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MARYGROVE COLLEGE STUDENTS ATTEND MAYORS’ FORUM ON FORECLOSURE CRISIS – THE ONLY SCHOOL TO BE INVITED
Marygrove College students were the only students to witness the proceedings of the critical National Forum on Homeownership Preservation and Foreclosures held in late November in Detroit by the U.S. Conference of Mayors.  The mayors issued an economic impact report following the meeting that projected sharp losses in the Gross Domestic Product and economic output losses for 361 metropolitan areas.

As Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick explained, the day-long meeting was closed to media and the public to generate frank discussion about the depth of the problem and the solutions.  With their political science professors Dr. Tal Levy and Cynthia Blasses, students John Smith, Addie Bonner, Annie Sumareh, Chantell Coyour, Delphine Reed, Henry Roberson and Carl Farrington were exclusively invited to witness the proceedings. 

Marygrove College, with its strategic vision of fostering Urban Leadership, encourages active participation in the affairs of the City of Detroit.  The College believes that the City is an urban laboratory where its students can apply classroom learning in real-world settings.

Professor Blasses said, “I'm pleased to watch students learn and grow through these types of events.  An instructor can stand in front of a podium and lecture for hours on end on economic topics, however, there is nothing better than to witness students learn the concepts in the classroom, then see the real world economic issues unfold at a national conference such as this.  The students at Marygrove College really had the advantage!”

Senior Delphine Reed said, “The privilege of being a student observer at the U.S. Conference of Mayors Forum on Home Foreclosures provided quite an opportunity to witness firsthand the political processes that inform our elected officials. The highlight of the experience was the ability to see information from our textbooks and lectures take on flesh. One area of the discussion was so engaging, I actually wrote down my own solution to the question of how borrowers can receive timely and effective information regarding foreclosure problems."

Social Justice Graduate Student Addie Bonner concurred.  “The conference was a frank discussion between Big City Mayors, representatives from major financial institutions, and non-profit and counseling entities concerning the foreclosure crisis and its economic implications.

"I was surprised to learn that approximately 50% of homeowners who experience a foreclosure do not contact the lender prior to the foreclosure to attempt to make arrangements.  The problem of home foreclosures is not just affecting low income and urban areas. Sub-prime mortgages have caused widespread property loss, which affects the property values of homes in areas surrounding foreclosed homes.  I learned that home values suffer a 1.5% loss within a 1/8-mile area of a foreclosed home.  So, foreclosures affect us all.  It was an experience I will never forget.”

AWARD-WINNING SCIENCE FICTION AUTHOR TO DELIVER BAUDER LECTURE
Umberto Eco considers him a “fascinating writer…who has invented a new style.” Galaxy Magazine considers him “the best science fiction writer in the world.” The Nation calls him “brilliant, driven, prolific” and says that he “has a fearsomely stocked intellect, and a wider range of experience than most writers can even imagine.”

Samuel R. Delany will be the twentieth visiting author in the Contemporary American Authors Lecture Series. The second author of science fiction to participate in the series—the first was the late Octavia Butler in 1994—the tireless Delany has written nearly fifty book-length works: novels, short stories, essays, memoirs, and literary criticism. He will deliver the Lillian and Donald Bauder Lecture on Friday, April 11, 2008, at 8:00 p.m. in the Madame Cadillac Building’s Alumnae Hall.

Delany uses the distant times and places in which he sets his work as opportunities to comment on issues he considers important in our own time. He writes frequently of people who challenge conventional values and accepted patterns of behavior, and he explores the nature of change and the ways that change occurs. His works themselves reflect these themes by challenging common assumptions about language, structure, and genre.

Samuel R. Delany grew up in Harlem and began his career as novelist at age nineteen. By the time he was twenty-five (1967), he had published nine novels and had won two Nebula Awards, given to the year’s best works of science fiction. Since then, he has continued to produce groundbreaking science fiction and fantasy. Major works include novels Babel-17 (1966); The Einstein Intersection (1967); Nova (1968); the trilogy The Fall of the Towers (1970); Dhalgren (1975); Triton (1976); a series of fantasy novels, Return to Nèverÿon (1979-87); Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand (1984), Equinox (1994), and Phallos (2004). He has two collections of short stories, Driftglass: Ten Tales of Speculative Fiction (1971) and Aye, and Gomorrah: Stories (2003), which includes the stories of the earlier volume. His nonfiction includes critical essays about literature and about language, sexuality, and race—among a wide range of other subjects. In addition to four Nebula Awards, Delany has twice received the Hugo Award for science fiction, the Science Fiction Research Association’s Pilgrim Award for Excellence, and the William Whitehead Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement for Gay and Lesbian Literature. He has also been elected to the Science Fiction Hall of Fame.

Delany has taught at a number of universities, including the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; SUNY Buffalo; Cornell University; the University of Michigan; and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Since 2001, he has been professor of English and creative writing at Temple University in Philadelphia.

Jane Branham Weedman, author of one of four book-length studies of Delany’s work, has written, “Few writers approach the lyricism, the command of language, the powerful combination of style and content that distinguishes Delany’s works.” She adds, “Few writers...so successfully create works which make us question ourselves, our actions, our beliefs, and our society as Delany has helped us do.”

For more information about Samuel R. Delany and his April 11th visit to Marygrove, please visit the Contemporary American Authors Lecture Series web site or call (313) 927-1383.

MEET STUDENT AMY PAVLOV
“College is free form. It’s up to you to create your own experience. How big you dream will determine how grand your experience will be.” Amy Pavlov’s advice to prospective students is exemplified by her first three years at Marygrove and is indicative of the reason she was selected to receive the Distinguished Alumni of Tomorrow award.

Although Amy is the daughter of Marygrove alumna Marilynn Schreiner Pavlov ‘71, her choice of Marygrove was not automatic. Her siblings had attended larger state universities but a campus tour sold Amy on the value of the small campus, the individual attention and a program that suited her goals as well as a scholarship offer.

Once enrolled, she hit the ground running. As a first-year student, Amy earned the award for having the highest grade point average and, as a sophomore, she was the recipient of the St. Catherine Medal. She completed her junior year as an English major with Biology minor and a GPA of 3.904. It is no surprise that she has been on the National Dean’s List every year. Each of the awards was accompanied by a scholarship in the name of the donor. Amy is a student representative on the Academic Events Committee and served on the presidential search committee. She was on hand as a volunteer for the inaugural events for President David Fike last May. She is an admissions tour guide as well.

An Honors Program student, officer and a co-curricular coordinator, Amy was invited to present a paper at Purdue Calumet on health fads in literature. She wrote on hypochondria in “Emma” and alcoholism in “Wuthering Heights.” On another trip, Amy traveled with Professor Maureen DesRoches to several towns in the English countryside and London on the spring break study abroad program. Amy traveled to Puerto Rico on a service learning trip last year. The group worked at a San Juan homeless shelter as well as with a local organization on the island of Vieques. “It was an amazing experience that showed me yet again that all people have worth and importance no matter where they came from,” says Amy.

Academics aside, Amy is one of the College’s most involved and active students. She works in the office of Enrollment Services for Dean Sally Janecek who says, “Amy’s infectious smile and cheerful disposition is witnessed daily on the campus whether she is in class, working or just hanging out with friends…she truly enjoys life and being with others. Her competence, commitment and compassion are demonstrated daily and are truly a part of her inner spirit.” Dean Janecek was a classmate of Amy’s mother.
In reflecting on the College, Amy said, “Marygrove has challenged me to grow. It welcomed me as a daughter. It makes me view others and situations with greater compassion and has challenged me to look at the other side of things.”

Commenting on her daughter’s selection, Maryilynn Pavlov says, “From the moment she set foot on the campus of Marygrove College as a freshman, I could see that she and Marygrove were a good fit. In my opinion, her life at Marygrove has been the embodiment of what the award is all about: academic accomplishment, leadership and service – qualities that she will take with her and use to better society long after she has graduated from Marygrove.”

Amy returns the compliment. She says that her mother set the example of the strong, intelligent, competent woman that she wants to become. She offers high praise for all of her professors and cites Dean Janecek and Dean Ambrose for opening many opportunities for which she is very grateful.

Amy participated in Marygrove’s Academic Symposium last year and helped to plan the Founders’ Day program last November. She won the McCombs Currier award in 2004 and squeezed in time to produce pottery accepted in the student exhibition. Amy also represents the student body on the Marygrove Alumni Board. Amy continues to be active in the campus ministry program.

Dressed as a 19th century woman, Amy spent the summer on Mackinac Island as an historic house interpreter and talked to visitors about what it was like to live in the 1820s and 1880s.

Amy loves fresh flowers, sunrises, good conversations and especially her family and, as a typical college student, longs for extra sleep.

BOOK DISCUSSION: STRAIGHT, NO CHASER: HOW I BECAME A GROWN-UP BLACK WOMAN
Dr. Loretta Woodard, associate professor of English, will lead another engaging and enlightening book discussion on journalist Jill Nelson’s Straight, No Chaser: How I Became a Grown-Up Black Woman. All are welcome to discuss Nelson’s highly praised and insightful work

The discussion will take place on Friday, February 22, 2008, in the Faculty Lounge located in the lower level of the Liberal Arts Building from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. There will be light refreshments.

Book summary:  Full of candor, courage, wit, and passion, Nelson uses a blend of autobiography, political analysis, and self-help to examine the roles and status of black women in their communities. As she unveils the “secrets, silence, and invisibility” that defines their lives, Nelson challenges black women, and by extension, all women, especially young women, to “speak up and out,” as a collective voice, about the ills of their communities, and the larger culture.

If you plan to attend, please mark your calendar now and contact Alumni Program Committee member Druel Outley at (313) 342-3208 or drueloutley@ameritech.net.

DINNER/THEATRE: AND NEITHER HAVE I WINGS TO FLY
February 9, 2008
Dinner at 6:30 p.m. in Madame Cadillac Hall
Stage play at 8:00 p.m. in the Marygrove Theatre

The Marygrove College Alumni Association Program Committee cordially invites you to the UDM production of And Neither Have I Wings to Fly written by Ann Noble Massey and directed by Yolanda Fleischer.  The story, set in a town on the east coast of Ireland in the late 1950s, swirls around the Donnelly sisters, the responsible, devoted Eveline and her younger, more glamorous and more selfish 18-year-old sister, Kathleen. The two are mourning the death of their mother after a long illness. In their very different ways, they are trying to break free of their depressed father, Peter. Wings is a fiercely lovely meditation on the high price paid in the quest for personal freedom and the equally high price exacted for remaining true to others. It is as soaring, and as rueful as its richly poetic title.

The cost is $30 per person which includes dinner and a theater ticket.  Space is limited and reservations must be received no later than February 1, 2008.  To make reservations, send a check made payable to Marygrove College, attention Marianne Gaynor, IHM, 8425 W. McNichols, Detroit, 48221 or call (313) 927-1572 to pay by credit card.

LITERARY MAP PUTS MARYGROVE ON THE MAP
Found on Marygrove’s web site is the unique Literary Map of Detroit, thanks to Dr. Frank Rashid and several others.  The Literary Map of Detroit draws attention to the Detroit-area locales that are important in literature. The online Literary Map of Detroit has four new locations along with articles about their roles in literature. The new sites and the authors of the articles are:

• The Packard Plant & Emma Thomas School by Central Michigan University History Professor Stephen Jones
• The Dodge Main Plant also by Stephen Jones
• Telegraph Road / US 24 by Marygrove's Visiting Instructor of English Michael Martin
• Bloomfield Hills by Marygrove's Dean of the Arts and Sciences Division Judith Heinen

The map now features twenty-four sites. (Others are in preparation.) Contributors include Marygrove staff and faculty members, among them Jane Hammang-Buhl, Ollie Mitchell, Pat Pichurski and Jeff Zachwieja. Marygrove alumnae who have written articles for the site include Maggie Burbo, Pamela Fields-Harrison, Kay Hughes and Zola Masembuko (Joan Hooks-Polk).

Also linked to the map are two new resources for the study of Detroit literature: a bibliography of Detroit fiction, poetry, drama and creative nonfiction, and a bibliography of secondary sources about Detroit literature. Marygrove English alumnae Cassie Atkinson and Laurie LePain Kopack (now a student in our master’s program) along with History Professor and Assistant Provost Thomas Klug and former Marygrove employee Jamie Babcock assisted in developing these bibliographies.

The Literary Map of Detroit is an ongoing project of Marygrove’s Institute for Detroit Studies. Through it, we hope to highlight Detroit’s importance in literature and literature’s importance to Detroit. Visit the Literary Map at: http://www.marygrove.edu/ids/Detroit_literary_map.asp

MARYGROVE PARNTERS WITH SMITHSONIAN JOURNEYS AND COLLETTE VACATIONS FOR A NEW TRIP TO EGYPT
Splendors of the Nile
March 11 -  22,  2009
12 Days – 22 Meals
$3,449 – Includes roundtrip air from Detroit, hotel transfers and departure taxes.

Step back in time and explore thousands of years of history, legend, and lore as we view the timeless wonders of Egypt.  Discover the world of the ancient Egyptians as we visit the incomparable sites of the pharaohs – Memphis and Sakkara, the Pyramids of Giza, Luxor and Karnak temples, and the tombs on the West Bank and ancient Thebes.  Cruise along the legendary Nile River, pass colonnaded temples, and stop at the temples of Edfu and Kom Ombo, situated at the crossroads of ancient caravan routes.  We’ll learn about ancient Egyptian history during lectures in Cairo and on board the cruise from our Egyptologist/National Guide who will accompany guests throughout the journey.

Beijing City Stay
October 14 – 22, 2008
9 Days – 15 Meals
$2,029 – Includes roundtrip air from Detroit, hotel transfers and departure taxes.

Experience the best of Beijing, home of the 2008 Summer Olympics, while spending each night of our tour in one of the city’s finest hotels.  We’ll visit Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven and The Great Wall.  We’ll also experience ancient Beijing on a rickshaw tour, have a tradition Chinese dinner with a local family in their home and attend the Peking Opera.

Alumni-sponsored travel is open to all alumni, family and friends of Marygrove College.  To view the full itinerary for these trips, please visit www.marygrove.edu/alumni/travel.  Special accommodations can be made for people who need a departure city other than Detroit.  If you have questions or need more information, contact Diane Puhl, director of Alumni Relations, at (313) 927-1443 or dpuhl@marygrove.edu.