US political leaders met on Thursday to discuss the Bush Administration’s 700 billion dollar bail-out plan to revive the finance sector. The talks involved presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama. After several hours of discussion, however, members of congress said more work was needed before a decision could be reached.
Individuals entered the Freeman Athletic Center pool area last Saturday after closing hours, and proceeded to vandalize the pool itself by dying the water red.
Joan Liljedahl has lived in her home at 48 Brainerd Ave. for the past 35 years. From her seat on the porch (where she spends most of her time), she can tell you which houses have had drug deal busts, point out the floor that Professor of Music Tony Braxton lives on, and introduce you to every single student walking by.
Thailand’s former prime minister, Samak Sundaravej, stepped down Tuesday after a constitutional court ruled he had violated the constitution by appearing several times as a guest on the cooking show he once hosted before becoming prime minister.
The Republican National Convention held in St. Paul, Minnesota ended Thursday with Senator John McCain (R-AZ) named as the official Republican presidential nominee. The four-day event featured speeches by President George W. Bush, Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT), former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson, and newly-announced Republican vice presidential nominee, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.
Johanna Goetzel ’07 is about to graduate, having accomplished more than the average person does in a lifetime. She’s helped write two books, been on Nightline and in a New York Times cover story, and has a vast knowledge of fine wines. But I guess everyone would be as motivated had their babysitter been Jessie Spano.
If you’re an avid Argus fan, and we know you are, then you’ve without a doubt seen Evan Carp’s name all over the Wespeak pages. Whether he’s dishing it out or being responded to, Evan has made a name for himself at the Argus office and all over campus, so we wanted to get to know the "man behind the Wespeak." More importantly, now all those creepy voyeurs who already know he’s not on Facebook can finally put a face to the name — he might have to look into that posse after all.
Mike Bolds ’08 told us he was surprised he was going to be a WesCeleb. As an RA, a tutor at Traverse Square, an exhibited artist in Skittles (an annual student of color show that debuted this year), a performer in "Invisible Man," and with a thesis already in development, we were surprised he hadn’t been one sooner.
For students cutting through Andrus field, walking down High Street, or even looking through the windows at Olin Library, the looming structure along Wyllys Avenue has become little more than a mundane landmark on the daily route to class. For next year’s freshmen, however, that iconic castle-like archway won’t be a 150-year-old run-down field house full of history and nostalgia.
Does this interview seem kind of bizarre? Well, Mike James ’07 is a director, writer, graphic design aficionado, and he’s just turned in a senior thesis, completing a WesCeleb interview only hours later! What a trooper–he’ll make some Brooklyn orphanage very proud.
Juniors, meet your new senior class VP…well, if all goes well for Brooke Richart ’08. If not, she’s got Traverse Square tutoring, her cushy WesWings job, and Earth House to fall back upon.
Lola Pellegrino ’08 leads an exciting life. When not working at a haunted Providence sex shop or as a Love Detective, she fills her time with major surgeries, knight-filled comas, and BDSM seminars. And if you see her wearing an eye patch, you’ll know that you’ve seen her alter-ego: Lola Dam Sorrow.
Although he’s only been here a short time, you might know Leif as the guy singing next to you in Wessingers, the guy helping you out in the Office of International Studies, or the guy talking about Glam rock or German philosophers. That is unless you’ve shared a classroom with him — then he might just be "that guy."
When the Usdan University Center opens next fall, it will offer new state-of-the-art kitchens, outdoor terraces, two new dining halls, and even a basement rehearsal space. One thing it won’t offer, however, is the famous MoCon balcony "announcement platform," so dramatically demonstrated to clueless freshmen who find themselves suffering the traditional cacophony of banging cups and trays.
Whether he’s glued to a cricket match or getting you some "responsible" booze as your class president, you’ve probably seen Arijit Sen on campus. He’s also a choreographer, a world-traveler, and special enough to be a WesCeleb…twice.
Laura Brown: We’ll start with the position that pops up when I googled you: the WESU Public Relations Director. How did you get that job?
When Thea De Armond ’09 went to her kitchen in 344 Wash. (formerly Film House) one morning to have a waffle, she found one missing from the freezer she shares with her housemates. After searching the house, she discovered, sitting on top of the trash, a waffle with a single bite taken out of it.
Traveling during the holidays is a bitch. Yet when the school dictates a break, students have to do it. While students from all different areas left campus in planes, trains, and cars, most inevitably found themselves stuck in endless lines of traffic.
Jordan Schulkin ’06 was featured last weekend on two episodes of the MTV show, "Yo Momma." Hosted by Wilmer Valderramma, former cast member of "That 70’s Show," the show travels through different areas of New York, and it features battles involving heated exchanges of "yo momma" jokes, with participants competing for money and the title of "best trashtalker."
Whether you see him hanging out in Olin or gracing the "Roving Reporter," Fielding Hong ’07 is that guy you see everywhere and just want to know more about. Hong is a stylish mid-westerner and he has a lot to say.
While political awareness has been increasing on campus in preparation of election day, students turned out in huge numbers for a pivotal event Friday night: the opening of the new Borat movie. They weren’t alone. According to Associated Press, although opening on only 837 screens, "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" brought in over $26 million this past weekend.
This past Saturday night, Vinnie’s Jump and Jive on Main Street was a happening place. A crowd of witches, vampires, and other odd characters danced the night away at the WESU-sponsored dance, "Struttin," held every fourth Saturday of the month. About 100 dancers filled the floor throughout the night.
While students sleep away Sunday morning in the Butterfield dorms, the members of St. Paul Lutheran Church down the street are just rising for their opening hymns. Voices of old and young are accompanied by chords from the church’s massive pipe organ. While this instrument is half-a-century old, visitors may be surprised to learn that 19 year-old Ann-Marie Illsley ’10 is the musician seated at its bench.
"I left Wesleyan with relief and elation," said Bill Chace, the University’s 14th president, in his recently released memoir, "100 Semesters: My Adventures as Student, Professor, and University President, and What I Learned Along the Way," an examination of American higher education over the past half century.
Although virtually unknown to many underclassmen, undergraduate tutorials offer students the chance to share knowledge they have developed in any number of special areas in a classroom format. Taking the role of a teacher, students who run tutorials lead their peers while developing their own curriculum and assigning readings, papers, and projects.
The abundance of bright faces during Freshman Orientation may take early-returning upperclassmen by surprise. A week before freshmen even arrive, however, Residential Life coordinates an even more intense experience involving every Resident Advisor on campus.
When we noticed that Joe John Sanchez III ’07 had never been WesCeleb, we were a bit surprised. This HiRise RA is an internet rap star, a three-time "In the Company of Others" veteran, plus an award-winning speller. Joe John is quite the Renaissance Man; just don’t offer him part of your sandwich.
After a few nights on campus, local attractions anchored by the Destinta movie theater and an assortment of Thai restaurants may start to seem a bit boring. Find a friend with a car, though, and the Middletown area offers a surprisingly vast assortment of "day trips" that will suit nearly every student’s taste and provide countless hours of diversion.
While dorm rooms and MoCon have probably become familiar territory, the campus offers a wide variety of nooks and crannies new arrivals are probably unaware of. Whether resourceful, useful, or just plain entertaining, these spaces deserve a moment of students’ ample Orientation week time.
Director of Student Activities and Leadership Development Leilani Kupo, who has been a resource and friend to countless student leaders over the past five years, will resign at the end of this year. "I have heard many students express their fears regarding Leilani’s leav[ing]," said Jason C. Harris ’09, member of the WSA Leadership Development Steering Committee.
Professor of Economics Gil Skillman led a student discussion focusing on the interaction between students and the administration on campus, the second Talking Points meeting meant to garner student input on campus issues. "I think for any lasting change to happen there has to be institutionalized [student] voice," Skillman said.
The University Capoeira Group brought Visiting Capoeira Master Mestre Cobra Mansa, also known as Mestre Cobrihna, to campus this weekend to participate in a series of performances and workshops. Capoeira Angola is a danced fight involving style, wit, flexibility, and strategy that originated as an Afro-Brazilian art form.
Long Lane Farm will be growing this summer, in more ways than one. Students plan to increase the cultivation area to a full acre, expanding into the surrounding land owned by the University. "We only planted around one-half, maybe a little less, of the acre last summer, so the expansion just means we’re actually going to plant on the whole acre," said Rachel Ostlund ’08.
Sundari Gurung, chairperson of Hatemalo women’s cooperative in Kathmandu, Nepal, spoke with a small group of students Saturday about her organization’s work to help Nepali women. Gurung was brought to campus by IMPACT! (Integrity and Mobility for the Poor through Access to Capital Today), an on-campus affiliate of IMPACT! Humanity Inc.
The Career Resource Center (CRC) has made some changes this year in recruiting measures for seniors. Stricter guidelines for seniors include signing a mandatory code of conduct and attendance at various interview workshops.
The Middletown Police Department has continued its investigation of the Mar. 26 attempted armed robbery of a student and his guest on William St., but no suspects have been apprehended.
A new study released by Yale University last week found that, despite growing numbers of college student participation, a cappella is still "uncool." "What’s really disturbing are the statistics on the number of students unaware of the dangers involved," said Margot McCreless, director of music studies at Yale. "Participation in these types of groups is rising nationwide…it’s a disturbing trend."
The University has begun the search for a new Director of Public Safety to replace Maryann Wiggin, who left suddenly during the middle of last semester.
Tuesday night Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental Science Dana Royer spoke at the First Church of Christ about global temperature change and the methods used to detect it. The talk was part of one of the Jonah Center for Earth and Art’s monthly meetings.
On Tuesday, the Turath House and the Muslim Student Association (MSA) hosted a teach-in about the controversial cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed, originally published in a Danish newspaper and reprinted in papers throughout Europe.
The University’s Neuroscience and Behavior (NS&B) department hosted its first ever symposium this past Saturday, featuring presentations by five recent NS&B alumni who described their research and talked with students about graduate and career options.
The composition of the search committee for the newly created Dean of Diversity and Academic Advancement (DDAA) was finalized last week. Dean Mike Whaley will head the committee that will contain two seniors, one sophomore and three additional faculty members.
The University recently received a Certificate of Appreciation from the local Rockfall Foundation for its Fauver Residences and two senior prototype houses. The Fauver residences were recognized as the first buildings on campus to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, and both projects were awarded for being environmentally friendly.
A new student-created music magazine called "Griot" is set to release its first issue this month. The magazine will include a mixture of features and music reviews of new and upcoming artists and releases. "The features include people’s personal opinions of music in general, the music scene, biographical write-ups of certain group … like we’re writing about Slum Village and the Detroit music scene," said Austin Purnell ’08.
Students attended an anti-death penalty rally in Hartford this past Sunday on the steps of the Connecticut capitol building. The rally recognized the upcoming 1000th execution in the United States since the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976.
Kerry Max Cook, a man who served 22 years on Texas death row before being declared wrongfully convicted, spoke about his experience Saturday afternoon in the Memorial Chapel. Cook is the longest tenured death row inmate in U.S. history to be freed.
An open house was held Tuesday and Wednesday for students to meet Professor Evelyn Hu-DeHart, a scholar who will be visiting Wesleyan for the 2005-2006 academic year. The informal meetings were held at the Center for the Americas and the Freeman Center for East Asian Studies.
The University is set to decide this spring whether or not the contract for campus dining services will be put up for bid. The decision will be based on a plan created by the Dining Services Advisory Committee that has been in the working for the past two years. "There have been a lot of students who have put a lot of hard work into this," said Manny Cunard, director of auxiliary operations and campus services and co-chair of the Dining Advisory Committee.
Over the past week, Dean of the College Maria Cruz-Saco held two sessions of “open conversation” with students in which she explained the general proposal for a new dean of multicultural affairs. The sessions were conceived to address student questions and concerns.
Bridgett Stapleton has been hired as the new Senior Food Service Director. She is responsible for overseeing all food-related operations and dining establishments on campus including McConaughy Hall, the Campus Center, Pi Café, Summerfields, and Weshop.
The Administration is making changes to the Office of Behavioral Health Services (OBHS) this year. The controversial pilot program they are currently testing was formed in response to a report issued by an external review panel in the spring of 2003 along with an extraordinarily high demand on the time of the clinical staff.
On Monday, the Mansfield Freeman Center for East Asian Studies (FEAS) hosted a Japanese tea ceremony led by Stephen A. Morrell. A landscape architect specializing in Japanese-style gardens, Morrell has done several study tours to Japan and is a practitioner of Zen Buddhism and the tea ceremony. He explained the history of tea ceremony and presented formal tea to one guest recipient.
Rainy weather on Saturday didn’t stop the Buttstock festival, which included a barbecue, student bands, demonstrations, guest speakers, T-shirts, and plenty of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. "[Buttstock] was awesome last year, just because it wasn’t raining and there was a better turnout," said Alon Hafri ’07. "I’m a little disappointed, but I’m surprised there’s this many people here."
Hip-hop artist Cee-Lo, Deerhoof and the Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra will perform at Spring Fling on Andrus Field Wednesday, May 4. “It’s the biggest student event all year, so it’s generally a pretty good crowd,” said Social Committee [SC] president Alex Escamilla ’05, responsible for bringing the groups to campus. “We usually get 1500 to 2000 people to come.”
A bill passed Wednesday in the Connecticut House of Representatives recognizes same-sex civil unions, which moves Connecticut one step closer to becoming the first state to establish civil unions through legislation. The House voted 85-63 in favor of the bill, but with the notable addition of an amendment defining marriage as an act between a man and a woman.
With the April 1 acceptance deadline past, Wesleyan has accepted 1,809 applications from the Class of 2009. This statistic is almost identical to the 1800 students who were offered admission for the class of 2008, despite the fact that the number of submitted applications rose by 5% (6848 for the class of 2009, from 6509 for the class of 2008). The acceptance rate for black students rose by 48 percent.
As one of several concurrent plans for downtown development, Middletown is in the running to be the next host site for the Science Center of Connecticut, which plans to move from its location in West Hartford when its lease expires in 2009. Museum president and CEO Edward J. Forand Jr. has announced that he and his team will decide on a new location by the end of the year.
A star discovered in Wesleyan’s Van Vleck Observatory could be vital to understanding how stars and planets are formed. Bill Herbst, Chair of the Astronomy Department and Director of the Van Vleck Observatory, has been leading research and observations on the star since he helped detect it in 1997. The star, KH 15D, was first detected by Herbst and Kristin Kearns, who was then a graduate student at Wesleyan.
The second Dean of the College candidate, Maria Cruz-Saco, met with a small group of students Monday for the second of two student-candidate forums. The meeting was part of a busy day for Cruz-Saco, the current Interim Dean of Connecticut College, who underwent a series of administrative interviews that morning in addition to various meetings with Wesleyan faculty and the WSA.
Students convened Friday afternoon to discuss a Dean of Multicultural Affairs and diversity training with Dean of Student Services Michael Whaley during the second meeting of the Student of Color Perspectives and Action Committee (SoCPAC). The Administration has long resisted student demands for a multicultural dean, but at the meeting Whaley informed students that both President Doug Bennet and Interim Dean of the College Peter Patton have begun to reconsider their positions on the issue.
Although the national shortage of influenza vaccine continues, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recently released several million extra doses for sale to health providers, including the Davison Health Center. The Health Center has already begun purchasing additional doses to provide for interested students, faculty, and staff. Although the Center initially planned to wait until this Friday to place the first order, they had an unexpectedly high amount of student and faculty demand.
In the need of a Valentine’s gift for someone? Tina’s Fine Lingerie, located on Main Street provides options to fit the occasion. The store includes a wide variety of lingerie, with everything from bras and panties to hosiery and even bustiers. They also offer costumes, novelties, dresses, gowns and an impressive swimwear collection. According to Tina Lun, the store’s owner, Tina’s Fine Lingerie offers the largest collection of fine and sexy lingerie and the best Venus Swimwear in Connecticut.
Thanks to student and alumni recruitment efforts, the number of African-American applicants this year has risen by 18 percent. This number is the highest seen in at least eight years. Wesleyan received 504 applications from African-American students this year, compared to 428 last year. This increase may be in part due to greater participation by alumni of color in recruitment efforts; a letter sent out to all alumni of color in October outlined initiatives that Wesleyan planned to take this year to build student of color enrollment.
Dedicated anti-death penalty students drove to Hartford Monday to attend public hearings on the possibility of abolishing the death penalty. The hearings, which ran from 1:45 — 7pm, were held by the Connecticut judiciary committee in response to the ongoing legal process surrounding the death sentence of Michael Ross. Ross, who would have been the first man to be executed by the state of Connecticut since 1960, confessed to the kidnapping, murder and sexual assault of eight women between the years of 1981 and 1984.
Students and staff spread messages of hope and encouraged donations at Thursday’s Tsunami Forum in the Memorial Chapel. "This Forum will hopefully help us reflect and commemorate upon the tragic events that bring us here and to talk about the next steps we can take," said Judith Brown, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. While President Bennet sent out the formal email announcing the event, he did not attend the forum. Bennet was out of town, according to Brown.
The Green Street Arts Center (GSAC) opened its doors to its new facility this weekend for a “sneak peek,” previewing workshops and activities that will be offered in January. On Saturday, GSAC faculty and administration presented demonstrations in Bomba drumming, print making, jazz piano, Puerto Rican Vejigante mask masking, memoir writing, belly dancing, acting, sculpture, and Afro-Caribbean doll-making, which will be among the 30 classes in the GSAC after-school curriculum.
The Inn at Middletown, which opened on Oct. 28, 2003, has experienced remarkable success in its first year of existence. Located at the south end of Main Street, the hotel and conference space have received a steady flow of visitors over the past year. “We had a very good year,” said Marie Risk, Director of Hotel Sales and Marketing. “We actually met the budget […] and we’ve had numerous sold-out events and weekends.”
Caroline, Robert, and Doug are the first high school students to enroll in Middlesex Transition Academy, a cooperative educational program for students with intellectual disabilities. Launched in September, the cooperative was designed to provide University employment to disabled students from Cromwell and Coginchaug high schools. By working in an academic environment, the students can better prepare for a successful transition from school to work when they turn 21 years old.
The English Tea Garden on Broad Street may close its kitchen doors next spring with the current manager, Sharon Sheedy, making plans to retire. The Tea Garden, a café-style restaurant and gift shop, is part of an outreach project overseen by the Church of the Holy Trinity. Sheedy, who has been running the Tea Garden for the last 15 years, has worked hard over her tenure there. Her duties include purchasing the food each morning and then cooking all the meals by herself.
Andrea Wozny ’05 and Nikhil Melnechuk ’07 have organized the screening of political documentaries that will be shown on campus starting this Sunday evening. The presentation of three different films, called The Screen Democracy Film Festival, will be held in the CFA Cinema at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 24, 25 and 26 and will include talks by guest speakers directly involved in the making of the documentaries.
The Elizabeth Swain String Program held its first benefit concert Friday at Middletown High School to raise money for its local youth music program. The program, founded in 2003, teaches 60 third-graders in the Middletown area how to play string instruments. The students in the program opened Friday’s concert with cello and violin performances. They entertained the audience with folk songs and an all-cello rendition of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy."
Earlier this year, Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national organization that protects undeveloped land, created the Connecticut River Program to improve conservation efforts for the river.
Dr. Shonni Silverberg ’76 and her husband, John M. Shapiro ’74, recently donated two million dollars to the Jewish and Israel Studies Program in honor of Assistant Professor of Religion Jeremy Zwelling.