Lloyd Lights II

Students sometimes say Haverford doesn't have
enough traditions. The reappearance of the lovely
lights which lined the entryways to Lloyd Hall
this holiday season were brilliant testimony
to quick Haverfordian action to save one
tradition.

Current memories suggest that the tradition
of Lloyd holiday lights goes back 5-6 years
(happy to learn more from alums). "Dorm
reps" were responsible for picking up a small
annual subvention from Students' Council
and organizing each year's lighting efforts.

But dorm reps disappeared this year due to
SC reorganizaton.

Fortunately, some students acted fast to be
sure the tradition didn't lapse. Judging
took place Dec. 16 with Dining Service
Director John Francone, Director of Student
Activities Jason McGraw, Students' Council
co-president Meghan McAllister '10 and
other current students rating the entries.

Top honors went to Lloyd 11-12, whose
residents are Dennis Norris, Sonia Williams,
Shashi Neerukonda, James Meagher, Nikhil
Dhingra, Anna Krieger, Emily Green, Julianne
Eubank, Bethany Morrow, Allyson Abrams,
Tovah Tripp and Rachel Jacobson, all '08.

Third Entry* took second prize, perhaps
because of the innovative rotating head of
our red-nosed friend Rudolph. Eighth Entry
won the bronze medal.

Hearty congratulations to all the students
who made Lloyd Green a winter wonderland
at a stressful time.

If anyone woders what happens to all the bulbs,
Jason McGraw can tell you. They fill up his office!
He's be very happy to donate shares of the
bulbs to anyone needing them. Contact Jason
at jmcgraw@haverford.edu

*--A note on nomenclature: we're told that these
days students call the entries "Tens," "Twenties"
"Thirties," and so on. Not too long ago, it was
"First Entry," "Second," "Third," etc. (And
there was a mythic but not mythical "Tenth Entry"
up the road for students needing good burgers and
liquid refreshment.) Did any one ever call
the entries "Morris," "Stokes," "Strawbridge,"
"Logan" or any of those good Quaker names till
painted over each doorway?

--Greg Kannerstein '63

Lloyd Lights

Lloyd's annual holiday light display...vote for your favorite.

Big News re: Financial Aid

The College announces major changes in its Financial Aid policies: grants replace loans for incoming freshmen; returning students to see relief scaled to most benefit the neediest; new endowment fund created to focus giving for those hoping to support such grants-in-aid. Recipients of the new grants will be invited to pledge support for the fund "as their means allow and the spirit moves" throughout their lifetimes, with no pre-set expectation of how much they might contribute.

Details here.

Fog & Clarity

We recently revamped our eNewsletter to make it more attractive and useful -- for you, certainly, and for us in that the software reports how many times each item is clicked, helping us to better program the piece going forward. Here's how the early returns are shaping up for the issue shipped this week. Count is expressed as a percentage of all clicks, rounded:

Tom Donnelly Video 21%
First Snowfall Video 21%
Haverblog Main Page 21%
Nobel Prize 7%
Iron Chef 6%
Special Olympics 4%
AIDS Quilt 3%
18 in 08 Film 3%
Literary Magazine 3%
Haverford Fund 3%
Treasure Island 2%
Bronze Casting Video 2%
Art Show 2%
News Page 2%

Looks like people go with what (or who) they know and for the newsletter's audience, it doesn't get much more familiar (and beloved) than Tom Donnelly and the first snow on Founders Green. Notably, those top entries were displayed low on the eNewsletter's page, echoing my experience formatting Philly.com: people scan for appealing links, location on a page be damned. It's almost as if perusing a web page taps into the same part of our brain that Neanderthals used in scanning the forest for glints of light and shadow and their associated message of "I will eat that/that will eat me."

-CM

Alexia Kelley '89 vs. Bill O'Reilly

Well, they might sound like contenders for the bare-knuckled boxing crown of the US back in the late 19th century when John L. Sullivan and a host of other sons of Erin ruled the ring roost in this country, but actually it's a much more timely--and for Haverfordians much more interesting--combat taking place right now.

In the right-hand corner, Bill O'Reilly, aging loudmouth from Fox News, exulting in his "victory" against secularists in their "war against Christmas."

Across the ring, Haverford religion major and former field-hockey star ALEXIA KELLEY '89, president of an organization named Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good.

The bout took place on December 4 on O'Reilly's show when the host took on Alexia, claiming that if he had not done his campaign "the forces of darkness would have won the 'war' on Christmas." According to Bill, none of us could say "Merry Christmas" to anyone this year if those forces of darkness had prevailed.

From the transcript of the show, it's obvious that the result was a unanimous decision for the Haverfordian.

O'Reilly chose to rain a flurry of ineffective would-be haymakers at Alexia, an unlikely "force of darkness" as anyone who knows the gentle, appealing and articulate Ms. Kelley would tell you. With rarely a chance to get a word in edgewise, Alexia still threw plenty of careful counterpunches that left O'Reilly bruised and battered.

Many ringside commentators and bloggers have since written about the fight, and their comments about O'Reilly just can't be reprinted in my blog, but you'd enjoy them for sure.

The casus belli for O'Reilly were ads that Alexia's organization put out saying that "We believe the real assault on Christmas (as opposed to that waged by O'Reilly and his ilk in their 'culture wars') is how a season of peace, forgiveness and goodwill has been sidelined by a focus on excessive consumerism. The powerful message Christ brings to the world is 'good news for the poor...'"

Haverfordians, even old Scrooges like this writer, have to be pretty darn proud of Alexia for telling "truth to power" and then some. We'll close with wishes for "Merry Christmas," "Happy Hanukkah," "Joyous Kwanzaa" and even "Happy Holidays" to all our readers, and even to Bill O'Reilly, may he think twice in the coming year before taking on one of the Ford's finest!

(Philadelphians should be sure to check out Carol Towarnicky's column in today's Phila. Daily News, p. 31, for another strong voice weighing in on Alexia's side.)

-Greg Kannerstein '63

The Fifth of December Was Covered In Snow

...and so was the turnpike from...uh...Pittsburgh to Easton. First snow of the season. Here's the view from Founders, in video. Squeals of delight courtesy a visiting gaggle of elementary schoolers, though I'm sure many of our students are feeling much the same.

5:34 pm, from Founders "garden level" toward Sharpless:

...and from Founders porch:

-CM

Haverford and the Arts

I'm delighted to report that Joe Kluger is on the case: Joe is former president of the Philadelphia Orchestra and now an arts consultant. The College has hired him to help us get our heads, arms, hearts and budget around the process whereby we'll ramp up our arts programming, spaces and development work.

This is most welcome. Joe stopped by this morning to hear my thoughts about the subject. As a former HC rock and roller (anybody out there remember practicing the refrigerator storage room?) who also did a bit of composing and singing in the chorale, I'm a firm believer in the value of arts education and experience. Go Joe!

-CM