All News – Page 202

Did you fall in love at Wesleyan? Dozens of Wesleyan alumni found their significant other at Wesleyan and some shared their romance stories with us on Valentine's Day! Martha Haakmat ‘87 and Stephen Warner '87 This year, Martha and Stephen celebrate 25 years of marriage, and it all started at Wesleyan. During her junior year, Martha, an African American studies major, joined fellow students to volunteer running a hotline for pregnant women. "We were trained one afternoon, gathered together in a conference room to go over our scripts. We were all women in that room, except for one, slightly awkward, stereotypical white guy. In…

Wesleyan's men's basketball won the Little Three Title with a thrilling 73-72 overtime victory on the road against No. 8 Amherst College on Feb. 7. Jordan Bonner '19 knocked down a three-point buzzer-beater to send the game into overtime, and then hit the game-winning free throws to help guide the team to victory in non-conference action. With the win, the Cardinals snapped Amherst's 32-game home winning streak and claimed the Little Three title outright. The Cardinals, who shared the Little Three title with Amherst a year ago, won it outright for the first time since the 1990-91 season and the 15th…

In The Done Thing (Tyrus Books, 2016), author Tracy Manaster '01 introduces us to Lida Stearl, a newly retired widow growing more obsessed each day with her ex-brother-in-law Clarence, on death row for the murder of her sister almost 20 years earlier. We watch as Lida strikes up a correspondence with Clarence while posing as a naïve twenty-something in need of a friend. We witness the rawness of Lida’s pain when she realizes that her niece Pamela, whom she raised as her own, has been in contact with the man she has despised for all these years. And we stand…

With the approach of the centennial of John F. Kennedy's birth, it's fair to ask: Will his legacy endure? By Tom Kertscher Last July [2016], President Barack Obama signed a law creating the John F. Kennedy Centennial Commission, which will develop and carry out activities to mark the 100th anniversary of Kennedy’s birth on May 29, 2017. Kennedy, polls have shown, continues to be among the most highly regarded presidents. But only about a third of Americans were alive when he was assassinated in 1963. So, it’s fair to ask: Will Kennedy will remain relevant? Emily Jennett Butler ’90, a…

Hannah Levin '19 is passionate about film, television, theater and comedy. Since early high school, she has run a website for other young aspiring entertainment professionals featuring interviews with many top actors, directors and others about their careers. Q: Where are you from, and what are you studying at Wesleyan? A: I’m from Westport, Conn. I’m planning to declare a double major in film and English. Q: You launched your website, Master Chat Mag, when you were only 15-years-old. Please tell us about your site and what inspired you to start it. A: When I was a freshman in high school, I was…

Wesleyan is known for its top-notch writing programs and for the accomplishments of its community of award-winning alumni, faculty, students and staff book authors, editors and translators. Members of the Wesleyan community—alumni, faculty, students and staff—are invited to submit their latest books, as well as information about forthcoming and recently signed titles, and other literary news, to Laurie Kenney, books editor for Wesleyan magazine. Books and information received will be considered for possible coverage in Wesleyan magazine, on the News @ Wes blog and through Wesleyan’s social media channels, as well as through possible in-store display and event opportunities at Wesleyan’s new bookstore—Wesleyan RJ…

Beatriz at Dinner, a darkly comedic film directed by Miguel Arteta ’89, written by Mike White ’92, and co-produced by Bill Macomber ’96, world premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22. The film premiered with positive reviews with magazines like Vanity Fair calling it “remarkable” with a “timely shiver to it.” After acclaimed films such as Chuck & Buck (2000) and The Good Girl (2002), Arteta and White have reunited again for Beatriz, which starts Salma Hayek as a holistic therapist. She attends a wealthy client’s dinner party after her car breaks down and comes up against a real…

Recent Film Studies graduate Ani Acopian ’16 has been nominated for the “Snapchatter of the Year” award, presented on behalf of The Shorty Awards. Created to honor the best of social media by recognizing those with an influential and significant presence, The Shorty Awards draws nominees from sites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr, Instagram, Snapchat and more. Acopian gained significant Snapchat clout with her colorful snaps, specializing in narrative pieces, branded content, and music videos. Some of her work featured in her Shorty Award profile include turning the famous Angkor Wat into a real life Temple Run, and creating…

Wesleyan Women in Science (WIS) hosted a tea party on Feb. 3 for students and faculty. All majors and genders were welcome to come mingle with fellow scientists and female faculty from Wesleyan’s science departments and learn more about WIS. (Photos by Caroline Kravitz '19) (more…)

Bill Belichick ’75, head coach of the New England Patriots, led his team to the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history on Feb. 5, beating the Atlanta Falcons by a score of 34-28 in OT—the first time an overtime period was ever needed in the 51-year history of the NFL’s annual championship game. The win made Belichick the winningest coach in Super Bowl history. All five of Belichick's wins have come as head coach of the Patriots, a team he has coached since 2000. Beginning his NFL career as an assistant coach with the Baltimore Colts in 1975, Belichick moved…

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Writing in The Times Literary Supplement, Assistant Professor of English Hirsh Sawhney muses on the recent election of Donald Trump and the cultural divide in America while nursing "the second cheapest single malt Scotch" on the menu at a New Haven bar. He contemplates whiskey's particular place in contemporary American culture, talks politics with others at the bar, draws from literature, and recalls the personal struggles of his family and friends. At the conclusion, while discussing the election with a neighbor (referred to, in jest, as "Professor Pesci"), Sawhney argues: My point is that we teach our students to be wary of “othering” people…

Alumni Couples Share Wesleyan Romance Stories on Valentine’s Day

Men’s Basketball Wins Little Three Title

Manaster ’01 Exposes the Messiness of Life in New Book

Butler ’90 on JFK’s Legacy

Levin ’19 Interviews Entertainment Professionals for Master Chat Mag

Wesleyan Editors Call for New Books by Alumni, Faculty, Students, Staff

Macomber ’96 Discusses Producing Comedy by Arteta ’89, White ’92

Acopian ’16 Nominated Snapchatter of the Year

Women in Science Hosts Tea Party, Conversation

Belichick ’75 Leads Patriots to Super Bowl Win

Shaw ’76 Delivers Keynote Address at Wesleyan’s MLK Commemoration

Sawhney Authors Essay in Times Literary Supplement