Olivia DrakeJennifer 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…
David PesciAn award-winning best-selling author, a pioneering entrepreneur and philanthropist, and two dedicated members of the Middletown community will be the honorary degree recipients at the 177th Wesleyan Commencement on May 24, 2009. Anna Quindlen P’07, who will also give the Commencement Address, is a novelist, a journalist, and a champion of higher education. She currently writes the “Last Word” column on the back page of Newsweek and serves as chair of the board of Barnard College, where she received a degree in English literature. Quindlen has published five novels, all of them bestsellers. Her most recent, Rise and Shine, debuted at…
Senator Barack Obama delivered the 176th commencement speech May 25. Posted 06/03/08 When a pinch hitter comes into a game, it's usually a crucial moment hope balanced against uncertainty. At Wesleyan's 176th Commencement May 25, the hope shone through, and by all accounts, the pinch hitter sent a grand slam far over the fences. "I have the distinct honor today of pinch-hitting for one of my personal heroes and a hero to this country, Senator Edward Kennedy," said U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.). "He called me up a few days ago and I said that Id be happy to…