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On April 12, the Hunger and Homelessness student group in the Office of Community Service raised more than $500 at the Wesleyan Hunger Banquet, an interactive simulation of global poverty rates. The funds will be donated to the Amazing Grace Food Pantry in Middletown. More than 35 Wesleyan students and Class of 2021 admitted students and their parents, visiting for WesFest, attended the event. Participants were placed into an income bracket at random and then provided a seating arrangement and meal indicative of that income level. Anthony Hatch, assistant professor of science in society, assistant professor of African American studies,…

Hamilton’s America, the PBS documentary by Alex Horwitz ’02 that explores the history behind Hamilton: An American Musical, created and written by Lin-Manuel Miranda ’02, Hon. ’15 and directed by Thomas Kail ’99, was honored as a finalist in the documentary category for the 76th annual Peabody Awards. The awards honor storytelling done well in film, television, radio, and on the internet. The acclaimed documentary was several years in the making. Horwitz first approached Miranda and Kail with the idea in 2012—and cameras were rolling by 2013. "All I needed to hear was a demo of that first song, 'Alexander…

Wesleyan Professor of Dance and Environmental Studies Katja Kolcio traveled again to Ukraine in April, this time to work with soldiers and psychologists in the National Guard. It was her third trip to the region to teach somatic practices to those undergoing the stress of political conflict, displacement, and combat. Somatics are “mind-body practices that combine physical activity and motion with deep reflection,” she explained in “Somatics and Political Change: Ukraine’s Revolution of Dignity,” (Contact Quarterly, summer/fall 2016), detailing her first trip to the region after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014. In June 2015 she had been invited to lead…

Music and French studies double major Rachel Rosenman '17 is the recipient of the inaugural Friends of the Wesleyan Library Undergraduate Research Prize. During a ceremony on April 11, Rosenman was honored for her essay titled, "'Mais la musique demeurera toujours': Repurposing the French Baroque." Rosenman’s essay describes the work she undertook in order to generate user-friendly editions of French Baroque music, adapting solo bass viol repertoire to make it playable on the treble viol, in modern notation. She includes discussion of editorial methodologies, and situates the music historically and theoretically. In addition to background information on the viol instrument family…

Over two nights in May, Wesleyan Dance Department Artist in Residence Iddi Saaka will premiere Shake, a dance duet featuring Rachel Boggia, associate professor of dance at Bates College. According to Saaka, Shake is a rambunctious and tender duet born out of a nine-year friendship between himself and Boggia. Their first choreographed work features their shared love of vibratory movement, smooth breath, and cheesy humor. Influences include Ghanaian dance forms, American postmodern dance, fake tap dance, bad jokes, and life experiences. This unique performance combines the elements of two distinct dance styles. Saaka, who teaches West African dance and directs…

More than 500 admitted Class of 2021 students and their family members attended WesFest activities on campus, April 12-14. WesFest is a three-day celebration of all things Wesleyan. The Office of Admission invites all admitted students and their families to visit Wesleyan, experience university life first-hand, and explore the diverse opportunities that a Wesleyan education has to offer. During WesFest, campus visitors attend classes and academic department open houses; tour campus and academic departments; meet and interact with Wesleyan students; attend a Student Activities Fair; enjoy an all-campus barbecue picnic and live student bands; learn about liberal arts career opportunities…

On April 8, Wesleyan's men’s and women’s lacrosse teams defeated arch rival Williams College to win the Little Three Championships outright. It marked the first time in the history of Wesleyan athletics that both lacrosse programs won the title in the same season, and it was the fifth Little Three crown by a Cardinals team this season, joining football, men’s basketball and men’s ice hockey. The “Little Three” schools — Wesleyan, Amherst and Williams — first formally banded together in 1899 as the Triangular League. The League broke up briefly but reestablished competition in 1910, and has competed annually since then as…

Richard Slotkin, the Olin Professor of English, emeritus, was featured in a PBS American Experience special, "The Great War," on April 10. "It's a watershed in American history. The United States goes from being the country on the other side of the ocean to being the preeminent world power," says Slotkin in Chapter 1 of the series. In Chapter 2, Slotkin appears beginning around 15 minutes. "When Wilson declares war, the total armed trained force of the United States is less than a quarter of a million men," he says. "The British Army loses more than that in one battle." "In order…

On April 12, ethnomusicologist Mark Slobin, the Winslow-Kaplan Professor of Music, Emeritus, was elected a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is one of 228 national and international scholars, artists and philanthropic leaders who joined the 237th class. Founded in 1780, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences is one of the country’s oldest learned societies and independent policy research centers, convening leaders from the academic, business, and government sectors to respond to the challenges facing—and opportunities available to—the nation and the world. Members contribute to Academy publications and studies in science, engineering, and technology policy; global…

On April 8, more than 250 students helped raise funds for children and families impacted by childhood cancer. WesThon, a student-run philanthropy, provides emotional and financial support to affected families, and spreads awareness and ensures funding for critical research — all in pursuit of a cure. WesThon's yearlong efforts culminate with a six-hour, no-sitting dance marathon at Psi Upsilon. At this years event, WesThon participants raised more than $20,000 for the Connecticut Children's Medical Center, doubling what they raised last year. “Since this is only the second year of the event we are beyond thrilled with the result,” said Dana Mitchell…

(By K Alshanetsky '17) Jess Eliot Myhre '05 is a professional touring musician with the band Bumper Jacksons. Their newest album, "I've Never Met a Stranger," will be broadcast nationally on NPR's Mountain Stage on May 5. The live performance will air on more than 200 NPR stations around the country, and the band will perform five original songs from the record. The group originally began as a duo—Jess Myhre (clarinet, vocals, washboard) and Chris Ousley (acoustic and electric guitar, vocals, banjo)—crafting a sound inspired by the jazz clubs of New Orleans and southern Appalachian folk music festivals. (more…)

The Connecticut Technology Council recently selected Professor Janice Naegele as a 2017 "Women of Innovation." Naegele, professor of biology, professor of neuroscience and behavior, was honored during the "Women of Innovation" awards dinner, held March 29 in Plantsville, Conn. The award recognizes women accomplished in science, technology, engineering, math and those who are involved in their community. Naegele is a developmental neuroscientist whose research seeks to identify novel treatments for epilepsy and brain damage. She has published extensively on applications of stem cell transplantation for neural repair, including articles on embryonic stem cell therapy for treating epilepsy and the synaptic mechanisms underlying seizure…

Students Learn about Global Poverty at Hunger Banquet Fundraiser

Horwitz ’02 Scores Peabody Nomination for Hamilton’s America

Kolcio Leads Somatic Exercises for the Ukrainian National Guard

Rosenman ’17, Feldman ’17 Receive Friends of the Wesleyan Library Undergraduate Research Prizes

Saaka Premieres Duet Choreography Work at Spring Faculty Dance Concert

Class of 2021 Admits Experience ‘All Things Wes’ during WesFest 2017

Wesleyan Lacrosse Programs Win Little Three Championships

Slotkin Featured in PBS Special, ‘The Great War’

Slobin Elected Member of American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Students Raise Funds for Childhood Cancer Research at Dance Marathon

Music by Myhre ’05 To Be Broadcast on NPR’s Mountain Stage in May

Naegele Named a 2017 ‘Women of Innovation’ by the Connecticut Technology Council