Herndon has taken classes at PMC as a Continuing Education student, majoring in American Studies. In 1993, she established the Nancy R. Herndon Women's Studies Award to honor Professor Melinda Ponder for creating the Women's Studies Program. Last September, she and her late husband, Noah T. Herndon, hosted a neighborhood reception to introduce President Gloria Nemerowicz to Chestnut Hill neighbors and friends.

"Nancy has a long-standing relationship with the faculty and students of Pine Manor. We look forward to benefiting from her active participation, representing the interests of both Pine Manor and our neighbors," says President Nemerowicz.

"Dr. Wallace-Benjamin's extensive experience in the field of education and public policy, as well as her dedication to the youth of Boston will make her a valued and integral member of our board," said Gloria Nemerowicz, President of Pine Manor College. "We believe her wide ranging involvements will strengthen and enrich Pine Manor College's relationships with Boston communities.

Prior to joining the Urban League, Dr. Wallace-Benjamin was Director of Operations for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston, and deputy Director of ABCD's Head Start Program. From 1988-93, she served on the Massachusetts State Board of Education, becoming Vice Chairperson of the Board in her final year. She has also been active on the boards of the Citywide Educational Coalition, Facing History and Ourselves, the Children's Museum and the New England Aquarium. In 1994, Mayor Menino appointed Dr. Wallace-Benjamin co-chair of the Community Learning Centers' Blue Ribbon Commission. In 1997, she joined a delegation representing the City of Boston in the Mayor's City-to-City Commission to Atlanta.

A graduate of Wellesley College, Dr. Wallace-Benjamin holds a doctoral degree from Brandeis University's Florence Heller School for Advanced Studies in Social Welfare. She has received numerous awards including a 1993 honorary doctoral degree in Public Service from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

A major goal of the "Pine Manor College Weekend Leadership Conference" is to help build a network of support and friendships for adolescent young women throughout Boston communities. Work throughout the weekend will focus on leadership and self-esteem, health issues, relationships with family and friends, importance of college, developing action plans and solving problems. The weekend program coincides with a United Way workshop entitled, "Today's Girls...Tomorrow's Leaders," an initiative that is aimed at increasing the resources available to address the unique developmental needs of girls.

"Numerous research studies have chronicled the challenges facing young girls as they transition from childhood through adolescence and into womanhood," said Marian L. Heard, president and chief executive officer of the United Way of Massachusetts Bay. "Pine Manor College's efforts compliment United Way's strategies, particularly those that help young girls develop the skills, self-esteem and courage necessary to succeed."

Pine Manor College/United Way Leadership Conference

The conference participants were nominated by each agency with which they are currently involved. Agency mentors also attending the conference will help provide support and guidance to the girls within their own communities. The participating United Way agencies include: Newton Community Service Center, Federated Dorchester Neighborhood House, the Salesian Boys and Girls Club of East Boston, Gregg Neighborhood House of Lynn, Patriot Trail Girl Scout Council, South Boston Neighborhood House, and Boston Parents' and Children's Services.

"We saw a synergy between PMC's leadership programs and the work United Way agencies accomplish on behalf of adolescent young women," said Pine Manor College's President Gloria Nemerowicz. "We can vastly improve our efforts in the community if we combine our resources."

The United Way of Massachusetts Bay supports over 200 agencies, serving 1.8 million people in 80 communities in eastern Massachusetts.

Sponsored by the Center for Inclusive Leadership and Social Responsibility at Pine Manor College, the Inclusive Leadership Awards are designed to honor women who have demonstrated collaboration, innovative thinking, and a commitment to social responsibility in their workplaces and communities. Pine Manor College President Gloria Nemerowicz will present the award.

According to Mary Ann Tinklepaugh Fish, Washington Representative of the Office of Federal Affairs for New York State, Pine Manor College alumna and member of the college's Board of Trustees, "We are proud to present Dr. Sebrechts with this award that recognizes her strong contribution to women's education and leadership." Dr. Sebrechts is the fifth recipient of this prestigious award that has also been given to The Honorable Juliette Clagett McClennan, former U.S. Representative to the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women; Lynn M. Martin, former Secretary of the Department of Labor and former Congresswoman from Illinois; Shelley Looney, U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Gold Medalist; and, Jodi Beldotti, President of the Yellow Brick Road Project.

As president of the Women's College Coalition, Dr. Sebrechts is a national voice for women's colleges across the country. Dr. Sebrechts oversees research on gender issues in higher education and plays a crucial role in national higher education policy initiatives. She is the coordinator of the Coalition's public awareness ad campaign, "Expect the Best From a Girl. That's What You'll Get." Her professional life has been geared towards promoting the equality of women's opportunities in higher education, particularly in the fields of math and science.

Prior to assuming the Coalition's directorship, Dr. Sebrechts was the Associate Director of the Association of Yale Alumni for six years, where she was responsible for Yale's continuing education programs and all alumni communications. She was also an instructor in Yale's French department for five years, where she did her doctoral work.

Following a processional by the New Philharmonic Brass Ensemble, an invocation was given by Paul Rahmeier, Trustee Emeritus. President Gloria Nemerowicz welcomed the crowd and introduced SGA President Wendy Plourde '98.

In a heartfelt address, Plourde urged her classmates to make the most of their new experiences. She spoke of the future as being "not only about the destination, but about all those into the journey."

Following Plourde's remarks, Trustee Hillary Baily Smith '77 introduced Commence Speaker Star Jones, co-host of ABC Emmy-nominated talk show The View.

A lawyer and former prosecutor, Jones has covered the trials of our century, from the O.J. Simpson trial to the Rodney King trial. As a key influencer shaping today's courtroom reporting, Jones has served as senior correspondent and chief legal analyst of the syndicated news program Inside Edition, as a legal correspondent for NBC's Today and Nightly News, as a featured correspondent on Court TV, and host of her own syndicated program Jones & Jury.

Jones launched her entertaining address by declaring that, "Even though I up here with a lot very important people, Class of 1998, you know that I am really here for YOU!" Working the cheering crowed, Jones continued by saying that she had been sent to PMC by co-host Barbara Walters, who sent congratulations. She then extended her own congratulations to the Class by enthusiastically proclaiming, "You go, girls!"

Known for her candor and down-to-earth style, Jones shared humorous and heartfelt anecdotes about her own club up the career ladder. "Many people advised me not to rock the boat, but I decided to follow my own mother's advice and turn the boat over." She then urged the graduates to remember their diploma would always be theirs, and that no one could take that away from them.

Mirroring the College's mission of inclusive leadership, Jones encouraged the graduates to celebrate their many differences. "Echo the diversity of who are in all that you do, and don't ever let anyone tell you that you cannot achieve."

Jones closed by reminding the graduates that, although they now had the world at their feet, they must always "bring something to the table." She advised, "Be ready, capable, and able when the doors are opened to you."

Following Jones' lively address, Honorary degrees were conferred on three individuals: Star Jones, keynote speaker; Susan Blumenthal, M.S., Assistant Surgeon General for the Department of Health and Human Services; and Frances Crandall Dyke '25, posthumously. Dyke's award was accepted by Mex Frate '25, her college roommate. Later, Distinguished Service Awards were presented to Andrew B. Woolworth, retiring Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees, and Virginia Brown White '48.

The international art community today regards the traditional arts of PNG people to be among the finest of the tribal world. But new contemporary PNG art forms, which developed in conjunction with political independence, have received little attention from collectors and museums, because they are considered too "westernized." Responding to this criticism, the Hess Gallery exhibition illustrates that contemporary PNG art forms embody the cultural diversity and modernizing character of PNG's rapidly developing society. From this perspective, contemporary PNG artists are image-makers who are working to frame a national identity by integrating old and new lifestyles and values.

This mulitmedia exhibit will feature artist-in-residence Larry Santana, one of PNG's most talented young designers. Throughout the exhibition, Santana will lead workshops for PMC students and local schools and museums. According to President Nemerowicz, the exhibition "provides an opportunity for Pine Manor College to share educational resources through partnerships with schools in the surrounding community."

Larry Santana's art fuses his graphic design training with the inspiration he draws from traditional art and myths. Employing powerful symbols, he chooses subjects that reflect his admiration for the values of traditional Melanesian life as well as the modern difficulties of "culture clash"--living between the world of traditional beliefs and the imported world of western culture and society. Santana's work is also deeply personal, embodying the difficulties he has endured to support his family and survive professionally. These memories are recorded in such poignant paintings as his 1988 self-portrait, "Struggle and Pain at the Six Mile Dump" and "Risen From the Ashes." In depicting the predicaments of hunger, dislocation, and social alienation--conditions shared by many others in Port Moresby and throughout the world--Larry Santan's work speaks to us all in its warnings to steward the earth's resources and to show compassion to the needy.

Santana's most recent national commissions include embellishments for the newly enlarged Port Moresby Airport, and murals for the 1996 ANZAC Memorial commemorating the Allied victory in the World War II Battle of the Coral Sea. Santana, 36, lives in Port Moresby with his family.

The exhibition opens with a public lecture by Dr. Rosi as part of the Anne P. Nicholson '41 Distinguished Lecture Series, which will be followed by a reception with the PNG Ambassador to the United States in attendance. Dr. Rosi, a cultural anthropologist, has done research at the PNG National Arts School, and has published several articles on contemporary PNG art and the problems of being a contemporary PNG artist. She has previously curated similar exhibitions at Monmouth College, Bridgewater State College, and Bryn Mawr College, where she received her Ph.D. in 1994. Dr. Rosi is currently writing a book that examines the role of the PNG National Arts School in the creation of a national identity.

The unrestricted bequest from an alumna, Frances Crandall Dyke (class of '25), enables PMC to advance its commitment to make college affordable for a broader spectrum of students, particularly middle income families.

"More and more women are unable to consider the benefits of private education due to the rising costs," stated President Gloria Nemerowicz. "Middle income students are often ineligible for scholarships, yet their parents cannot afford to pay. For some time the Board of Trustees has felt an obligation to respond to the needs of students and their families. This $4 million bequest, which will benefit future generations of women, places us in a leadership position in providing access to higher education for more women. Making our campus available to women from all income levels is consistent with the college's mission and our programs of education for inclusive leadership and social responsibility."

For the fifth straight year, national tuition and fees have increased by 5%, outpacing the 2.4% rate of inflation. Student debt has doubled in the past six years, increasing from $8,200 to $18,800, according to a recent Nellie Mae national survey. The continued rise in tuition has prompted Congress to exhort members of the National Commission on the Cost of Higher Education to find specific ways that government could help rein in the growing cost of higher education. Additionally, more students are attending their home states' public universities instead of private institutions because of the substantial price difference.

The college is taking this bold step after having successfully completed a $20 million capital campaign, increased enrollment and constructed a new $4 million Campus Center.