7/11/2006 - Swirls and explosions of blue and green danced on Ann Rader’s watercolor canvas as she explained to a hushed group of admirers, “I see this as a map of my relationship with my son. He smiles all the time.” » Full Story

A brown-haired boy held up a half-foot-long sprout spilling out of a Dixie® cup. “I don’t know what this is,” he said. “But I think it’s cauliflower.” “It’s cantaloupe,” corrected his lima-bean-growing classmate. The third-graders, the McDaniel College Department of Social Work and the Residences at Hampstead School were honored June 6 with a Take Pride in America Award for creating the garden uniting seniors and children. The award is presented by the U.S. Department of the Interior. » Full Story

Mark Sunkel M.Ed. ’83 (left), a science teacher and department chair at Linganore High School, was awarded Teacher of the Year in Frederick County for 2006-2007. Sunkel teaches Biology and Advanced Placement Environmental Science. He will go on to compete for Maryland Teacher of the Year this fall. » Full Story

A College trustee is elected to the board of a prominent organization of business and civil leaders, alumni win sports and leadership awards, and a student takes home a prize for his Biology research. » Full Story

Florence W. Hines has been appointed as Vice President for Enrollment Management and Dean of Admissions at McDaniel College, effective July 31. Hines is currently Vice President for Enrollment Management and Communications at Spring Hill College, a four-year, coeducational, liberal arts college in Mobile, Ala. Hines has also served as the admissions and financial aid officer at Cornell College where she was involved with strategic planning and tuition pricing. » Full Story

Susan Ruddick Bloom’s latest work of art is also her largest and, perhaps, the most daunting of all her creations. It is her first book, “Digital Collage and Painting,” published by Focal Press, which took two years to write and weighs in at 608 pages. Inside those pages are more than 150 examples of the Art and Art History professor’s work as a high-tech fine artist. There are richly colored digital paintings, fanciful collages and breathtaking panoramic photos taken in exotic locales while she was on Jan Term, sabbatical and summer tours around the globe. » Full Story

Common Ground on the Hill, in residence at McDaniel College, announces singer/songwriter Richie Havens (left) as this year’s special guest at its Roots Music and Arts Festival July 8-9 at the Carroll County Farm Museum in Westminster. Havens will perform at the Pavilion Stage at 7 p.m. July 8. Weekend Festival tickets are $40. Saturday tickets are $25 and Sunday tickets are $20.  Senior and youth discounts apply. Call 410-857-2771 for tickets. » Full Story

Brady Chapman, a recruitment manager for Random House, is earning his M.S. in Human Resources Development at McDaniel College in order to move ahead in his job. He’s not alone – employment, recruitment and placement specialists are some of the fastest growing careers in the country, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. » Full Story

Edwin and Hamilton Lewis, great grandsons of J.T. Ward and grandsons of Thomas H. Lewis – the first two presidents of the College, recently visited McDaniel. After lunch with President Joan Develin Coley, Mathematics Professor Emeritus and College Historian James Lightner explained that her house was built for their grandfather. » Full Story

Those who tune in to the PBS show “History Detectives” on July 10 will see a familiar sight: Hoover Library is featured in the episode. The show airs at 9 p.m., but check your local listings for confirmation. » Full Story