Page 118

This year, approximately 740 teams from more than 350 universities across the country competed in tournaments hosted by the American Mock Trial Association (AMTA). And of those 740 teams, Wesleyan's Mock Trial Team A placed eighth in the country in the Temple Law Division during the National Championship Tournament on April 7. The AMTA hosted three rounds of competition for the 5,300 participating college students: Regionals, the Opening Round Championship Series (ORCS), and the National Championship. Wesleyan's three teams—A, B, and C—qualified for the ORCS tournament leading up to Nationals. And for the first time in Wesleyan's history, teams A and B…

A book coauthored by Wesleyan alumni Kennedy Odede ’12 and Jessica Posner ’09 was unanimously chosen as the Common Reading selection for the Class of 2023. The Common Reading is part of Wesleyan's First Year Matters Program, which serves as an introduction to intellectual life at Wesleyan. All Class of 2023 students will receive an electronic copy of the book, Find Me Unafraid: Love, Loss, and Hope in an African Slum (2016). As their first Wesleyan "homework assignment," the students are expected to read it prior to New Student Orientation. The book will serve as a tool for spearheading discussions throughout…

Lizzie Whitney ’19, a College of Letters and German studies double major from California, is the recipient of a 2019 DAAD scholarship for study/research in Germany. The Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, or German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) supports the internationalization of German universities and promotes German studies and the German language abroad. The study scholarship is presented to graduating seniors at the top of their class. Whitney, who is applying to the University of Konstanz for graduate school, will use her DAAD scholarship to support her studies in comparative literature. The study scholarship also provides students with a monthly stipend plus funds for…

After three days of heavy rains, the sun broke through the clouds over campus on April 23, revealing a bright spring morning. (more…)

With the support of a new $500,000 grant, Wesleyan will be able to expand its Digital Design Studio and integrate technology more fully into the University's arts program. The Sherman Fairchild Foundation awarded Wesleyan the grant in March. It will be applied over four years. "We're very grateful for this award," said Nicole Stanton, dean of the Arts and Humanities Division and associate professor of dance. "The grant will enable Wesleyan to integrate technology more fully into our arts program, support the innovative work of our faculty and students, and expand cross-disciplinary opportunities within the arts and with other disciplines."…

Wesleyan faculty frequently publish articles based on their scholarship in The Conversation US, a nonprofit news organization with the tagline, “Academic rigor, journalistic flair.” In a new article, Professor Emeritus of Government John Finn shares his research—as featured in his new book, Fracturing the Founding: How the Alt-Right Corrupts the Constitution—showing how the alt-right and a wide variety of extremist organizations advance a comprehensive—if not entirely comprehensible—vision of the American Constitution. How the alt-right corrupts the Constitution About 10 years ago, I spent a sabbatical on the Maine coast writing a book about the Constitution. One afternoon, an eager reference librarian who knew…

Ten Wesleyan seniors and recent alumni are the recipients of 2019-20 Fulbright English Teaching Assistantships (ETA) and Fulbright Open Study/Research Awards. The English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Programs place Fulbrighters in classrooms abroad to provide assistance to local English teachers. ETAs help teach English language while serving as cultural ambassadors for the U.S. The age and academic level of the students varies by country, ranging from kindergarten to university level. Applicants for Open Study/Research Awards design their own projects and will typically work with advisors at foreign universities or other institutes of higher education. The study/research awards are available in approximately…

(more…)

Hannah Dreier '08, a journalist with ProPublica, was announced the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing on April 15. The New York Times reported: "Ms. Dreier’s detailed portraits of Salvadoran immigrants were cited for exposing how their lives had been destroyed 'by a botched federal crackdown on the international criminal gang MS-13.’ After Ms. Dreier, 32, heard President Trump tie immigration to gang violence, her reporting revealed that immigrants were often victims of the crime groups. 'What was so cruel was that this population was being preyed upon,' she said. The series was published jointly with The New…

Bob Yorburg ’77, a master woodcarver renowned for his antique restorations of turn-of-the-20th-century carousels and calliopes, notes that the Jewish immigrant carvers of that era “raised the art of carousel carving to a new level.” “Their realism and extraordinary ornamentation defined the Coney Island style of carousel carving,” he writes. Additionally, these brilliant carvers translated their secular art into ornamentation that graced the historic synagogues of Brooklyn. Offering a photographic journey into the workshops of some of these artists—Marcus Charles Illions, Charles Carmel, along with Solomon Stein and Harry Goldstein—Yorburg will be speaking on "Coney Island Jewish Immigrant Carvers" at…

In this recurring feature in The Wesleyan Connection, we highlight some of the latest news stories about Wesleyan and our alumni. Wesleyan in the News 1. The Middletown Press: "Wesleyan Students Helping Former Prisoners to Gain Job Skills" Wesleyan Students for Ending Mass Incarceration (SEMI) is a group of students working to help formerly incarcerated individuals acclimate back into society by providing them with job skills. The goal, according to member Asiyah Herrero '22, is “making re-entry into the workforce a little bit easier. There are usually a lack of resources when people get out of prison, and starting to look for work,…

A Wesleyan team took the top award—“Best in Show”—during DataFest on April 7. DataFest is a data analysis competition where students are presented with a large, complex, surprise data set and work over the weekend to explore, analyze, and present their findings to a panel of judges. Teams of 3–5 students work together and compete against other teams. This year, students from Wesleyan University, Yale University, the University of Connecticut, and Bentley University participated. Under the auspices of the American Statistical Association, the event is organized by Wesleyan’s Quantitative Analysis Center The winning team was made up of Anna Zagoren '20,…

Wesleyan Mock Trial Team Takes 8th Place in National Competition

Book by Odede ’12, Posner ’09 Chosen for First Year Matters Program’s Common Reading

Whitney ’19 Wins DAAD Scholarship to Support Graduate Study in Germany

Campus Blooms to Life in Late April

Grant Supports Digital Design at Wesleyan

Finn in The Conversation: How the Alt-Right Corrupts the Constitution

10 Wesleyan Students, Alumni Win Fulbrights

Japanese Community Celebrates Cherry Blossom Viewing

Dreier ’08 of ProPublica Wins Pulitzer for Feature Writing

Woodcarver Yorburg ’77 to Speak on Jewish Immigrant Carvers

Wesleyan in the News

Wesleyan Wins “Best in Show” at 2019 DataFest