Approximately 200 Wesleyan students were among the energetic crowd of 17,000 in Hartford’s XL arena, where Democratic candidate Barack Obama held a rally the evening before the Tuesday primaries.
Wesleyan was among 136 of the country’s wealthiest colleges and universities to receive both written and e-mail requests from the Senate Finance Committee to answer 11 sets of questions regarding endowment, financial aid and tuition. The collected data will be used to assess how the University spends its money.
U.S. Senator Edward (Ted) M. Kennedy P’83, P’08 has been selected to deliver the featured address at the University’s 176th commencement on Sunday, May 25.
We’re full of surprises. Voters in 22 states head to the polls today, including those in delegate-rich New York and California. But on the eve of the election, Senators Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama gave special attention to a smaller state: Connecticut.
Twenty years ago, the current Governor of Massachusetts Michael Dukakis declared to the Democratic National Convention that the time had come for the country to consider “competence over ideology” in its selection of the successor to Ronald Reagan. Apparently, the country listened to this injunction, because they chose Dukakis’s opponent, Vice President George H.W. Bush. As a result, Dukakis’s campaign slogan, “competence over ideology,” went straight to the ash heap of history.
“What candidate would you endorse for the 2008 elections?” This question was asked of Ned Lamont, Connecticut’s Democratic candidate for U.S. Senator last year, when he gave a humble speech in Shanklin about his inspiring yet ultimately disappointing campaign. He officially endorsed Senator Chris Dodd (because Dodd endorsed him) and noted the merits of Hillary Clinton (duly noted here), but then he said something revealing of how he really felt: “Barack Obama is bigger than politics.”
As an environmentalist and a global citizen, I endorse Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election. Obama has the creativity, the dedication, and the ability (to use his own empowering word) to bring about a serious change in attitude and practice to solve the most pressing issue of our time: global climate change. In terms of their proposed policies for responding to climate change, Obama and Hillary Clinton stack up quite similarly.
Politicians don’t end wars; people force politicians to end wars. Though it might smell of cliché, the above is what I, as a peace activist and organizer, urge the voter to keep in mind during this election, the next election, and more importantly, the time in between the elections.
The following is a condensed version of the letter that was sent to the Board of Trustees on behalf of the Wesleyan College Republicans:January 31, 2008
Talk of war and peace on so-called prestigious university campuses is sometimes fruitful, but often gives the false impression that certain extreme views are intellectual and morally superior. Such is the case with the current wave of peaceniks and pacifists whose attention far exceeds that merited by their arguments.
I have never seen any article more completely wrong than the article, “America’s Own ‘School of Assassins’” (Emily Greenhouse, Friday, Feb. 1). Every allegation in it is drawn directly from the SOAWatch (School of America Watch) website.
After talking to some of my fellow math major friends, we discovered that the statistics you cited on the hipster-to-hoopster ratio on campus was incorrect.
Last Friday, on the heels of endorsements from two Kennedys and victory in the South Carolina primary, Obama-mania touched down in Middletown. State Senate President Pro Tempore Don Williams, former Connecticut senatorial candidate Ned Lamont and Kal Penn, the actor most widely known for his role as Kumar in the 2004 movie, “Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle,” all spoke on campus to endorse presidential hopeful Barack Obama.
New smoke detectors in the Butterfield dorms were installed over winter break, a move that caught residents’ attention. A Jan. 20 post on the student-run blog Wesleying set off speculation that the new alarms are more sensitive than the previous model. Both Middletown and University fire safety officials explained that the changes were made for routine maintenance.
Right before Super Tuesday, News Editor Ezra Silk spoke to Ned Lamont about 2008’s heated presidential primary. Lamont, angered over Connecticut Democrat Joe Lieberman’s support of the Bush administration’s policies in Iraq, ran against Lieberman for his U.S. Senate seat in 2006. Lamont won the primary and became the Democratic candidate, but ultimately lost to Lieberman, who was forced to run as an independent.
News Editor Ezra Silk caught up with actor Kal Penn, star of such films as “Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle” and “The Namesake,” after Friday’s rally to talk about candidate charisma, Obama’s unifying potential, and the importance of pronunciation in international relations.
On the evening of January 21, Professor of Government Melanye Price and Professor of Anthropology Gina Ulysse both watched the Democratic Party’s South Carolina debate. During the debate, both women were struck by the race and gender implications of a comment made by candidate Barack Obama.
When comedian, writer and filmmaker Mark Malkoff decided to move into IKEA for a week and film the results. Sophie Pollitt-Cohen ’09 followed along as his assistant on the production.
Question: How do you think the writers’ strike will resolve itself? How do you think it will ultimately affect the TV and Film Industries?
The Mad Student Society (MSS) is not a typical campus group and its founding member, Chris Dubey, is not a typical campus group leader. In fact, Dubey is not even a student at the University. A resident of Middletown and a student at Middlesex Community College, he chose Wesleyan as a venue to launch a crusade against involuntary psychiatric care.
“Who is Michael Roth? Where is Michael Roth?” After spending last semester in Amsterdam, Toni Latimer ’09 returned to campus and found herself asking these questions and others like them.
You may be sitting at your desk, reading this article, wondering why, exactly, Mr. Smith will inexorably become the greatest American president in the history of presidents. You may also be a pedophile, but who’s counting. What you need to know is this, and this alone: Will Smith has saved the world 27 times. Zombies, aliens, robots, giant steam-powered antebellum mechanical spiders — you name it, Will Smith has saved the world from it.
Tennessee: Before he dropped out, native Fred Thompson won over many voters with his pro-moonshinin’ stance. North Dakota: Primary not actually taking place, as North Dakota is a figment of our collective imaginations. Arkansas: Dispensed with any pretense and just put Bill’s name on the ballot.
Well, it’s that time of year again: that time of year when there’s a primary for the presidency of the United States. Now, whether you staunchly support the Whigs, or you’re just a complete Know-Nothing, there’s one thing we can all agree on: whatever Mitt Romney’s real name is, it’s gotta be better than Mitt. Even if his real name is Mitten.
In an October 2004 alumni newsletter, then-men’s basketball head coach Gerry McDowell wrote that freshman forward Nick Pelletier ’08 “will bolster our frontcourt immediately” and noted his “energy and competitive nature.” Four years later, Pelletier has become the 17th player in Wesleyan men’s basketball history to score 1,000 career points, a milestone that he reached with a career-high 27 during a much-needed 80-78 win at Tufts on Saturday. The win snapped the Cardinals’ six-game losing streak and allowed them to end their road trip on a high note after an 85-60 loss at Bates Friday night.
The women’s squash team matched its seed in the NESCAC tournament, going 1-2 to finish 10th in the 11-team tournament. After dropping matches to Bowdoin and Middlebury, the Cards pulled a 5-4 victory over Connecticut College in their final match of the weekend. Wesleyan’s record now stands at 7-13 heading into the Little Three matches next weekend.
The men’s swim team had huge wins against both Bowdoin and Colby at its meet on Saturday. Coming off an embarrassing loss to Colby last year, the Cards dominated 212-80 over Bowdoin and 177-111 over Colby. This puts the team in prime position to make a strong run at NESCACs in a few weeks. Michael Bailey ’11 explained that this was not just another meet for the team.
Fireworks exploded in my house Sunday night as Jets and Giants fans celebrated the unthinkable, a 17-14 Giants victory over the previously undefeated Patriots in the Super Bowl. This wasn’t just unthinkable, it was impossible, it was never going happen, it was laughable on Saturday night, and it was laughable on Sunday morning. The idea of the Giants winning this Super Bowl had every sports analyst hard-pressed to pick against the Pats. How could you? (Random side note: Broadway Joe Namath, who picked his Jets to upset the heavily-favored Colts in Super Bowl III, picked the Giants.)
The women’s basketball team returned to Middletown this weekend to take on conference rivals Bates College and Tufts University. Looking to stay atop the standings in the NESCAC, the team avenged a Jan. 4 loss to Bates on Friday night, but dropped its Saturday afternoon match-up against the nationally ranked Jumbos.
The women’s ice hockey team achieved its first NESCAC victory this past weekend as the Cards upended Connecticut College with a final score of 4-2. After starting conference play 0-8, including a loss to the Camels three weeks ago, the Cards were finally able to defeat a NESCAC opponent and earned their third victory in four contests overall.
The men’s squash team dropped a disappointing 1-8 decision to Tufts University in their first match of the NESCAC championship this weekend, but rebounded to win consolation matches against Colby College and Connecticut College, both 6-3.
The wrestling team brought back a win from Worcester, Mass. last week, defeating the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) team 28-6 this past Thursday. The victory moves Wesleyan to a 6-8 record after starting the season 1-4. After 197-pound John Gottfried ’09 blanked his opponent, 10-0, heavyweight Dan Conroy ’11 upped the ante with a second period pin, putting the Cards ahead 13-3. Dan Bloom ’10 continued the beat down, turning in an 8-4 decision.