David PesciKennedy Odede '11 grew up in Kibera, Kenya's worst slum, taught himself English and made it to Wesleyan. Now, Odede and Jessica Posner '09 have received a Projects for Peace Grant and is going back to Kibera to build a school for girls. Odede and Posner were also featured on a show on WNPR's "Where We Live" that focused on "Responding to Needs in Africa." Their part starts at roughly the 49 minute mark.
Susan Christensen from Fox61 did an extensive feature on her "Fox Focus" segment on the Green Street Arts Center and its educational offerings.
Writing a piece for The Moscow Times, Peter Rutland, Colin and Nancy Campbell Professor in Global Issues and Democratic Thought, professor of government, points out how Japan and Russia are strengthening economic ties, moving forward on a variety of partnerships, and in general acting like long-standing allies. Yet one thorny territorial issue remains that has precluded the countries from signing a peace treaty with each other dating back to the end of World War II.
Wesleyan President Michael S. Roth reviews the book A Human Eye: Essays on Art in Society, 1997-2008 by Adrienne Rich in The San Francisco Chronicle. The book, a collection of essays and book reviews written by Rich during the last 12 years, displays Rich's on-going dialogue on art, politics and social justice.
Melanye Price, assistant professor of government, was a featured guest speaker for the University of Nevada's College of Liberal Arts on April 23. She was broadcast on 88.9 KNPR Nevada Public Radio. In a lecture titled "Dreaming Blackness: Black Nationalism and African-American Public Opinion," Price spoke about ways African-Americans have come to understand Black Nationalism, an ideology important to the Black Power movement of the 1960s.
The April 27th New Yorker has a piece that in part profiles Ron Bloom '77 who is one of two "Auto Czars" appointed by President Obama to preside over the restructuring of General Motors and Chrysler as the government attempts to bail-out both companies. Bloom had previous success helping to right U.S. Steel. There is a link to a synopsis of the story here (the full text is subscriber only).
According to CBS Sports, New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick has one major advantage over his peers in the NFL coaching community: a brilliant mind. According to the story, this is especially true when it comes to selecting and managing personnel and will be particularly advantageous as the annual NFL draft (April 25-26) approaches.
In a oped piece for The New Haven Register, Sophie Pollitt-Cohen '09, suggests that Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd can start to re-burnish his bruised public image by, among other things, coming up with a more folksy nickname.
Elizabeth McAlister, associate professor of religion, associate professor of African American studies, is part of a roundtable discussion on Haitian Music in The New Yorker magazine. McAlistar, an expert on the Vodou religion has written a book titled Rara! Vodou, Power, and Performance in Haiti and Its Diaspora about this musical celebration that is a vital part of Haitian culture.
In a piece for The Moscow Times, Peter Rutland, Colin and Nancy Campbell Professor in Global Issues and Democratic Thought, professor of government, points out that the initial treatment of Russia by the Obama Administration has begun with clumsy missteps and a perspective toward U.S.-Russian relations that offers nothing new compared to what Russia has seen from previous U.S. administrations.
Michael Singer, assistant professor of biology, recently published a study of caterpillars in PLoS 1 that details the possible self-medication by Wooly Bear caterpillars that have been infected with parasites. The study, cited in Discover gives evidence to the theory that some animals are able to self-medicating without being taught to do so.
Richard Grossman, chair and professor of economics, commented on the economy and the moves of the Obama Administration to counter the country's sliding economic prospects since the inauguration.