Olivia DrakeMay 28, 20052min
CLEAR THINKING: Artist and teacher Brett Cook spoke to a group of more than 70 people during his opening reception for "Meditations" in the Zilkha Gallery April 20. Cook's artwork will be on display through May 22. Spectators view Cook's "Documentation of Blackness," on display in the gallery. The artists combines his life experiences, including his biracial upbringings and recent engagement with Buddhism, to comment on his social and cultural realities. Cook encourages gallery-goers to color a collaborative piece. (Photos by Olivia Bartlett)

Olivia DrakeMay 23, 200510min
Krishna Winston, professor of German Studies, chair of the German Studies Department, and coordinator of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship, holds her translation of “Crabwalk” by Nobel-Prize-winning author Günter Grass.   Posted 05/23/05 In 1956, Richard and Clara Winston left their farm in Vermont to spend some time in Switzerland. Their two daughters, Krishna, 12, and Justina, 10, were enrolled in Swiss public school. They knew only a few words of German. “There were little boys who brought their gym shoes to school in cloth bags,” Krishna Winston recalls. “As we were walking home, they would swing those bags by…

Olivia DrakeMay 23, 200510min
Suzy Taraba, head of Special Collections & Archives and university archivist, searches for a 15th century book housed in the Davison Rare Book Room. George W. Davison donated Olin Memorial Library’s oldest printed books.   Posted 05/23/05 Q: You're the university archivist and head of Special Collections & Archives. What led you into this area?  A: I was drawn to librarianship at an early age in part because my mother’s two sisters are librarians. Later on, after thinking about various other careers, I realized that librarianship, especially special collections librarianship, was a natural outgrowth of my education as well as…

Olivia DrakeMay 23, 200515min
Georgie Leone, administrative assistant for the Center for African American Studies, has worked at Wesleyan for 41 years in four departments. She started here at the age of 18.   Posted 05/23/.05 Q: So, you’re one of those rarities. A: Yes. I am originally from Middletown. We were referred to by the Wesleyan boys as “townies” way back when. I was born right here at the Middlesex Hospital. My maiden name is Lockhart and I am the oldest child of three children -- the only girl and two brothers. One brother has passed on, but I have a baby brother…

Olivia DrakeMay 23, 20053min
Pictured in center, Migdalia Pinkney, administrative assistant for the Center for Community Partnerships and Lisa Currie, director of Health Education, congratulate Gabrielle Tynes-Labonte ’06 (left) and Vladrose Petit-Frere ’05 during the Academic Awards, Prizes and Scholarships program May 3. The students both received the Mosaic Award, given to four students who have brought about cultural awareness and education on race, ethnicity, culture or sexual orientation.   Posted 05/23/05 More than 240 Wesleyan students received accolades and formal recognition during the 2005 Academic Awards, Prizes and Scholarships program May 3 in the Russell House. “These are honor students who represent the…

Olivia DrakeMay 23, 20057min
Pamela Tatge, director of the Center for the Arts, announces the lineup for the '05-06 CFA season during a presentation May 4.   Posted 05/23/05 An American brass quintet, ballet, African rhythms and Bulgarian bebop are all in the mix for the upcoming year at Wesleyan. During the Center for the Arts season announcement on May 4, CFA Director Pamela Tatge introduced the 2005-06 season events. The season opens with Middletown Dances! on September 10. In Collaboration with the City of Middletown and community groups, the CFA is planning a citywide dance festival. The event will culminate in a community…

Olivia DrakeMay 23, 20059min
Dr. Davis Smith, medical director of the Davison Health Center, and Joyce Walter, director of the Health Services Department, are always looking for ways to improve the university’s health care.   Posted 05/23/05 Dr. Davis Smith wants the Davison Health Center to be students’ first point of contact for their medical needs. Joyce Walter wants to constantly improve the services at the center. Together, the medical director and director of the Health Services Department’s Davison Health Center are dedicated to maintaining the highest quality of service for their patients in a confidential, convenient and caring professional setting. “We both have…

Olivia DrakeMay 23, 20059min
Andy McGadney, director of Major Gifts, travels nation-wide to recruit gifts in the form of cash, stock, planned gifts, property or rare collections.   Posted 05/23/05 Q: When did you come to Wesleyan and were you hired in as director of Major Gifts? A: I started at Wesleyan on August 4, 1994 as an assistant director within the Wesleyan Annual Fund.Q: What is your background that led you to this job? A: Mostly sales. I was working for Otis Elevator Company as an account representative for service sales out of the Stamford office. I interned with Otis during my last…

Olivia DrakeMay 23, 20056min
Amelia Long ’06, Tiffany Lo ’05, Beth Coddington ’05 and Maria Nankova ’05, students in the Community Research Seminar, completed a study titled "Hungry Children in Middletown."   Posted 05/23/05 Four Wesleyan students have discovered that one out of five local children lives in a household that suffers from food insecurity. Beth Coddington ’05, Tiffany Lo ’05, Amelia Long ’06 and Maria Nankova ’05 presented results of their study, "Hungry Children in Middletown” on May 12. The students were enrolled in the Community Research Seminar taught by Rob Rosenthal, professor of sociology. The Middlesex Coalition for Children commissioned the survey.…

Olivia DrakeMay 23, 20056min
More than 700 students graduated from Wesleyan May 22.   Posted 05/23/05 During the last four years, Wesleyan University students have generated responses to the 9-11 terrorist attacks, the war in Iraq, the genocidal crisis in Darfur, the Tsunami of 2004 and several other events. In his commencement address on Wesleyan’s campus on Sunday, May 22, Wesleyan President Douglas J. Bennet `59 urged the 718 undergraduates from the Class of 2005 to continue their good work. “My commencement wish for each of you is that you never lose your instinct for challenging the society around you,” Bennet said. Bennet exhorted…

Olivia DrakeMay 23, 200512min
]]> At top, hired students worked stuffed 3,000 packets and created nametags in preparation for Reunion & Commencement Weekend at University Relations. At left, Gemma Ebstein, director of Alumni and Parent Relations and Deana Hutson, director of Events, look over Reunion & Commencement Weekend schedules prior to the four-day event. Posted 05/23/05 It all starts the day after. Deana Hutson, director of Events, began planning for the 2005 Reunion & Commencement Weekend the day after the 2004 Commencement Weekend ended. On the agenda: Hire 150 student workers. Print 20,000 brochures. Rent 10,000 chairs. Block 900 local hotel rooms. Contact 50…

Olivia DrakeMay 23, 20056min
  Above, Rob Rosenthal, professor of sociology and director of the Service-Learning Center, draws a troubadour to illustrate how the message of music is perceived differently during a lecture to high school students. At right, high school students listen to Rosenthal's lecture during the High School Humanities Program. Posted 05/23/05 This semester, local high school students read “The Odyssey,” and watched “O Brother, Where Art Thou,” but it wasn’t with their high school English teachers. As part of the High School Humanities Program, more than 80 high school students had the opportunity to participate in six discussions at Wesleyan. Wesleyan faculty…