Olivia DrakeA new series of works by choreographer Ann Carlson, pictured above, will be part of the "Feet to the Fire" festival on May 10. Posted 05/01/08 The Wesleyan community will explore its environmental impact through an eco-arts festival called Feet to the Fire on May 10 that will feature food, music, art, theater and a premier by a world-renowned choreographer. Running from noon to 5 p.m. at Veterans Park in Middletown, Feet to the Fire will combine the variety of arts performances, interactive exhibits and a farmers market with food from Connecticut vendors. Exhibits coordinated by the Jonah Center for…
Posted 05/01/08 A new color will stand out against the traditional black and red regalia decorating Wesleyan Universitys graduating class during its 176th commencement ceremony in May: Green. As a symbol of the universitys dedication to producing Reunion & Commencement Weekend with an eye toward increased sustainability, graduating seniors, graduate students, faculty and staff members and attending guests will have the opportunity to don green ribbons indicating their agreement to the Wesleyan Community Climate Commitment. The Climate Commitment was created as a result of Wesleyan President Michael Roth signing the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment in November 2007.…
A grant from the Connecticut Health and Education Facilities Authority will support health and wellness programs for Green Street Art Center students. Posted 05/01/08 A grant from the Connecticut Health and Educational Facilities Authority (CHEFA) will provide program support and establish a health and wellness component for Wesleyans Green Street Arts Center. The $75,000 grant will be applied to the art centers After School Program. The funds will allow the program to bring professionals in the fields of nutrition, health, exercise, and mental health to teach life-long health habits. As one of only 10 grantees out of a very competitive…
Jeffrey Schiff, professor of art, is a Guggenheim fellowship recipient. Posted 04/21/08 Jeffrey Schiff, professor of art, was awarded a 2008 Guggenheim Fellowship by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. According to the foundation, the "fellowships are appointed for stellar achievement and exceptional promise for continued accomplishment." Schiffs fellowship was awarded in the "Fine Arts" category in recognition of his work in sculpture. The program provides funds to permit fellows to work with "as much creative freedom as possible." The fellowships are without conditions or stipulations, allowing recipients the liberty to spend the awarded funds in the way they…
Posted 04/21/08 Eight individuals and three teams have been selected into Wesleyans newly-established Athletics Hall of Fame. The seven prominent Wesleyan graduates, one long-time athletic coach, and a series of three football teams will be inducted during a ceremony May 23. The inaugural class of the Wesleyan Athletics Hall of Fame is comprised of many great athletes, coaches that have accomplished much while at Wesleyan, or in their post graduation careers and, for some, in Olympic competition, says John Biddiscombe, director of athletics. The standard that this group establishes for future hall of fame recipients insures that being inducted into…
Sporting a blue sweatshirt, Janis Astor del Valle, director of the Green Street Arts Center, gathers with others featured in the film, "Marriage Makes a Word of Difference, which promotes marriage equality in Connecticut. Astor del Valle's wife, Amy Myers, is pictured in the brown sweatshirt. The film's director Fran Rzeznik is on the far right. Posted 04/21/08 When the Hartford-based organization Love Makes a Family (LMF) was looking for interesting stories about how same-sex couples met, Green Street Arts Director Janis Astor del Valles wife Amy Joy Myers sent in the unique story of their first meeting as childhood…
At right, Paiki Muswazi, deputy client services librarian at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, meets with, from left, Jody Schenker, library assistant; Barbara Jones, the Caleb T. Winchester University Librarian; Graziano Kratli, international program support librarian at Yale University; Alec McLane, music librarian and director of the World Music Archives; and Diane Klare, head of reference, during his visit to Wesleyan April 14. Posted 04/21/08 A librarian has traveled from the other side of the world to experience ways librarians in the United States aid researchers. Paiki Muswazi, deputy client services librarian at the University of…
Wesleyan's Long Lane Farm originated in 2004 as a place students could learn about food security issues and grow their own produce. It recently won an award from the Department of Higher Education. Posted 04/21/08 Wesleyans student-run Long Lane Farm received a Higher Education Community Service Award from the State of Connecticut for sustaining community-supported agriculture and providing needy families access to fresh, locally-grown produce. The award was presented by Michael Meotti, commissioner of the Department of Higher Education, and State Representative William Dyson, chair of the Connecticut Commission on Community Service, during an award ceremony April 1 in Cromwell,…
Ayanna Perez, 11, is DJ Ferrell for the Middletown Youth Radio Project. Posted 04/21/08 The Middletown Youth Radio Project (MYRP), Central Connecticut's premier youth radio training program, aired its 25th live broadcast April 18 on Wesleyans WESU 88.1 FM. From 6:30 to 7 p.m., two young DJs hit the airwaves and play their newest original songs, stories, poems, and commentaries, interspersed with anecdotes and their favorite tunes of the week.MYRP is a weekly radio program written, produced, and hosted by kids ages 10-17. The first live broadcast aired on Sept. 10, 2007. The youth, many of whom live in the…
In the dry, Rift Valley province of Kenya, communities are struggling with deforestation issues and infertile soils for farming. This rural area relies heavily on firewood for cooking and warmth, however locals are being forced to travel further for resources, limiting the time spent supporting their families.As Davis United World College Projects for Peace recipients, Robert McCourt 08 and Nyambura Gichohi 08 will help this community create alternative energy through biogas this summer. They will work with the Noontoto Womens Project, a group of 25 women that have come together to aspire to improve their livelihood. As one of 100…
Molecular biology and biochemistry majors Noah Biro 09, above, and Alison Ringel 09, below will conduct independent research next year with help from a Goldwater Scholarship. Posted 04/21/08 Alison Ringel 09 and Noah Biro 09, both molecular biology and biochemistry majors, will conduct independent research as Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program fellows in 2008-09. The two students were among 321 juniors and seniors nationwide selected for highly competitive undergraduate scholarship in science, math or engineering. The Goldwater Scholarship is applied to their undergraduate studies. Next year, they will receive up to $7,500 each to help defray…
Posted 04/04/08 An award-winning writer, a college president known for his expertise in the economics of higher education, and a critically acclaimed photographer will be honored at Wesleyan University's 176th commencement ceremonies this year. Jamaica Kincaid, Morton Schapiro and Philip Trager of Wesleyan's Class of 1956 will receive honorary doctorate degrees from Wesleyan on May 25, 2008. "We are delighted that these talented and accomplished individuals have agreed to honor us by participating in our commencement," said Wesleyan President Michael S. Roth. "Each exemplifies the qualities of courage and engagement, discernment and discipline that are essential to innovation and to…