Original slate tiles from dome in East Baltimore go on sale

A bit of Johns Hopkins history is going on sale for a good cause.

A limited number of original slate tiles from the East Baltimore campus's iconic dome, removed during a restoration in 2005, have been framed and will be sold for $300 or $500, accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from the Alan Mason Chesney Medical Archives. Proceeds will assist Habitat for Humanity in the restoration of a dilapidated house at 811 N. Washington St., not far from the campus.

The tiles, which had topped the building since 1889, not only weathered Baltimore's summers and winters, they sheltered the founders of Johns Hopkins Medicine — Osler, Welch, Halsted and Kelly — as well as generations of their successors, students, staff and patients.

Orders can be placed by going to www.hopkinsmedicine.org/slate.

 

Lighting of the Homewood Quads planned for tonight

It didn't take long for a new Homewood ritual to take hold. Last year's second Lighting of the Quads drew hundreds of participants, and organizers are hoping to see even more gathering for the festivities at 9 p.m. tonight, when Wendy Brody, wife of President William R. Brody, will flip the switch to illuminate the campus for the holidays.

Activities take place on the Keyser Quadrangle in front of the Eisenhower Library and will include performances by student a capella groups, holiday music by the JHU Pep Band and refreshments.

In the event of rain, the lighting will be moved to Wednesday.

 

Barnes & Noble announces faculty, staff appreciation days

On Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 4 and 5, Barnes & Noble Johns Hopkins will feature 20 percent discounts during Faculty & Staff Appreciation Days.

The discount applies to faculty and staff from all campuses but is valid only on purchases in the Charles Village store, located in the university's Charles Commons, and cannot be combined with other discounts or coupons. Textbooks, special order items and certain convenience and cafe items are excluded.

To take advantage of the offer, employees must present a Johns Hopkins ID or current pay stub.

 

Museum shops offering discounts for faculty, staff and students

The gift shops at Homewood Museum and Evergreen Museum & Library are offering a 10 percent discount to Johns Hopkins faculty, staff and students through Sunday, Dec. 9. The discount applies to all merchandise except consignment items, and valid IDs must be shown.

Also, beginning this week, the Homewood shop will be able to accept J-Cards for payment.

 

Homewood Museum and JHU Press join for holiday sale

Homewood Museum and the Johns Hopkins University Press will hold a Holiday Book Signing and Wine Tasting from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 5, in the museum.

The signing will highlight many of the Press' popular regional titles, including two published in 2007, Maryland Voices of the Civil War, by Charles W. Mitchell, and Shipwrecks, Sea Raiders and Maritime Disasters Along the Delmarva Coast, 1632-2004, by Donald G. Shomette.

A special display will feature books published this year by the Press that were written or edited by Johns Hopkins affiliates, many of whom will be in attendance, as will authors of Press books published earlier. The authors will be available to sign books, which are being offered at a 25 percent discount during the event.

Wines from Linganore Wineries, Maryland's oldest winery, will be offered for tasting and purchase, and the gift shop will be stocked with handmade objects from local artists and craftsmen as well as vintage and estate items.

The museum is decorated for the holidays, and admission is free.

The event will be followed this year by a dinner with the authors at the Johns Hopkins Club, which has already sold out.

 

'Model' students plan fundraiser to aid children in Afghanistan

Since Vision XChange came into being on the Homewood campus in 2005, the student group has raised funds for South Asian earthquake victims, a measles initiative, an effort to combat the plight of child soldiers, HIV/AIDS prevention awareness in Baltimore City and other needy causes, all the while fulfilling its mission of having fun with energetic fundraising events that attract large crowds.

This week, the event is Hopkins Top Model, a third Vision XChange go-round of a competition based on the TV show America's Next Top Model, and the goal is to support Afghan children seeking a better life.

Subtitled "Stop the Poppy Economy," the event aims to help children build their vocational skills so that they won't need to rely on the opium trade to support themselves and their families.

Hopkins Top Model takes place from 8 to 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 4, in the Glass Pavilion.

Finalists will be vying for a prize package valued at $1,000, and President Brody is scheduled to be one of the three judges.

 

Sen. John Kerry to speak at SAIS on Afghanistan War

Sen. John Kerry will give a talk at SAIS this week titled "The Right War in the Right Place: Time to Get It Right in Afghanistan."

The Massachusetts Democrat will speak at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 5, in the Nitze Building's Kenney Auditorium.

Non-SAIS affiliates should RSVP to the SAIS South Asia Studies Program at 202-663-5722 or southasia@jhu.edu.

 

Free program introduces middle school girls to engineering

Middle school girls from throughout the Baltimore region got a chance to learn about engineering careers, design a team project and meet with college engineering majors during events held Saturday at Johns Hopkins. The theme was "Engineering the Human Environment."

Open to Baltimore-area girls in grades 6 through 8, the free program had two sessions during which the girls learned about the role of engineers, paying particular attention to how today's engineers defy gender stereotypes and pursue a wide array of career interests, and worked in groups on design projects related to the day's theme.

These events are offered each year on the Homewood campus because too few women are entering the engineering profession. To help correct this imbalance, organizers want to introduce women engineers and engineering projects to middle school girls whose minds are still open to nontraditional career paths.

The program was organized by the Johns Hopkins student chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, with financial support from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the JHU Alumni Association, the JHU Center for Social Concern and the National Science Foundation.

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