Olivia DrakeMembers of the board of trustees, members of the faculty and staff, distinguished guests, new recipients of graduate degrees and Class of 2009, I am honored to present some brief remarks to our graduates on the occasion of their commencement. This year I’ve continued my “second Wesleyan education,” but I am still very much an underclassman. You seniors often asked me: “Roth, what are you going to major in? What are you focused on?” My focus as an undergraduate was on how people make sense of the past. My focus as your president is on how to link our sense…
Wesleyan's 177th Commencement is featured in several video clips below. The latest version of Quicktime Player is required to view the videos. The player can be downloaded for free, for both Windows and Mac, by clicking here. A high-speed internet connection also is necessary to view the broadcasts. Procession Welcome Invocation Chair Welcome Senior Class Welcome President's Remarks by Michael S. Roth ’78 Conferring of degrees Honorary degrees Commencement Address by Anna Quindlen P'07 Doctorate and graduate degrees Additional honorary degrees Undergraduate degrees (last names A-D) Undergraduate degrees (last names E-L) Undergraduate degrees (last names M-S) Undergraduate degrees (last names…
Jennifer Alexander ’88, Mark Masselli and Azim Premji ’99 were awarded Doctor of Humane Letters honorary degrees during the 177th Commencement. Remarks from the ceremony are below: Remarks by Jennifer Alexander '88 Has anyone here ever read Charlotte's Web? You remember the story of Wilbur the pig and Charlotte the spider who became best friends - But spiders don’t live very long: we all cried when Charlotte died and left Wilbur behind to care for her egg sac full of tiny baby spiders. When I was at Wesleyan, Professor Anne Greene would sometimes read children's books out loud to us…
Wesleyan held its 177th Commencement Ceremony May 24. During the event, 732 students received a Bachelor of Arts; 61 received a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies; two received a Certificate of Advanced Study; 31 received a Master of Arts; and 16 received a Doctor of Philosophy. Ten other students will receive a Bachelor of Arts upon completion. Commencement speeches, photographs and videos are now online in The Wesleyan Connection. Commencement highlights: https://newsletter.blogs.wesleyan.edu/2009/05/24/wesleyan-holds-177th-commencement-ceremonies/ Commencement Address by Anna Quindlen P'07: https://newsletter.blogs.wesleyan.edu/2009/05/24/quindlen-p07-embrace-transformation/ President's Remarks by Michael S. Roth '78: https://newsletter.blogs.wesleyan.edu/2009/05/24/president-roth-asks-class-of-2009-to-help-shape-culture/ Senior Class Welcome by Ravid Chowdhury '09: https://newsletter.blogs.wesleyan.edu/2009/05/24/chowdhury-09-leads-senior-class-welcome/ Honorary Degree Recipients remarks by…
Joseph J. Fins ’82, M.D., chair of the Alumni Association, spoke to members of the Wesleyan Gamma Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa during Reunion & Commencement Weekend. His speech was titled "Minding Time." Membership for Phi Beta Kappa is conferred for high scholastic achievement. It is a delight to be here with you today to celebrate your induction into Phi Beta Kappa. Let me add my congratulations to those of The Faculty, President Roth and your friends and family. This is a memorable day in your life and it is good that you savour this accomplishment. A former professor of…
Students who received academic prizes, fellowships and scholarships, were honored at a reception May 5 in Daniel Family Commons. The awards and the recipients are: George H. Acheson and Grass Foundation Prize in Neuroscience Established in 1992 by a gift from the Grass Foundation, this prize is awarded to an outstanding undergraduate in the Neuroscience and Behavior Program who demonstrates excellence in the program and who also shows promise for future contributions in the field of neuroscience. Eric LaMotte 2009 Kai Xuan Keith Tan 2009 Alumni Prize in the History of Art Established by Wesleyan alumni and awarded to a…
Tesla Place, a "thunderous light project" by Pedro Alejandro, associate professor of dance, was performed May 10 and 11 on the Wesleyan campus. The dance, light and sound-based performance began outside Crowell Concert Hall and ended in the Center for the Arts Courtyard. The theme focused on the inventor/scientist Nikola Tesla (1856-1943). Tesla Place was created in collaboration with Marcela Oteiza, adjunct assistant professor of theater and faculty fellow; Paul Boylan; Sal Privitera, audio-visual technician; Adam Tinkle; graduate student Rod O'Connor; Dante Brown '09; Brittany Delany '09; Aaron Freedman '10; Spencer Garrod '09; Shayna Keller '09; and Samantha Sherman '09.…
The dance and music departments of Wesleyan hosted the West African Drumming and Dance Spring Concert showcasing the vibrancy of West African cultures through their music and dance forms. In West Africa, dance is life embodied in rhythm and movement. It celebrates and reinforces life and its various cycles. Right from conception to death, people in West Africa are called upon to honor and celebrate the different stages, achievements and successes of life, as well as to mourn and remember bitter experiences and losses, through music and dances. (Photos by Alexandra Portis '09)
Singapore-Malaysia Cultural Night was held April 23 in Beckham Hall. The first-ever event offered music, dance, drama, comedy, political satire and ethnic foods to introduce the Wesleyan community to the Singapore and Malaysian culture. Photos of the event are below. (Photos by Alexandra Portis '09)
Wesleyan jazz musicians have been tooting their own horns to the local community. During spring semester, the 20-member band has performed six times at public elementary, middle and high schools in Middletown. They work under the direction of vibraphonist-composer Jay Hoggard, adjunct associate professor of music. "It's good for the Wesleyan students to get out of their little shell of the universe according to Momma Wesleyan, go a few blocks away and play for young people who may or may not have been exposed to this type of music before," Hoggard says. "We're representing jazz and we’re representing Wesleyan." The…