Page 72

Fitzroy “Pablo” Wickham ’21 has been named the Jamaica 2021 Rhodes Scholar. The Rhodes Scholarship is the oldest, and one of the most prestigious, international scholarship programs in the world. Each year, it provides about 100 fully-funded scholarships to students around the world for post-graduate study at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. According to the website, the “Rhodes Selection Committees are looking for young people of outstanding intellect, character, leadership, and commitment to service.” At Wesleyan, Wickham is a double major in theater and neuroscience and behavior. At the University of Oxford under the Rhodes Scholarship, he…

In South Asia, particularly in India, people are born into a caste system that determines their social status, career, and access to resources and opportunities. Under Brahmins (priests, intellectuals), Kshatriyas (military, warriors), Vaishyas (merchants, farmers), and Shudras (laborers, servants) are Dalits, also known as the "untouchables." Those in the Dalit caste group struggle with oppression and discrimination and are considered "dirty" and spiritually polluting. On Nov. 21, Wesleyan's South Asian students' association Shakti presented a conversation titled "Caste Conundrum and Identity Politics." Panelists included Hari Krishnan, professor of dance; Indira Karamcheti, associate professor of American studies; Manjula Pradeep, a human…

During the COVID-19 pandemic, most of Wesleyan's musical activities and classes were canceled, drastically adjusted, or moved to virtual platforms. Fortunately, for Wesleyan's Javanese gamelan classes, students were still allowed to meet in-person as long as they followed strict guidelines: wear a mask and disposable gloves, social distance, and frequently use hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes. "The university made all of these available to the students in the World Music Hall, where the gamelan meets," explained Winslow-Kaplain Professor of Music Sumarsam. "The gamelan instruments were set up six feet apart, and the students were required to maintain that distance while…

(more…)

Michael Meere, assistant professor of French, and Sophie Dora Tulchin '20 are the co-authors of “Filling In the Gaps: Identity, Exile, and Performance in 1962 and Babel Taxi by Mohamed Kacimi,” published in the Journal of the African Literature Association, Vol. 14, Issue 3, on Nov. 12, 2020. This article explores issues of identity, exile, and performance in 1962 (1998) and Babel Taxi (2004), two foundational plays by the Algerian-born author Mohamed Kacimi. 1962 is an autobiographical play written during Algeria’s “black decade” about the effects of Algeria’s independence on two particular characters, while Babel Taxi allegorically retells the legend…

With the holiday season approaching, Wesleyan's Pandemic Planning Committee (PPC) reminds students, faculty, and staff to remain vigilant and safe. "We have made it past the election and the Thanksgiving holiday is in sight," wrote Wesleyan's Medical Director and PCC member Dr. Tom McLarney in an email to the campus community on November 16. "As you are undoubtedly aware, the coronavirus pandemic has entered an alarming new phase, with cases rising sharply in most parts of the country and moderate increases in Connecticut. Despite the rigorous testing and safety protocols the University put in place, we are not immune from…

In this continuing series, Annie Roach ’22, an English and Italian studies major from Middletown, Del., reviews alumni books and offers a selection for those in search of knowledge, insight, and inspiration. The volumes, sent to us by alumni, are forwarded to Olin Library as donations to the University’s collection and made available to the Wesleyan community. Tejas Desai '03, The Dance Towards Death (The New Wei, 2020) In the third volume of his crime thriller trilogy The Brotherhood Chronicle, Tejas Desai delivers awe-inspiring narration that easily follows through in its mission to add a breathtaking final installment to the…

As a dancer and choreographer, Wesleyan's Visiting Dance Artist-in-Residence Eiko Otake spent the past 45-plus years of her career presenting her work in theaters, universities, museums, galleries, outdoor sites, and festivals worldwide. But like other artists navigating through the crisis, Otake was forced to find creative ways to re-focus, re-imagine, and share her work during the ongoing pandemic. In March 2020, the Center for the Arts invited Otake to begin a Virtual Creative Residency, during which she began shifting her performance-based art to an online venue named Eiko Otake’s Virtual Studio. Here, Otake posts her new creations, dialogues, and reflections.…

(more…)

Two Wesleyan University Press music titles garnered four awards, from the Society for Ethnomusicology (SEM) and the American Musicological Society (AMS) this month. Wild Music: Sound and Sovereignty in Ukraine, by Maria Sonevytsky, received the 2020 Lewis Lockwood Award from the AMS. The Lockwood Award honors a musicological book of exceptional merit published during the previous year in any language and in any country by a scholar in the early stages of his or her career who is a member of the AMS or a citizen or permanent resident of Canada or the United States. Music and Modernity among First…

Hilary Barth, professor of psychology; Andrea Patalano, professor of psychology; Liana Mathias '17; and former lab coordinators Alexandra Zax and Katherine Williams are the co-authors of an article titled "Intuitive symbolic magnitude judgments and decision making under risk in adults," published in Cognitive Psychology, 118, in May 2020. Barth; Williams; postdoctoral fellow Chenmu Xing; Jamie Hom '17, MA '18, Meghana Kandlur '18, Praise Owoyemi '18, Joanna Paul '18, Elizabeth Shackney '17, and Ray Alexander '18 are the co-authors of "Partition dependence in financial aid distribution to income categories," published in PLoS ONE 15, in April 2020. Barth; Patalano; Williams; Zax;…

Jeopardy! fans around the world are mourning the passing of longtime host Alex Trebek, who died on Nov. 8 at age 80. According to The New York Times, Trebek had hosted the show consistently since 1984, missing only one episode during that time—on April Fools' Day in 1997, when he swapped places with the host of Wheel of Fortune as a gag. Many Wesleyans had the opportunity to compete on Jeopardy! over the years. Below, some reflect on their experiences and share remembrances of Trebek. J.R. Mannetta '13 competed on Jeopardy! in January 2020. When you go on Jeopardy! you don't actually…

Wickham ’21 Awarded Rhodes Scholarship for Post-Graduate Study

South Asia’s Caste System Discussed by Scholars, Students

Gamelan Ensemble Provides Virtual Mini-Concerts, Demonstrations During Pandemic

Kurtz Speaks on Improving Thinking Skills in Schizophrenia

Hot Off the Press: Meere, Tulchin ’20 Explore Identity, Exile in Kacimi’s Plays

Campus Urged to Stay Vigilant; COVID-19 Testing Site Moved Indoors

“You Just Have to Read This…” Books by Wesleyan Authors Desai ’03, Logan ’16, and Savarese ’86

Otake on “An Artist’s Practice in the Year of Pandemic and Political Cries”

Wesleyan Community Gathers for Thanksgiving Service, Offers Reflections

2 Wesleyan University Press Books Win 4 Awards

Hot off the Press: Papers by Psychology Faculty, Alumni Published in Journals

Wesleyan Jeopardy! Contestants Remember Longtime Host Alex Trebek