The crack of the bat and cheers of the crowd have returned to Chambersburg’s iconic Henninger Field, now home of the Wilson College baseball team. On Saturday, April 6, college, state and local officials and guests will dedicate the field and celebrate the team’s inaugural season, as well as officially open an 18-month commemoration of Wilson’s 150th anniversary.
“The dedication of such a legendary local ball field as the home of Wilson’s first baseball team seemed like the perfect time to launch our Sesquicentennial festivities,” said Wilson President Barbara K. Mistick.
Wilson College was chartered by the Pennsylvania Legislature on March 24, 1869, followed by a formal opening on Oct. 12, 1870. The College plans a series of celebratory Sesquicentennial events throughout 2019 and into 2020, ending with Wilson’s alumni reunion weekend in June 2020. Plans include an outdoor art installation, alumni art show, special alumni reunion activities and a formal gala.
More details on Sesquicentennial activities will be forthcoming and a full, updated list can be found at www.wilson.edu/150.
The Sesquicentennial celebration will kick off with the hour-long April 6 dedication ceremony at 11 a.m. at Henninger Field, 241 W. Vine St., recognizing the storied field as the official home of the Wilson Phoenix. The ceremony will be followed by a doubleheader between Wilson and the Clarks Summit University Defenders.
State and local officials have been invited to participate in the dedication, including State Rep. Rob Kauffman (Pa. District 89), who will read a proclamation marking Wilson’s 150th anniversary. Local baseball luminaries or their families have also been invited to attend, including descendants of the late Clay “Pop” Henninger─the Chambersburg businessman and baseball promoter for whom the field is named–and the family of the late Nellie Fox, a Major League Baseball Hall of Famer from St. Thomas, as well as representatives of the Nellie Fox Foundation. In addition, Wilson alumni, students, parents and friends of the College are expected to attend. Retired MLB player Tom Brookens will throw out the first pitch of the doubleheader. From 1979-88, Fayetteville’s Brookens was a standout third baseman for the Detroit Tigers, with whom he played when the team won the World Series in 1984. He also played for the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians before coaching for the Tigers from 2009-13. Before the game begins, vocalist Corey Evan Rotz will sing the National Anthem. Rotz, a Chambersburg native, has had a widely successful singing career, performing regularly with the Kennedy Center’s Washington National Opera. In addition to his singing career, Rotz is a voice instructor at the Cumberland Valley School of Music. The day’s festivities will not only commemorate the reopening of the field, but also celebrate the College’s partnership with the community, according to Mistick. “It’s been a rewarding experience to partner with the Borough of Chambersburg to restore Henninger Field and bring baseball back to the park, where area residents can once again come to enjoy the games,” she said. “This project is just one example of how the College and borough government can work together to benefit the entire community.” Wilson has a 10-year lease agreement with the borough for the exclusive use of Henninger Field. Under the agreement, the College made approximately $250,000 worth of improvements to bring the 124-year-old field into compliance with NCAA specifications for baseball. The borough also completed some updates to the field’s public restrooms, moved electric lines and removed trees, according to college officials. “We’re very pleased the College found the resources to rehabilitate the facility, which was obviously in need of restoration,” said Chambersburg Borough Manager Jeffrey Stonehill. “Clearly, we’re looking forward to bringing some vitality to that facility, seeing the stands full of people and it again being a gathering spot for our community.” Henninger Field is steeped in local baseball lore. From its opening in 1895 until 2010, organized baseball was played at the field, where other sports contests have been played as well, including Chambersburg Cardinals football games and Chambersburg Area Senior High School’s Trojan football, baseball and soccer teams. Over the years, the field reportedly was even the site of horse shows, circuses and fire department drill competitions. The most famous baseball game played at Henninger Field took place the afternoon of May 31, 1929, when the New York Yankees played an exhibition game against the club’s farm team─Henninger’s home team, the Chambersburg Young Yanks. Baseball greats Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig played for the Yankees that day and in the fifth inning, Ruth thrilled the crowd when he lofted a three-run homer over the center field fence. The development of Henninger Field as a thriving center of baseball in Chambersburg is credited to Clay Henninger (1855-1930), a local player-turned-manager who coached the field’s Chambersburg Maroons home team for many years. Henninger─whose great-granddaughter, Ann Henninger Trax, is a 1968 Wilson graduate─became a local legend and in 1920, the ball park was named in his honor, according to newspaper accounts. Before it was acquired by the borough, the ball field was part of the Wolf Lake Park complex in the area north of Commerce Street. The attractions that were part of the park─including the lake, boathouse, dance hall, dining room and bowling alley─have all disappeared. “(The ball field) is really the only remnant of the park that’s still there,” Stonehill said. Information on parking for the April 6 ceremonies and home opener game can be found at https://www.wilson.edu/henninger-field-dedication-event-parking.
The Wilson College Veterinary Medical Technology Club will host dog washes from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, April 6 and 7, in the college veterinary building near the main entrance to campus. The dog washes are open to the public.The cost is $10 for small dogs, $15 for medium dogs, $20 for large dogs and $25 for extra-large or double-coated dogs. The price includes ear cleaning, nail trim, bath and blow dry—all of which will be performed by VMT Club members.
Owners must present a paper copy of their dog’s rabies vaccination. For more information, contact VMT Club President Shanelle Spotts at shanelle.spotts@wilson.edu
Wilson College will hold a reception from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 3, in Lortz Hall's Bogigian Gallery to mark the opening of the college's Annual Juried Student Art Exhibition. The exhibition, which is free and open to the public, will continue through April 26.
The show, which provides a venue for Wilson students to share their work with the community, will feature drawings, paintings, prints, ceramics, photographs and mixed-media artwork with a wide array of subject matter and content.
This year’s juror is Sarah MaClay, a local artist and faculty member at Shippensburg Area Senior High School.
The exhibition is presented by Wilson’s Department of Fine Arts and Dance. The Bogigian Gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information or an appointment, contact Professor of Fine Arts Philip Lindsey at 717-264-2783 or philip.lindsey@wilson.edu.
In recognition of Women’s History Month in March, Wilson College will host a book talk on America's first ladies on Tuesday, March 26. Wilson Associate Professor of Political Science Jill Abraham Hummer will discuss First Ladies and American Women at 2 p.m. in Laird Hall's Patterson Board Room, with a reception to follow. The lecture is free and open to the public.
The author of First Ladies and American Women: In Politics and at Home, Hummer will draw from her book to tell the story of how each modern first lady has been intimately linked with the roles, rights and responsibilities of American women.
The talk is sponsored by Wilson's Hankey Center and alumni relations office. For more information, contact Amy Ensley at amy.ensley@wilson.edu or 717-262-2562.
The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning recently awarded the Wilson College Child Care Center the highest possible rating in its Keystone STARS program—a STAR 4. The child care center, which is licensed by the Department of Human Services, previously had a STAR 3 designation. “This achievement requires staff to complete more professional development hours; do more work to complete child observations and assessments, and hold conferences with families; and pay more attention to health and safety standards,” said Karen Zakin, child care center director. “I am very proud of the staff for committing to going above and beyond state minimum requirements to earn this rating and show our commitment to high-quality early education for children.” In order to receive the STAR 4 designation, the center had to earn a minimum of 91 points out of a possible 108 points during on-site evaluations, according to Zakin. Wilson achieved a score of 103 points during the evaluation. The Keystone STARS (Standards, Training/Professional Development, Assistance, Resources and Supports) system promotes quality improvement in early learning and development programs and school-age child care. The system offers families a way to evaluate the quality of child care programs so they can make informed decisions that best meet their needs. As STAR levels increase from a STAR 1 through a STAR 4, so do the requirements for meeting higher standards of quality. Keystone STARS also provides child care centers training to advance staff education, technical assistance to help programs meet STAR level requirements, and additional resources through support grants and merit awards to support continued quality improvements. Located in Prentis Hall, Wilson’s child care center can accommodate 45 children ages 20 months to five years, year-round. Eight full-time and three part-time staff members work at the center, which is open to children of Wilson College students and employees, as well as those of Chambersburg families." “Wilson’s child care center strives to provide high-quality early care and education through a curriculum that is child-centered and developmentally appropriate,” Mary Beth Williams, vice president for student development, said. “We are proud our staff’s continuing effort and pleased the state has recognized them with a STAR 4 rating.”
Wilson College continues to expand its intercollegiate athletics program with the addition in 2020-21 of women’s lacrosse─the fastest-growing NCAA women’s sport of the past 15 years. Women’s lacrosse will become Wilson’s 11th NCAA Division III program. In the past six years, the college has added six intercollegiate programs─most recently baseball, which begins its inaugural season this spring, with home games to be held at Chambersburg’s historic Henninger Field. “Our sport sponsorship continues to expand and we are excited to add the growing sport of women’s lacrosse to Phoenix Athletics,” said Wilson Director of Athletics Lori Frey. “We look forward to yet another sport competing in the Colonial States Athletics Conference.” A national search for a head coach will get underway immediately to allow the new coach to begin recruiting during the 2019-20 academic year, officials said. The full-time head coach will also coordinate a new recreation and intramural program.
“The CSAC is thrilled that Wilson College is enhancing its sport sponsorship offerings with the addition of women’s lacrosse,” Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Commissioner Adrienne Mullikin said. “Wilson will become the seventh core member in the conference to sponsor women’s lacrosse in 2020-21, which allows the CSAC to achieve one of its primary goals of maintaining automatic qualifiers to the NCAA tournament. The CSAC applauds the administration at Wilson for recognizing this opportunity to strengthen the conference and we look forward to watching this program flourish in the years to come.” Over the past 15 years, the number of women’s lacrosse teams has increased by 97.3 percent, making it the fastest-growing sport for women during that time, according to the NCAA. In 2017-18, 45.3 percent of NCAA schools sponsored women’s lacrosse, which is officially a spring sport. The sport’s growth shows no signs of slowing and in the past two years alone, NCAA women’s lacrosse has gained 22 teams, officials said.
“Expanding our athletics offerings is a strong component of Wilson’s overall enrollment growth and student retention strategy,” said David Boisvert, the college’s vice president for enrollment management. “Adding women’s lacrosse is another important step in reaching those goals.”
Lacrosse has a long history at Wilson. The college officially fielded a team in 1934-35 and lacrosse continued until 1984, when a shift in sport sponsorship occured. During the late 1960s, the lacrosse team was coached by Kathy Heinze, an English Reserve player who went on to coach the undefeated, 1975 U.S. Lacrosse Team that included Wilson alumnae Sandy Walker '74 and Constance Burgess Lanzl '72, who was later inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame. In addition to lacrosse in 2020-21, Wilson-sponsored Division III athletics programs include: field hockey, softball, men’s and women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, golf, and the previously mentioned baseball.
Fiction and humor writer Seth Fried will read from his short story collection, The Great Frustration, and his forthcoming novel, The Municipalists, as part of the Wilson College Writers Series at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, March 9, in the Brooks Science Center auditorium. The reading - which will take place during Wilson's Colloquium on Creative Writing - is free and open to the public.
Twice named a Distinguished Story Fried is a recurring contributor to the New Yorker’s "Shouts and Murmurs" and NPR’s "Selected Shorts." His stories have appeared in Tin House, One Story, McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern, the Kenyon Review and Vice. He is the winner of two Pushcart Prizes and the William Peden Prize. Fried, who has worked as an assistant editor of the Mid-American Review, has a bachelor's degree from Bowling Green State University.
Wilson College's international student organization, the Muhibbah Club, will host its popular spring dinner featuring dishes from around the world on Saturday, March 2, in Jensen Dining Hall in Lenfest Commons. Doors open and appetizers will be served starting at 5 p.m., followed by dinner. Afterward, students will provide entertainment at 7:30 p.m. in Laird Hall.
The dinner will feature a variety of international foods, including:
• Appetizers — Sate padang, gambas al ajillo, arancini • Entrées — Paella, sou-berag, Korean bulgogi, chicken biryani • Side Dishes — Mie aceh, jollof rice, garden salad, Caesar salad • Soups — Opor ayam and soto ayam • Desserts — Pavlova and tres leches cake • Beverages — Matcha and hot fruit tea
After dinner, members of the Muhibbah Club will provide entertainment, including traditional dances, piano pieces and other performances.
The public is invited to attend the dinner and free performance. Dinner tickets are $10 each. Reservations are required for the dinner only and must be made by Monday, Feb. 25. To make reservations, contact club adviser Crystal Lantz at iss@wilson.edu and provide your phone number, name and number of tickets needed. Payment (cash or check) will be collected at the door.
The Muhibbah Club will accept donations at the performance. All donations, as well as a portion of the proceeds from ticket sales, will go to the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter.
The word "Muhibbah" means unity among nations. This year's Muhibbah Club president is Brooke McLachlan. Wilson's international students this semester come from over 15 different countries, including Albania, Ghana, Nepal, Vietnam, Armenia, Australia, South Korea, Pakistan and Uganda.
The Foundry will host an exhibition of works by Wilson College studio art students at its 100 S. Main St. gallery space in downtown Chambersburg. The show, which will open Feb. 18 and run through March 10, will feature a meet-and-greet with the artists from 5 to 7 p.m. on March 1 during downtown's First Friday activities. The event and the exhibition are free and open to the public.
This exhibition is the third in a series of exhibits held as part of Wilson’s partnership with The Foundry, which began in 2016. A grass-roots, artist-led organization, The Foundry shares a similar vision and mission as that of Wilson College and its Division of Arts and Letters to promote critical and creative thinking through artistic exploration and expression, provide venues for the exhibition of creative works of art, and offer a framework for cultural expression of local and regional artists. Through the partnership, Foundry artists will have the opportunity to exhibit their artwork at Wilson in fall 2019.
For additional information, contact Professor of Art Philip Lindsey at 717-264-2783 or philip.lindsey@wilson.edu, or The Foundry at 717-261-0706 or info@foundryartscoop.com.
Wilson College will host a free seminar for aspiring writers age 14 and older from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 9, in the Brooks Science Center. The Wilson College Colloquium on Creative Writing will be led by six published authors ─ including two Wilson faculty members ─ who will offer sessions on fiction and poetry, and discuss such topics as writing technique, developing characters and plotlines, engaging readers, creating concrete imagery and making revisions.
After the included lunch, the colloquium will conclude with a question-and-answer session with all of the instructors, who will answer any question─from how to come up with story ideas and how to get published to writing tips and more.
“The colloquium is for anyone who has a passion for writing or has a desire to learn more about writing creatively,” said Michael Cornelius, Wilson Professor of English and author/or editor of 18 books. “This is a great opportunity to spend time with authors who are working writers, who have published with large publishing houses, multiple books in some cases, to be able to ask them questions about the publishing industry and what it’s like to be a writer in this day and age.”
Colloquium instructors are:
• Cornelius, an award-winning author whose published works include five novels and short story collections. His short fiction has been published in a number of journals, magazines and anthologies. He is director of Wilson’s Master of Humanities program. • Matthew Diltz McBride, a Wilson instructor of English and creative writing whose first book, City of Incandescent Light, was published in 2018. • Hagerstown Community College Assistant Professor of English Alicia Drumgoole, a published writer whose first novel, Premonition ─ written under the pen name Agnes Jayne ─ is available through Amazon and major retailers. • Fiction and humor writer Seth Fried, author of the forthcoming novel, The Municipalists, and a recurring contributor to The New Yorker’s “Shouts and Murmurs” and NPR’s “Selected Shorts.” In addition to presenting a session on creating compelling plotlines, Fried will also offer a keynote reading of his work ─ open to anyone, whether or not they are attending the colloquium ─ from 12:30 to 1 p.m. in the science center auditorium. • Heather Hamilton, a prize-winning poet whose works have appeared in a number of journals and who teaches at Penn State Harrisburg. • Penn State Harrisburg instructor Eric Bliman, whose chapbook, Travel and Leisure, won the Poetry Society of America's National Chapbook Fellowship in 2012 and whose poems have appeared in a number of literary journals.
More information on the colloquium instructors and workshop topics can be found at www.wilson.edu/cwc, where students also may register for the colloquium. Space is limited so those who plan to attend should register early. Registrations must be completed by March 1.
For more information, contact Michael Cornelius at michael.cornelius@wilson.edu or 727-262-4841.
