Cynthia RockwellNational Geographic Entertainment has picked up the rights to Restrepo, the documentary by journalists Sebastian Junger ’84 and Tim Hetherington that follows a platoon of American soldiers in Afghanistan. The film won the Sundance Film Festival grand jury documentary prize and is set for release on June 2. The National Geographic channel, which has worldwide TV rights, will broadcast the film next fall. The film was named after a 15-man outpost in Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley, considered one of the most dangerous postings in the U.S military. “From May 2007 to July 2008, Hetherington and Junger dug in with a platoon of…
Ellen J. Zucker ’83, a partner at the Boston-based firm of Burns & Levinson LLP, was honored as one of the 10 "Top Lawyers of the Year" by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, the statewide lawyers' newspaper. David Yas, publisher and editor-in-chief of the publication, pronounced Zucker a “fabulous litigator,” noting in particular two of her recent successes at the trial court and appellate levels. He touted Zucker’s representation of Malvina Monteiro, a former employee of the City of Cambridge, who claimed that she had faced retaliation after filing a complaint of race discrimination. The jury agreed and awarded Monteiro more than…
David LowGrowing up, Steve Almond ’88 secretly desired to live the life of a rock star but after taking piano lessons he realized he had no musical talent. Though he didn’t become a musician, he became the next best thing: an obsessive music fan, particularly of rock and roll—or what he calls “a drooling fanatic.” Almond’s new book, Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life (Random House), recounts his love for music from his earliest rock criticism to his devotion to obscure bands to his meeting with Erin, a former heavy-metal “chick” who became his wife. As he has shown in…
Children’s Literature: A Reader’s History from Aesop to Harry Potter (University of Chicago Press) by Seth Lerer ’76 has been honored with the 2010 Truman Capote Award for Literary Criticism in Memory of Newton Arvin. The $30,000 award, the largest annual cash prize in English-language literary criticism, is administered for the Capote Estate by the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Lerer, dean of arts and humanities at the University of California San Diego, where he is distinguished professor in the Department of Literature, will receive the award in a free, public event at 4 p.m. Thursday, May 6, in the Senate Chamber…
Olivia DrakeThirteen Wesleyan students participated in Pre-Law Career Day March 26 in Brooklyn, N.Y. The students visited Chief Magistrate Judge Steven Gold '77 at the U.S. Eastern District Court. The day comprised of a career panel of other Wesleyan alumni lawyers assembled by Gold, a networking pizza lunch and the viewing of court proceedings. “It was an excellent experience for the students, and an example of how Wesleyan’s alumni lawyers connect with our students,” says trip organizer James Kubat, associate director of the Career Resource Center and pre-law advisor. The undergraduates on the trip include Alison Cies; Philip Clark; Erica Davidson;…
Jeongdo (Alfred) Hong ’04 was selected as one of this year’s Young Global Leaders by the World Economic Forum (WEF), a Geneva-based nonprofit that brings together business and political leaders, intellectuals and journalists to discuss the most pressing international issues, including health and the environment. This year the forum selected 197 Young Global Leaders (YGLs) from 72 countries for their professional accomplishments, commitment to society and potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world. Hong, of South Korea, is head of strategy for the JoongAngIlbo, one of the country’s three big newspapers. The 2010 Young Global Leaders will…
Vibraphonist, composer and Adjunct Associate Professor of Music Jay Hoggard ’76,will perform in the 32nd annual Playboy Jazz Fest, held at the Hollywood Bowl on June 13. Performing as a member of the latest version of emcee Bill Cosby’s “Cos of Good Music” band, Hoggard will be playing with NduguChancellor, Dwayne Bruno, Ingrid Jensen, Mark Gross and D.D. Jackson. The invitation to join the band wasn't really a surprise for Hoggard. He has worked with Cosby before, including on the soundtrack to the Cosby TV show. “When Dr. Cosby calls, I drop everything and I’m there,” says Hoggard. Currently taking…
Q: Michelle, when did you come to Wesleyan? A: I arrived on campus in August, 2007 to work as a development officer in University Relations. Q: What department are you part of? A: Major gifts. We solicit financial gifts of $100,000 and higher. Q: How many alumni do you generally work with? A: Around 225 alumni and parents. For the most part, we do maintain relationships with the same individuals. Q: How do you encourage alumni to support Wesleyan during these economically difficult times? A: I think last year was more of a challenge than this year appears to be.…
Articles in Newsweek and the Cleveland Plain Dealer both tackle the topic of the country’s increasing obesity rate with Newsweek calling it a “Culture of Corpulence” and the Plain Dealer worrying that “Cutting Childhood Obesity Could Involve Controversial Measures.” Both turn to William Dietz ’66, M.D., Ph.D and the director of the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for his insight. “If you want people to make the right choices, they need to have the right choices to make," Dietz tells Newsweek, suggesting that the availability of nutritious, low-cost food choices…
A streaming video of his talk is now available online here. Note, this is a 270MB video and may take a moment to load in your browser. Quicktime is required to view the video. You also may download the video to your desktop. Bruce McKenna ’84 returned to campus on March 30 to talk about his work on the new HBO mini-series The Pacific, which debuted on March 14 and continues on Sundays at 9 p.m. through May 16. The sprawling show tracks the intertwined real-life journeys of three U.S. Marines—Robert Leckie, Eugene Sledge, and John Basilone—across the vast canvas…
Pauline Frommer '88, an expert on budget travel, recently talked to Smart Planet about why smart people travel and how traveling abroad can effect diplomacy and the leaders we elect in this country. She recommends travel to China, Europe, and South America. Frommer is the author of award-winning guidebooks, the host of a radio talk show, and a columnist for MSN Travel and Weight Watchers. In the Smart Planet interview, Frommer says, "I don’t think you can consider yourself a fully rounded person if you don’t get out of your native area and see what the rest of the world…
Chef and business owner Michael Leviton ’88 of Lumiere Restaurant, in Newton, Mass., was nominated for James Beard Best Chef Northeast, which includes the New England states and New York region. The awards will be presented on May 3, in New York City’s Avery Fisher Hall, with previous award winners Alton Brown, Lidia Bastianich and Wolfgang Puck hosting. Nominations for the Beard awards, considered the Academy Awards of cooking, is open to the public. Culinary professionals and food journalists then use secret ballots to determine the winners. Leviton is not the product of any culinary school. Instead, he has trained…