AC AND THE CIVIL WAR
Camp Williams reenacted

At the outbreak of the Civil War in early 1861, the trustees of Adrian College offered the use of campus buildings and grounds to the Fourth Michigan Volunteer Infantry for training. This encampment, which became known as Camp Williams, was re-created at Adrian College April 11-13.

A reenactment group from Lenawee County - whose aim is to keep the history of the 4th Michigan and the Civil War alive - recreated the camp near the Merillat Sport & Fitness Center. Activities over the weekend included a period ball, a period church service, and a parade. On Sunday, a State of Michigan Historical Marker was dedicated in front of North Hall, to commemorate the history of the 4th Michigan and Camp Williams.

Troops in the original Fourth came from Adrian, Ann Arbor, Dexter, Jonesville, Hudson, Sturgis, Monroe, Hillsdale, Tecumseh, and Trenton. Nearly 30,000 people came to town to see them depart for Washington in 1861. The regiment was assigned to the Army of the Potomac and saw action in 41 engagements. They were one of the few regiments in the war to lose more men to battle than to disease. In 1864, a reorganized Fourth trained at Camp Williams one last time.

YOU BETTER BELIZE IT
Spring break in the rain forest

Chauna Black (Adrian) checks out some of the rain forest's flora. (Photo courtesy of Craig Weatherby.)

Class research, during spring break? Yeah, right. Unless, that is, you're taking Tropical Ecology Research with biology professor Craig Weatherby.

Offered for the first time this year, the focal point of the upper level science class was a spring break trip to Las Cuevas Research Station in Belize. The station is centered in the largest remaining rain forest left in Central America. (The Chiquibul National Forest is approximately 478,000 acres.)

While there, students pursued independent research projects. One student researched the socialization and behavior of Red Lored parrots; another researched the mating behavior of oscillated turkeys; another observed the behavior of spider monkeys.

The students believe the experience has given them a better idea of what actual field research is like.

"There are a lot of jobs where biologists spend months or even a year out in the field," said now-graduated Lindsey Dietrich '03 (Brighton). "This gave us a chance to try it for a week to see if it's something we would be interested in doing."

Highlights of the trip included exploring Mayan ruins, and wandering through the area's large cave complex. In addition to its biological significance, Las Cuevas (which means "the caves") is also an important cultural area due to the ancient Mayan belief in gods of the underworld.

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PRESS-FRIENDLY
Media fellowship attracts national journalists

Journalists from different corners of the country came to Adrian College in April to learn about the Underground Railroad.

Four journalists took part in a media fellowship called "Discovering the Freedom Legacy: Underground Railroad History for the 21st Century," April 9-11. The fellowship was a collaborative effort between the Sojourner Truth Technical Training Center at Adrian College and AC's Public Relations Department. It was awarded to the College by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). CASE media fellowships are designed to allow a small number of journalists to dig into an issue away from the pressures of the newsroom.

While here, they learned about the unique initiatives of the Sojourner Truth Technical Training Center to record and disseminate the history of the Underground Railroad. They also met with Adrian College professors, and visited Underground Railroad hiding spots and other abolitionist landmarks.

The journalists were Katrina Jackson, a reporter for the Black Media Group in South Carolina; Barry Vogel, host and producer of "Radio Curious," a public radio show recorded in California; Bankole Thompson, a reporter for the Michigan Citizen in Detroit; and Delores Edwards, an ABC producer from New York City who is independently researching a documentary film.