Sidelines

Chilean Government Honors Professor for Role in Restoring Democracy
Professor of History Steven Volk was among those recognized last fall by the Chilean government for their participation in that nation's struggle for democracy. He received a plaque at a ceremony in New York.

Volk went to Chile in 1972 to work on his dissertation and witnessed the 1973 overthrow of the government by General Augusto Pinochet. Two of his friends were casualties in the coup.

Upon his return to the U.S., Volk became research director for the North American Congress on Latin America, an organization that publicized the political situation in Chile. He also became involved in the Chile Solidarity Movement, a group that worked to pressure Pinochet.

The Chilean people succeeded in voting Pinochet out of office in 1988.
"I'm very proud that I was recognized. It's a good feeling to have a government thank you," Volk said.

Obie Wins Girl Scout's Highest Honor
First-year student Tami Reed traveled to Washington, D.C., last March to receive the Girl Scout Gold Award for Young Women of Distinction.

The Gold Award is roughly equivalent to the Boy Scout's Eagle Scout Award and is presented for exceptional community activity and demonstrated leadership skills. Only 1 percent of Girl Scouts receive the Gold Award each year, and of those, only 10 nationwide earn the status of Young Women of Distinction.

For her service project, Reed organized and taught a series of summer science workshops for elementary school children at the Houston Public Library.

Although seeing the spark of understanding in young children was a thrill, Reed plans to continue in science, eventually going to medical school. She hopes one day to work at the Centers for Disease Control.

Musical Musings
Why, 250 years after his death, is Bach still popular? How do musicians overcome stage fright? Can you enjoy music even if you're not a trained musician?

These and other musical musings were the topics of "Musical Wonders," a radio program from Oberlin that aired this semester on Cleveland station WCLV-FM.

The program, hosted and produced by radio personality Paula Gordon '68, consisted of two-minute interviews with Conservatory faculty members on topics that illustrate the connections between professional music making and the everyday world. (The questions above were answered by professors Steve Plank, musicology; George Sakakeeny, bassoon; and Robert Shannon, piano, respectively.)

If you somehow missed the broad- casts, don't despair. Audio clips of the show are available on the Conservatory web site (www.oberlin.edu/con). Click on the "Musical Wonders" box on the left side of the page. ATS