Hood College

Lucille Gischel Norman, 73, Hood College officialLucille Gischel Norman, who had been director of admissions at Hood College and Western Maryland College, died of multiple sclerosis Saturday at her home in Westminster. She was 73.The former Lucille Gischel, a native of Brooklyn Park, graduated with honors from Western Maryland College in 1944. She taught high school in Glen Burnie and Westminster before returning to her alma mater as assistant director of public relations and admissions counselor.

FREDERICK -- An unusual tradition -- the senior-class gag gift -- was perpetuated yesterday at commencement at Hood College, the private, largely women's school here.Each year, graduates bestow on President Martha E. Church an item never revealed until students begin parading across the stage to shake Dr. Church's hand and receive their diplomas. Gifts have included goldfish, marbles, building blocks, flower bulbs and dimes frozen in cubes of ice -- all given by the hundreds.Yesterday's 102nd graduating class surprised Dr. Church, who will retire next month after 20 years as the college's first woman president, with a puzzle of the world, its 1,000 pieces wrapped in bits of green tissue.

Hood CollegeTime: 10 a.m.Date: May 18Graduates: approximately 400Speaker: Sharon Percy Rockfeller, president and CEO of WETA radio in Washington.Loyola CollegeTime: 11 a.m.Date: May 18Graduates: 700 undergraduatesSpeaker: Rev. J. O'Donovan, S.J., president, Georgetown UniversityUniversity of Maryland University CollegeTime: 10:30 a.m.Date: May 18Graduates: 650 undergraduates, 87 graduate studentsSpeaker: Melvin A. Steinberg, lieutenant governor of MarylandWestern...

The College of Notre Dame scored an 11-2 victory over Hood College (4-9) yesterday in Aurora, N.Y., for the Atlantic Women's Colleges Conference title, completing a 12-year undefeated streak in the conference. The AWCC is disbanding after this season. The Gators (15-2) were 68-0 in conference play and won all of the conference's titles. Men Gettysburg 11, Washington College 4 -- Four goals by Joe Brody led host Gettysburg (14-2) to a convincing victory over Washington College (11-6) in the Centennial Conference championship.

Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich will be campaigning in Western Maryland ahead of Tuesday's primary. Gingrich is scheduled to hold a rally at the Frederick Motor Company at 11 a.m. Monday and to speak at Hood College at 2 p.m. Hood spokesman Dave Diehl tells The Frederick News-Post that Gingrich's campaign called the college's director of student activities to schedule the visit. Gingrich will meet with student Republicans after his speech. Gingrich has conceded that Mitt Romney is the likely Republican nominee, and his campaign laid off one-third of its staff last week to save money.

Not many people know about the Hodson Trust. Yet this foundation has given over $53 million to four private Maryland colleges, including nearly $3 million this month to Washington College in Chestertown, Hood College in Frederick, St. John's College in Annapolis and the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.St. John's received $358,124.41; the other three got $855,767.66. What will that buy? Money for what eventually will be a $5 million minority scholarship fund at each school; money for an endowment for academic excellence; graduate fellowships in the humanities; oncology research; special loan and scholarship programs.

Marriottsville residents Stuart and Nancy Kaufman announce the engagement of their daughter, Amy Lynn Kaufman, to Andrew John MacLeod, son of John and Kathy MacLeod, of Catonsville. The bride's grandmother, Wanda Wehr, lives in Sykesville. Her late grandparents, Halver Jr. and Sarah Kaufman, resided in Arbutus. Richard and Rosemarie Decker, also of Catonsville, are the groom's maternal grandparents. Miss Kaufman recently completed a master's program at Hood College, where she is employed.

Stars at Hood Hood College welcomes stargazers to its Frederick campus this spring. Each Wednesday evening through May 5, astronomy lecturer Ken Howard will answer guests' questions as they view stars and planets from the Williams Observatory's telescope. Visiting hours for this event are 8:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Hood College is at 401 Rosemont Ave., Frederick. Call 301-696-3679 or visit www. hood.edu. Tea from scratch Brew your own tea Saturday and Sunday at the Marshy Point Nature Center.

Sculpture at Hood The human body combines with landscape forms in Alice Robrish's work, on display at Hood College's Hodson Gallery. Many of the clay sculptures depict the female form - some clay works stand alone while others intertwine with natural objects, such as driftwood. Also included in the show is a six-piece series that explores the progressions caused by aging. Robrish said the series, which begins with a work depicting a 4-year-old and ends with the form of an 80-year-old, shows "the transformations that happen from our youth to our old age."

Sarah Baum, who had been active in many civic endeavors in Maryland, died in Annapolis of cancer Jan. 16. She was 82.A memorial service for Mrs. Baum was being held today in Friendship Hall at the Ginger Cove Life Care Community in Annapolis where she and her husband had lived since 1988.Another service will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at the Westmoreland Congregational United Church of Christ in Bethesda. The family suggested memorial contributions to the church's Handicapped Parking Fund or to the Hospice Program of the Anne Arundel Medical Center.