuting students (even for such a hideous grievance as not wearing their beanie) was still illegal, and that the sophomores really only smeared black paint on the offenders. Or at least I hope that’s all that happened.

Either way, I’m sure all of our new frosh can be glad that the beanie is now just a tidbit of the past, though if you’d like to try one on for size you can stop by the Archives & Special Collections’ open hours any Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. You could always just leaf through the yearbooks for some of the pictures, too.

By Morgan Ford ‘17

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