I met yesterday morning with Ben Travers, who for the last few months has been making very cool videos about Wesleyan students. For example, there is this wonderful, short piece about Mary Vallo ’13, who is doing research on epilepsy with Prof Jan Naegle’s team. Mary is one of the many Wes students who are able to contribute to sophisticated research in the sciences. And check out the video of Oscar Takabvira ’14, who has the great line: “I love numbers and I think they like me back.”Arya Alizadeh ’13 is portrayed as the active citizen he is. I know him from his role with the WSA, but it was great to learn more about his ambitions in engineering and history — and that he rows crew. Senior Carmen Yip also has a memorable line: she hates sweating! Carmen has come to Wes from Hong Kong, but that didn’t satisfy her urge to travel and study. She spent a semester in Regensburg, and has already landed a job with Deutsche Bank!
Ben has also made videos of athletes (including Arya). Casey Reed ’12 is a devoted volleyball player from California, a fundraiser for Wesleyan and a sketch comedy performer. Arthur Burkart ’14 was welcomed onto the crew team, into the African students association and has given back by being a note taker for students who need that assistance. In her video, soccer star Laura Kurash ’13 tells us that she is getting ready for medical school (her memorable line: I’ve seen a lot of blood squirt out; it’s cool). Laura also shows off her musical talents (without using her feet too much!).
One of the coolest (certainly the most fiery) videos Ben has made so far is on Prometheus, Wesleyan’s fire performance group. The students actually are not on fire, but they certainly do light up the night!
If fire isn’t your element, go under water with the swim team. And watch out for Ben as he makes his way around campus, video camera in hand.
Far from home in Camden, New Jersey, the Wesleyan men’s soccer team defeated Misericordia last night in the NCAA tournament, 1-o. Rory O’Neill ’13 scored the game winner for the 5th time this season, off of an assist from the indefatigable Walter Rodriguez ’13! And Adam Purdy recorded his 11th shutout of the year, adding to his tally in the Red and Black record books.
The Cardinals continue into the next round this evening at 5:00 pm when they play Rutgers-Camden (the home squad). We are all sending good vibes to Coach Wheeler and the entire team. GO WES!!!
The extended Wes family has gathered together this weekend, celebrating scholarship, athletics, teaching and all things Red and Black. The seminars were often full and always lively, and they brought together the great energy that characterizes the classes here. I ran into Orin Snyder ’83, who had just come from a packed discussion, led by the Wesleyan Lawyers Association, of the changing legal network for social media. And Alberto Ibarguen ’66 P’97 HON’11 was equally enthused about his session celebrating 50 years of the Peace Corps. The history of the Peace Corps at Wesleyan spills naturally into our new PATRICELLI CENTER FOR SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP. We cut the ribbon on the new Center on Saturday morning. Later in the day on Saturday I ran into some starry-eyed parents who were quite in awe of the presentation by Wes film faculty Jeanine Basinger, Scott Higgins and Steve Collins on “what makes movies great”! Jeanine was quoted extensively in this morning’s New York Times on Leonardo diCaprio (and a few days ago could be found in the Wall Street Journal). Our film folks are everywhere, but there’s nothing like seeing them on the home turf!
This weekend saw a grand celebration of the extraordinary work in experimental music by Alvin Lucier. Lucierfest brought out artists, musicians and writers who have been inspired by this pioneering composer and teacher. And speaking of things musical, I was delighted to catch Randy Newman’s benefit performance in the chapel on Friday night. We veered from ironic complicity to emotional commitment as he sampled his catalogue.
The efforts of our student athletes were so impressive this weekend, even if they left us saying, “wait ’til next year!” The cross country teams had very strong showings: the women were 6th of 40 teams and the men were 9th of 44 teams. The women’s soccer team played well but fell to Amherst in the semi-finals of the NESCAC tournament. Our great goalie Jess Tollman ’15 kept the Lord Jeffs at bay for the first half, a fitting end to her strong first year. Our star forward Laura Kurash ’13 was named District Academic All American. This was our first time advancing this far in the tournament, and we are very proud of the women who battled all semester.
And speaking of a battle…our football team put up a mighty effort against the Purple Ephs in front of an enthusiastic homecoming crowd. We came very close to pulling off a great upset against Williams, thanks to a strong team effort. Matt Coyne passed for 192 yards, and star freshman running back LaDarius Drew ’15 was a workhorse despite the cast on his injured hand. Seniors Brett Bandazian and Jordan Greene had 10 tackles apiece, and our punter Jesse Warren ’15 had a world-class game. Coach Mike Whalen ’83 and the entire team are working together to build a great program. We are very proud of them!
All our athletes today are inspired by the great achievements of Wes students in the past. On Saturday night we inducted an all-star group into the Wesleyan Athletics Hall of Fame. When Moira James ’78, along with Dennis Robinson ’79 and the Athletics Advisory Council, came up with the idea of the hall of fame, I knew it would be a way of recognizing and reconnecting with our alumni greats. They also probably figured it would inspire contemporary success. And they were right!
I wish I were able to attend all the events, and it’s been a joy to welcome so many back to campus after a challenging week. Go Wes!
Late Afternoon A CappellaLate Afternoon A Cappella
UPDATE: What a great thing to hear the many a cappella groups at the First Annual Stone A Capella Concert, celebrating Chip Stone ’49, p’79, P’82, GP ’11, GP ’15. A highlight for us was Chip and daughter Sarah Stone Maynard ’79 P ’11 singing a duet about the dangers of drugs to start things off.
Life at Wesleyan is returning to normal, but the aftermath of the storm is still very much with us, including lack of power and heat for a significant number of students on campus – and for many faculty and staff in the region. Connecticut Light and Power states on its website that power will be restored to all of Middletown by the end of the day Sunday; we’ve been told that power along Church and High streets may be restored as early as tomorrow.
I’d like to reiterate what I said yesterday evening: We are making alternative sleeping quarters available for these students who need them. Those who want to bunk with friends in the residence halls are encouraged to do so. Those who would like the university to find them a place to sleep until power is restored should contact Residential Life at: 860 685-3550. We will use common spaces and lounges in our residence halls and will open other venues as needed.
The Science Library will be open 24 hours today and tomorrow for students, faculty, and staff needing a warm place to work. The Freeman Athletic Center now offers the Wes community the possibility of really getting warm by getting some exercise. After some initial difficulties with the water heaters, I think we can now offer decent showers, too! Faculty, staff and students in need of a hot shower (even if they don’t want to exercise) are welcome to use the Freeman facilities.
Some Wes students have had the good idea of asking what else we can do for employees who need a helping hand during this crisis. Much of this is already being done informally and effectively, but if faculty or staff have particular requests, they can address them to Human Resources. We will do our best to be helpful.
Classes resumed today, and I was very pleased to hear from some colleagues that the attendance was very good. In my own class, I was delighted to see the eighty-some-odd students ready to talk about Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse. I guess I am an old-fashioned teacher who can’t think of anything he’d rather do than talk about a great book with a group of thoughtful students.
To all the faculty, staff, and students who have pitched in to help in many ways, and to the many others who have provided us with essential support services — thank you! I also want to convey my gratitude to the families of students and to our alumni who have expressed their care and concern. I deeply appreciate your patience and the support you have been showing one another. It is good to acknowledge that ours is a compassionate community, and that this becomes especially visible in times of need.
We are excited to be welcoming many visitors during Homecoming/Family weekend. There is a big football game against Williams, and many interesting lectures and programs. The Mighty Wes Women’s Soccer Team will be playing at Amherst in the semifinals of the NESCAC tournament. They have had a great run, and we wish them all the best. GO WES!
I don’t plan any further updates for now, but I do look forward to blogging about China, liberal education, theater and athletics. Anything but electricity.
The men’s soccer team made a much anticipated visit to Amherst yesterday. The Lord Jeffs were ranked 4th in the country, and the Cardinals 9th. Both teams are undefeated for the season and have been playing very well. We thought it would be a closely fought match, and in fact it ended with a 0-0 tie, even after two overtimes. Adam Purdy ’13, Wesleyan’s record setting goaltender, came away with an awesome performance for his 10th shutout of the year. Since Amherst and Williams fought to a tie earlier in the year, and Wes won its game against Williams, this gives us the Little Three Championship for the first time since 1992. Congratulations to Coach Wheeler and the entire team! Their last game is at home vs. Trinity on Oct 26 at 3 pm. I will be traveling for Wesleyan that day, but I hope we get lots of students there to cheer on the squad.
Can’t write about soccer without mentioning Laura Kurash ’13, who has been tearing up the field for the Cardinals. Laura has 13 goals for the season, which is 5 more than the rest of the team combined!! The Cardinal women are also playing Trinity on Oct 25. Come cheer them on, or check out the webcast!
It snowed a bit Thursday night, but spring sports are very much underway. The men’s crew team has started off with a series of great races, and the women rowers have also showed real promise. Women’s lacrosse is home on Saturday, April 2 against the always tough Tufts team, while the men travel north to meet their Tufts rivals. The tennis squads are busy competing, and the Cardinals travel to Maine (burrrrr) this weekend to face Bowdoin. Track athletes will try to stay warm while running circles around Coast Guard on Saturday. The golf team, in the civilized fashion befitting the sport, will wait until it warms up for their next official matches. Pete Taylor ’12 will be leading the group into competition. For hearty souls the baseball team will be right here at home this weekend, taking on Hamilton on Saturday and Sunday. It IS supposed to warm up a bit, so you can take in the game from Foss Hill or Denison Terrace.
The mighty Cardinal softball squad takes to the field against Middlebury on Saturday. Wesleyan’s women won the NESCAC championship last year, and they are looking ready to roll again. Come on out to the softball field just before noon to cheer them on!!
I was delighted to learn this weekend that Wesleyan’s men’s hockey team defeated Hamilton for our first ever NESCAC tournament win! This is another step forward for Coach Potter and the guys, who had already accomplished much this season. They defeated Middlebury and Bowdoin on our rivals’ home ice — something Cardinal teams had never accomplished before. In our final regular season match, Wes scored 14 goals in a win over the University of New England. Let’s keep that momentum going!
There have been a bunch of standout performances this season, from Shasha Brown’s scoring heroics in men’s basketball to Cara Colker-Eybel’s record-breaking races in women’s swimming. Hats off also to our wrestling team, which won 16 of its 17 final matches and placed third this past weekend in the New England Championships! Coach Drew Black at last count has 131 career victories at Wesleyan in 13 seasons at the helm. This eclipses the school record for career coaching victories in wrestling, held by John Biddiscombe, the college’s athletics director, who had 127 wins over 15 seasons. Drew, like all our coaches, is a thoughtful mentor and caring university citizen. We are proud of and grateful for his accomplishments!
Our hockey team is off to Williams on Saturday for the NESCAC semifinals. GO WES!!
With the holidays now behind us and the students not yet back from winter break, this is a time some of us use for planning our projects for the next semester. Which is not to say there isn’t plenty of activity on campus. The Admissions Office hasn’t had much of a break at all, as the staff there has been busy preparing the thousands of applications we’ve just received for the thorough evaluation they will get in the coming weeks. The library is open again, and I see professors (and more than a few seniors) moving through the stacks getting their materials for research projects and senior theses. And in the science labs — staffed by graduate and undergraduate students along with faculty — the work continues on subjects ranging from Hedgehog signaling to the surprising capacities of songbirds, from self-medicating insects to self-regulating ecosystems.
I see athletes in the fitness center whenever I get over there and some of the coaches sweating off the extra holiday inches. Men’s and women’s basketball are already in the thick of tough competition, and the track team is competing at the US Military Invitational this weekend. We anticipate a great start to the new semester. Geoffrey Canada, who runs the Harlem Children’s Zone of Waiting for Superman fame, gives the MLK lecture on January 21, and on January 28 the great saxophonist Charles Lloyd brings his quartet to campus.
I’m looking forward to teaching my Past on Film class again, and have recently spent some time thinking about big-picture philosophy. Here’s a review I wrote about a book by two philosophers that was published in the New York Times this week.
Looking back on the year, I am filled with gratitude and admiration for Wesleyan’s capacity to create conditions for individual excellence and for intense commonality — the all night work that tests one’s intellectual endurance, and the joyful dancing, cheering and singing that expands our horizons. I think back to the senior theses writers being toasted for their accomplishments, to cheering on the softball team’s first NESCAC conference championship, and to the accolades for the extraordinary student performances in Richard III. I remember with sadness and respect our times of mourning, and I recollect with wonder the social entrepreneurship of our students building schools in Kenya, raising money for flood and earthquake relief around the world or working with elementary school students right here in Middletown.
The university continues to thrive because of the dedication of those who work and study here. Current and former students, I thank you for your exuberance and devotion to alma mater. Faculty who inspire us, and staff who make it possible for all of us to work at our best, I thank you. The ‘independence of mind and generosity of spirit’ of the Wesleyan community is apparent each and every day, and I am so grateful to you for continually creating this extraordinary place.
Best wishes for a restful break, a joyful holiday, and a very happy new year!
This weekend the Athletics Department held a banquet to celebrate the men and women who competed this fall, and although I didn’t get to attend, I did hear about the outstanding honorees. Here are some of the stand-out achievements recognized by our conference and beyond:
Golf – Pete Taylor ‘12 earned first-team all-NESCAC honors by tying for 3rd among 50 players in the NESCAC qualifier.
Men’s Cross Country – Julian Applebaum ‘13 earned all-ECAC Division III honors by placing 20th of 300 runners at the ECAC Division III meet. Matt Katz ‘11 (10th), Bryan Marsh ‘13 (14th) and Skyler Cummins ‘13 (33rd) all earned all-New England Division III honors for their top-35 finishes (out of 333) at the regional meet.
Volleyball – Ruby Hernandez ‘11 received much recognition. She was an honorable-mention All-American as named by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). AVCA also selected her as all-New England. She was the NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year and a second-team all-NESCAC choice. Finally, the New England Women’s Volleyball Association named her a senior all-star.
Men’s Soccer – Walter Rodriguez ‘13 was chosen second-team all-NESCAC. Geoff Zartarian ‘11 was selected to play in the annual New England Intercollegiate Soccer League senior all-star game.
Women’s Soccer – Laura Kurash ‘13 was chosen first-team all-NESCAC and Dasha Battelle ‘11 made second-team all-NESCAC.
Field Hockey – Tori Redding ‘13 was named first-team all-NESCAC, first-team all-New England West by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) and a second-team NFHCA All-American. Hilary Nabhan ‘11 was selected for first-team all-NESCAC and first-team NFHCA all-New England West. Morgan McCauley ‘12 and Liz Chabot ‘12 both earned second-team NFHCA all-New England West honors while McCauley also got second-team all-NESCAC laurels.
Football – Most decorated, of course, was Shea Dwyer ‘10. He was a finalist (top-10) for the Gagliardi Trophy as the top player in NCAA Division III. He was first-team all-NESCAC and a New England Football Writers Association Division II/III all-star. Cyprian Oyomba ‘12 and Nick Seara ‘11 were both named first-team all-NESCAC and Nick also got first-team District I academic All-America honors through the College Sports Information Directors Association (CoSIDA) as sponsored by ESPN the Magazine. Justin Freres ‘11, Zach Sadler ‘11 and Kyle Weiss ‘12 all earned second-team all-NESCAC honors.
Gale Lackey was inducted in to the Connecticut Volleyball Hall of Fame for her outstanding coaching career.
Thanks to Brian Katten for sharing this information. You can see a list of the 65 Wesleyan athletes who were acknowledged with All-Academic or Sportsmanship honors on our website.
