Haverford Professor’s Book at the Center of Controversy
Bean Named Associate Dean and Director of Academic Resources
The Friends Corner
Cosby a Proud Ford
April in New York
Commencement 2002
Hansen Retires
Alumni Weekend
J.B. Haglund '02 Update

Faculty Notes

Professor of Religion Michael Sells intended his 1999 book Approaching the Qur’an: Early Revelations (White Cloud Press) to provide a better understanding of the Islamic faith—not cause controversy.

Yet it’s this book that has caused the Family Policy Network, a conservative Christian educational organization, to file a lawsuit against the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, which is requiring all incoming freshmen to read Approaching the Qur’an. The organization is filing the suit on behalf of three students who refuse to read the book on the grounds that it violates church/state separation.

Every year, UNC requires all freshmen to read one single, same book chosen to address an important world issue. Approaching the Qur’an, a collection of 35 translated passages with written commentaries on each, was chosen specifically because of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and subsequent interest in the Islamic faith. The Family Policy Network, along with several students and parents, objects to the fact that the book presents what they call a one-sided view of Islam, excluding passages that have been served as inspiration to terrorists and failing to portray it as a “religion of violence.” Others argue that a religious book should not be required reading at a public university on the grounds of separation of church and state, and still others claim that by choosing this book, UNC is preaching Islam as somehow superior to Christianity.

The school defends its selection, saying that its role is to increase understanding of Islam. Sells agrees, explaining that the book introduces the reader to Qur’an passages most central to the lives of Muslims, and gives students a better sense of why these traditions are so meaningful to people of this faith.

In a personal response to the lawsuit, which can be found at Sells’ Web site, www.haverford.edu/relg/sells, he claims that his book “no more preaches Islam than the Bible selections used in required Western Civilization and humanities courses preach Judaism or Christianity.” He says that the Qur’an has traditionally been difficult for Americans to comprehend, and that the translations found in bookstores are not true to most Muslims’ experience of these passages. “My book explains why that is the case and offers an entry into the Qur’an’s core literary features and theological ideas,” he says in his statement. “Such a reading could only encourage and strengthen a more productive understanding of religion and terrorism.”

In the wake of the terrorist attacks, Sells was asked by several news organizations to explain the differences among various Islamic sects and their relationship to the Al Queda network. He has always maintained that Al Queda and the Taliban adhere to an unusual strand of Islam and do not represent all Muslims. Recently, Sells appeared on the Fox News program “Hannity and Holmes” to debate UNC’s decision with Joe Glover, president of the Family Policy Network. (Fox News mainstay Bill O’Reilly has thrown his own opinion into the ring by stating that requiring students to read Approaching the Qur’an now is like requiring them to read Hitler’s Mein Kampf during World War II.)

In response to the lawsuit, UNC has amended the reading assignment and allowed students who object to the book to submit a one-page paper explaining their position.
—B.M

Lorna and Lathrop Nelson take a relaxing stroll on campus with their two golden retrievers, George and Macduff. Although neighbors of the College for many years, they were not familiar with the campus until they acquired their first golden retriever, George, seven years ago. George’s boundless enthusiasm as a puppy quickly had them looking for a safe place with more room to move. They were delighted to discover Haverford’s beautiful campus and Nature Trail. With the addition of their second golden retriever, Macduff, four years ago, Lorna admits that Haverford quickly became their “home away from home.” Later, when they began landscaping their property, they turned to Haverford for ideas. “During our walks, we began sticking our heads in the plants looking at tree labels,” Lathrop laughs.

“As I approached retirement, I wanted to give something back to the community,” Lathrop explains. He joined the Campus Arboretum Association in 1997 and he has been giving his talents, time, and energy ever since. An avid photographer with a love for Haverford and an eye for the exquisite beauty of the campus, many of his photographs can be seen in the Arboretum’s numerous publications. In 2000, he became an executive committee member of the Arboretum and that same year both he and Lorna became members of Haverford’s National Gifts Program, a major philanthropic program in the “Educating to Lead, Educating to Serve” campaign.

Lathrop assumed the position of Volunteer Chair of the Friends of Haverford College Program in January of this year. The purpose of this new program is to actively engage members of the greater community in meaningful, long-term relationships with the College. With a small alumni donor base, the program also hopes to develop other sources of financial support for the College.

“We, (like many other members of the community), love coming to campus,” Lorna shares. “The students are so friendly. They frequently stop us when we’re out with our dogs and tell us that they miss their dogs at home. The dogs are a real ice-breaker.”

“We also like living near a college for all the cultural opportunities it offers to the community.” Lathrop explains.
The College supports the community. As members of the community who enjoy the College, we want to insure that Haverford will be able to continue to serve present and future generations for years to come.”

“This is such a beautiful, peaceful spot,” Lorna adds.

George and Macduff, who are eagerly wagging their tails and pulling on their leashes, appear to agree.
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The greater community is invited to discover the peace and beauty of Haverford during our Family & Friends Weekend & Homecoming, October 25-27, 2002. For more information about the Friends of Haverford College Program and Haverford College events open to the public, please contact Dee Delaney, 610-896-2992.

The “Educating to Lead, Educating to Serve” campaign celebration held at Cipriani in New York City was attended by more than 500 Haverford alumni, the largest off-campus event in the College’s history. Hosted by Jerry Levin ’60, the evening featured live and silent auctions, the unveiling of a new Haverford video, and a stirring musical performance by Broadway singer La Chanze Gooding, widow of Calvin Gooding ’84. Board Chair Barry Zubrow ’75 prompted waves of applause and cheers from the crowd with his surprise announcement of the gift of an additional $5 million to the College from John Whitehead ’43. As they left Cipriani for the evening, guests were handed advance copies of the newly redesigned Spring 2002 alumni magazine.

John Whitehead acknowledges the crowd's applause.	Jerry Levin '60 hosted the largest off-campus event in Haverford history on April 18, 2001, at Cipriani (above right)

Three new tenure-track appointments will join the Haverford faculty for the 2002-2003 academic year. They are: Thomas Deans, assistant professor of rhetoric and composition and Director of College Writing; Laura McGrane, instructor in English; and Iruka Okeke, assistant professor of biology. In addition, Hee Sook Kim will join the faculty in a regular part-time position as assistant professor of fine arts and the College’s new printmaker.

An article by Associate Professor of Physics Suzanne Amador Kane, titled “An undergraduate biophysics program: curriculum examples and lessons from a liberal arts context,” appeared in the June-September issue of the American Journal of Physics. The article provides an overview of such programs and the institutional challenges that arise in putting them together.

A new composition by Associate Professor of Music Ingrid Arauco, called “Fantasy Quartet,” premiered in May as part of Haverford’s Network for New Music Performing Artists Series. The piece was created with a $600 grant from the Margaret Fairbank Jory Copying Assistance Program of the American Music Center.

Professor of English Kim Benston wrote the chapter “Dutchman as ‘Political Theater’” for Political Stages, published by Applause Theatre Books. He also wrote “Harper and Trane: Modal Enactments of a Love Supreme” for the book High Modes: Essays on Michael S. Harper, published by the University of Illinois Press.

Julio de Paula, professor of chemistry, attended the Ninth National Conference of the Council on Undergraduate Research at Connecticut College June 17-22, and chaired two workshops: one on establishing and nurturing research collaborations at primarily undergraduate institutions and another on planning and building science facilities at such institutions. de Paula is Councilor of the Council on Undergraduate Research.

Robert Fairman, assistant professor of biology, co-authored “Exploring the role of alanine in the structure of the Lac repressor tetramerization domain, a ferritin-like ala-coil” for volume 317 of the Journal of Molecular Biology.

Assistant Professor of East Asian Studies Hank Glassman presented a paper on a 17th-century miracle tale from Japan at the Association of Asian Studies Annual Meeting, April 4-7. Called “Popular Buddhism and the Efficacy of Narration,” the paper questioned the applicability of the term “popular Buddhism” to texts such as this tale and suggests possible motivations for its creation. He also served on a panel discussing “Otogizoshi and the Dharma: Popular Buddhism in the Literature of Medieval Japan.”

Professor of Physics Jerry Gollub published two articles in volume 65 of the journal Physical Review: “Two dimensional granular Poiseuille flow on an incline; multiple dynamical regimes;” and “Granular shear flow dynamics and forces; experiment and continuum theory.”

Assistant Professor of Chinese and Linguistics Shizhe Huang’s manuscript, Predication and Quantification in Mandarin Chinese: A Case Study of Dou, was accepted for publication by the Edwin Mellen Press.

Tracey Hucks, assistant professor of religion, was awarded a Ford Foundation Grant through the Center of the Study of Religion at Princeton University. Beginning September 1, Hucks will devote the grant to completing a four-year research project on the study of African-derived religions in Trinidad. Also, Hucks’ manuscript, Approaching the African God: African American Yoruba Religious History in the United States, has been contracted for publication by the University of Illinois Press; it will be published as part of the Blacks in Diaspora Series.

Assistant Professor of French Duane Kight presented the paper “Growing Pains, Growing Pleasures, or How French Students Learned to Love the Web” at the Fourth Annual DigitalStream Conference at California State University-Monterey Bay, March 20-23.

Danielle Macbeth, associate professor of philosophy, was awarded a Fellowship at the Center for Advanced Study in Behavioral Sciences in Palo Alto, Calif., for the 2002-2003 academic year.

Assistant Professor of Political Science Steve McGovern’s book, To Make the City Whole: Dialogues on the Problems and Perspectives of Urban America, which he co-authored with Harvard’s Charles Euchner, was accepted for publication by Rowan & Littlefield.

Maude McInerney, assistant professor of English, attended the 37th Annual International Congress on Medieval Studies May 2-5 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. As part of a panel devoted to “The Seven Deadly Sins in Malory’s Morte d’Arthur,” she presented a paper entitled “The Nearly Sinless Knight: Sir Bors de Ganis and the Specter of Perfection.”
Associate Professor of German Ulrich Schoenherr was an invited speaker with the international conference “Austrian Writers Confront the Past,” held at the University of Pennsylvania April 12-14. He presented the paper “Art, History and Politics in Gert Jonke’s Fiction.”

Professor of Religion Michael Sells contributed the following chapters to the following books: “The Infinity of desire: love, mystical union, and ethics in Sufism,” to Crossing Boundaries: Essays on the Ethical Status of Mysticism, published by Seven Bridges Press; “Islam in Serbian religious mythology and its consequences” for Islam and Bosnia: Conflict Resolution and Foreign Policy in Multi-Ethnic States, published by McGill-Queen’s University Press; “Irremediable ecstasy; modes of the lyric in Etel Adnan’s The Spring Flowers Own and Manifestations of the Voyage,” to Etel Adnan: Critical Essays on the Arab-American Writer and Artist, published by McFarland and Co.; and “The Wedding of Zein: Islam through the modern novel,” in Approaches to the Teaching of Islamic Studies, published by Oxford University Press.