Lauren RubensteinFor people suffering in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, from head injuries or other conditions that impair memory, a special trip to the seashore or a visit with family may be just a blur by the end of the day. With assistance from a simple device known as a ViconRevue memory camera, Professor John Seamon and his students are studying whether it’s possible to help these patients remember more of their lives. While the studies are ongoing, early results are promising. They also suggest that our current understanding of how these patients’ brains are malfunctioning may be wrong, or…
Olivia DrakeOn a chilly January morning in 1978, Jesse Jackson delivered a rousing keynote address to a large group of political leaders. Energized from a recent meeting with President Jimmy Carter at the White House, the civil rights activist dazzled his audience with nearly an hour of political "gospel rock." At the end of Jackson’s fiery speech, his audience launched a five-minute standing ovation. Oddly, his audience was a group of white Republicans. Why would a liberal civil rights activist – with ties to the Democratic Party – engage a political party that had a reputation for turning its back on…
Wesleyan's 41 Wyllys Avenue building is now among the most elite recognized projects in the world. On Feb. 5, the U.S. Green Building Council certified the former squash facility with a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) "Platinum" designation. LEED certification is a recognized standard for measuring building sustainability. LEED provides building owners and operators with a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions. (more…)
This summer, high-achieving high school students from around the world will have the opportunity to delve into the Wesleyan experience by enrolling in online courses. Wesleyan's Office of Continuing Studies will launch a pilot project offering non-credit online courses featuring some of Wesleyan’s areas of strength such as psychology, creative writing, environmental studies, and music as part of the new Pre-College Study program. "These subject areas are in high demand, but difficult for many high school students to find," said Rob Rosenthal, provost and vice president for academic affairs. "These online courses, characterized by small class size and personal interaction between faculty…
Kate CarlisleYou’d be surprised by what people don’t know about Wesleyan’s community engagement and service programs. Or, what people think they know. “Students and others think that community service at Wesleyan is an individual, versus a university effort, or just one semester for one student, on their own,” said Cathy Lechowicz, director of the Center for Community Partnerships. A new publicity campaign launched by the CCP last month aims to fix those misimpressions. The reality is that Wesleyan has a broad community engagement plan that ranges from hiring local contractors and sourcing local food to providing volunteers to Middletown service agencies,…
Gun laws in the United States need to be changed to protect thousands of lives, but meaningful change is not a sure thing, even in the wake of the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, three experts told a packed house at Wesleyan on Feb. 6. The seminar, “Guns and Gun Violence: Crisis, Policy and Politics” featured three specialists in the legal, social and political aspects of firearms regulation, and drew a capacity crowd at the Center for the Arts Hall. “The United States is not more violent, but more lethally violent (than other developed nations who have stricter gun…
Starting on Feb. 28, Wesleyan will bring together teams of artists and scientists to share approaches, skills and outcomes of their research at the intersection of art and science. The symposium, titled “Innovations: Intersection of Art and Science," is part of the Creative Campus Initiative at the Center for the Arts. "The goal of this experimental program is to elevate the arts as a means of teaching, learning and knowing through co-teaching opportunities for artists and non-artists, as well as commissioning new works by artists who are invited to work with faculty and students across disciplines in their creation process,"…
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Hannah Norman '16Two Wesleyan skiers took podium spots in the McBrine Division League Championships Feb. 16 and 17 at Magic Mountain, Vt. Michael Creager '15 and Chris Delaney '14 came in second and third respectively in the Men's Ski Division. Two snowboarders, Dylan Penn '15 and Atticus Swartwood '14, qualified for nationals. The Wesleyan Ski Team is a student-run club team that competes in both Giant Slalom and Slalom events. The men’s ski team, led by captain Adam Freed ’14, took first place overall in the 2013 season, qualifying for USCSA Eastern Regionals at Sugarloaf on Feb. 23-24. The women’s team, led…
The Davison Art Center gallery, located at 301 High Street, is open noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. The gallery is open to the public free of charge.
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