4 - 11

april

2005

first newhouse visiting professor to read from new book

When Alicia Erian first began her novel Towelhead (Simon & Schuster, April 2005), set at the time of the first Gulf War, the second war hadn’t yet happened. When a Middle East battle again tore apart the world, she threw away her first hundred pages and started over. Suddenly, her feelings about ethnicity, hate, love and struggle called for something more immediate and personal.

Erian will read from Towelhead Thursday, April 7, at 6:30 pm in Collins Cinema. A wine and cheese reception is at 6 pm in Collins Café. Erian is the first Newhouse visiting professor of creative writing, a three-year position.

A coming of age story, in part autobiographical, Towelhead follows the life of Jasira, a 13-year-old American girl who comes to live with her immigrant Lebanese father, a stern, forbidding man. Jasira finds she can’t talk to him about her mixed-up emotions as a developing woman. Nor can she tell him what it feels like to face school every day without any friends or to get called horrible names like “camel jockey” and “towelhead.” The rocky relationship between father and daughter sends her looking for comfort in other people, sometimes for good; sometimes for ill.

Her publisher calls Towelhead “a hope-filled book about the power of genuine love, whether from strangers down the street or imperfect parents. Fulfilling the promise of her short fiction, Towelhead affirms Erian as a gifted, incisive and courageous novelist.”
Erian keeps in mind an important rule for any book, regardless of its subject or message: “The writing should entertain you,” she said. “A book is like a shark; if it stops moving, it will die.” Her book has been named to Barnes & Nobles’ “Discover Great New Writers Program,” has been reviewed warmly by Elle magazine and Booklist and has been optioned for a film. The author will begin a nationwide book tour this spring.

columnist maureen dowd to talk about politics

The Wellesley College Democrats will host a lecture by nationally syndicated columnist Maureen Dowd Thursday, April 7, at 4:30 pm in Alumnae Hall. Dowd became a columnist for The New York Times op-ed page in 1995, after reporting on the Reagan, Bush Senior and Clinton administrations. In 1999, she won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished commentary on the Clinton impeachment trials.

Before moving to the Times op-ed section, Dowd wrote a column, “On Washington,” for The New York Times Magazine. Her pre-New York Times experience is also distinguished. She was an editorial assistant for the Washington Star, where she later became a sports columnist, metropolitan reporter and feature writer. In 1981, she went to Time magazine when the Star closed. Dowd was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for national reporting in 1992. In 1991, she received the Breakthrough Award from “Women, Men and Media” at Columbia University. She also received the 1994 Matrix Award from New York Women in Communications. She was named one of Glamour’s Women of the Year for 1996.

“Maureen Dowd will bring great inspiration and experience to the Wellesley campus,” said event organizer Jacqueline McAllister ’06. “Ms. Dowd been exceedingly successful in a political career dominated by men—she is indeed a trail blazer for women around the world. Her courage, expertise, exceptional background and renown will offer the Wellesley community a unique look into current political discourse, endeavors and happenings.” For more information, contact jmcallis@wellesley.edu.

peace corps pride

Wellesley has earned a top spot among Peace Corps volunteers, ranking No. 11 among small colleges and universities for 2005.

Ingrid Belete Nunez, Wellesley Class of 1990 and regional recruiter with the Peace Corps, notes, “In my almost three years of working with and interviewing Wellesley students who are applying to serve as Peace Corps volunteers, I have been struck by their past experience in volunteer work and public service.

“Volunteerism usually dates back to their high-school years, and they continue to make the time for it while involved in their academic and extracurricular pursuits. Volunteering comes naturally to Wellesley students. For Wellesley women, volunteerism is just a way of life.

water contaminants will be topic of douglas lecture

“Stalking the Wily Hydrophobe: New Approaches for Seeking Sources of Organic Chemical Contaminants in Water,” the 2005 Marjorie Stoneman Douglas Lecture, will be presented Tuesday, April 5, at 4:30 pm in Science Center 278; a reception will be held at 4 pm in Sage Lounge. The speaker is John P. Hassett, professor of environmental chemistry at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Hassett studies the behavior of organic chemicals in the environment.

His research includes the study of interactions of hydrophobic chemicals such as PCBs between water, the gas phase and natural organic matter phases. He is developing sampling and extraction methods for trace organic contaminants in water that will improve precision and accuracy of analyses, provide better detection limits than existing technology and lower the costs of field sampling and analysis. For more information, call x3000.

coile will talk about social security reform

Courtney Coile, economics, will present a lecture, “What You Need To Know about Social Security Reform,” Tuesday, April 5, at 4:15 pm in PNE 239.

“Social Security is all over the news, but the message is very different depending on who is doing the talking,” Coile said. “Bush says the system is going ‘flat bust, bankrupt,’ while some Democrats say there isn’t a crisis; Bush says partial privatization is the answer, while Democrats say it’s dangerous and are unified in their opposition to it. All of this leaves the average person pretty confused about Social Security. My goal in the talk is to provide people with the information they need to participate in the debate.”

Coile will look at several specific issues, including:
- Is there a Social Security crisis?
- Is partial privatization (or as the Republicans prefer to call it, voluntary personal retirement accounts) the answer?
- What other fixes are being proposed? She will address one of the more popular proposals, which is to raise the cap on the amount of earnings subject to Social Security payroll tax, and whether that would raise enough money to fix the system.

She will also talk about more traditional solutions such as increasing the tax rate or raising the retirement age. The lecture is sponsored by Economics. For more information, call x2154.

israeli fimmaker to present lecture

Israeli director Orna Ben-Dor will present a lecture and her film Widowed Once, Twice Bereaved Tuesday, April 5, at 4:30 pm in Collins Cinema. This 2004 documentary focuses on a terrorist attack at the Matza Restaurant in Haifa, telling the story of five bereaved mothers who have become alternative families for each other.

One of Israel’s most respected filmmakers, Ben-Dor’s work has been critically acclaimed and has received numerous prestigious awards. She is the founder of the New Israeli Fund for Cinema and Television. A strong advocate of feminist issues, she has presented many television programs addressing gender topics. She is director of the documentary department of Herzliya Studios and a lecturer on cinema at the Sam Spiegel Film School in Jerusalem. She is currently working on two new documentaries as well as a book. For more information, call x2425.

colleagues in the news

afshan bokhari, art history, offered a presentation, “Islamic and Christian Architecture: Creating Sacred Spaces,” on Islamic and Christian architecture, at the RUAH Spirituality Institute in Brookline. Bokhari compared the architecture of Islamic mosques and Christian churches with a slide show and an analysis of the liturgical and ideological differences between the two traditions. She is currently involved in several outreach projects including The Islam Project - Community Engagement Campaign; the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities “Understanding Islam” project; the Providence, R.I., Muslim Heritage Council; and “Gateway to Islam” at the Museum of Fine Arts. She also has collaborated on the development of the “Tree of Faith” quilt to be displayed at area museums, working with members of the Wayland Mosque, and has coordinated/fabricated the Islamic Mosaic of Peace and Understanding with students from Massachusetts.

stephen marini, religious studies, was program speaker at the Dover Historical Society’s annual meeting in March. The topic was “The Religious World of Benjamin Caryl: Belief, Worship and Ministry in Eighteenth Century Dover.”

sarah takagi, music, has presented “Music and Mysticism: Works that Celebrate the Spirit,” a concert of works by Bach-Busoni, Scriabin and Messiaen, at the Newton Free Library. Takagi has performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, Carnegie Recital Hall and appeared with Leon Fleisher as a soloist on the PBS show “Musical Encounter.” In the Boston area, she has played at the French Library, as a soloist on the Lexington Sinfonietta Series and in frequent concerts at Jordan Hall. The winner of many competitions, she also teaches at the New England Conservatory, Extension Division.

calendar

monday april 4

cws workshop. “Second Interviews.” 12:30 pm, GRH 428. Info: x2352.

italian table. 12:30-1:30 pm, Tower Court private dining room. Info: x2616.

lecture. “Discovering Who You Are and Your Career.” Speaker: Rabbi Karen Landy. 4:15-5:15 pm, Library Lecture Room. Sponsor: Hillel. Info: Hillelmail@wellesley.edu.

theatre. MacBeth. Shakespeare Now Theatre Co. 4:15 pm, Shakespeare House. Sponsors: English, Shakespeare Society. Info: x2591.

cws workshop. “Résumé Writing.” 4:30 pm, FND 120. Info: x2352.

lecture. “Women’s Human Rights in Post-9/11 America.” Speaker: Catherine Powell, law, Fordham University. 4:30-6:30 pm, Collins Cinema. Sponsor: Women’s Studies. Info: x2538.

wilson lecture. “Global Health Equity and the Future of Public Health.” Speaker: Paul Farmer, Harvard Medical School. 5:30-7 pm, Jewett Auditorium. Sponsor: CLCE. Info: x2373.

cws workshop. “Using the Wellesley Network.” 6 pm, GRH 441. Info: x2352.

meeting. College Government Senate. 6 pm, Academic Council Room. Info: x1181.

esl tutoring. 6-8 pm, PLTC small conference room. Info: x2480.

apt workshop. “Do Your Best to Destress.” 6:30 pm, Stone-Davis living room. Info: x2641.

film. Earth. 7 pm, FND 120. Sponsor: English. Info: x2591.

meditation. 7-8:15 pm, lower chapel. Sponsor: Buddhist Community. Info: x2793.

tuesday april 5

open class. “Musics of China, Japan, and Korea.” 11:10 am-12:20 pm, JAC 106. Info: x2800.

softball vs. Framingham State. Double header. 3 pm. Info: x2003.

lecture. “What You Need to Know About Social Security.” Speaker: Courtney Coile, economics. 4:15-5:30 pm, PNE 239. (See story) Sponsor: Economics. Info: x2154.

film/lecture. Widowed Once, Twice Bereaved. Speaker: Orna Ben-Dor, director. 4:30-6 pm, Collins Cinema. (See story) Sponsor: Spanish. Info: x2425.

douglas lecture. “Stalking the Wily Hydrophobe: New Approaches for Seeking Sources of Organic Chemical Contaminants in Water.” Speaker: John P. Hassett, environmental chemistry, SUNY-ESF. Reception: 4 pm; lecture: 4:30-6 pm, SCI 278. (See story) Info: x3000.

sharing circle. 7-8 pm, Little Chapel. Sponsor: Unitarian Universalists. Info: x3484.

german table. 7:30-8:30 pm, Schneider loft. Info: x2584.

performance. “Good Girls Do, But Indian Girls Don’t.” 8-10 pm, Jewett Auditorium. Sponsor: WASAC. Info: WASACmail@wellesley.edu.

wednesday april 6

academic council meeting. 12:30-2 pm, Academic Council Room.

meditation. 12:30-1 pm, lower chapel. Sponsor: Buddhist Community. Info: x2793.

french table. 12:30-1:30 pm, Bates private dining hall. Info: x2403.

spanish table. 12:30-1:30 pm, Tower Court dining hall. Info: x3571.

lecture/recital. “Music from the Inside Out—West Looks East: Passionate Patience of Pacific Rim Cultures.” Triple Helix Piano Trio. 12:30-1:45 pm, Jewett Auditorium. Sponsor: Music. Info: x2800.

russian table. 1-2 pm, FND 416. Info: x3584.

lecture. “Form Follows Content.” Speaker: Claire Van Vliet, book artist. 4:15-6 pm, Library Lecture Room. Sponsor: FOL. Info: x2872.

lecture. “Cracking India: Meditations on Film and Literature.” Speaker: Bapsi Sidhwa, novelist. 4:30 pm, Collins Cinema. Sponsor: English. Info: x2591.

anime film. Spirited Away. 4:50 and 7:30 pm, FND 207. Sponsor: East Asian Languages and Literatures. Info: x3226.

lecture. “Women’s Rights in the Islamic World” Speaker: Mahnaz Afkhami, feminist. 5 pm, PNE 225A. Sponsor: Women for Choice. Info: x1883.

meeting. Good Book Club. 6:30 pm, BIL 202. Sponsor: PCC. Info: x2655.

lecture. “Human Rights and Democracy in China, from Artistic to Political Freedom.” Speaker: Merle Goldman, Chinese history, BU. 6:30-7:30 pm, Collins Cinema. Sponsor: Chinese Students Association. Info: x2800.

apt workshop. “Office Hours for Registration Q’s.” 7 pm, Beebe. Info: x2641.

performance. “Nice Jewish Girls Gone Bad.” 7:30-9:30 pm, Schneider. Sponsor: Hillel. Info: Hillelmail@wellesley.edu.

thursday april 7

meditation. 12:30-1 pm, lower chapel. Sponsor: Buddhist Community. Info: x2793.

wcw seminar. “A Life-Course Approach to Intimate Partner Abuse Victimization.” Speaker: Diane Purvin, researcher. 12:30-1:30 pm, Cheever House. Info: x2483.

workshop. “TIAA-CREF: Mid-Career.” 12:30-1:30 pm, Academic Council Room. WC employees only. Sponsor: Human Resources. Info: x2215.

lacrosse vs. Lasell. 4 pm. Info: x2003.

lecture. “Contested Identities: Anti-Semitism, Nationalism and the Construction of Race in Colonial Algeria.” Speaker: Steven Uran, CNRS, Paris. 4:15 pm, Library Lecture Room. Sponsor: Jewish Studies. Info: x4088.

panel discussion. “Shaping a Life in the Arts: Perspectives from East Asian Women.” 4 pm, DMCC. Info: x2051.

lecture. Speaker: Maureen Dowd. 4:30-6:30 pm, Alumnae Hall. (See story, page 1.) Sponsor: Wellesley College Democrats. Info: x7166.

panel/open house. “Opportunities in Education.” 5-7 pm, Academic Council Room. Refreshments Info: x3232.

panel discussion. “Women Shaping Their Lives in the Arts.” 4:30-6:30 pm, DMCC. Sponsor: Davis Fund. Info: x2800.

reading. Towelhead. Speaker: Alicia Erian, writing program. 6:30 pm, Collins Cinema. (See story) Sponsor: Newhouse Center for the Humanities. Info: x2698.

esl tutoring. 6-8 pm, PLTC small conference room. Info: x2480.

theatre. Rumors. Director: Maia Sharuk ’05. 7 pm, Ruth Nagel Jones Theatre, Alumnae Hall. Cost: Free to Wellesley/MIT students with ID; staff/other students/seniors, $10; others, $12. Sponsor: Upstage. Info: x2000.

lecture. “Tradition and Creation.” Speaker: Chen Yi, composer. 7:30 pm, Jewett Auditorium. Sponsor: Music. Info: x2800.

concert. Catie Curtis. 9 pm, Molly’s Pub. Info: x3414.

friday april 8

open class. “Chinese Composer Chen Yi and Pipa Player Min Xiao-Fen.” 11:10 am-12:20 pm, JAC 106. Info: x2800.

open class. Japanese 130. Speakers: Jennifer Matsue, ethnomusicologist; Pui Yan Li, Cantonese opera; Artemis Willis, filmmaker. 11:10 am-12:20 pm, PNW 212. Info: x2028.

prayer/discussion. Muslim communal (Jummah). 12:45-1:30 pm, lower chapel. Info: x2025.

opening reception. Art from China, Japan and Korea. 5-7 pm, DMCC. Info: x2800.

theatre. Rumors. Director: Maia Sharuk ’05. 8 pm, Ruth Nagel Jones Theatre, Alumnae Hall. Cost: Free to Wellesley/MIT students with ID; staff/other students/seniors, $10; others, $12. Sponsor: Upstage. Info: x2000.

concert. Johan Cohen and Miai. 9-11:30 pm, Molly’s Pub. Info: x3414.

saturday april 9

ennis invitational. 8 am. Info: x2003.

softball vs. Springfield. Double header. Noon. Info: x2003.

lacrosse vs. MHC. 1 pm. Info: x2003.

theatre. Rumors. Director: Maia Sharuk ’05. 2 and 8 pm, Ruth Nagel Jones Theatre, Alumnae Hall. Cost: Free to Wellesley/MIT students with ID; staff/other students/seniors, $10; others, $12. Sponsor: Upstage. Info: x2000.

performance. Nuestra América: Third Annual Latina Cultural Show. 7 pm, Jewett Auditorium. Sponsor: Spanish. Info: x2958.

baum concert. Wellesley College Choir; Virginia Men’s Glee Club. 8 pm, Houghton Chapel. (See story) Sponsor: Music. Info: x2028.

sunday april 10

worship service. 11:15 am, Houghton Chapel. Sponsor: Protestant Christian Chaplaincy. Info: x2655.

workshop. “Needlepoint.” With Corina Palmer. 1-4 pm. (Part 2, April 19, 6:30-8:30 pm.) PNE 208. Preregister in Applied Arts; WC community only. Info: x2030.

catholic mass. 4 pm, Houghton Chapel. Sponsor: Newman Catholic Ministry. Info: x2688.

meeting. Darshana. 5 pm, Houghton Chapel. Sponsor: Hindu Community. Info: x2794.

concert. “A Sense of Place—Music Shaped by Its Culture: Music from the Pacific Rim.” Triple Helix Piano Trio. 7 pm, Houghton Chapel. Sponsor: Music. Info: x2800.

theatre. Rumors. Director: Maia Sharuk ’05. 7 pm, Ruth Nagel Jones Theatre, Alumnae Hall. Cost: Free to Wellesley/MIT students with ID; staff/other students/seniors, $10; others, $12. Sponsor: Upstage. Info: x2000.

monday april 11

italian table. 12:30-1:30 pm, Tower Court private dining room. Info: x2616.

workshop. “Basic Movements of the Classical Noh Dance.” Speaker: Akira Matsui, master actor. 12:30-2 pm, Alumnae Hall Ballroom. Sponsor: Davis Fund. Info: x2800.

lecture. “Ethnic Identity Formation in a Multicultural Society.” Speaker: Jean Phinny ’55, psychology, CSU-Los Angeles. 5:15-6:15 pm, SCI 277. Sponsor: Psychology. Info: x3010.

meeting. College Government Senate. 6 pm, Academic Council Room. Info: x1181.

esl tutoring. 6-8 pm, PLTC small conference room. Info: x2480.

lecture. “Women Confronting Globalization: Fair Trade and Human Rights in Chiapas.” Speakers: Mexico Solidarity Network. 6-8 pm, PNE 225A. Sponsor: Anthropology. Info: x2137.

lecture. “Raising Children in Challenging Times.” Speaker: Robert Evans, Human Relations Service. 7 pm, College Club. Sponsor: Open Circle. RSVP required: x2847.

meditation. 7-8:15 pm, meditation room, lower chapel. Sponsor: Buddhist Community. Info: x2793.

ongoing

exhibit. Art from China, Japan and Korea. April 8, 2005-June 2006. DMCC. Info: x2051.

exhibit. Still Present Pasts: Korean Americans and the “Forgotten War.” Jewett Auditorium, through April 16. Info: x2959.

exhibit. Modernist Art. Through June 2006. DMCC. Info: x2051.

exhibits. The Reign of Terror. The “Master Prints” of Hendrick Goltzius and Mannerist Art. The Observed and Envisioned: 16th to 19th Century Indian Miniature Paintings of Mughal and Rajput Women. Through June 19, DMCC. Info: x2051.

don't miss...baum memorial concert is a collaborative musical treat

The first Marjorie Copland Baum concert was performed in 1974 and has been a tradition at Wellesley ever since. The Wellesley College Choir collaborates with a university men’s chorus, accompanied by an orchestra. “This Spring 2005 we will be performing Haydn’s spectacular “Lord Nelson Mass” with the University of Virginia Glee Club,” said Director of the Choral Program Lisa Graham. “This includes orchestra and soloists, two of which are Wellesley voice faculty” — namely, Andrea Matthews and Gale Fuller.” The concert will take place Saturday, April 9, at 8 pm in Houghton Memorial Chapel. The Wellesley College Choir will likewise journey to Virginia to perform the same concert on that campus. Graham calls the swap “our traditional ‘home’ and ‘away’ games.” For more information, contact Graham at x2068.

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