In a video for a piece in The New York Times, Tasmiha Khan ’12 discusses refining her elevator pitch in hopes of securing a grant for a non-profit she hopes to create. It was part of a DoSomething seminar in Chicago that helps students acquire the tools to turn their dreams of a non-profit into a reality.
Tag Archive for The New York Times
Fowler: Negative Image of N.Y.C. in Poltical Ads Up
by David Pesci •
In a The New York Times article, Erika Franklin Fowler, assistant professor of government, director of The Wesleyan Media Project, discussed the repetitive vilification of Wall Street, ‘New York City Bankers’ and even New York City in campaign ads for both Democrats and Republicans during this election season. The Wesleyan Media Project was also cited as a source for data on these ads.
In separate stories in USA Today and for The Associated Press Fowler comments, respectively, on political advertising trends in Gubernatorial races nationwide, and on Linda McMahon’s extensive, self-financed campaign spending in Connecticut’s governor’s race in particular. The Wesleyan Media Project is also cited in both piece.
Fowler: China a New Campaign Ad Target
by David Pesci •
In a recent article appearing in The New York Times, Erika Franklin Fowler, assistant professor of government and director of The Wesleyan Media Project, comments on the newest target in campaign ads: China. 29 candidates for national office, Democrats and Republicans, have unveiled ads in the last week or so accusing their opponent of some connection to China. Fowler discusses why it may be happening, especially with such frequency.
McAlister on Customs of Haitian J’ouvert Celebration
by David Pesci •
A piece in The New York Times discussing components of the annual Haitian J’ouvert celebration festival cites Elizabeth McAlister, associate professor of religion, associate professor of American Studies, associate professor of African American Studies. Specifically, the piece discusses traditions during the early-morning parades that mark the end of the festival.
Potter on the Tenure and Retirement Question
by David Pesci •
Writing for The New York Times, Claire Potter, professor of History, professor of American Studies, announces that she will retire from the classroom…in 2025. Potter goes on to say why she believes that, as a tenured professor, planned retirement allows her to leave academia before her skills begin to diminish while simultaneously creating a process that allows the continued infusion of new, younger teacher-scholars.
Odede ’12: Slum Tourism, a Personal View
by David Pesci •
Writing for The New York Times OpEd page, Kennedy Odede ’12, a resident Kibera, Kenya, the worst slum in Nairobi, discusses the phenomenon of people from developed countries treating slums as curious tourists destinations. Odede says that while some arrive hoping to better understand the conditions through first hand experience, for most it’s just a curiosity bordering on a bizarre form of entertainment, and then they move on.
Odede and Jessica Posner ’09 have co-founded Shining Hope for Communities, an organization that has built a school and health care center in Kibera over the last two years. They have been supported by a start-up grant from the Davis Projects for Peace, as well a grant from Newman’s Own Foundation, a Dell Innovation grant, and a 2010 Echoing Green Fellowship. Posner also was the winner of the 2010 VH-1 “Do Something” award.
New Book by Milroy Benefits from Find of Lost Artwork
by David Pesci •
The New York Times reports about a collection of previously unknown paintings that has recently surfaced. One of these watercolors will appear in a new book by LiLy Milroy, professor of art history, professor of American studies.
Braxton Applauded in ‘Avant Gardist Tribute’
by David Pesci •
Anthony Braxton, professor of music, was honored in a two-day, benefit tribute in New York City with musical event titled “Tri-Centric Modeling: Past, Present and Future.” The event was lauded in a New York Times piece, which praised Braxton and his music and said the celebration “gathered a marvelous cohort of his protégés and peers, outlining something like a living index of contemporary improvised music.”
New York Jazz Festivals Features Wesleyan Faculty, Alumni
by David Pesci •
The New York Times cites performances by Anthony Braxton, professor of music, and Braxton’s students Taylor Ho Bynum ’98, James Fei ’99, Mary Halvorson ’02, and Chris Jonas ‘99 in a round up of Jazz Festivals happening in and around New York City during the next few weeks.
Bruce Resurrects ‘Flora’ for Spoleto Festival 2010
by David Pesci •
Flora was the first ballad opera performed in North America, and one of the most popular opera’s of its time – the mid-1700s. Opera fans have long been eager to hear and see it performed, but a full scale revival faced a bit of a problem: only 18 pages of the opera’s music has survived. Recreating this piece in the style and scope faithful the original production would be a daunting task, but one Neely Bruce, professor of music, professor of American Studies, was excited to undertake.
The result of his work was premiered at the 2010 Spoleto Festival, in Charleston, S.C., and lauded by The New York Times. Spoleto runs from May 28-June 13 and is one of The United States’ largest annual arts festivals. Bruce said recreating Flora was “a big job” but one that was well worth the effort, saying the libretto had always been “extremely funny with a strong sense of language, and it’s quite salacious, with stock comedy situations — some of them very broad, almost slapstick.”
Dave Fisher ’62, Co-Founder of The Highwaymen, Dies
by David Pesci •
Dave Fisher, ’62, one of the five founding members of the folk group “The Highwaymen” died Friday, May 7. As a freshman, Fisher, who had sung in a doo-wop group in high school, joined with four other Wesleyan freshman – Bob Burnett ’62, Steve Butts ’62, Chan Daniels ’62 and Steve Trott ’62 – to form The Highwaymen. The group went on to become internationally successful in the 1960s, producing a #1 record as undergraduates in 1961. The Highwaymen saw a resurgence in their careers in the 1990s which continued up to the present, releasing their most recent CD, “The Cambridge Tapes,” to critical acclaim in 2009.
Wesleyan Press’s ‘Versed’ by Armantrout Wins Pulitzer
by David Pesci •
Versed, a book of poetry by Rae Armantrout published by The Wesleyan University Press, has been awarded the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in poetry.
