Ever track down a site on the Underground Railroad?

Anyone can learn how at the new Sojourner Truth Technical Training Center, which will open soon in Shipman Library at Adrian College. The center will offer instruction on how to use technology to record Underground Railroad sites.

The project, which is under the direction of Adrian professor Kim Davis, is the first of its kind in the nation. It is designed to serve organizations, groups, and individuals on a state and national level. Participants will use laptops, digital cameras and hand-held scanners to document the sites for an online database.

"It will provide an extraordinary opportunity to utilize high technology to both preserve and disseminate information on one of the most important stories in American history," Davis said.

Management and operation of the center will be conducted in partnership with the Sojourner Truth Institute of Battle Creek and the International Network of Freedom Association. There will be a satellite training center in Battle Creek.

"With its history and involvement in the abolitionist movement and the Underground Railroad, Adrian College has a deep sense of commitment to the preservation of Michigan's role in the Underground Railroad story," Davis said.

ESTES HALL FACELIFT
New windows look great, save energy

Anyone who has stepped foot on campus has noticed stately Estes Residence Hall. This traditional brick building, with its trimmed dormers and boxed sun porches, has graced the campus since 1958.

After years of housing college students and braving the elements, though, Estes Hall was beginning to show signs of wear. The College remedied the situation in July by undertaking a massive remodeling project on this historic building, as all 250 windows were replaced and aluminum siding was installed on the sun porches and dormers. Plans call for the same improvements to Jarvis Residence Hall in the summer of 2002.

While these improvements provide a significant facelift to a favorite campus building, they also help reduce energy consumption - a real dilemma on every college campus.

FÊTE D'AMIS - A FEAST OF FRIENDS
French professor's retirement party a success

Nearly 50 alumni and friends gathered in May for the "Feast of Friends" to celebrate Dr. Marianna Staples' retirement after 33 years at Adrian College. Little did they know they'd have to search their memories for foreign language skills during a mini French lesson and quiz. But in spite of this renewed mental strain, attendees took the opportunity to thank a teacher who had made such a difference in their lives. Several alumni shared how studying a foreign language with Madame Staples had impacted them, from career choices and options to their perspectives of a bigger world.

A special gift, a mock check in the amount of $7,212 representing donations by many French majors, minors and other friends, was presented to Dr. Staples for the newly created Marianna K. Staples Foreign Language Scholarship. The scholarship committee, Sue Henry Scott '72, Brenda Rice '78, Elizabeth Rudy Barrow '84 and Kali Koziol Steck '95, was involved in the fund-raising process. To conclude the afternoon, the event committee (Kimberly Moore Hackett '72, Steve Hedge '90 and Laura Thompson '97) and other guests read aloud Madame's favorite French poem, "Liberté" by Paul Eluard.

After the celebration, Dr. Staples commented on her delight in the afternoon and in visiting with alumni and friends: "This day made spending 33 years teaching at Adrian College all worth it. The party was a highlight of my life."

To support foreign language students through the Marianna K. Staples Foreign Language Scholarship, an endowed scholarship, direct donations to the Office of Institutional Advancement noting the Staples Scholarship. Questions? Contact the office at 517-264-3168 or wkenyon@adrian.edu.

MEETING THE CHALLENGE
Campaign ends above goal

The five-year Commitment to Excellence Campaign came to a close on June 30 with a total of $19,268,523 in gifts and pledges, well over the original $15 million goal. The most noticeable outcome of the campaign was the newly renovated Shipman Library - a state-of-the-art learning center that is also an architectural showpiece. The College was also able to increase its endowment and boost annual fund growth. Full details of the campaign will be included in the annual President's Report, due out this fall.

NEW WEB SITE
AC has transformed www.adrian.edu

AC has recently finished a major overhaul of its Web site. Although the address is the same (www.adrian.edu), the design is completely new and several useful features have been added.

This includes the News and Information page, with the latest news and events on campus, as well as a retooled Alumni and Friends page with up-to-date alumni event listings (including homecoming and class reunions) and information on acquiring transcripts.

And since the new site is an ongoing project, there are other features to look forward to, such as the ability to make on-line gifts or on-line bookstore purchases .

Check it out!

CHANGING THE RANKINGS
Big fish AC thrown into a much bigger pond

When U.S. News & World Report's 2001 "America's Best Colleges" guide hits the newsstand in September, readers will have to search a little bit harder to find Adrian College. That's because Adrian is one of a number of schools that is now classified differently by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching - and U.S. News & World Report uses the Carnegie classifications as a basis for their ranking structure.

So what does that mean? In the past, Adrian has been listed in the regional college rankings of U.S. News & World Report and has been touted by the magazine as a "Best Buy." Adrian will now be listed in the national liberal arts category (rubbing shoulders with prestigious colleges such as Swarthmore, Williams and Colgate) - a completely different set of colleges than it has been compared to in the past.

COMING HOME
New soccer coach continues alumni trend

Jeff Rosenbrook '99 takes over as head coach of the AC men's soccer team this fall, perpetuating a trend of Adrian College alumni who are now on the sidelines as coaches. With Jeff's arrival, there are now four head coaches who are also alumni (Craig Rainey '86, baseball; Molly Ziegler Moore '94, softball; and Riki Carson '92, cross country and track and field). Several other alumni serve as assistant coaches or support staff.

"There is definitely a benefit in having alumni as coaches," Athletic Director Henry Mensing said. "They know the history of the program and what it takes to compete in the MIAA. Plus, they've been in the same shoes as the people they're dealing with."

Familiarity will not be the only asset that Jeff brings to the men's soccer program. He has credibility as a player (being a former team MVP and an all-conference performer), and he comes from a soccer family with close ties to the MIAA (his brother Todd '01 also played at AC while his brother Paul played at Hope).

- Compiled by Darcy Gifford '91 and Brad Whitehouse