Writing

By Sofia Montoya-Deck Published in the Hood College Blue & Grey on Nov. 25, 2024 The average human falls into one of two categories: those who love Christmas music and those whose hearts have been stolen by the Grinch. As we near December, Christmas music begins to fill the air—on the radio, in stores and in our homes. For many, these songs evoke memories of family, holiday joy and the spirit of giving. So why limit these jolly tunes to just one month of the year? Christmas m

By Sofia Montoya-Deck Published by the Hood College Blue & Grey on Nov. 25, 2024 Director of Housing and Residence Life Michael Matos left Hood on Nov. 14. Students were notified of Matos’ departure through an email from Dean of Students Demetrius Johnson on Nov. 11. “We all wish him well in his next endeavor,” Johnson stated in the email. “Should you need additional support from the Office of Housing and Residence Life, please contact Mrs. Taylor ‘Amazing’ Gist or Mr. LaShaw

By Sofia Montoya-Deck Published by the Hood College Blue & Grey on Nov. 25, 2024 As the holiday season approaches, Downtown Frederick is preparing to offer a boatload of fun events, including the annual presentation of watercraft along Carroll Creek. Each year, boats created by different organizations from the Frederick community are anchored along Carroll Creek between Market Street and Carroll Street. Back for its ninth year, “Sailing Through the Winter Solstice” runs from

By Sofia Montoya-Deck Published in the Hood College Blue & Grey on Nov. 21, 2024 Hood College will no longer be considering Max Kehne Park as a potential new baseball field, according to an email sent from Interim President Debbie Ricker on Nov. 20. “Based on overwhelming negative feedback from the surrounding community, we have decided to withdraw our proposal for Max Kehne and explore other options,” Ricker said in the email. The news disappointed members of the baseball te

By Sofia Montoya-Deck Published in the Hood College Blue & Grey on Nov. 11, 2024 Students have been learning about budgeting, loans, interest rates and more in a series of financial literacy courses offered by the Hood College Wellness Office and George B Delaplaine Jr. School of Business in partnership with M&T Bank. The four-session workshop began on Oct. 23 and runs until Nov. 13. M&T Bank staff lead each session, which has, so far, included the topics of budgeting, credi

By Sofia Montoya-Deck Published in the Hood College Blue & Grey on Nov. 11, 2024 Hood College’s baseball team is looking to secure a new home field after the Board of Trustees recently signed a letter of intent with the City of Frederick to use Max Kehne Park. The Board approved the terms for the new baseball field at its October 2024 meeting. The potential partnership would result in a shared public/private field at Max Kehne Park on Seventh Street. The park currently houses

By Sofia Montoya-Deck Published in the Hood College Blue & Grey on Nov. 11, 2024 A new class, HOOD 400: Life After Hood, will be offered in spring 2025 to help senior students prepare for life after graduation. The idea for HOOD 400 originated as a means of support for senior students completing their undergraduate studies. The spring 2025 offering is a test run for what will become a permanent course with the start of Hood’s new Heart, Mind & Hands curriculum in fall 2025. “

By Sofia Montoya-Deck Published in the Hood College Blue & Grey on Oct. 28, 2024 Hood’s swim team is looking forward to a strong season after a record-breaking showing at last year’s MAC Championships. This year’s team consists of 26 swimmers, split evenly between the men’s and women’s squads. The team also welcomed six first-years, two for the men and four for the women. At last season’s MAC Championships, Hood set 12 team records in seven different events and earned five t

By Sofia Montoya-Deck Published in the Hood College Blue & Grey on Oct. 28, 2024 As Halloween creeps nearer, students have taken time to learn about the many ghosts that call Hood College home. On Thursday, Oct. 24, the library hosted “Hauntings at Hood,” where attendees could learn about Hood’s resident ghosts and other historical stories. “Some of our resident ghost stories vary with the telling, but they are consistent with the main points,” Hood’s archivist Mary Atwell sa

By Sofia Montoya-Deck Published in the Hood College Blue & Grey on Oct. 28, 2024 What screams Halloween more than a human experiment gone awry, floating red lips and a time-warp dance? The “Rocky Horror Picture Show” first hit theaters on Sept. 26, 1975, and nearly 50 years later has maintained its designation as a cult classic. The film, which parodies the story of Frankenstein, follows sweethearts Brad and Janet as they stumble upon the eerie mansion of transvestite scienti

By Sofia Montoya-Deck Published in the Hood College Blue & Grey on Oct. 7, 2024 Being an active bystander is as simple as saying, “Excuse me.” Caroline Dato, Heartly House’s Community Engagement Lead, led an active bystander training in collaboration with Hood’s Office of Community and Inclusivity on Oct. 1. Dato began the presentation by detailing the importance of the “Excuse Me Campaign,” in which bystanders can use these two words to intervene when they think someone migh

By Sofia Montoya-Deck Published in the Hood College Blue & Grey on Oct. 7, 2024 Liquor law violations and dating violence increased at Hood in 2023, according to the latest Annual Security and Fire Safety Report. The report, released on Oct. 1, documented 52 liquor law violations in 2023 compared to 32 in 2022 and 13 in 2021. A liquor law offense is the “violation of state or local laws or ordinances prohibiting the manufacture, sale, purchase, transportation, possession or u

By Sofia Montoya-Deck Published in the Hood College Blue & Grey on Sept. 23, 2024 Hood College and the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (FNL) are together holding a scientific symposium titled “HIV in 2024: Progress, Problems & Prospects” on Hood’s campus from Sept. 23-25. The symposium features scientists and clinicians speaking on HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) research and clinical care. According to the Wo

By Sofia Montoya-Deck Published in the Hood College Blue & Grey on Sept. 23, 2024 Former Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Debbie Ricker took on the role of Hood’s interim president on July 1, 2024, after the departure of the college’s 11th president, Andrea Chapdelaine. Ricker was approached to consider the one-year interim position by the chair of the board of trustees, Tonya Finton, ’78. After discussing expectations for the coming year and clarifying other as

By Sofia Montoya-Deck Published in the Hood College Blue & Grey on Sept. 25, 2024 Hood College is planning to add 92 new parking spaces on campus next year, part of a broader campus renovation plan that includes repurposing historic buildings such as Gambrill Gymnasium and renovating residence halls. Construction of the 92 permanent parking spaces will entail paving 65 spaces in the gravel lot and creating 27 additional spaces. The new spaces will be located on the land where

By Sofia Montoya-Deck Published in the Hood College Blue & Grey on Sept. 25, 2024 Hood College’s Queer Student Union (QSU) is hosting its annual Safe Sex Carnival on Friday, Sept. 27 from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. The carnival will be held in Whitaker Campus Commons, with games taking over both the first and second floors. According to QSU President Ella Rosenberg, “The Safe Sex Carnival aims to educate students on safe sex practices through fun games.” Games in past years have incl

By Sofia Montoya-Deck Published in the Hood College Blue & Grey on Sept. 25, 2024 The Hood College Wellness Office and George B. Delaplaine Jr. School of Business are partnering with M&T Bank to offer a financial literacy program for students. The course will consist of weekly workshops on Wednesdays from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Oct. 23, Oct. 30, Nov. 6, and Nov. 13. The sessions will be held in Rosenstock room 123. Staff from M&T Bank will lead each of the weekly sessions, cove

By Sofia Montoya-Deck Published in the Hood College Blue & Grey on Sept. 4, 2024 Hood College welcomed 405 new Blazers to campus on Thursday, Aug. 15 as they kicked off their college experience with a four-day orientation. The new students hail from 24 states and the District of Columbia, as well as nine countries. Highlights of this year’s orientation activities included a scavenger hunt, games, ice-breakers, yoga on the quad and more. “I loved the chance to hang out with pe

Tammi Simpson By Sofia Montoya-Deck Published in the Hood College Blue & Grey on April 5, 2024 As the topic of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) has become increasingly important on college campuses, Hood College officials are ensuring the prioritization of these initiatives through the establishment of a new administrative position, strategic planning goals and updated curricula. In January 2024, Hood hired Akeem Todman to fill the college’s inaugural role of director o

By Sofia Montoya-Deck Published in the Hood College Blue & Grey on April 5, 2024 President Andrea Chapdelaine’s move to Connecticut College (Conn) takes place following protests from Conn’s community regarding Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) controversies. Located in the city of New London, Conn is a 4-year, private institution. Similar to Hood, it is a small liberal arts college, recording an undergraduate population of 1,995 in fall 2023. The college’s previous presi