News Briefs

AMAM Director leaves for Smithsonian

Sharon Patton, director of the Allen Art Museum, leaves Oberlin tomorrow to become director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art, where she will manage a $4.3 million budget and 7,000 pieces of traditional and contemporary works from Africa.
During her short but distinguished career at Oberlin, Patton greatly expanded the museum’s collection of African-American, traditional African and Asian works of art. She started in 1998 as a professor of art in the College.
“We were hoping against hope that we could keep her here,” President Nancy Dye said in an article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Patton was offered the director position after two years on the advisory board of the National Museum of African Art.
The College is planning a country-wide search for Patton’s replacement. Meanwhile, Katherine Solender (OC ’77) will be acting director.

—Kate Antognini

Pipes burst, students thirst

A town water main broke on January 7, contaminating the tap water of Talcott, Baldwin, Fairchild, Harvey, Kade and Price. An email notice was sent out to RA's in the afflicted residence halls, warning that water “should not be used for drinking or food preparation for 52 hours” unless boiled. To satisfy the parched students during that time, ResLife placed containers of drinking water in hall kitchenettes.

—Jesse Baer

Scholarships up for grabs

USA Funds, a non-profit education loan guarantor, is offering two scholarships, both of which award full-time students with $1500 grants. To qualify, applicants must have annual adjusted gross family incomes of $35,000 or less, and be enrolled in collgege beginning with the fall 2003 term through Feb. 1, 2004. For complete eligibility information and to download an application form, visit the USA Funds' Web site, http://www.usafunds.org/ (select "Scholarship Information" from the Express Links" menu).
If $1500 isn’t enough for you, the Davis-Putter Scholarship Fund wants to give up to $6000 to "student activists who are building the progressive movement and will be enrolled in school during the 2003-04 academic year." This is a need-based scholarship. Applications and supporting documents must be postmarked by April 1. To receive an application, send a self addressed stamped #10 envelope to: Davis-Putter Scholarship Fund / Post Office Box 7307 / New York, NY 10116-7307, or davisputter@hotmail.com

—Jesse Baer