Allison Wickham

= Division III =

This article is part of a Climax Div III Issue.By Kendell Richmond, Staff Writer

You don't realize the uniqueness and incredible experiences you have had during the past four years until you realize there are no more years at Hampshire anymore,” Allison Wickham said.

From Redlands in sunny California, Allison arrived at Hampshire College in 2005. While many students go through waves of enthusiasm about Hampshire, she was a constant fan. Among the many things she will miss after graduating Allison lists, “being an admissions intern for all four years, being the work study student for the dance program, and the faculty members I have worked with for so long.”

As of now Allison has no specific plans for next year though she smiles and says, “Things are brewing as we speak.”

One of Allison’s favorite spots on campus is the couch in the dance faculty office hallway; the other is the main studio of the Music and Dance building. This combination of comfort and art seemed appropriate given her Div III, titled Exploring Art as a Therapeutic Healing Tool in the Healthcare System. Allison describes her Div III as having two components with an added sub-component. The first is a dance production based on personal experiences and patient stories/ artists stories she heard during her summer as an intern with the Shands Arts in Medicine Program. The second is a writer portion focusing on the importance of visual and performing arts in a variety of healthcare settings. Finally the sub-component is the initiation of two arts in medicine programs in the area.

As commencement quickly approaches a feeling of nostalgia is overcoming the campus. Allison recalls the beginning of lasting friendships, “spending two hours in SAGA laughing for no apparent reason with Maryette. We never actually figured out what we were laughing at, but we have stayed friends from that day on,” she said. Though perhaps the most memorable experience of her Hampshire career was the culmination of if all, the closing night of her Div III dance performance.